Productivity of Two-Year-Old Crossbred Cows Producing Three-Breed Cross Calves

sire breeds and the average 205-day weaning weight was 413.51b (unadjusted for age of dam and averaged over sexes). The only statistically significant differences between sire breeds were that the Shorthorn sired calves were .5 of a weaning conformation score and .4 of a condition score higher than the Red Poll sired calves. Thus, the Shorthorn sired calves appeared to have slightly more muscle as well as more fat at weaning. Overall, the performance of three-breed cross calves sired by Red Poll and Shorthorn bulls were very similar, and the slight differences that were detected may simply reflect differences between particular bulls rather than real breed differences. Feedlot and carcass performance of the three-breed cross calves born in 1975 were reported in the 1977 Animal Science Research Report (Okla. Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. Report MP-IOI:80) and the performances were similar for both sire breeds.