New Cattle Breeds Catchig On Fast

New Cattle Breeds Catchig On Fast LIVESTOCK Beef 18-2-13 Exotic "new" breeds of beef cattle have been catching on fast with cattlemen across the U.S. and Canada. FARM SHOW associate editor Bill Gergen recently tracked down details on three of the most unusual: Parthenais - This French breed was introduced to Canada in 1991 via embryo transplants. There are now about 70 purebred Parthenais in Canada and a Canadian Parthenais Association was formed in 1992 with about 50 members. In France, the heavily muscled Parthenais are used as draft animals. They're buckskin in color with tough black hooves and black pigment around the eyes and genitals. Moderate in size, they produce rapid weight gain in crossbred calves. Mature cows weigh up to 1,600 lbs. and top bulls up to 2,600 lbs. Parthenais have a high muscle-to-bone ratio - purebreds dress out over 67% while carcasses regularly cut out at over 77%. The meat is low in calories, fat and cholesterol while retaining excellent flavor and tenderness. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, The Canadian Parthenais Association, P.O. Box 910, Cardston, Alberta, Canada TOK OKO (ph 403 653-4437). Corriente - This Mexican breed was first brought to North America from Spain on Christopher Columbus's second voyage, chosen because of their small size. Through the years they've been popular in Mexico as work animals due to their gentle disposition and willingness to work. Their even ternperament makes them the number one choice for team roping and bulldogging in the rodeo world today. Corrientes are aggressive foragers, hardy, and naturally disease and insect resistant. They're highly fertile and adapt well to all climates. Their small size makes it possible to run almost twice as many head per acre compared to some of the larger beef breeds. The North American Corriente Association was established about 10 years ago by a small group of ranchers who had problems finding good Corriente steers for team roping and bulldogging. Their solution was to raise the cattle themselves. The number of registered cattle has grown to over 7,000 and the association has more than 300 members, with 135 active breeders in 20 states, Canada, and Mexico. "We're trying to preserve a breed of cattle that could become extinct in Mexico be-cause of crossbreeding," says Mike Bowling, an association director from Allen, Okla., (ph 405 436-2298). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, North American Corriente Association, 9101 E. Kenyon Ave., Suite 3000, Denver, Colo. 80237. Waygu - Waygu cattle are considered by the Japanese to be a national treasure. The world's only purebred Waygu breeder cattle, outside Japan, are in Iowa. Two young purebred bulls are kept at Hawkeye Breeders Services, Adel, Iowa. And three pureblood Waygu cows are housed at the Sioux Center headquarters of Trans Ova Genetics, a leading collector of cattle embryos. "We've had a lot of interest in them," says Lloyd Jungmann, of Hawkeye Breeders Service. "The bulls don't appear to be a meat-type animal; they're small like dairy cattle. However, Waygu cattle produce tasty, well-marbled beef that's surprisingly free of cholesterol." The breed's popularity got a boost in 1992, when a crossbred Waygu steer took the grand championship carcass contest at the National Western Stock S how in Denver. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hawkeye Breeders Service, Inc., 3257 Old Portland Road, Adel, Iowa 50003 (ph 515 993-4711).

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