Broomcroft Reds

[Clive]

We got a very mixed beef herd but we now have our first little nucleus group of reds which is what we're trying to breed. It's taken us five years to get there!!! Everything has either been too tall or not good breeders etc. These are all non-shorts and there's a bit of line-breeding in them. I've been very selective, but there is still one of those heifers that I might take out of the group because I don't like the way she glares at me, whilst the others just carry on eating. Her mom's a bit like that as well. Best not bred from probably.

Here's a not very good photo...(the fencing on the right is very high, they're not that short!

[Cloverbell]

Great looking herd there Clive and we're all jealous of that grass here in the states!

[legendrockranch]

Nice animals Clive. My herd is a work in progress also.
You mentioned that in your herd there is a bit of linebreeding, I would like to hear your thoughts on that. Some like it, some are opposed to it. Personally I don't know how one would set traits if you don't inbreed/linebreed.

[biscuit]

Sept 6, 2008 3:44:39 GMT -5 Clive said:

Here's a not very good photo...(the fencing on the right is very high, they're not that short!

Your herd is beautiful!

[Clive]

Yes, the grass is great Cloverbell, but with it comes endless rain. With the summers now in the UK it is almost impossible to make hay (quite literally) so we all have to make silage / haylage and even that is difficult. I have a 25 acres patch that is simply a mass of grass and clover ready to cut weeks ago. It is still standing and I'm going to have to graze it instead now. I'd gladly swap some grass for your sunshine .

On line-breeding, I'm no expert to say the least, and everything I've learned came from the UK forum and especially Kirk (Cascade Herd USA). I am picking out selected stock from a fairly big herd (120) and I will cull anything that isn't right. For example, the heifer I mentioned that stares at me, who is in the picture, I have decided that anything she produces will go for beef as she clearly has a slightly nervous trait in her. I hadn't noticed this whilst she was with a big group. With being selective, I have had about 80 males born on the farm in the last 3 years, and I kept about 10 of the best entire, then after 18 months narrowed that down to just the one shown in the picture because he is a totally red, shortish non-carrier, with a nice even temperament (but not totally laid back) etc, etc.

The general advice on the board about line-breeding was that it is good where you have quality foundation animals, but it needs to be done preferably within a bigger herd so that you can be very selective and beef anything that doesn't fit the bill. Certainly my best animals, in my eyes, are mostly line-bred. But I'm personally only going as close as half-brother-sister. I will make a decision as to what to do after I see the results of this group.

With Dexters, I believe that it has a massively wide genetic base, many times the width of most breeds like Angus, Hereford or whatever, and that because of this, the problems you face in line-breeding from those breeds, which have already been honed down genetically, you will not face with Dexters for years if not decades. But don't take my word for it!

For advice, you need Kirk (Cascade Herd) or someone like him.

The Genetics Project is being published in the UK fairly soon I believe, after many years of work, and I would think this will throw considerable light on this subject.

[copperhead]

Thats how I want my herd to look someday, they're beautifull. I know it's a work in progress and the culling is the KEY.
P.J.

[legendrockranch]

Hi Clive,

I know Kirk, we've talked many times and worked on an ADCA project several years back. He hasn't posted anywhere for a while, so if you see this Kirk, please chime in.