University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Range Beef Cow Symposium Animal Science Department 12-4-1991 Crossbreeding Systems and The Theory Behind Composite Breeds James A, Gosey University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/rangebeefcowsymp Part of the Animal Sciences Commons Gosey, James A,, "Crossbreeding Systems and The Theory Behind Composite Breeds" (1991). Range Beef Cow Symposium. 236. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/rangebeefcowsymp/236 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Range Beef Cow Symposium by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Proceedings, The Range Beef Cow Symposium XII December 3, 4 & 5, 1991, Fort Collins, Colorado CROSSBREEDING SYSTEMS AND THE THEORY BEHIND COMPOSITE BREEDS Jim Gosey Animal Sciences Department University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska INTRODUCTION Crossbreeding serves the beef cattle industry as a tool to improve productivity through heterosis (hybrid vigor) and through complementarity (combining different breed strengths) to match genetic resources to various feed resources, climates, management levels and markets. Commercial cattlemen need to understand the principles of crossbreeding so they can adapt crossbreeding to their specific environment and needs. Seedstock breeders must be able to intelligently advise their commercial customers and know where their seedstock best fits into crossbreeding programs. Cattlemen today can be much more sophisticated in their approach to using crossbreeding. They realize many of the crossbreeding mistakes of the past were made because many breeds used were not well characterized and crossbreeding programs were not tailored to individual ranch needs.