The profitable alternative - Crossbreeding with Charolais

Over the last 40 years since the 1968 introduction of Charolais genetics this breed has proven to be adaptable and perform across a wide range of environments throughout New Zealand.  This has enabled the New Zealand beef producer to benefit from the renown performance characteristics of the Charolais breed.  Charolais X cattle continue to prove their profitability in the marketplace at all stages for beef farmers. Charolais are widely accepted as a leading terminal sire breed in New Zealand. Stud Breeders recognised the benefits of the Charolais breeds high growth rates and carcase characteristics and set about evolving the breed through genetic selection to suit the New Zealand environment and farming conditions.  

The most significant example of the Charolais ability to adapt can be seen in the ability of the breed to calve easily – the fact that the breed continues to prosper in the NZ farming environment 40 years after its introduction is testament to this.  Calving Ease Direct EBV’s are available to farmers. They are produced for Charolais Breeders New Zealand Inc Registered Charolais through Breedplan. Calving Ease Direct EBV’s indicates how this animal influences the birth of its own progeny.  More positive EBV’s are favourable and indicate easier calving. With the guidance of  calving ease direct EBV’s farmers can now not only select Charolais bulls that are suitable for mature cows but select Charolais bulls that are suitable for use over dairy cows and well grown heifers. 

New Zealand Charolais genetics developed for the grass fed systems, are combating the forces of the rising cost of production by producing fast growing cattle with superior carcase weights at a range of ages.  Charolais with their high dressing out percentage and the desired fat covers fit the payment systems currently operating in NZ.  The changing environmental conditions along with consumer demands means continued attention is needed to keep adapting the breed.

Charolais are known for their weight for age and quality conformation.  The breed is easy to market in the saleyards to finishers who know they will continue to grow and kill out well.  The colour marking of progeny by the Charolais sire make them easily recognisable within a terminal cross programme as Charolais cross cattle in the saleyards by finishers. 

Charolais x male progeny left entire for fast finishing bull beef are able to produce carcase weights in excess of 300kgs at 15 to 16 months.  This can be an extremely efficient production system in dry summer environments where the Charolais x bulls are gone from the farm prior to Christmas giving the farmer a tremendous economic advantage. Farmers have the option to select sires with high retail beef yield and high 600day growth as no finishing is required on manufacturing bull beef. 

 The Charolais X steers and heifers have the obvious benefits of extra carcase weight at young ages but with the added advantage that they can be marketed at any age without getting over fat.   

With the introduction of live animal scanning EBV’s farmers can use more positive rib and rump scanning Sire’s to assist in difficult  finishing environments and also select for earlier maturing types.  

Registered Charolais bulls have been adapted in New Zealand to produce progeny to fulfil the market requirements.  Commercial farmers need to discuss their requirements of the end use of their Charolais X progeny whether the progeny are to be steered or left as bulls so that they can select the type of sires to help produce the desired finished animal. 

Under the current payment system high carcase weight, muscle score and adequate fat cover, if applicable, are the main profit drivers and Charolais have proven their ability to achieve top results. 

Commercial farmers need to be aware that only registered Charolais bulls have EBV’s to help select the type of bull that will meet the end result they are attempting to achieve in their cattle breeding programmes.

Donna Bengston