Hidden Hill Farm Shorthorns

 

 In “permitting” our Shorthorn cattle to show us what they were capable of doing under our environmental conditions, we noticed a certain “type” and “kind” of animal emerge over the course of environmental sorting. We discovered that certain characteristics seemed to be expressed more prominently in the cattle that functioned the best under the same environmental conditions. Upon being exposed to the unsurpassed work of Jan Bonsma, in comparison with our own herd development and testing, we became fully convinced that the functional low-input bovine can be identified the majority of the time simply by phenotypic selection, for certain characteristics are absolutely necessary if the bovine is to efficiently function on strictly low-input forage in the basic life supporting environment. Lovaas bred cattle have been developed into such forage machines.

We believe, one must ever be cautious of single, double, or even industry segment specific, supposed “multiple” trait selection. Not only are the phenotypic traits, such as sound feet, legs, and joints, pelvic capacity, udder attachment and shape, chest floor, heart girth, angularity, spring of rib, lack of coarseness, muzzle shape, etc., to be considered, but the genotype is even more vital, for what is right or wrong on the inside is most often manifested in some way or another on the outside, but not always. There is also so much contained in the genetic makeup, that even if it is manifested on the outside, we aren’t able to read it yet, if we ever will.

If versatile, functional, environmentally adaptable cattle production is the main goal, then one must, without exception, establish the strongest base of balanced females carrying the most pre-potent genetic base in order to provide the most dependable and predictable offspring possible. A critical method for such a program of genetic development, is to identify the most complete, balanced genetic lines and then stack those genetics through line breeding. Not only will strengths be accentuated in the process, but such a practice will also be more likely to identify hidden genetic weaknesses and allow the breeder to head them off before they are too widely spread into the herd or other herds.

With the heavily promoted trends and fads that the beef industry has followed over the years, we believe that the major use breeds of cattle have become seriously diluted from purebred genetic makeup. The Shorthorn breed is no exception, and it is estimated that there are only 500 – 600 known pure, “native” Shorthorns left in the United States of America. Since “native” Shorthorn cattle were used in the development of so many other breeds of cattle, they have proven their merit as foundation blocks for the industry. In the first half of the 20th Century, a project of intense line breeding, carried out at the Front Royal, Virginia research station, proved that the “native” Shorthorn genetics used there, were capable of up to a 65% inbred coefficient, without genetic failure. As the beef industry, along with agriculture in general, undergoes a serious transition, which will require lower inputs for animal husbandry in order to survive, we believe there will be a significant opportunity for the right “native” Shorthorn genetics to contribute.