Two Way Cross

     Beef Cattle Breeding with a two way cross is a simple system whereby a bull of one breed is bred to purebred cows of another breed. All two way cross progeny are usually produced for sale.

     Hybrid vigor in a two way cross is generated in the progeny only. Because the cows are purebred there is no hybrid vigor generated at this level.

     A two way cross system does not produce its own replacements, so replacements need to be purchased or bred in a separate enterprise.

     A two way cross system offers the opportunity to produce and market specialized females.

     Two way cross male progeny can be sold as stockers or feeder cattle; this could be into a specialist trade such as Wagyu × British.

Terminal Sire Bred to First Cross Cows

     In a terminal cross beef cattle breeding system, a third breed of bull is bred to first cross cows and all the progeny are sold, meaning that the system terminates at that point.

     The terminal cross system is the most productive system, as first cross cows of the right breed groups can maximize maternal heterosis for fertility, milking ability and longevity. They can also be selected for environmental adaptation and medium size, meaning that their feed requirements are not too high. Sires can then be selected for their growth and carcass traits.

     The main problem with a terminal cross system is that it doesn’t generate its own replacement females: they must be sourced from outside the system. They can be bred on another part of the property, but this necessitates running a herd of purebred cows, which are often of lower productivity. Buying first cross females can be difficult, but longevity can mean that fewer replacements are needed.

     The environment in which the herd is to run needs to be considered when you are selecting the breeds that make up the first cross cows. If feed resources are plentiful and of high quality, breeds with high milking ability may be used and may even include some dairy genetics.

     In poor environments, breeds of moderate size and milk production may be more suitable. In tropical and sub-tropical areas, Bos Indicus may be combined with British breeds to produce a suitable animal.

     The environment and the target market need to be considered when selecting the terminal sire.

     In a terminal cross system it may be possible to use a high growth, high carcass yield sire in environments with adequate high quality feed. However, in lesser situations a sire of lesser extremes may be better suited.

     In some situations, the terminal sire breed chosen for the main breeding herd may not be suitable for use over heifers having their first calves. This may mean having separate sires available. Replacement females are needed from outside the system.  Heifers may need to be mated to bulls with low calving risk.

Composite Breeds and Beef Cattle Breeding

     An alternative to crossbreeding in some situations is to use a composite breed. The development of a composite breed results from the crossing of two or more existing breeds and then selecting from within that population. The main advantage is that after the formation stage, when the initial crosses are made, the management requirements are the same as for purebred breeding. There is tremendous opportunity to change direction as the market or other circumstances dictate. By incorporating another new breed or crossbred with desirable characteristics you can change the animal’s performance only as much as necessary. Composite breeding allows for the blending of characteristics from a number of breeds into a composite that considers the stocker animal as well as the replacement females.

     The level of hybrid vigor retained depends on the number of breeds used to develop the composite. For example you can expect a four breed composite to retain 25% more hybrid vigor than a two breed.

     Neither maternal nor paternal traits should be in extreme, because they are often antagonistic between male and female. In small herds the management is as simple as running a purebred herd. Success in designing a composite breed requires a large herd and the avoidance of inbreeding. Variation in progeny will occur over the first three generations until the composite is established and stabilized.