A Case for the Sussex in Composite Breeding

 

As the beef industry moves forward to a future without direct subsidies, the viability of suckler herds will depend on drastically reducing both variable and fixed costs and on improving physical output.

 

Many leading suckler producers recognise that the Holstein influence in breeding cow populations is undermining profitability by increasing management, maintenance and replacement costs and by reducing carcase grading standards of the progeny.

 

Large, Continental cross cows are also expensive to feed, have increased risk of calving difficulties and have a poor track record on regular reproductive success. Their input costs are too high in relation to the kilograms of calf weight weaned per cow mated. When calf prices are high or when they are supported by subsidies then they are likely to be profitable but when that support takes a down turn, as is currently the case, then there will not be sufficient income to cover production costs. Bigger is not always the most profitable.

 

Alternative suckler replacement strategies based on maternal beef breeds are required which are sustainable, cost effective and which deliver consistent females with efficient maternal characteristics while maintaining high levels of hybrid vigour to maximise fertility.

 

I recognised the need for change in the mid nineties. In 1997 a small group us decided to import Stabiliser embryos from the Montana based Leachman Cattle Company. Over the last 5 years the breed has seen rapid expansion and it has performed way above our original expectations.

 

In my view all commercial suckler cows should have at least 50% British native breeding in their make-up. Most of these breeds, including the Sussex, have characteristics such as low birth weights, good fertility, docility, robustness and above all the ability to utilise forage very efficiently. All these are vital traits in breeding efficient cows and building lower cost, more profitable systems.

 

In addition our native breeds produce excellent eating quality beef from pastoral rearing systems. This presents farmers with branding opportunities with the possibility of adding value to their cattle. 

 

The Sussex breed is, therefore, ideally suited to be part of a breeding system supplying replacement heifers for the commercial suckler market.

 

However the suckler industry as a whole requires about 150,000 heifers per year and the relatively small numbers of Sussex cattle in the country will restrict the penetration of the breed as replacements. Owners of many large suckler herds are now breeding their own replacements and are looking at simplified, integrated systems including using Stabiliser bulls. By including the Sussex in a composite programme the benefits of the breed would have greater influence.    

 

Composite Breeding

 

Composite breeding strategies have been researched and developed at the US Department of Agriculture, Meat Animal Research Centre (MARC) in Nebraska. Research has shown that populations of composite cows provide an efficient alternative to more complex systems of crossbreeding while retaining 75% of the hybrid vigour generated by the first cross (F1). The results have shown that composite breeding offers a procedure that is more effective than other cross breeding systems for utilising genetic differences between breeds to achieve and maintain optimum performance levels for economic traits on a continuing basis.

 

The results of creating several composites using a range of breeds established that the most productive and cost effective mix included 50% British native breeds and 50% Continental maternal breeds to create MARC 11, a four breed composite known as the Stabiliser.

 

Composite breeding programmes are now well established commercially in all the major beef producing countries of the world, irrespective of variations in climate, environmental conditions and genotypes. The genetic progress of cow herds is accelerated by breeders co-operating to use recording and selection techniques to breed large numbers of cattle to meet defined economic targets. As a result breeding herds are becoming more efficient, producing consistent, high quality, low cost beef.

 

UK producers need to recognise the challenge this presents and they need to develop lower cost, more productive systems using low input, easy care breeds of cattle. They also need to develop added value markets for locally reared, forage fed, tender, succulent, full flavoured beef.

 

The Sussex has the credentials to have an important role in the future. The key will be to develop co-operative breeding programmes with common goals.

 

Richard Fuller

Technical Director

Stabiliser Cattle Company. 

Simmental x Sussex yearling heifers running with a Leachman Gelbvieh x Red Angus bull. The progeny will be four breed Stabiliser composites. The resulting females will be mated back to unrelated Stabiliser bulls and the bull calves will be used to breed replacements in commercial suckler herds. Over 9,000 cows were mated to Stabiliser bulls in 2006.

 

Simmental x Sussex cow with her Stabiliser heifer calf

sired by a Leachman Gelbvieh x Red Angus bull.