Economical to feed and handle, they calve with no assistance, have high butterfat milk to feed a large calf to full potential and have long productive lives. Highland cross heifers make ideal commercial brood cows of medium size. Crossbred steers can be finished on grass or in feedlots. Hanging weight percentages of 60 to 65 % are not uncommon, with ample marbling and no wasted back fat. Cross calves have the longer eyelashes and forelock like Highlands. Highlands are good convertors of poor quality roughages and excellent foragers to take advantage of the grazing/feed resources available in your program. She has superior maternal instincts and milking ability to raise a healthy calf. The Highland cow is well known for important traits like longevity and hardiness, often producing into her teens. Highland cross calves have increased vigor and hardiness, as well as natural disease resistance, forage ability, and high efficiency. The horns are recessive and are not expressed when bred to a polled animal. Crossbred calves will retain their familiar appearance. This is particularly effective with first calf heifers. This provides maximum heterosis effect in crossbreeding.Ĭrossbreeding with a Highland bull on commercial cows virtually eliminate calving problems and increases calf survival with strong and healthy calves. As Highlands have virtually untampered genetics since the 12th century, they are quite different from most other cattle. Crossing them with other breeds produces a faster growing and more commercial animal without losing the hardiness and low maintenance of the pure Highland. They are the hardiest of cattle with the highest food conversion factor. Highland cattle are a perfect selection for crossbreeding. Maternal heterosis results in improvements in cow fertility, calf weaning weight and cow longevity. Numerous crossbreeding studies conducted in the Southeast and Midwest have shown an increase in calf livability coupled with an increase in growth rate. Heterosis or hybrid vigor refers to the superiority in performance of the crossbred animal compared to the average of the straight bred parents. Crossbreeding beef cattle offers two primary advantages: 1) crossbred animals exhibit heterosis (hybrid vigor), and 2) crossbred animals combine the strengths of the various breeds used to form the cross.
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