Reasons To Consider Irish Blacks
Genetic Purity
The breed benefits from four decades of disciplined line breeding. It has no other breed’s blood introduced into its small gene pool; unlike many other “pure” breeds in the US.
To understand the impact, geneticist Maurice Boney explains: “A percentage bull cannot, and will not, reproduce himself. Simple arithmetic bears this out: calves sired by a half-blood bull only possess 25 percent of the blood that one is trying to make improvements with. Then consider one’s chances when using a percentage bull whose gene pool is made up of several different breeds. The result of such mating will produce a broader, more diverse gene pool with hundreds of different gene trait combinations.”
The bonus for the commercial producer using Seven Springs Cattle Company Irish Black® purebred bulls is the resulting heifer calves. These F1 heifers should be retained and then bred back to Irish Black® purebred bulls. The 75 percent feeder calves have been achieving 90 percent Choice or better quality grades—1300 to 1400 pound finished weights, and dressing at 65 percent to 69 percent. Their feed conversion is 5.1 pounds of grain per pound of gain. The half-bloods have been making 80 percent to 90 percent Choice, with feed conversions of 5.3 pounds of feed per pound of gain. It is a proven fact that the higher the percentages of this genetically superior blood, the higher the performance and carcass cut-out values will be.
Concentration Of Desirable Genes
Unlike other cattle breeds that have concentrated on expanding their genetic makeup, Seven Springs Cattle are built upon concentrating levels of “homozygosity” of genetic traits rather than the “heterozygosity” of genetic traits. By doing so, the ability of the Seven Spring Cattle to transmit desirable genetic traits to their offspring is much greater than bulls of other breeds.
Fertility
It is common for just two bulls to breed 140 cows. The outstanding fertility in both bulls and females is the same as it was when Maurice Boney first began keeping records and gathering data from other ranches.
Carcass Quality
Irish Black Cattle® bloodlines consistently score extremely high for desirable carcass genetics, particularly in tenderness and marbling.
Marketing Flexibility
The advantages of owning these cattle offer much versatility. Seven Springs Cattle Company has found nothing that will do as well as these productive females. And there is nothing that will do better on feed than these cattle. They possess superior performance and outstanding carcass quality– with cutouts, yield grades and quality grades far superior to industry averages.
Environmental Flexibility
Today breeders with Irish Black Cattle® genetics can be found in every production environment in the United States. The breed is resistant to high-altitude sickness, and won’t succumb to “brisket” disease when turned out on high-altitude range land. The cattle are also being successfully produced in such faraway regions as Canada, Mississippi, Florida and Texas. They acclimate and do well because the cattle have enough hair to withstand harsh winters; yet they slick off to handle extreme heat.
At Seven Springs Cattle Company, we can’t help but believe that it is in every producer’s best interest to ensure that only the genetically purest cattle (not crossbreds) are perpetuated as breeding stock. This offers genetic options for producers to remedy problems associated with other breeds or breeding programs.
Cattleman Guy Gould of Colorado states it best, “The demand for quality beef that is tender, well marbled and tasty far exceeds our industry’s ability to supply it. It has been proven that people will pay the added price to get a consistent source of such supply.”
At Seven Springs Cattle Company, we are invested in the many attributes of this high-performing breed, and we look forward to introducing other producers to the value of Irish Black Cattle®.
See Summary Sheet Performance Traits for a quick reference.
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