A Lot of Bull
Malabar Farm Maximum at 1 1/2 year old.
He was one of the best of the 2004 Grass Fed Bull Test,
and was used extensively in our 2005 breeding season
In order to make correct choices in breeding Belted Galloways, it is essential first to know your personal goals, and then every mating must be evaluated in that context. This basic and guiding philosophy is critical. In breeding Belties, goals generally fall into one the following categories: beef production, conservancy of an historic breed, competitive exhibition, and hobby. All are important, and they may be overlapping.
The first step is to decide whether to use natural service or artificial insemination. For the economically important traits in beef breeds, both parents contribute equally to each individual calf, but because a bull is used on several cows in each herd, his genetics become concentrated in the herd. As much as 90% of the total genetic contribution of the herd may come from the bull. Although it limits one's choices, for the hobbyist who simply wishes to have a couple of Belties in the pasture, breeding to a bull "down the road," if he is sound, may be the easiest and least expensive solution.
Breeding artificially allows one to choose from a larger variety of excellent bulls, but it requires greater management skills; timing of insemination is critical, although modern veterinary medicine allows for scheduled breeding. Semen can be expensive, and conception rates are only about 50% for each insemination, so multiple inseminations are often required. But if you have only a few animals, buying a bull may not make a lot of sense since bulls can be expensive to purchase and maintain, can be difficult to manage, and can be used for only a limited time.
For information on semen collected from sires at Malabar Farm and Blossom Ridge Farm:
http://www.beltiefarms.com/page11.html
Belted Galloway breeders lag some of the other breeds in the collection of performance data, but before purchasing semen, the breeder should ask some basic questions. Although Belted Galloways are known for easy calving, the majority of calving problems are related to birth weights so one should inquire about birth weights, especially of calves born to heifers. It is also useful to inquire about weaning weights, yearling weights, and disposition. The Belted Galloway Society publishes a bull selection guide http://www.beltie.org/brochure.html
Conservation breeding is the management of a breed as a genetic resource for the future, and if that is your primary goal, studying pedigrees is essential. As compared to conventional breeding which tends to focus on a few well promoted bulls, a relatively larger number of males will be used for breeding, preserving genetic diversity. Careful attention is paid to maintaining all existing blood lines, and all sound animals of breed type will be used.
In order to increase numbers or to obtain certain effects, some breeders have added genetic contributions from other breeds to their herds, and this "improvement" in some cases may represent a departure from the historic uses and characteristics of the breed. The herd book for the Belted Galloway Society allows for "up bred" animals to be listed in the appendix. After five successive purebred breedings to purebred bulls, offspring are considered purebred (which is distinct from fullblood, where ancestry can be traced to the foundation animals of the breed). Purists will want to learn which lines have added genetic contributions and may wish to breed only from those lines which do not have added genetic contributions.
The subject of competitive exhibition generates some debate. Some believe that seedstock producers focus too exclusively on superior physical appearance, paying more attention to primping and pampering with shampoo and hair dryers than to producing the kind of beef consumers want. The prospective Beltie owner should look beyond the belt and a pretty face and be certain that the breeder understands livestock production in a context broader than the show ring.
Production breeding involves significant record keeping, and one must first establish some benchmarks to serve as objective criteria, which helps to combat making choices purely on emotions. Production breeding can be a disadvantage if selection criteria are too narrow. Performance records are only meaningful when comparing animals raised under similar conditions.
It is preferable to include both performance and conservancy in a breeding program, selecting some sound animals which may lack performance, but which represent less common genetic variants. Such improvement breeding results in more balanced performance animals and fewer genetic losses.
The following are Benchmarks for Malabar Farm bull selection:
| BULL SELECTION BENCHMARKS | |||
| AGE | WEIGHT | HEIGHT (in) | TESTICULAR SIZE (cm) |
| Birth | 70-80 lb. | ||
| 6 Months | 500-600 | 41-45 | |
| 12 Months | 900-1000 | 47-51 | 30-34. |
| 18 Months | >1100 | 51-55 | 31-36 |
| 4 Years | 1800-2000 | 55-56 | 34-39 |
Adjusted weaning weight ( at about 6 1/2 months) measures the productive contribution from the mother's milk, while the gain from weaning to yearling reflects the individual animal's growth potential. The most important overall performance measure is yearling weight, because it includes contributions from both the cow and the calf, but these measures are only meaningful when compared to averages within the herd. To maximize production, one would wish to choose a bull whose growth rate exceeds the herd average and has been raised under conditions comparable to your own farm.
