Volume 36 | Issue 3 Article 4 1974 An Overview of the Exotic Breeds of Cattle Lowell Anderson Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastate_veterinarian Part of the Large or Food Animal and Equine Medicine Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Lowell (1974) "An Overview of the Exotic Breeds of Cattle," Iowa State University Veterinarian: Vol. 36 : Iss. 3 , Article 4. Available at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastate_veterinarian/vol36/iss3/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Iowa State University Veterinarian by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Overview of the Exotic Breeds of Cattle by Lowell Anderson* The introduction of exotic breeds of cat­ promising for more importation from Can­ tle into the United States has begun to ada.12 accelerate within the last ten years. It is There are over 400 different breeds of almost impossible to keep up with the cattle occurring throughout the world. breed names. Although most of these Some of these breeds are dispersed world­ breeds have existed for many years in wide, while others are localized within Europe, they are now being found to have specific regions. A goal for a high level potential in crossbreeding with the beef of perfection in production is the principle breeds that are more familiar within the reason for the wide distributjon of these United States. various breeds. It is an interesting endeavor to find in­ Due to breed movement, adaptation, and fornlation about these breeds. Most of the improvement, a variety of types or breed work and test data is recorded in a lan­ lines originate within a breed. If enough guage other than English. Information variety occurs, eventually a new breed may about them in the United States is not in bud off. One would find it difficult and sufficient quantity to fairly evaluate their unrewarding to initiate a new breed by potential. simply selecting for a certain type of an­ An attempt to define the exotic, de­ imal within the base breed. Upon selecting scribe a few of the exotic breeds, and make for a specific type one would need to cross a general evaluation of their purpose is closely related animals. An inbred line the goal of this overview. would result and a lack of heterosis would It is important to keep current in what most likely decline the overall efficiency is happening with the beef industry. It of the "new breed." As history indicates appears that exotic cattle despite the dif­ newly organized breeds with only a few ficulty of importation into the United differing types and no outstanding traits States are gaining significance. The state do not exist very long.9 veterinarian's office in Iowa has said that, A breed has its own structure which due to the lack of a port of entry into the consists of a number of specific traits in­ United States for cattle exported from for­ herited from different herds of origin. Im­ eign countries, live animals must first be provement can be accomplished through shipped to Canada. They must pass rigid crossing breed types within the breed, but import regulations and also pass export not sacrificing the traits that set it off as regulations before their availability into differing from other breeds of cattle. If the United States can be accomplished. one were to search for a good exotic breed, Therefore, the method of transportation of he would find that it has been well estab­ exotics is done primarily by senlen and lished and its ancestors date back hun­ ovum transplants into foster cows. dreds of years. Straightbred livestock of exotic breeding is still rare to find, but the future looks Ways To Improve A Beef Breed "Mr. Anderson is a fourth year student in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University. There are many ways of improving the Issue No.8, 1974 103 profits in raising beef and the quality of member only two traits were mainly con­ beef raised. Areas that should be consid­ sidered in this cross.8 ered when attempting improvement and Other methods of breeding plans have that are mentioned frequently are: man­ been successful in incorporating and se­ agement, environment, disease and para­ lecting for multiple traits. For example, site control, nutrition, and the type of beef three breed cross has increased the Dum­ animal. ber of calves weaned, and achieved higher Due to an increasing amount of re­ weaning weights. Straight breeding, how­ search on feeding and housing of beef an­ ever, will tend to increase milking ability imals, and better trained and skillful man­ as in the Holstein. Little or no predictable agers it seems that animal improvement heterosis occurs when considering carcass is becoming the next area of major inter­ merit or feed efficiency. est. In years past, county fairs and show ex­ Types of Breeding Programs4&:8 hibitions have judged cattle on conforma­ tion and style. Presently one sees an in­ 1. Two breed cross system-Is the breed­ creasing popularity for carcass and feed­ ing of a male straightbred with a fe­ lot performance competition. People have male straightbred of two separate begun to figure feedlot profits down to the breeds. Heterosis occurs only in the penny. It is this trend from blue ribbon calf. It is the most common type of to blue chip that initiated the push for in cross and is used in the production of creased animal efficiency and economic quality marketing animals. It may gain. also be used to produce maternal stock How can one improve his cattle espe­ for another breeding program. cially when money is a concern? Obvious­ 2. Three breed terminal-Heterosis is ly, if one were to develop a so called "Per­ maximum in both the brood cow and fect Breed," the animal would have to rank in the calf. More breeds ar'-C used in above all others in various categories. One the cross; consequently, more breed should consider: cutability, grading, re­ types can be introduced. An example sistance to climatic changes, fast gaining, of this program is Angus X Simmen­ early maturity, feed efficiency, ability to tal to produce the dam and sire, to utilize poor quality feedstuffs, resistance to this cross a Charolais bull. The insects and other parasites, ability to re­ crossed brood cow should be bred to produce an equally potential animal and to obtain good milking ability, ease of be satisfying to look at. If and when all calving, good conception, utilize a poor these could be achieved one would still be class of feed, easy to manage under trying to strive beyond these records. It environmental stress, economically is of course the goal of a producer to come feasible to maintain, and may be able as close to these as possible. to improve carcass quality from one of Selection of certain traits to improve a the breeds used in the maternal cross. herd has been done by introducing a new The paternal straightbred may be large bull type or breed. One cannot expect im­ and sire calves with growthiness and provement overnight and can only select feed efficiency. for one or two traits to assure their reten­ 3. Backcross-Attains 100% heterosis in tion with the herd. It has been discovered the brood cow but only 50% in the that crossbred cattle are most efficient in calf. This cross is produced by mat­ this aspect. For example, crossing of two ing an F 1 back to one of its parental straight breeds, Hereford and Angus, gives breeds. This cross is used in improv­ a ((black baldie" which has combined the ing brood cow productivity. growthiness of the Hereford with the car­ 4. Two breed crisscross-Bulls of 2 cass quality of the Angus. This has been breeds are used alternately. The bulls a very successful and popular cross. Re- of each breed being bred to daughters 104 Iowa State University Veterinarian of the other breed. One obtains a 67% 5. When using the three breed terminal heterosis in the cow and 67% in the program always buy crossbred replace­ calf as well. ment females. This will maximize the 5. Three breed rotation-Three breeds percent of heterosis. are used in sequence. One attains a high level of heterosis in the total pop­ Why Exotics Are Used ulation. Try to select daughters and granddaughters of the other two breeds Popularity and discovery are two of the to mate with a different breed sire. reasons for the latest surge to import and One can eventually attain 85% heter­ crossbreed exotic cattle. Some breeds are osis in both the cow and the calf. This considered reliable just because they have type of system would primarily be re­ been discovered in Europe. The fact re­ stricted to large cow/calf operations. mains that much of the information on 6. Mass mating of bulls-Is the random these breeds is hard to come by. The rec­ mating of several breeds of bulls to ords that are received, one must remem­ the cow herd. The orily advantage is ber, have been gathered from trials done that a minimal amount of manage­ under different conditions and controls ment is needed. than we have in the United States. One The goal of crossbreeding is to attain a must wait to evaluate the performance of high percentage of heterosis. In other exotics until they have been tested and words have the potential of the calf be crossed with more recognized U~S.