Citation
Influence of the Charolais breed on beef production

Material Information

Title:
Influence of the Charolais breed on beef production
Creator:
Peacock, F. M ( Fentress McCoughan ), 1922-
Kirk, W. Gordon ( William Gordon ), 1898-1979
Koger, Marvin, 1915-
Range Cattle Station, Ona
Place of Publication:
Ona FL
Publisher:
Range Cattle Station
Publication Date:
Language:
English
Physical Description:
3 leaves : ; 28 cm.

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Charolais cattle -- Florida ( lcsh )
Beef cattle breeds -- Florida ( lcsh )
Beef cattle -- Weight -- Florida ( lcsh )
Breeding ( jstor )
Cattle ( jstor )
Weaning weight ( jstor )
Genre:
government publication (state, provincial, terriorial, dependent) ( marcgt )

Notes

General Note:
Caption title.
General Note:
"February 11, 1971."
Statement of Responsibility:
F.M. Peacock, W.G. Kirk & M. Koger.

Record Information

Source Institution:
University of Florida
Rights Management:
All applicable rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.
Resource Identifier:
86086814 ( OCLC )

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Full Text


Range Cattle Station AP 7 *
RCS 71 5 t /dbruar 11, 1971

INFLUENCE -F THE CHAROLAIS tEIIF QOdT ON

F.M. Peacock, W.G Kirk & M. Kogerv
The Charolais breed of beef cattle was developed in Charolles
in Central France. Importations of the cattle were made into

Mexico in 1930, 1931, and 1937, totalling eight bulls and twenty-
nine females. Until recently all Charolais in the United States

were descendents of this herd,

The first Charolais bulls came into the United States from
Mexico in 1936. From this beginning the breed has grown rapidly

and spread to all parts of the United States.
New genetic material for Charolais arrived in the United
States by way of Canada on May 1966. Pure French Charolais arrived
in the United States in October, 1966 coming from the Bahama

Islands where American breeders had established a herd in 1963.

The purebred Charolais is a big, long bodied, heavy-muscled,
fast growing animal Mature bulls will usually weigh from 2000
to more than 2500 pounds, depending on condition, while mature

cows will run from 1250 to as much as 1600 pounds or more.
Researchers in beef cattle breeding in Florida became in-
terested in the Charolais and in 1960 the Range Cattle Station
purchased a few f Charolais Brahman and 3/4 Charolais-1 Brahman
females These were used to initiate a study of this breed's

potential for beef production in Florida.


1/ Associate Professor, Range Cattle Station, Ona, Florida.
Animal Scientist, Range Cattle Station, Ona, Florida.

Animal Geneticist, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.






2
Purebred Charolais bulls were bred to purebred Brahman,

purebred Shorthorn and to the Charolais-Brahman crosses. Results

for the original five years work on weaning weight of calves from

these breed combinations are given in the following table

Table 1. WEANING WEIGHT AND ADJUSTED DATLY GAIN OF CALVES SIRED
BY PUREBRED CHAROLAIS BULLS FROM COWS OF DIFFERENT
BREEDING.


Wean 205-day Adjusted
Breed of Cow Weight Weight Daily Gain

7/8 Charolais- 1/ Brahman 545 550 2.48

3/4 Charolais- Brahman 529 525 2.34
i Charolais Brahman 593 554 2 53

Brahman 511 494 2.19

SCharolais i Shorthorn 492 445 2.06
Shorthorn 443 407 1.80


The breeding herds from which these data were obtained were

grazed year-round on fertilized improved grass pastures. Limited

concentrate and hay supplements were fed during winter and early

spring
Under conditions existing at this station, Brahman-!

Charolais cows have weaned calves up to 840 pounds, 7/8 Charolais

1 Brahman, 765 pounds; 3/4 Charolais- Brahman, 690 pounds and

Brahman cows,645 pounds--all calves sired by Charolais bulls

It would be interesting to know what these breed combinations

would produce if their potential was explored to its fullest.

One of the interesting aspects of this study was that calf

weight did not decline materially when level of Charolais blood









reached 7/8ths. and 15/16ths. Research on crossing Brahman and

Shorthorn has shown a drop in weaning weights when the calf

breeding reached 7/8 or more of either Brahman or Shorthorn.-
This lowered production with increasing percentage of one breed

has brought about the criss-cross breeding system which tends to

keep Brahman breeding in the cow between 1/3 and 2/3. These

data point out the probability that the Charolais can be used in

a straight breeding program, which would simplify management
problems.


2/ Peacock, F.M., W.G. Kirk, E M Hodges, W L. Reynolds and M.

Koger. Genetic and Environmental Influence on Weaning Weight
and Slaughter Grade of Brahman, Shorthorn and Brahman-Shorthorn
Crossbred Calves. Fla. Agr. Exp, Sta. Tech. Bul. 624. 3960.




















RCS
2/,11/71--75









HISTORIC NOTE


The publications in this collection do
not reflect current scientific knowledge
or recommendations. These texts
represent the historic publishing
record of the Institute for Food and
Agricultural Sciences and should be
used only to trace the historic work of
the Institute and its staff. Current IFAS
research may be found on the
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