It is important to consider the disposition of a bull. Based on their size and strength alone, even bulls with good temperaments can be difficult to handle. An ill-tempered bull should never be used, no matter how good he is.
Other factors which are important in selecting a bull are soundness, testicular size, and sexual behavior. It is a great disappointment to wait expectantly for your calves to arrive, only to learn the hard way that your bull is sterile. Since most breeders are initially drawn to Belties because of their appearance, the visual appraisal of the bull and his belt is important, but should be considered only after the other criteria have been met.
The ultimate test of a bull is in his ability to produce desirable offspring. Purchasing a proven sire allows one to assess calves' sizes at birth and their growth rate, ease of calving, and visual desirability. Although a mature, proven bull may be the most expensive to purchase, the ability to evaluate off spring may allow one to choose the best bull for one's herd, and may ultimately provide the best value per dollar spent.
Bull TestingBull Guarantee and Management
Malabar Farm Nemo, at 1 years old,
One of the best of the 2005 Grass Fed Bull Test
The Beef Improvement Federation recommends bull testing as a way of choosing bulls to meet production goals, and they have developed testing procedures for both forage and grain based operations. These tests do not have to be complicated and the Belted Galloway breed would be benefited substantially if multiple tests were run on a regional basis. The following are the basics for the forage based test:
· Calves should be 180-270 days of age and should have a maximum age range of 90 days.
· When bulls are put on test and when taken off test they should be weighed on two consecutive days. Weights may vary as much as 30-40 lbs on
· Nutritional programs must provide adequate levels of protein and energy to allow for expression of genetic differences in growth. Ration analysis should be done.
· Because of the slower growth rate for forage based test the minimum length is168 days. (For grain, a minimum of 112 days).
The purpose of the bull test is to identify the best bulls within the contemporary group based on whichever characteristics the producer feels are most important. The first Rose Herd bull test established a list of several criteria, the committee weighting some characteristics more heavily than others. Several bulls seemed to come to the top most of the time. Based on the data from this group, it is possible to establish “benchmarks,” i.e. future target goals, as seen in Table 1.
Table 1. Bull Test Averages and Benchmarks
Average Value | Benchmark | ||
On test weight | 378-578 lbs | >525 lbs | |
Off test weight | 499-715 lbs | >650 lbs | |
ADG on test | 0.37-0.61 lbs/day | 0.48 lbs/day | >0.60 lbs/day |
Yearling weight per day of age | 1.12-1.56 lbs/day | 1.24 lbs/day | >1.50 lbs/day |
Adjusted yearling weight | 468-650 lbs | 544 lbs | >600 lbs |
Testicular Size | 25-34 cm. | 31 cm. | =/> 33 cm |
Real-time ultrasound offers beef producers a means to make genetic improvement in body composition traits. Ultrasound data is useful in identifying animals that are superior or inferior for a particular trait of interest. Breed averages can be useful for characterizing a specific breed for body composition traits and how those traits may be incorporated into a crossbreeding program to compliment each other. Collecting ultrasound data is also a much cheaper and more efficient means of evaluating carcass traits on breeding animals relative to progeny testing and carcass data collection.
Ultrasound Testing of Bulls
The use of real-time ultrasound to measure fat thickness and ribeye area in live beef cattle has become widely accepted. Ribeye area and fat thickness are two traits that are highly related to retail product of a beef carcass and these two traits can be measured with a high degree of accuracy using ultrasound. Additionally, fat thickness and ribeye area are moderately to highly heritable, suggesting that differences found between animals would be expected to be passed on to their offspring.
Real-time ultrasound can be used to objectively measure marbling in live beef cattle. Marbling, however, is a very subjective score. Therefore, real-time ultrasound is used to predict the actual percent fat in the ribeye muscle. The percent fat is what carcass graders try to visually evaluate. Research studies at Iowa State University (ISU) have found a relatively high correlation (0.75) between ultrasound-predicted percent fat in the live animal and the actual percent fat in the carcass ribeye. The heritability for marbling is in the moderate range. In addition, the genetic correlation between marbling and fat thickness has been shown to be very low, suggesting that selection for improved marbling can be obtained without an increase in external fat.
The committee that designed the Rose Herd Bull Test chose to emphasize REA and to a lesser extent % IMF over the more traditional measures of rates of gain. Back fat was measured but there was so little that it was not a useful differentiation between the bulls. In the first Bull Test, ultrasound was performed at 6 months and at the end of the test. There appeared to be some correlation between the two, but not enough to recommend routine use of the test until one year of age.
