BULLETIN 449 JUNE 1973 1. V f i r A A COMPARISON OF CALVES BY CHAROLAIS AND HEREFORD BULLS I AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AUBURN UNIVERSITY R. DENNIS ROUSE, Director/AUBURN, ALABAMA CONTENTS Page EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE - 4 . . . . . . . . ANALYSIS OF DATA .. RESULTS . . AND DISCUSSION Reproductive Performance Calf Birth Weights, Weaning Weights, and Grades Feedlot Performance Carcass Data SUMMARY-LITERATURE CITED _ ___ 10 11 13 APPENDIX FIRST PRINTING 7M, JUNE 1973 A COMPARISON OF CALVES BY CHAROLAIS AND HEREFORD BULLS T. B. PATTERSON, L. A. SMITH, and H. W. GRIMES" ' CROSSBREEDING HAS ONLY RECENTLY been widely accepted by commercial cattlemen. Further, since the first published reports of the positive relationship between rate and efficiency of gain in beef cattle, only the more progressive cattlemen have made an effort to improve growth rate. Of the large breeds, only the Charolais has been used widely enough in experiments to characterize with respect to various traits of economic importance. Damon et al. (2) reported in 1959 the first research in the United States involving the use of Charolais bulls. They found that crossbred calves sired by Charolais bulls were heaviest at weaning and, with one exception, gained faster post-weaning than steers sired by bulls of other breeds. Carcasses from Charolais cross steers had less fat and more lean and were more tender than those of the other breed crosses (3). Lasley (8) reported that Angus, Hereford, and Charolais cows weaned a lower percentage calf crop when bred with semen from Charolais bulls than when semen from Angus and Hereford bulls was used. However, other reports (2, 6, 13, 17) suggest that Charolais cattle compare favorably with other breeds in percentage calf crop weaned. Mason (10), Rowden (14), and Sagebiel et al. (15) reported an increase in dystocia (calving difficulty) associated with the use of bulls of the larger breeds. Patterson et al. (13), on the other hand, reported no evidence of dystocia when Charolais bulls were bred to mature Hereford cows. More recent studies (6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17) have confirmed the early report of Damon et al. (2) that Charolais sired calves grow faster than calves sired by bulls of British breeding. Reports by 'Professor, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences; Superintendent, Black Belt Substation; and Assistant Superintendent, Black Belt Substation. 2The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of John A. McGuire in analysis of the data. 4 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Jain et al. (5) and Pahnish et al. (12) show a significant difference in post-weaning gain between reciprocal crosses where Charolais was one of the breeds involved. In a study of the relationship between cow weights and calf weaning weights, Urick et al. (16) found that Charolais cows tended to produce more calf weight for each unit increase in cow weight than Angus or Herefords, but the differences were not significant. In general, carcasses from Charolais cross heifers and steers have less fat, more lean, and lower quality grades than carcasses from crosses among the British breeds (3, 9, 13, 18). However, these same reports indicate that Charolais carcasses compare favorably in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor with carcasses from British breeds and crosses. Results from a previous Black Belt Substation crossbreeding study (1) showed that the average adjusted weaning weight for all calves was 492 pounds. The most productive cows were Angus x Hereford back-crossed to Hereford bulls. These cows produced calves that averaged 505 pounds at weaning, or 482 pounds of calf per cow bred. Because of the high productivity of these cows, this cow herd was used in the experiment to determine the influence of Charolais bulls on calf weaning weight. