Report on the Agricultural Experiment Stations, 1951 Page: 67
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ANIMAL PRODUCTION 67
Typical of results obtained individually in a cooperative venture
by the Kansas, Oklahoma, and Ohio stations, is the report from the
Kansas station that medium-size Hereford cattle tend to return more
to the producer than extremely small or large-size cattle. In Kansas
medium-size steers sold for 25 cents a hundredweight more than small
steers and for 91 cents a hundredweight more than large steers. This
research was supported in part by the American Hereford Association
and was an attempt to answer a practical question often raised by
feeders and breeders "What size cattle should be raised ?"
Considerable publicity has recently been given to so-called "midget"
or "dwarf" cattle. South Dakota station findings show that this
character is inherited. The California station is applying that finding
for the benefit of the cattle breeder by measuring heads and taking
other anatomical and endocrine measurements. Heads of heterozygotic
animals, the ones that carry and are able to transmit the dwarf
gene to offspring, apparently differ in certain aspects from normal
noncarriers. Owners of animals in herds throughout California and
in some other western States are cooperating in an effort to rule out
the disastrous dwarf character in their breeding programs.
Cancer eye, a serious ailment causing the loss of many range cattle,
has been studied by the Oregon and New Mexico stations. Animals
having some pigmentation around the eye seem to be protected. Definite
evidences of inheritance have shown that the presence or absence
of the eye pigmentation factor is an important heritable character.
That the use of cattle from lines of known genetic origin will pay
off to the cattle feeder was shown by the Ohio station which obtained
yearling steers from the Department's Miles City, Montana, station
to study feed lot performance of these animals in comparison with
animals of an apparently equal quality purchased on the open market.
The steers of known genetic lines were 9 percent more efficient in feed
use and rate of gain. As a result of this work Corn Belt feeders are
presently offering premium payments for such animals.
The South Carolina station points out that through controlled
cross-breeding 11 percent more weight in weaned fat calves can be
obtained. Calves out of Angus cows, sired by Hereford bulls, were
lighter than the Brahman crossbreds at birth but heavier at weaning.
The carcass grades and dressing percentage were not significantly
affected by the breeding of the calves.
Sheep
The Ohio station, interested in revitalizing declining agriculture
in the once-prosperous grazing area of southeastern Ohio, has established
that lamb production based on "pounds of lamb per ewe at
weaning" was raised from a 36-pound average produced by straight
Merinos to a 72-pound average produced by crossbred Columbia and
Merino ewes bred to Suffolk rams. The lambs attain this weight at
weaning on pasture. The wools produced under this system fall into
the grades most needed for civilian and military clothing. The result
is a self sustained sheep industry for the region.
For 4 years the Virginia station has been comparing the performance
of selected native ewes and northwest crossbred ewes with the
performance of straight-run commercial native ewes. The experiment
shows that the first two types have produced more lambs and
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United States. Office of Experiment Stations. Report on the Agricultural Experiment Stations, 1951, book, January 1952; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5991/m1/69/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.