Midwest BueLingo Cattle Association

    It was indeed a pleasure for me to be given the opportunity to work with you BueLingo breed-ers on this steer project. I have been working with Bull Test stations for about 25 years. but find that this project was even more interesting. With today's technology, this approach may seem outdated to some, but I feel that a great deal of information can be derived in this manner. Thanks to all of you who also believe that this type of information is valuable.

    The information which I have presented in this manual should be a good beginning to improving the breed here in the Midwest. It is my opinion that the information contained in this manual already allows us to see differences in sires and should lead us to more valuable information in the next project. Because this was our first attempt, we may have gathered more information than is necessary. For example, this project may already have informed us that we no longer need to evaluate the breed for soundness. The unsoundness present was so minor and was prevalent at such a low rate that evaluation is no longer necessary. This does not mean, however, that soundness should be forgotten in our breeding programs.

    Again, thank you to all of you who entered steers in this 1999/2000 steer project. I am looking forward to working with you during the 2000/2001 project to obtain more valuable information. Based on the information which was gathered during the first project, the following table should be a quick reference when planning your next mating season.

    This table presents the FINAL AVERAGES for the 84 steers on which Average Daily Gain (ADG) was obtained, 81 steers on which Height and Frame Score was obtained and on the 77 steers on which all data was obtained. These figures not only provided good data, but also provided information which can be used to improve the 2nd Test Project.

    These averages suggest that BueLingo steers are already meeting the "Standards of Perfection" in which it is stated that your goal is to "Produce a Choice steer weighing 1,100 pounds in 18 months or less". The steers tested averaged 1098 pounds in approximately 16.4 months with an average quality grade of low to average Choice.

    These data, however, are more meaningful if compared to other averages. I, therefore, have chosen to compare them with the Angus and Hereford sired steers in Cycle V of the Meat Animal Hereford-Angus reciprocal crosses have been used as a reference throughout the GPE Program Research Center (MARC) Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) Programand should provide excellent comparisons. This comparison is presented in the following table.

    A quick review of this table might suggest that a big challenge facing the BueLingo steers is ADG &I or Days of Age. Averages suggest, however, that the steers may not have been properly challenged in the 1st test and this will be corrected in the 2nd test. The lower carcass weight may be a problem in some parts of the industry but some parts also prefer these lower weights. It is very encouraging to see that even at these lower carcass weights, 78% are grading Choice. A first glance might also suggest that Rib Eye Areas are also smaller but when compared on a per 100 pound carcass weight basis, BueLingo steers actually contain more Rib Eye muscle than do the Angus or Hereford. The big advantage to the BueLingo steers, however, is reflected in the Calculated Average Yield Grades. BueLingo steers graded Choice with a much more preferred Yield Grade. It will be interesting to see if BueLingo steers can maintain these advantages in the 2nd Steer Test.