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The results reported in this publication were from a 4-year study at the Black Belt Substation, Marion Junction, Alabama. The existing herds of mature Hereford and Angus x Hereford cows were divided into similar groups on the basis of breed, age, and previous records. One group was bred to a Hereford bull and the other group to a Charolais bull. Bulls were used for 2 years and the cows re-allotted the second year to further minimize differences between breeding groups. A second set of bulls was obtained for the last 2 years and the process repeated. Following this procedure, four groups of calves were produced in each of 4 years, namely: (1) Hereford, (2) 3/4 Hereford- 4 Angus, (3) 1/2 Charolais-1/2 Hereford, and (4) 1 Charolais-/ 4 Angus- 1/4 Hereford. These calves were born in late fall and winter. The first Charolais bull became crippled during the first breeding season. A replacement was obtained and used for the remainder of the season. The first bull apparently recovered and was placed with the herd at the beginning of the second season. It soon became obvious that he had become crippled again, and CALVES BY CHAROLAIS AND HEREFORD BULLS 5 a replacement was obtained and used for the remainder of the season. A third Charolais bull was placed with the herd as a 2 year old at the beginning of the third year. Immaturity prevented this young bull from breeding, so a replacement was used for the remainder of the season. The young bull was used as a 3 year old during the final year. Thus, five Charolais bulls were used rather than the two as originally planned. During the winter months brood cows were fed 2 pounds of 41 per cent cottonseed meal or equivalent per head daily plus johnsongrass hay ad libitum. Caley (wild winter) peas were grazed for approximately 50 days in early spring and permanent pasture of primarily dallisgrass with some white clover was grazed from late spring until late fall. A high protein creep feed was provided all calves during the winter. Also all calves were fed in late summer, if necessary, as a supplement to the dam's milk and pasture. All calves were numbered and male calves castrated within 24 hours after birth. Sex, birth weight, birth date, and dam's number were recorded. Two weaning dates were selected each year so that average weaning age of each group of calves would be approximately 250 days. All calves were weighed and assigned slaughter and stocker grades at weaning. Steer calves went directly into the feedlot where they were full-fed by breed groups for an average of 171 days. The ration was a blended mixture containing 30 per cent roughage. Finished steers were slaughtered and data obtained on carcass weight, ribeye area, fat thickness, kidney fat, and USDA yield and quality grade. Rib samples from all carcasses were evaluated at the Auburn University Meats Laboratory for tenderness by WarnerBratzler shear and for tenderness and juiciness by taste panel. ANALYSIS OF DATA The data were analyzed by using the method of least squares as described by Harvey (4). Tests of significance among individual least squares means were made with Kramer's (7) modification of Duncan's range test. Separate analyses were made for percentage calf crop born and weaned, birth weight, weaning weight, average daily gain (ADG), weight per day of age (WDA), and weaning grade. In addition, analyses were made for post-weaning traits of steers including final weight, feedlot gain, final age, final WDA, and i0% TABLE 1. REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE' BY BREEDING GROUPS Hereford X Angus-Hereford Hereford X Hereford Calved Weaned Calved Weaned Cows Cows Pct. No. Pct. Pct. Pct. No. 92.3 13 92.3 88.9 88.9 18 1967________________-______ 100.0 20 100.0 92.3 84.6 13 1968_________________-______ 94.4 88.9 84.6 18 13 1969--------------- 84.6 _-----Year 62 95.2a 56 87.5ab 85.7ab Total or average---. 1Means followed by different letters differ at P<0.05.a 1970 ._____________ 12 83.3 83.3 11 90.9 90.9 Charolais X Angus-Hereford Charolais X Hereford Calved Weaned Cows Calved Weaned Cows Pct. No. Pct. Pct. Pct. No. 64.7 64.7 78.6 17 14 85.7 100.0 90.9 64.3 11 14 78.6 70.0 10 90.0 10 70.0 70.0 11 72.7 72.7 2 93.5a 49 77.6b 71.4b 18 56 88.9 77.8 83.9ab 75.Ob m ZI X CALVES BY CHAROLAIS AND HEREFORD BULLS 7 slaughter grade. Steer carcass characteristic analyses were made for hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, carcass WDA, rib fat, kidney fat, ribeye area, USDA yield grade, conformation score, and USDA quality grade. Separate analyses for eating qualities of steaks included marbling score, Warner-Bratzler shear, taste panel tenderness, and taste panel juiciness. These analyses are given in the Appendix. