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What makes Lowline cattle different from
other cattle? |
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Lowlines are miniature cattle. A mature Lowline bull stands
38 to 48 inches at the shoulder and weighs from 800 to 1100
pounds. A mature Lowline cow stands 35 to 41 inches at the shoulder
and weighs between 500 and 700 pounds. Lowlines have 30% larger
ribeye area and 45% less backfat than traditional Angus cattle
making their carcass value the highest in the world. |
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Where do Lowline cattle come from? |
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Lowline cattle were developed in an agricultural research
station in New South Wales, Australia from registered Aberdeen
Angus seedstock that were originally purchased from the Glencarnock
Angus herd in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada in the 1920's. See Breed
History for more details. |
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Are they dwarfs? |
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No. Lowline cattle are true miniature cattle that were bred
by Trangie animal scientists at the Agricultural Research Centre.
They do not carry the Achondroplasia (dwarfism) gene. Calf losses
are extremely few and even heifers show ease of calving. The
newborn calves are very vigorous and healthy. |
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How did the scientists get the cattle
that small and still have them appear so well proportioned and
balanced? |
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The animal scientists selected Lowline cattle for high quality
and small mature size for many generations. One of the ten smallest
bulls each year were retained for breeding purposes. These bulls
were not necessarily the smallest but the best phenotypically
in order to keep the quality up while bringing the size down.
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What are Lowline cattle good for? |
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Lowline cattle are exceptional beef cattle that thrive on
limited feed intake thus lowering production costs while producing
half-size cuts of lean, flavorful, high quality beef. Lowline
cows will winter on roughly one-third the feed of many of the
crossbred cows popular today, while they wean a 250 to 300 pound
calf. Lowline market steers marble well above other breeds at
15 months old and reach market weight of 750 pounds for roughly
one-third the feed costs. The carcasses are very lean with one-quarter
inch back fat, a desirable feature in market cattle. |
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Are they just a novelty? |
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Although Lowline cattle are naturally quiet-tempered, easy
animals to raise, they have a lot more to offer than typical
novelty breeds. Fundamentally, they are an extremely efficient
range animal that produces a high quality meat product with
immediate access to the existing beef infrastructure. In addition
to the value-added beef products market, they represent a ground-floor
opportunity to supply the initial breeder (seedstock) market.
Eventually, a sizeable Lowline cow herd in America will produce
market animals for a rapidly growing demand by consumers for
exclusive, smaller cuts of highly marbled, lean beef. |
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Do they breed true? |
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Yes. Nearly 70 years of genetic selection for high quality
and small size makes them breed true. There are no genetic defects
and no throw backs. At eight months, the heifers average 240
pounds and bulls 300 pounds. As yearlings, they weigh about
420 pounds for heifers and 510 pounds for bulls. The cows at
maturity (three years of age) weigh a consistent average of
700 pounds in good condition and stand between 36 and 41 inches
at the shoulder. The equivalent-aged, well-muscled bulls top
out around 900 pounds and stand 38 to 45 inches. |
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Do they have calving problems? |
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Lowlines are generally one of the easiest calving breeds of
beef cattle in the world. Birth weights on the vigorous, healthy,
newborn calves range generally from 35 to 45 pounds with most
calves around 40 pounds. They hit the ground with a terrific
will to live. |
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Is there a market for the meat? |
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Yes. There is a tremendous demand for the well-marbled, yet
lean, carcasses. Ranch-to-retail marketing alliances with
eastern beef companies that market directly to the hotel/restaurant
business, as well as the upscale grocery store chains, as
an exclusive branded beef product are being developed. Also,
due to their smaller, more convenient carcass size, Lowlines
contribute to the marketability of a locker beef business
by accommodating both household budgets and the economical
use of home freezer space.
The biggest challenge facing the current breeder is not the
market demand but rather the challenge is to build enough
numbers in the Lowline herds. Spur Cattle Company encourages
the expansion of Lowline herds through an aggressive embryo
transplant program to supply the vastly expansive, contemporary
demand for a product of limited supply.
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Why are Lowlines so valuable? |
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First, Lowlines are the only breed of beef cattle in the
world that can efficiently produce a very lean, extremely
well-marbled, half-size beef product that the modern day consumer
and restaurateurs are demanding.
Second, there are less than one thousand breeding-age females
of this scientifically studied, genetically-designed beef
breed in the world. The breeding stock, with all of its efficiencies
and convenient size, is currently being sought after and purchased
by many foreign countries. They are especially popular in
the Asian market.
Third, Lowline cattle have less variability than traditional
"upbred" herds and may well be the purest breed
of beef cattle in the U.S. market. The purity of the breed
contributes greatly to its predictability and consistency.
Fourth, the consumer-oriented focus of this breed, from the
onset of its development and expansion into the U.S. market,
will yield producers a substantial premium for the end product
through the direct ranch-to-retail marketing alliances.
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How do I get into the Lowline business? |
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Contact Spur Cattle Company,
LLC to purchase embryos, pregnant recipients, semen, or breeding
stock. We can assist you in establishing a solid breeding program. |
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