The expansion of the cattle frontier

The expansion of agricultural lands in the past 30 years has pushed cattle raising to poorer soils. It thus posed new challenges to the breeder, who must stretch his imagination to devise new management methods. Against this background, Brangus stands out as a crucial tool to turn these marginal lands more productive: stocking rates can be increased with larger beef yields per unit of land.

In the past decades we were faced with the challenge of raising cattle in the Argentine subtropical zone. Such expansion brought about a significant process of genetic absorption with Brangus, which improved existent cattle herds. Quality in breeding herds became increasingly homogenous, rebreeding and weaning percentages improved thanks to rational management including subtropical pastures, which brought dramatic changes in the very notion of stocking rates. Breakthroughs in sanitary expertise were evident in endo – and ecto – parasites control. Genetics was coupled by technological changes, but such changes needed Brangus as a starting towards productive genotypes and the necessary proportion of Zebú to maintain toughness in an ever challenging environment

Brangus breed has witnessed the most spectacular growth in Argentina as from 1980. It currently comes third in beef breeds over the nation. The largest development occurred in the north and north-east of the country. The past five years have witnessed a 25% increase in registered and purebred operations. Future expansion will probably happen in the north-west and west of the country: dry, hilly areas that demand Brangus positive traits and toughness.

Exports of breeding stock, semen and embryos to Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay have increased significantly. Argentine breeders have responded with high quality genetics, adapted to the climate conditions in the South American tropical zones.

The Argentine Brangus Association

The Argentine Brangus Association was founded in 1978 and has over 300 members and 160 active breeders in 11 provinces. Their work complies with Association rules. Registered animals number 370,000, with an annual average of 17,000 new registries between 1979 and 2000.

 

Brangus Inspections and Registrations
	Period	Inspections	Registrations	Males	Females
	1979/2002	3260	398.276	116.482	281.794
	Annual Average	136	16.595	4853	11.741

 

 

Mission statement of the Argentine Brangus Association

Provide leadership, services and technology to the Brangus breed. Enhance the influence of its genetics and expand its share in the cattle market in Mercosur and in the rest of the world.

Objectives of the Argentine Brangus Association

• Strengthen and expand Brangus frontiers inside and outside our country.

• Continue adding registered breeding sock in order to expand the genetic base of the breed.

• Increase significantly the number of registered animals in order to attain highly reliable EPDs for economically relevant traits.

• Offer our genetics to the world at large from cattle adapted to open forage, extensive production systems.

• Promote and highlight the "Brangus Brand" as synonymous with quality and  homogenous products.

• Establish programs that will bring added value to commercial producers who benefit from Brangus genetics.

• Support measures of sanitary control in herds producing beef in natural, healthy environments for domestic and export markets.

• Increase the share of Brangus beef within the Hilton Quota, and in other projects aimed at exporting quality beef.

 

The Brangus Biotype

While other breeds restrain their development to certain geographic areas in view of adaptation issues. Brangus offers an efficient performance in practically every zone.

This is due to its exceptional malleability, which has contributed to produce an animal that can adapt to each region. This covers the Patagonian plateau, the humid pampas and subtropical areas, where higher percentages of Zebú are a must.

Brangus breeding stock are typically middle size, according to the ecological environment of each region. Their structure is symmetrical, balanced, wide, with well-arched ribs, satisfactory bone structure, strong limbs with easy movement, good length, and generous muscle. Males are wider, with more muscle: females are generally feminine to the eye, with narrow head and neck. Hair is short, straight, and glossy, black or red (depending on variety), loose and moveable skin, pigmented as are the mucous membrane and toes. The head is typically short, with a clearly marked poll on the forehead. The sheath in males in properly shaped and middle sized, retractable, with the internal mucous membrane unexposed.

The crucial option made by the AAB in 1996 to cross out strict regulations on different blood percentages has helped to choose the genotype that best meets each need. An animal with a more "British look", precocious and easily fattened, supplies breeders with the possibility of obtaining an end product with all the Angus assets as regards efficiency and meat quality, coupled to the toughness, longevity and renowned survival ability of Zebú cattle. An animal more "Zebú-like" in its hump and back fat thickness will be more adequate in those regions covered by woodlands, undergrowth, intense heat, and invaded by ticks.

 

Genetics Evaluation

Performance data measured in EDPs are an invaluable tool in selecting among various alternatives according to the needs of production and markets of each herd.

Its use is commonplace today and the most progressive-minded breeders demand it when they have to choose a particular sire.

The Brangus Genetic Evaluation is performed by the Department of Animal Breeding & Genetics of the University of Buenos Aires. Traits of economic importance evaluated are birth weight, weaning weight, milking ability, yearling weight (18 months) and scrotal circumference.

A Multiple Trait Animal Model is currently used for the genetic analysis, being the heritabilities and genetic and environmental correlation's estimated by REML (Restricted Maximum Likelihood) using the EM algorithm as presented by Henderson, 1984 (Applications of linear models in animal breeding, 360-370).

The heterosis effects in the different genotypes are adjusted using the genetic model by Hill, 1982 (Journal of Animal Breeding & Genetics 99: 161-168), by equating it to dominance effects and also adjusting also the difference between Angus and Zebú genes for maternal effects.

Data from animals born by embryo transfer are adjusted for the maternal effect of the recipient cow. Accuracies of the Expected Progeny Differences are obtained by direct inversion of the complete coefficient matrix of the mixed model equations.

Statistical models are under development in order to estimate production longevity, an other measurements of crow efficiency and reproduction. Research is also being done to calculate genetic differences for carcass yield and quality grades.

 

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