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Reproductive Performance Cows bred to Hereford bulls dropped and weaned a higher percentage of calves than cows bred to Charolais bulls, Table 1 and Appendix Table 1. Only two Hereford and five Charolais bulls, which includes replacements described in the procedures, were used in the 4-year test. Therefore, conclusions regarding breed differences are not warranted. Hereford and Charolais bulls performed similarly at the Upper Coastal Plain Substation in Alabama (13) and elsewhere (2, 6, 17). Crossbred Angus-Hereford cows dropped and weaned a higher percentage of calves than straight Hereford cows, Table 1. However, these differences were not significant. Calf Birth Weights, Weaning Weights, and Grades Calves by Charolais bulls were heavier at birth, gained faster from birth to weaning, and were heavier at weaning than calves by Hereford bulls, Table 2. The values for 250-day weight per cow bred were not analyzed since they represent the product of per cent calf crop weaned and 250-day adjusted weaning weight. However, these values indicate the importance of high percentage calf crop regardless of breed of bulls and breeding of cows. TABLE 2. LEAST-SQUARES MEANS 1 FOR PRE-WEANING TRAITS OF CALVES Breeding of calf Number Birth weight Lb. 250-day 250-day 250-day 250-day Stocker weight weight cow bred grade g WDA ADG Lb. 1.79a 1.94b 2.05b 2.24c Lb. 2.04a 2.18b 2.33b 2.50c Lb. 515.0a 550.0a 591.2b 632.1b Lb. 441.3 514.2 422.1 474.1 13.5a 13.7a 14.0ab 14.3b H H C C x x x x H_...... AH _..... H _...... AH ...... - 48 58 35 42 69.1a 66.5a 80.2b 80.6b 1 Means followed by different letters differ at P<0.01. 2 Grade code: 13 = average Choice; 14 = high Choice, etc. . I 8 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Calves by Charolais bulls tended to have higher stocker grades than calves by Hereford bulls. Feedlot Performance Steers by Charolais bulls were heavier initially, gained faster in the feedlot, and therefore were heavier at the end of the feeding period than steers by Hereford bulls, Table 3. There was no difference in average age among the breed groups and no difference in slaughter grade. Charolais x Angus-Hereford steers required more feed, causing them to have higher cost per hundredweight gain than the other three groups of steers, Table 4. This weighted difference of 98 pounds more feed and $1.62 higher feed cost per hundredweight gain cannot be explained by differences in gain in the feedlot or entirely by maintenance requirements for heavier steers, since the Charolais x Hereford steers gained at approximately the same rate and weighed approximately the same at the end of test, Table 3. TABLE 3. LEAST-SQUARES MEANS' FOR POST-WEANING TRAITS OF STEERS Breeding Num- Initial of steer ber weight2 Lb. HxH 20 595.7 H x AH.. 26 607.7 C xH i 24 650.9 CxAH.. 22 691.7 2 Unadjusted Final weight Lb. 1000.6a 1024.8a 1138.3b 1133.3b Total Feedlot gain ADG Lb. Lb. 404.9a 2.48a 417.1a 2.47a 487.4b 2.74b 441.6ab 2.71b Final age Days 428 433 439 424 Final WDA Lb. 2.34a 2.35a 2.60b 2.67b Slaughter grade' 11.9 12.6 12.0 12.4 Means followed by different letters differ at P<0.01. weaning weight. ' Grade code: 11 = high Good; 12 = low Choice, etc. TABLE 4. AVERAGE' FEED CONSUMED AND COST PER HUNDREDWEIGHT FOR STEERS Breeding of steer Feed per hundredweight gain Pounds H H C C x x x x H AH H AH 920 913 895 1007 Feed cost per hundredweight gain Dollars 23.72 24.34 22.87 ~_____ 25.28 I--- Return per steer above feed cost Dollars 15.83 27.60 40.01 31.49 1 Fed by breeding groups; 4-year average. Carcass Data All steers were slaughtered as they reached the estimated live grade of Choice. Charolais sired steers had heavier carcasses, r m 0 I-A TABLE 5. LEAST-SQUARES MEANS' FOR STEER CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS I Hot Breeding of steer Number Dressing percent- Carcass WDA Rib fat Kidney fat Ribeye area Yield grade' H x Hx 1 C x C x AH- -----------------3 Grade code: HAH_ H. 20 .26 24 22 weight Lb. 5877.6a 60" 5.Oa 68" ).b 68( 3.5b carcass age Pct. 58.7a 59.Oa 60.6b Conformation' Quality' m X1 Carcass grade Lb. 1.37a 1.40a 1.57b In. .52b .63b 0.38a Pct. 3.3a 3.5b 3.2a Sq. In. 10.7a li-la 13.2b _ 3.3b 3.5b 2.4a _ 13.8bc 14.Oc 12.7a 11.6a 12.5b 11.7ab 0 On X I- 60.6b Means followed by different letters differ at 2Lower values more desirable. P