The A.T.L.A. would like to thank Ron Walker, Chris Hepfner, Charlie & Val Gordon, Ray Scherger, Mark Stewart, Gordon & Charlene Musgrove & Lee Stringer for taking time out of their busy schedules to help at the display booth during the 10 days of the Calgary Stampede. We would also like to thank Ken & Charlotte Beler and Ron Walker for donating their cattle for a pen display.

A cattle buyer stumbled through the front door of a tavern staggered up to the bar, and with difficulty, crawled onto a barstool where he swayed back and forth.

After he finally got stabilized on the barstool, he yelled at the bartender, “Give me a double shot of your best whisky.”

The bartender politely replied, “Sir, it appears you’ve had enough to drink. I’m not going to be able to serve you. Let me call you a cab so you get home safely.”

Incredulous, the cattle buyer said, “Let me tell you where you can go. I should have known better than to come into this dive.”

Gathering all of the dignity he could muster, the cattle buyer weaved his way out of the bar. About 10 minutes later, he wobbled through the side door of the bar and ordered a drink. The bartender again refused to serve him and asked him to leave the bar.

A little later, the cattle buyer came into the bar through the back door and demanded a drink.

The bartender said, “Look buddy…. You’re drunk and I’m not going to serve you. Now you can either let me call a cab or the police. It’s your choice.”

The cattle buyer slobbered, “Damn…. How many places do you tend bar?”

9 lbs 13 oz – 22” long
A brother for Cable, James and Avalon

The following article to the Editor was in the July Western Producer.
(After reading this article, most ranchers may ask, ‘Why do I continue to raise cattle?’)
ANSWER – BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST WAY OF LIFE!!!

To the Editor:

Many people don’t understand what is happening in the cattle business. Many consumers see high prices at the meat counter and can’t understand how cow-calf producers are crying poverty.

I hope I can shed a bit of light on the problem.

What does it cost to produce a calf that eventually ends up as food? These figures represent my costs and my income from each cow I own. I suspect they are fairly average costs.

First of all, a bred cow costs in the neighborhood of $1,000.00. At five percent interest per year, this costs me $50 against each calf produced.

That cow has a salvage value of about $600.00 at 10 years of age. Hopefully, I have eight live calves over her lifetime, so the depreciation costs me another $50 per calf.

To feed her on pasture for 185 days costs me $185.
To feed her in the winter costs me about $195. Throw in $10 for bedding, $205.
Salt and mineral $20.
Vaccine and vet $20.
Breeding costs $30.
Fence and corral repair $20.
Utilities $10.
Selling costs $25.
Cost to winter feed $40 (tractor, bale truck, whatever.)
Total: $655.

Now the income side:

Say we raise a 600 pound calf. Steers quoted Nov. 14, 2008, are $107.50 per lb. or $645. Heifers quoted Nov 14 are 95 cents per lb. or $570.

So the average return works out to $607.50

This is based on a 100 percent calf crop, which is rare in any commercial herd. Instead, I would say a 97 percent calf crop would be very good, so now our return is $589.28.

I have not included any labour in the equation, or any other costs for checking cows, calving cows, moving cattle around or processing calves.

I am real funny in that I hate to work for free.

I would hope I could get minimum wage for the work I do especially when it is -40 C with that old cold wind blowing. So let’s say 10 hours per year per cow at $8 per hour or $80 per cow per year.

Add that $80 to the $655 in costs and we are at a break even of $735.

This figure does not include operating interest costs or any kind of death loss for mature animals.

What this means is, on every ideal cow I am losing, out of my pocket, $127.50 to feed the consumer some very cheap beef. Clearly, this just isn’t sustainable.

In 2009 we will probably see much higher winter feed costs. The feed costs I quoted were based on $60 per ton hay in 2008.

I suspect economics will dictate that every cow in Western Canada should be killed before winter. Will it happen? No, it won’t. Many people have no problem paying to work.

I would be much better off selling my cows and getting a job as a greeter at Wal-Mart. Does anyone know if Wal-Mart is hiring?

----- Douglas J. Malsbury
Penhold, Alberta

Heterosis, also known as hybrid vigour, is the benefit seen from crossbreeding.

It’s why a mixed breed dog has fewer health problems than its purebred parents and why hybrid corn grows faster and bigger than regular corn.

Crossbreeding cattle produces a genetically superior individual by combining the virtues of both its parents. It’s often used for economic traits such as maximizing the weight of calf produced and boosting reproduction.

A commonly used example in the cattle world is breeding a Black Angus to a Hereford to get a hybrid known as a Black Baldie.

Superior production is obvious when crossbreeding disparate breeds such as Brahman and Angus. The average Brahman weaning weight is 500 pounds and an Angus is 550 lb., giving an average of 525 lb. The crossbred progeny of this mating has a weaning weight of 575 lb., which is a full 50 lb. advantage.

Producers can benefit from heterosis in two ways:

One is to cross two breeds to create an offspring that outperforms its parents, often creating a fast growing calf. An example is a purebred herd of Limousin cattle that breeds to a shorthorn as a terminal cross. The calves are all used for meat production rather than replacements.

The other way is to use a crossbred cow rather than a purebred. Researchers often quote a 60 lb. advantage in weaning weight for crossbred cows over purebreds.

Several hypotheses have been proposed to account for the benefit seen with heterosis.

The dominance hypothesis says hybrids are superior because the favourable dominant genes from one parent suppress undesirable recessive genes from the other. This theory suggests that purebred animals possess many homozygous (double copy) genes that drive production down, which is referred to as inbreeding depression.

The overdominance hypothesis states that the combinations of genes in the hybrid animal are advantageous.

It is impossible to know which theory is correct, and they tend to overlap.

Many different breeding programs are used to obtain heterosis, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

One system breeds cows to bulls of another breed and markets all crossbred calves. The problem is that the cows are not hybrid so we don’t benefit from their superiority. As well, replacement cows must come from an outside source because the cows are not producing purebred replacements. The estimated herd production factor (EHPF), which is the gain from heterosis, is 1.10.

The most gains (an EPHF of 1.25) can be obtained by producing a crossbred cow using two parent breeds and then mating the cow to yet another breed. This creates a fast-growing calf, but cows must still be purchased or an entirely different herd maintained.

A simpler system that allows replacements to be reared on the farm is three-breed rotation. Cows of breed (A) are mated to bulls of breed (B). Daughters of this cross are mated to bulls of breed (C). The next generation of daughters are bred back to bulls of breed (A) and the rotation is continued. An EHPF of 1.21 is expected.

Several principles must be followed to make crossbreeding work. Producers must choose diverse breed, hopefully ones that complement each other. They must also start with a solid good quality genetic base and stick to the plan.

Pursuit of carcass quality is one reason why producers may not want to take advantage of heterosis. If gains associated with carcass quality outcompete the gains from heterosis, it is worthwhile to continue breeding for that and its associated marketing opportunites.

Jeff Grognet is president of the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association and is practicing in Qualicum Beach, B.C.