Heterosis has it’s advantages. Hybrid vigor matters. Fertility is unquestionably the #1 requisite for the profitability of any cow herd. Without a live calf each and every year, all other statistics are irrelevant. The economic advantages of the crossbred cow are the key to beef production and profitability in a cow-calf operation. Utilizing hybrid vigor in the cow produces phenomenal maternal advantages. Traits that are lowly heritable, particularly reproductive traits, such as fertility, age of puberty and longevity benefit greatly from heterosis.
Decades of research have consistently established that a crossbred cow is 8% more efficient than a purebred cow, lives 38% longer and generates 25% more lifetime production in pounds of calf weaned. In addition, total breakeven costs of production can be reduced by as much as 10% when running a crossbred cowherd. To put all this data in dollars and cents: F1 or F2 mamma cows will annually generate your operation an additional $50 profit over and above their purebred counterparts. In this day of ever-changing market conditions, superior females are critical to the long term profitability in any commercial cattle operation.
Decades of research have consistently established that a crossbred cow is 8% more efficient than a purebred cow, lives 38% longer and generates 25% more lifetime production in pounds of calf weaned. In addition, total breakeven costs of production can be reduced by as much as 10% when running a crossbred cowherd. To put all this data in dollars and cents: F1 or F2 mamma cows will annually generate your operation an additional $50 profit over and above their purebred counterparts. In this day of ever-changing market conditions, superior females are critical to the long term profitability in any commercial cattle operation.