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Post by soherf on Oct 31, 2020 9:23:17 GMT -6
Question about pigment in bulls:
Do you select for pigment around the eyes, red legs, red hooves, red on the testicles, red neck (no feather), etc? Why or why not...
If you have selected for pigment how long does it take you to get it consistently in your calf crop? 75%+ of the calf crop exhibits the selected marking.
If you selected for pigment did you notice any "traditional" Hereford markings disappear at the same time even if they were not selected against? Example, you select for eye pigment and red legs but the feather also disappeared.
Also chime in if you used your females to drive these pigment selections, please.
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Post by mrvictordomino on Oct 31, 2020 17:48:58 GMT -6
Due to excess white with foundation cattle forty-five years ago, I selected against white for several decades. The result today is cattle marked pretty consistently but the feather necks have been reduced. I produce several red necked bulls every year and most customers prefer them. I am however selecting from my bull crop bulls more traditionally marked bulls these days as I feel I have the white under control. To answer your question, I do see more red necks when you select constantly for reduced white for several generations. I still select for red legs and eye pigment but not a fan of huge goggles around the eyes
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Post by allenw on Nov 1, 2020 18:09:48 GMT -6
Mrvictordomino have you seen any red goggles around the eyes as you have selected for more red in your herd?
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Post by mrvictordomino on Nov 1, 2020 20:40:53 GMT -6
Mrvictordomino have you seen any red goggles around the eyes as you have selected for more red in your herd? Nothing like I see on some bulls being currently advertised. Only thing I have seen when I selected for more red was the white being reduced. |
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Post by soherf on Nov 2, 2020 6:35:49 GMT -6
Mrvictordomino have you seen any red goggles around the eyes as you have selected for more red in your herd? Nothing like I see on some bulls being currently advertised. Only thing I have seen when I selected for more red was the white being reduced. I too am not a fan of the goggle eye. In some cases the calf looks more blaze faced than Hereford. |
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Post by cflory on Nov 2, 2020 16:59:26 GMT -6
I don’t mind some but not the google eyes. I have always liked freckles but they seemed to be less every year. My biggest problem with the amount of pigment showing up is how fast it showed up. You don’t have to look back two generations on some of these cattle and find all the grandparents were white eyed. Guys have breed for pigment for my whole forty years and didn’t make as much progress as that has showed up in the last 5-10
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Post by strojanherefords on Nov 2, 2020 23:10:15 GMT -6
Personally, I don't care too much about markings. I have goggle eyes, line backs and am using a bull with white legs. I have more important things to select for. That being said my better animals tend to have curly yellow hair. I think it helps them regulate heat better in the California sun.
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Post by mrvictordomino on Nov 3, 2020 5:47:17 GMT -6
I don’t try to select for color. While most in our neck of the woods prefer the darker red ones I have found color to be inconsistent to try to select for, however, it is a must that we have slick hair coats in the summer mainly for cattle grazing our fescue pastures not to mention the summer heat and humidity. Some lines of cattle regardless of breed suffer here if they don’t shed off in the summer months
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Post by timbernt on Nov 3, 2020 18:07:15 GMT -6
I don't select for color either, but Byron Templeton pointed out many years ago the darker Herefords in Canada tend to be short haired which they don't like. I have watched it since that conversation and believe there is a correlation. Of course, it might be simpler to just look at the hair itself.
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