Lowline cattle

[GTB]

Didn't want to take the other thread off on a tangent so thought I'd start another. @Danllan mentioned lowlines which I'd never heard of before. After a quick google I see that they are about 1m tall and 300kg. Aren't they too small to be practical apart from as a smallholders cow for selling into boxes or into your own deep freeze?

 

[Danllan]

The thing is... as long as you can provide decent cuts, all that really matters is the ease of keeping them and the amount of meat per acre they can produce (grass only here). By these measures the Lowlines are clear winners but, as I wrote, crazily expensive at the moment.

There is an effective monopoly on them at the moment here in the UK, hence the big price; but he has to recover his rather large costs so I guess it's fair enough. That written, I had a chat with him a couple of months ago and the prices are set to fall significantly - they will have to fall very significantly before I'll be allowed to get some .

 

[Steel]

Are these the same Line as the ones developed in Australia. They were developed in a trial where two herds of cattle were run, one where they selected for most weight gain and one for least. After several generations one herd was large cattle and the other small. Feed conversion was the same as little ones don't eat much.

 

[BiomassMan]

Are lowlines really all bred from AA's?

 

[GTB]

The thing is... as long as you can provide decent cuts, all that really matters is the ease of keeping them and the amount of meat per acre they can produce (grass only here). By these measures the Lowlines are clear winners but, as I wrote, crazily expensive at the moment.

There is an effective monopoly on them at the moment here in the UK, hence the big price; but he has to recover his rather large costs so I guess it's fair enough. That written, I had a chat with him a couple of months ago and the prices are set to fall significantly - they will have to fall very significantly before I'll be allowed to get some .

You could cross dexters with AA and call them 'Lowline Type' . No different to the crooks who crossed wilts with Welsh and called the first cross Easycare types, half of which had horns and didn't shed.

 

[GTB]

Are these the same Line as the ones developed in Australia. They were developed in a trial where two herds of cattle were run, one where they selected for most weight gain and one for least. After several generations one herd was large cattle and the other small. Feed conversion was the same as little ones don't eat much.

It says on wiki that they were an unintended byproduct of a breeding trial....

 

[Henarar]

You could cross dexters with AA and call them 'Lowline Type' . No different to the crooks who crossed wilts with Welsh and called the first cross Easycare types, half of which had horns and didn't shed.

you can't beat the Welsh or the Wilts it would seem

 

[Cowgirl]

If anyone wants a smaller (but not that small) Angus, they could have Original Population Native Angus and help an endangered rare Scottish breed.

 

[Newby]

So are they a breed or are they a type?

 

[Woolless]

Are these the same Line as the ones developed in Australia. They were developed in a trial where two herds of cattle were run, one where they selected for most weight gain and one for least. After several generations one herd was large cattle and the other small. Feed conversion was the same as little ones don't eat much.

I'm all for efficiency but cattle selected over generations for low weight gain don't sound too promising?

 

[Danllan]

You could cross dexters with AA and call them 'Lowline Type' . No different to the crooks who crossed wilts with Welsh and called the first cross Easycare types, half of which had horns and didn't shed.

Could, but wouldn't for that reason. I wonder how many generations it would take to get a decent beast after using a Dexter in the first cross, assuming there weren't any unwanted consequences...

 

[topground]

Cheaper to go with the Stabiliser, now with net feed efficiency as part of the breeding programme must be the way forward. More kg per acre of forage. http://www.bigbeef.co.uk/net-feeding-efficiency/
In fact I look at my ability to put weight on by just looking at food, shame no one is interested in my genetic potential!

 

[Headless chicken]

@Zoofarmer has then I think

 

[liammogs]

Im sure there was a program on bbc4 a while ago about beef cattle years ago and how they have changed etc but the type of cattle you describe would be the old fashioned aa and herefords 'blood sweat and tractors' think the program was called

 

[mo!]

Im sure there was a program on bbc4 a while ago about beef cattle years ago and how they have changed etc but the type of cattle you describe would be the old fashioned aa and herefords 'blood sweat and tractors' think the program was called

They were referred to as "belt buckle" on Mud Sweat and Tractors. They were bred to the market for fat small cuts, and they would fit in low ceilinged ships sailing from South America. The crusade against fat killed them off.

 

[liammogs]

They were referred to as "belt buckle" on Mud Sweat and Tractors. They were bred to the market for fat small cuts, and they would fit in low ceilinged ships sailing from South America. The crusade against fat killed them off.

Thats the one!!!

 

[Woolless]

Cheaper to go with the Stabiliser, now with net feed efficiency as part of the breeding programme must be the way forward. More kg per acre of forage. http://www.bigbeef.co.uk/net-feeding-efficiency/
In fact I look at my ability to put weight on by just looking at food, shame no one is interested in my genetic potential!

Ha ha! Yes, I would be an AI bull on that criteria!

 

[brigadoon]

Could, but wouldn't for that reason. I wonder how many generations it would take to get a decent beast after using a Dexter in the first cross, assuming there weren't any unwanted consequences...

Depends what you call a decent beast - first generation cross is a good heifer and will produce a 300Kg steer

 

[Newby]

and they would fit in low ceilinged ships sailing from South America

I'm not arguing with your post, but the thought of a ship having a ceiling creases me

 

[mo!]

I'm not arguing with your post, but the thought of a ship having a ceiling creases me

What would you call the underside of the deck? The idea was that the sides were hung during the crossing, so they wanted short carcasses as the decks were short.