Millions of beef cows suffer from heat stress because they are required to work in hot, humid environments. Since nothing reduces production and profit as much as heat stress, it is a problem that should not be taken lightly. Although there are several ways to manage the symptoms of heat stress, the only real solution will come through genetics.
Using genetics to solve problems has been Pharo Cattle Company’s claim to fame for four decades. Because we have cooperative herds in Missouri, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama, heat tolerance has been a topic of discussion for nearly three decades. Although we have been evaluating and scoring hair coat on the bulls we sell for the last 25 years, we knew we needed to take it a step further.
For the last 12 years, we have been experimenting with several different breeds and breed combinations to come up with the best genetic solutions to heat stress problems. The one thing we want to minimize is the use of Brahman genetics. Brahman-cross cattle excel at heat tolerance, but they are too big and inefficient to fit our low-input program. Brahman-cross cattle also lack fertility and are often discounted at the marketplace.
For the most part, we have been working with Bos Taurus breeds of cattle that have Spanish and/or African origins. These include Mashona, Creollo, Romosinuano, and Senepol. Although we are working with some purebred cattle, we prefer to create composites that are the result of using our thick, easy-fleshing, ultra-low-maintenance red and black Angus cattle as the base.
We are extremely pleased with the results we are seeing. We now have the genetics to drastically reduce the problems created by heat stress. If you would like to improve the heat adaptability of your cowherd, we will be selling 60 grass-developed Heat-Tolerant bulls in our Texas Sale on April 7. We will be selling 26 grass-developed Heat-Tolerant bulls in our Missouri Sale on April 13.
Heat-adapted cattle will be out grazing when unadapted cattle are shaded up or standing in the water. Maximizing grazing time is one of the keys to maximizing profit in this business. Heat-adapted animals that graze twice as long as unadapted animals will likely be twice as profitable.
Quote Worth Re-Quoting
“You cannot change your destination overnight – but you can change your direction overnight.” ~ Jim Rohn
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