Why do some cattle perform better than others? .......the answer lies in the genes

If you buy in store cattle to finish, then using your eye to sift through the good, the bad and the indifferent may be a relatively straightforward process, however have you actually considered what’s ‘under their skin’ and these beasts real genetic potential?

Alan Dore / 14 month old Charolais Cross heifer close to finishing

Making a conscious decision to purchase store cattle sired by a high genetic merit Charolais bull is a newly adopted strategy that is paying dividends for the Dore family, who finish 600 head of bought in cattle each year. “We had no idea of the varying degrees of potential performance within store beasts until last year when we bought some cattle sired by high genetic merit bulls. They really opened my eyes to the fact here was an opportunity to exploit potential performance that we’ve never been able to achieve before,” according to Alan Dore.

Twelve months ago he purchased 56, seven month old bulls for finishing purposes from the same suckler herd, and they were all by Charolais bulls within the breed’s top 10% on Terminal Index. They went on to average 438kg deadweight in 447 days from birth to slaughter and recorded an average lifetime daily carcass gain 0.98kgs; seven graded within the E specification, 46 U and three R, while one was in fat class 2; 38 in fat class 3 and 17 in fat class 4L.

“This season, we’ve purchased another crop of bulls and also heifer calves from the same suckler herd, and this time they’re by Charolais bulls within the breed’s top 1% on Terminal Index. We’re confident that they have the potential to achieve even higher levels of performance so we’re feeding them harder from the start and intend to reduce the bulls’ days to slaughter by four weeks and hit 440kg at just under 14 months, while we plan to take the heifers through to an average 320kg target weight at 14 months.”

The Dores, Alan, his brother, John and their respective wives, Kathleen and Jane run a traditional arable beef finishing enterprise at Home Farm, an 860 acre owner occupied mixed unit, at Glapwell, Mansfield, comprising Continental cross cattle bought in marts or privately via an agent or at the farm gate.

“We target bulls to finish between 360kg and 420kg deadweight and for them all to grade within the 3,4L specification,” he says. “However, we found this particular batch of Charolais cross bulls was exceptional. Their growth rate was phenomenal, both frame and muscling, compared with other Continental cattle we had previously accessed. In fact they’ve out performed any other crosses we’ve ever reared before in terms of weight gain combined with grading within the target specification. I also believe that performance was enhanced by the fact Charolais crosses are relatively very placid and content. 

“It’s those higher levels of performance which have been consistent throughout the group that really matters. However, there’s always the exceptional one or two in any group, and in this particular instance we recorded one bull achieving 526.8kg deadweight in 480 days from birth to slaughter and a daily carcass gain 1.098kgs, and he classified U+4L.

“Furthermore, being able to take the bulls through to heavier weights, and still grade within our target specification has introduced us to an option of markets. This season we sold the entire packet of bulls to Kepak – we received a flat rate payment, plus premium according to grid specification, and the vast majority were traded on for export.   

“These cattle had also been IBR vaccinated and wormed prior to purchase which was of major benefit to the extent that literally100% remained healthy throughout the finishing period.”

On arrival to Home Farm, the weaned calves averaging seven months old, are introduced to straw bedded yards and a 16% CP diet comprising grass silage supplemented with home grown barley and bought in proteins. Approximately one tonne barley is fed per head over the finishing period.

He adds: “We would like to find more suckled calves bred by producers who are aware of the benefits of using high genetic merit sires over their cows to leave these high performance calves. In fact, it would be of benefit to the entire industry if all suckler men selected their bulls more carefully.

“I also think it would help the industry if suckled calf producers communicated to us finishers, either at the ringside, from the rostrum or at the farm gate, the genetic potential of their calves. If they use a performance recorded registered bull, then they will have the tools to hand as far as his EBV data is concerned. In turn, those figures help us make more informed decisions on our purchases to select the cattle with the highest potential performance and in turn, the highest margins.”