Bull Breeding Soundness: What’s in a Guarantee?

by John M. Davidson, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Beef Cattle Practice) Beef cattle reproduction is fairly straightforward. What separates the high-achieving producer from those with lesser productivity can often be attention paid to the most basic of details. One of these critical details is the bull breeding soundness examination (BBSE). The breeding evaluation of the bull…

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2017: The Year of the Ultrablack®

by Tori Perkins Looking out into a cow-filled pasture, it is hard to see the difference between them at first glance. When you take time to look closer, there is a clear difference between each breed in the pasture and on your plate. Brangus cattle are known for being the hardy cross between the Angus…

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It’s All in the Family

by Taylor Shackelford Starting a cattle herd can be a daunting task. For someone just getting into the Brangus breed, there are hundreds of genetic options to navigate. Most understand expected progeny differences (EPDs) typically fall into one of three categories: reproductive, growth-driven or carcass-oriented. Yet, there are highly-sought genetics, which encompass multiple EPD traits,…

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Reproduction, Twinning and Genomics

by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Livestock Specialist Joe Paschal, PhD. Reproduction in cattle is generally thought to be lowly heritable (0.10-0.20 percent), and as a result selection response is low. Regardless of what reproductive trait is being selected, there is not a lot of variability in breeding value from which to select. These reproductive traits…

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