The subject of competitive exhibition generates some debate. Some believe that seedstock producers focus too exclusively on superior physical appearance, paying more attention to primping and pampering with shampoo and hair dryers than to producing the kind of beef consumers want. The prospective Beltie owner should look beyond the belt and a pretty face and be certain that the breeder understands livestock production in a context broader than the show ring. Production breeding involves significant record keeping, and one must first establish some benchmarks to serve as objective criteria, which helps to combat making choices purely on emotions. Production breeding can be a disadvantage if selection criteria are too narrow.
Performance records are only meaningful when comparing animals raised under similar conditions.
It is preferable to include both performance and conservancy in a breeding program, selecting some sound animals which may lack performance, but which represent less common genetic variants. Such improvement breeding results in more balanced performance animals and fewer genetic losses. Birth 70-80 lb. The most important overall performance measure is yearling weight, because it includes contributions from both the cow and the calf, but these measures are only meaningful when compared to averages within the herd. To maximize production, one would wish to choose a bull whose growth rate exceeds the herd average and has been raised under conditions comparable to your own farm.