Breeding for Performance and Resistance to Disorders

Abstract

It is certainly an honor to be included in this program as one of your speakers. After attending a number of sessions here I sincerely doubt my ability to fill the bill! You have had some wonderful papers; and we have learned a lot and the humor that has gone along with it has been breathtaking! It really has been 'outstanding. The topic assigned to me today was “Breeding for Performance and Resistance to Disorders.” What we try to do in essence is to cooperate with nature. We follow natural routes in both management and our conservation practices. Many years ago we found that nature is much smarter than all of us put together, and we try to leave as many decisions as possible to nature. We come in for the kill, so to speak. We select on results but we let nature try to figure out how to produce those results, and she has certainly done a spectacular job. All livestock should be bred, born, raised, production tested and sold under conditions in which they will be used. That should be obvious to all of us, but unfortunately the registered cattle industry in this country has not followed that in the past!