Table 2. Bull Test Ultrasound
Average Value | Benchmark | ||
Rump Fat Thickness | 0.04-0.09 in | Insignificant | Insignificant |
Rib Fat Thickness | 0.06-0.10 in | Insignificant | Insignificant |
Rib Eye Area (REA) | 4.90-6.80 sq in | 6.0 sq in | >7.0 sq in |
% Intramuscular Fat | 1.8-4.32% | 3.45% | >3.9% |
As the better bulls are chosen and used on Rose Herd breeding animals, it is assumed that these values eventually will improve over time and that there will be a greater consistency in the animals. Some producers in different environments and with different management systems may already exceed these benchmarks.
The history of the Belted Galloway includes early work by Dr. Butson on the fat levels of Beltie beef. This work was valuable but has not been replicated. The bulls in the Rose Herd test which have not been kept as bulls will enter into on-going research into the areas of healthy versus unhealthy fats, particularly as it relates to Beltie beef, and also tenderness and taste as it occurs in grass-finished beef.
No direct comparison of performance of animals raised at different sites, different ages or different times can be made because of differences in environmental conditions and testing procedures. However, they are a useful starting point for the individual Beltie producer in setting his or her own production goals.
At the time of the sale, a breeding soundness and health examination will be completed by a licensed veterinarian. These papers will serve as the official guarantee that a bull is sound, healthy and serviceable.
The purchaser has 8 months from the time of the sale to register any complaints with the seller about the bull. Failure to notify the seller in this time frame will void the guarantee. Once any complaint has been registered with the seller, the purchaser must return the bull at his/her own expense to the seller who then has 6 months to attempt to prove the bull. If the bull proves to be unsatisfactory at the end of that period of time, a full refund will be given to the purchaser.
Yearling bulls must be properly managed so genetic potential and reproductive performance will be maximized. Bulls sold from the Rose Herd Bull test will be guaranteed, but only if managed as follows:
1. Feeding: A young bull must be fed well. Hay and grain or silage and grain plus a protein supplement will be adequate. If feeding grain, one pound of grain per 100 lbs of body weight and 1-2 lbs of protein supplement must be fed, in addition to a full feed of good quality hay or silage from purchase until the breeding season. If fed only grass and forage, hay must be tested for nutritional completeness. After the breeding season, the purchaser must continue to feed liberally so the bull will grow out well.
2. Breeding season: The new bull must be used in a restricted 45-60 day breeding season for the first time. He must be observed closely to be sure he is serving and settling the females.
3. A yearling bull should be used on a minimal number of cows or heifers, governed by his age at the start of the breeding season. The ratio of the number of bulls to females is difficult to estimate because it is affected by so many things, including the distribution of females in the pasture, bull characteristics and management decisions. It is also influenced by age, condition, libido, fertility, sperm reserve, social behavior and physical condition. The following are maximum numbers:
12-15 mos. 10
15-18 mos. 12
18-24 mos. 18
over 24 mos. 25
4. Management and Housing: If possible, the yearling bull should be on the farm at least 60 days prior to the start of the breeding season to provide time for the bull to adjust to its new environment and to overcome the stress of the sale and being moved. Exercise is a critical factor during this period. Since a bull needs lots of stamina and may travel many miles each day during the breeding season, he must be conditioned by having plenty of exercise, preferably in a lot of about 1 acre size minimum. The bull must be kept in a well-fenced lot prior to and after breeding season. A shed or natural windbreak should be provided.
5. Caution must be used when running bulls together. Bulls of similar age and those that have bred cows together will usually work.
6. Plenty of clean water must be provided.
7. Minerals must be provided free choice.
8. Bulls must be treated routinely for lice, grubs and worms.
9. Check for any unsoundness that might develop.
10. Vaccinate annually for IBR, PI3, BVD and Lepto
11. Following the breeding season the following items must be considered:
a. Feed and manage them in such a way that they have a condition score of about 6 at the beginning of the next breeding season
b. Feed and manage so the bull achieves 65-75% of their mature size by the beginning of the next season
c. Prevent injury. Do not place younger bulls with older bulls that will physically dominate them.
It costs a breeder a minimum of $750-1000 to raise a bull to a yearling, and about $1135-1400 to a 2 year old. The bull is not only a financial investment but an investment in reproductive and genetic performance. Investments in management, feed and care must be made if the bull is to realize its full genetic and reproductive potential.
Bull Testing
Contacting Malabar Farm and Blossom Ridge Farm
Address: Loren A. Olson, M. D., and Doug Mortimer E-mail: Loren@BeltieFarms.com or Doug@BeltieFarms.com Phone: (641) 765-4356 Fax: (641) 765-4356
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