Missouri Beef Cattle Performance Testing Program

"2M/85""The Missouri Beef Cattle Performance Testing Program helps producers improve both quality and growth rate of their herds through breeding and selection. The primary objective of the Missouri Program is to provide education and information to both purebred and commercial producers so they can increase their economic returns. Area and state livestock specialists direct major efforts toward creating awareness of research technology, demonstrating the value of records of performance and adopting improved selection procedures. Missouri beef cattle improvement programs are designed to change the genetic base or gene frequency of economic traits of beef cattle in order to yield a more desirable product for the consumer. This in turn yields producers a higher return which helps improve their standard of living and provides capital with which to upgrade their operation."--from page 1Principal author: John W. Massey (Livestock Improvement Specialist, Animal Science Department, UMC Extension)

Selection of the herd bull

"Two major breeding programs in beef cattle improvement are: (1) purebred, in which the objective is to imrpove the genetic worth of the herd, and (2) commercial production, in which the objective is to take advantage of genetic material to achieve the greatest possible production. The two breeding programs are different. Selection for either system requires excellent judgment and timely decisions."--First page.John W. Massey (Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture)Revised 7/88/6

Missouri beef cattle improvement programs

"The Missouri Beef Cattle Performance Testing Program is designed to help improve Missouri beef cattle in both quality and growth through breeding and selection. The phases of this program are available to beef cattle breeders who may use them to check each animal's performance from birth until it is added to a herd or slaughtered. The program is flexible and will be helpful to both purebred and commercial cattlemen in their selection and breeding programs. It is most useful in evaluating individual animals within a herd. It is not designed for the purpose of comparing one herd with another herd or one breed with another breed, because the environmental conditions will vary from herd to herd. However, in cooperation with many of the respective breed associations, sire evaluation can and must be made across herds. Missouri is presently in the process of initiating a sire evaluation program in conjunction with the postweaning central testing station."--from page 1University of Missouri--Columbia Extension DivisionRevised 2/85/1

Livestock breeding pointers

John W. Massey (Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture)Revised 11/81/10

Missouri beef cattle improvement programs

"The Missouri Beef Cattle Performance Testing Program is designed to help improve Missouri beef cattle in both quality and growth through breeding and selection. The phases of this program are available to beef cattle breeders who may use them to check each animal's performance from birth until it is added to a herd to be slaughtered. The program has flexibility and will be helpful to both purebred and commercial cattlemen in their selection and breeding programs. It is most useful in evaluating individual animals within a herd. It is not designed for the purpose of comparing one with another herd or one breed with another breed, because the environmental conditions will vary from herd to herd."--from page 1University of Missouri--Columbia, Extension DivisionRevised 3/79/3

Livestock breeding pointers

John W. Massey, Melvin Bradley, and John Lasley (Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture)Rep. 12/7

Horse breeding arithmetic : 2 + 2 = 1

"On the average, two mares taken to the stallion for one service each and returned home for the remainder of the season will give birth to one foal--if you are lucky. The national average foal rate for mates bred is approximately 50 percent."--First page.Wayne E. Loch and John W. Massey (Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture)Revised 6/89/5

Bull management for efficient reproduction

"Superior herd sires properly managed are the greatest asset in a cow-calf operation. Generally, the herd bull contributes 50 percent of the total genetic variation of your calf crop annually. In most closed herds, however, the past three herd sires contribute 85 to 90 percent of the total genetic variation in the herd. This high percentage is due to selection intensity or replacement rate of cows and bull."--First page.John W. Massey and Homer B. Sewell (Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture)New 8/82/10

Swine abnormalities

"Abnormalities occur more frequently in swine than any other species of farm animal. As a livestock producer, you're probably interested in causes and changes necessary to prevent recurrence of the condition. The immediate question is whether the abnormality is caused by genetic or environmental factors or a combination. In some instances, determining a cause is complicated by the fact that some defects can be due to either genetic or environmental factors."--First page.Dale Vogt, John C. Rea and John W. Massey (Animal Sciences Department, College of Agriculture)New 3/85/8

Selecting replacement gilts

John C. Rea, John W. Massey, and George Jesse (Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture)Revised 8/79/10