Life's too short to endure hateful cows so by all means get rid of them; but if you're actively selecting for temperament you may well be compromising performance.
Speaking at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference in Darwin last month, Texas A&M University animal breeding and genetics professor David Riley provided research evidence that was inconsistent with what seems to be the consensus opinion among researchers and breeders.
He said most research had reported that animals that were more docile had higher levels of performance for critical traits.
Two decades of United States research into this says otherwise, especially in challenging environments.
"Are we compromising performance by selecting for docility?" he asked.
"Our research does not support that good temperament was associated with better productivity."
Dr Riley's paper on cow temperament, presented at the conference, said that since the initial characterisation of flight speed just over 30 years ago, various aspects of bovine temperament had been investigated across most breeds.
While good temperament was undoubtedly desirable from a management and handler safety standpoint, research shows cattle that are less reactive or more docile are not more productive.
Dr Riley's research at Texas showed no temperament trait was strongly correlated with growth before or after weaning, efficiency traits of steers on feed or beef yield.
Dr Riley outlined Florida research from 2002 to 2008 comparing Brahmans, crossbreds, Angus and Romosinuano cattle across exit velocity and subjective chute and pen scores.
It found heterosis was unfavourable for temperament measured in these ways - that is the crossbred cattle had worse temperament scores.
"That's an interesting concept because I'm sold on heterosis. I drill into students it is the genetic effect of the future and how we'll feed the world," Dr Riley said.
Nellore-Angus calves one month post weaning were scored for temperament across aggressiveness, nervousness, flightiness, gregariousness and given an overall distinct score.
Those temperament traits were strongly correlated with each other but no temperament trait was strongly correlated with key performance traits.
More recently, Texas A&M University researchers assessed maternal aggressiveness shortly after parturition. In that work, cows with the best scores - that is most docile - had lower measures of cow productivity, including calving and weaning rate and calf weaning weight per cow exposed and per 454 kilogram cow weight.
There was no relationship between temperament and inbreeding, size, weather conditions or dystocia.
Higher birth weights, however, were associated with better temperament scores and generally younger cows had better temperament scores.
Importantly, the work did show that heifers acquire some temperament that's not genetic from their mothers.
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
