Why use crossbreeding in beef cattle production?
Most commercial cattle producers use crossbred cows or at least produce crossbred calves. The main purpose of using a crossbreeding program is to increase our economic returns. However, if crossbreeding is used incorrectly, it could do more harm than good. There are basically two ways in which crossbreeding can increase the productivity of your herd. The first is by combining the desirable characteristics of two or more breeds. This will allow for higher overall performance of desired traits among the crossbred animals than would be found within a given breed. This is where one breed’s strong points will often cover up another breed’s weak points. The second way crossbreeding increases performance is through heterosis. Increased heterosis can be exhibited by both the crossbred calf and crossbred cow. Heterosis is the difference in performance of the crossbred animals from the average performance of the straightbred animals of the breeds involved in the cross. In real life the producer
