Driving forces behind the popularity of Charolais genetics around the globe were highlighted recently as executives and breeders representing Charolais associations from Canada, Mexico, Australia and South Africa visited the U.S. during the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, KY.
After spending two days visiting Charolais operations in the area, sitting in on American-International Charolais Association (AICA) committee meetings and viewing cattle at the NAILE, the travelers took time from their busy schedule to share their thoughts about the importance of the Charolais breed in their respective countries.
Speaking as guests of the Charolais USA Podcast, all were in agreement that Charolais cross cattle have become popular in their countries because they add pounds on sale day. Use of EPDs and the Terminal Sire Index (TSI) are also gaining momentum as is the opportunity for joint evaluations and collaboration between the breed organizations.
Crossbreeding and performance
“We’re very much about using Charolais for crossbreeding,” said Colin Rex, general manager of the Charolais Society of Australia which touts its ‘Cross into Profit’ motto. “We’re looking for those bulls with muscle and growth to go to those Bos Indicus cattle.
“Our commercial producers, in the north especially, the top end, are very happy to pay big dollars for a bull. It’s not unusual for a $50,000 to $60,000 bull to go commercial. Typically, they have a select herd of cows and they’ll breed some of their own bulls.”
While Australian herds have a lot of American and Canadian bulls, “We still have quite a heavy French influence,” noted Rex. “I guess our breeders have done a great job in taking all those genetics from around the world and developing our Australian type, because we do have a unique environment in many regards.”
“We’re probably not as feedlot dominated” as in the U.S., said Rex. “We have a lot more grass finishing, more so in the south. The further north you go, the more we go into feedlots. Then you go out into the pastoral stations and some of those cattle will be finished later, between two and three years of age, but off grass, when they have a good season.”
Charolais are also used primarily for crossbreeding in South Africa.
“We have about 8,000 purebred (registered) Charolais,” said Freddie Wasserfall, president of the Charolais Breeders’ Association of South Africa during this, his first visit to America. “In total, there’s about 325,000 Charolais cattle.”
Wasserfall noted that feed consumption and growth are the two main elements Charolais cattle bring to South Africa, which he termed as basically a third world country that is “a little bit behind in terms of meat quality. It’s more a matter of volume.”
“We can’t lose that, as soon as we lose that, we give up our prices,” he added. “They’re our number one meat producer and number one cross-calf animal. These animals give us opportunities in terms of marbling and meat quality.”
Wasserfall went on to explain additional benefits the breed brings to South Africa when considering the natural ecosystem. “I think because our environment is so harsh … you need the legs, ability to eat, the muscling … to survive in those extreme circumstances.”
In Mexico, Arnulfo de la Garza Montemayor, who serves on the board of directors of the Charolais Charbray Herd Book Association of Mexico, related that feed conversion and efficiency are an important part and a reason why Charolais genetics work so well.
“That’s why in Mexico it’s so popular to use Charolais,” he said. Because commercial breeders know the benefits.”
“Commercial breeders normally start asking about some (blood) lines. If we have the sires,” Marcos Gonzalez Pedroza, another guest from Mexico, added. “For my ranch, I prefer to use the EPDs, also the performance. First, they need a low birth weight and very good weaning weight.”
“Always they’re asking which is the best sire,” said Montemayor. “And you know, at this moment with the technology we have, the internet, everything. They know what’s happening in another country.”
Pedroza related the difference in environment between Mexico and the U.S.
“The first thing we are different in, is the weather. It’s more the humidity. We don’t have humidity, it’s like almost a desert.”
Another major difference the Mexican breeders noted was their private treaty sales for weaned calves and yearlings as opposed to a stockyard or auction market.
Montemayor applauded the opportunity to visit with breeders from other countries and to sit in on committee meetings of the AICA.
“We learned so much from this. We need to try to collaborate together because the markets are a little bit different, but we are the same breed.”
Collaboration between groups
Craig Scott, general manager of the Canadian Charolais Association (CCA), shared information on a venture between the CCA and the AICA for joint evaluations, specifically with EPDs.
“As we market cattle back and forth, the need to be able to incorporate EPDs from each country became more and more important as the genetics moved back and forth across our border,” explained Scott. “So, it (the idea of joint evaluations) was gaining steam and both associations sat down and said, this is very attainable, let’s do it.
“The ties between the two countries were there … so there was very little swing,” he added. “It was very well accepted.”
As collaborations and trade between breeders in the U.S. continues, Scott too, said environmental concerns arise. He reflected on cattle coming from the southern U.S. into Canada, with their climate, may not have the hair that is needed, or vice versa, with cattle from Canada going to the south.
Scott also noted Canadians are becoming more focused on grass.
“One thing that we’ve been concentrating on is more yield, and that’s off grass. More pounds per acre,” said Scott. “We need to raise more beef and we have to do it on less acres. And that’s where the Charolais advantage, in my opinion, is really there.”
Overall, the podcast series was summed up appropriately for everyone with a comment from Canada’s Craig Scott, when speaking of similarities and collaboration between the U.S. and Canada:
“As far as the type of cattle, we’re very similar. We’re in the beef business.” — AICA
