Solving problems
(Continued from Page D2O)
for 45% of todays Belgian cattle,
with 450,000 head on 35,000 farms.
They are a Belgian alternative to
the milk surplus problems.
Blue & White cattle are part of
the Belgian DHIA milk production
record system with recent 305 day
-2X breed averages of 8,800 lb. milk
and 3.5% fat. They are dairy cattle,
but their breeding and selection
emphasis is on meat while
maintaining an appropriate milk
production level. Their history
includes cross-breeding efforts of
black & white cattle with Shor
thorn more than 100 years ago. The
popular “ blue” color today is due
to the intermediary “roan” gene of
that Shorthorn background. When
Belgians breed a blue & white cow
system anna
1
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i
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to a blue & white bull, they obtain
in average 50% blue, 25% white
and 25% black calves, as expected
from laws of genetics. Thus, the
breed is not fixed in appearance,
but still dynamic in continuing
adaptation to market needs.
What has been achieved
however, just in the recent 20
years, is remarkable in the
direction of establishing a
“doubled-muscled” breed of dairy
cattle, due to systematic young
sire selection and progeny testing
contracting of performance tested
bull mothers; and an extensive
A.I. program. The breed goal is a
heavy muscular development of
shoulders, back, loin and
especially hind quarters with a
sloping rump, first in bulls, but
also now in cows.
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The “double-muscle” loin is
actually a genetic single trait for
which Belgian selection is in
tentional, while in most other
cattle breeds this trait has been
selected against. The reason is the
experience that double-muscle
calves often have difficult birth
because of then- size. The Belgians
solving this problem by expecting
from their veterinarians routine
Caesarean section assistance
during birth whenever indicated.
Today, more than a third of all
Belgian blue & white cattle births
are by Caesarean section. Calf
mortality is only 2.5%, although
bulls weigh in average more than
105 lb. at birth. Cows with eight
Caesarean scars, four on each
side, have been observed, (see
accompaning photo), this this type
of birth does not seem to be
production limiting in numbers of
calves, also considering their
average calving interval of 13
t
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Gap, Pa. (717) 442
li
months. Quoted prices of $40.00-
$50.00 per Caesarean section ap
pear to pose no economical
problems considering that current
animal prices for breeding or meat
purposes are extremely favorable,
being often double or triple that of
other dairy or dual-purpose cattle
in Belgium.
The high prices for calves,
heifers or bulls of blue & white
cattle appear to compensate for
their lower milk production
compared to Holsteins. Blue &
whites have the reputation from 12
months tests of: the best growth
rates (3.3 lb/day); the best feed
conversion efficiency (0.4 lb.
feed/lb. gain), the highest
slaughter yield (68%), and the best
carcass composition (78% lean
meat, 9% fat, 13% bone).
Adult average weights of blue &
whites are 2,500-2,800 lbs. for bulls
and 1,650-1,900 lbs. for cows, yet
their leg bones appear to be very
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refined, which explains their low
bone loss on slaughter.
The astonishing aspect about
Belgian blue & white cattle is that
they appear to be relatively
unknown in the U.S.; that the
principles behind their develop
ment are much in tune with todays
market needs in beef and in
managing a dairy farm; and that
adapting a cattle breed to
changing market conditions is an
interesting example by the
Belgians that appears to be paying
off for the farmers and their
national economy.
On last year’s Delaware dairy
farm tour to Belgium and
Holland, the farmer tour members
were impressed by what they saw
of Belgian blue & white breeding.
They wondered why blue & whites
or principles in their developments
apparently have not been in
troduced to the U.S. yet, nor ap
plied to existing breeds, dairy or
beef.