People who raise beef for a living are usually experts regarding what it takes to breed the highest quality stock to insure profitability. They look for animals that mature quickly and produce the highest ratio of salable beef per head off stock on hand. This ratio advantage is what convinces many to purchase Irish black cattle and integrate them into their current herds.
Improvements to the herd will be noticeable with the first calving because the off spring will carry the genetic markers of the bull. A single bull from this breed is able to service a herd of over a hundred cows in one season. These bulls are exceptionally fertile and can remain working for up to ten years.
When born the male calves will weigh nearly eighty pounds while the heifer calves will weigh slightly less. They can be expected to mature fast and within thirteen months will weigh enough to be slaughtered. Carcasses contain less back fat and the meat is gently marbled giving it tenderness and excellent flavor. They also feature big rumps and produce steaks up to fourteen inches across. The final dressed percentage will be around sixty five percent.
Increasing the size or quality of a herd becomes an easier task when these cattle are introduced into it. The bull will mate with any breed of cow available and adding a few head of Irish Black heifers can help with blood lines when older cows are removed from the herd. The new heifers will mature in less than a year and be available for breeding during the next season. The cows can deliver in the field without assistance and the resulting calves will be vigorous and healthy.
These cattle are shorter and stockier in size and therefore require less feed from ranchers. Many are strictly grass finished for better flavor overall. This allows the rancher to raise more head and earn the same profits while allowing the herds to become larger, spending the same or less money raising them for market.
Another advantage these cows have is their adaptability to different environments. They have shown themselves to thrive at any altitude and in virtually any climate. Their popularity has spread to over twenty states nationwide and they do very well at altitudes over ten thousand feet. Mountain ranches have no reported cases of brisket disease which afflicts other breeds at high altitudes.
This breed was formulated in the 1960's by Maurice Boney. He imported three Friesian bulls from Europe and began the process of developing what he perceived as a perfect beef producing stock. During the ten years he worked to create his vision he kept records of each calf and the linage of their blood lines. In 1971 he closed the book on the blood lines of his stock and in the early 1990's he obtained a Trademark to protect the breed's genetic future.
The popularity of this breed has spread throughout this country and is making fast inroads into European markets because of its superior quality, fast growth and ability to thrive in nearly any environment. It maintains a standard of quality that is difficult to surpass on any level.
Improvements to the herd will be noticeable with the first calving because the off spring will carry the genetic markers of the bull. A single bull from this breed is able to service a herd of over a hundred cows in one season. These bulls are exceptionally fertile and can remain working for up to ten years.
When born the male calves will weigh nearly eighty pounds while the heifer calves will weigh slightly less. They can be expected to mature fast and within thirteen months will weigh enough to be slaughtered. Carcasses contain less back fat and the meat is gently marbled giving it tenderness and excellent flavor. They also feature big rumps and produce steaks up to fourteen inches across. The final dressed percentage will be around sixty five percent.
Increasing the size or quality of a herd becomes an easier task when these cattle are introduced into it. The bull will mate with any breed of cow available and adding a few head of Irish Black heifers can help with blood lines when older cows are removed from the herd. The new heifers will mature in less than a year and be available for breeding during the next season. The cows can deliver in the field without assistance and the resulting calves will be vigorous and healthy.
These cattle are shorter and stockier in size and therefore require less feed from ranchers. Many are strictly grass finished for better flavor overall. This allows the rancher to raise more head and earn the same profits while allowing the herds to become larger, spending the same or less money raising them for market.
Another advantage these cows have is their adaptability to different environments. They have shown themselves to thrive at any altitude and in virtually any climate. Their popularity has spread to over twenty states nationwide and they do very well at altitudes over ten thousand feet. Mountain ranches have no reported cases of brisket disease which afflicts other breeds at high altitudes.
This breed was formulated in the 1960's by Maurice Boney. He imported three Friesian bulls from Europe and began the process of developing what he perceived as a perfect beef producing stock. During the ten years he worked to create his vision he kept records of each calf and the linage of their blood lines. In 1971 he closed the book on the blood lines of his stock and in the early 1990's he obtained a Trademark to protect the breed's genetic future.
The popularity of this breed has spread throughout this country and is making fast inroads into European markets because of its superior quality, fast growth and ability to thrive in nearly any environment. It maintains a standard of quality that is difficult to surpass on any level.
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