Major benefits of breeding with Red Polls
THE GENES – CLEARLY DIFFERENTIATED AND DISTINGUISHABLE FROM OTHER BREEDS
One of the most important qualities of the Red Poll Breed is that they possess a uniquely very strong naturally poll gene. The first generation offspring in crossbreeding with Red Poll bulls will consist of 95 -100 percent polls. This combined with their docile temperament reduces stress and carcass bruising when handling and marketing, which in turn ensures tender high quality beef.
Similarly, the Red Poll possess a strong Dark Red Coat gene providing excellent eye and udder pigmentation. It will produce 80-95% red coloured cattle when crossbred with other breeds.
The dominant natural Poll uniform red colour, combined with excellent beef qualities makes the Red Poll Bull the ideal animal for any commercial crossbreeding program.
As a Bos Taurus Breed, Redpolls crossed with Bos indicus breeds will improve temperament, milk, and fertility.
Red Polls are early maturing cattle and produce calves that can be market at an earlier stage.
With the Dark Red Coat gene, eye pigmentation can visibly improve when crossed with white face animals.
Red Poll cows augment the quality traits of the red Poll in commercial farming and provides an excellent foundation and platform for crossbreeding, fertility, longevity, temperament and mothering abilities which add to the qualities that distinguish good beef production and maximise calf growth in weaners.
Whilst they are more than competitive beef producers they can be milked and when crossed with non-Red Poll cows, the first offspring will almost always produce more milk than their mothers.
Dual purpose - Beef and Dairying traits and Medium Sized
Perhaps, arguably, the only real dual purpose breed in South Africa. This, along with their foraging ability and feed efficiency making them an economic unit to run and a viable option in most environments. It includes being a veldt adaptable breed to farm with in extensive and relative arid areas - the medium size lending flexibility.
Fertility & Longevity and Adaptability to Varying grazing conditions
They rate in the top echelon fertile breeds as reported by the Agricultural Research Council. Many Red Poll cows breed well past 10 years of age, reducing the need for high replacement numbers. Red Poll production and reproduction data are impressive under varying production and climatic conditions. Whilst the breed’s excellent production data in cattle breeding areas is well documented, the breed is also well adaptable to more marginal and arid grazing conditions. Red Poll cattle under extensive farming condition in arid areas such as the Karroo and semi-Karroo areas has recorded weaning percentages of 90%.
Temperament & Mothering Ability
Red Poll cows have great mothering ability and quality high milk production to maximise calf growth. They regularly appear amongst the top weaner weight breeds in the South African Research Council reports - making them indeed one of the most competitive beef breeds whilst still maintaining their dual purpose ability and status. In carcase competitions in Australia, where regularly measured, Red Polls have distinguished themselves in displaying exceptional and superior dressing percentages and yields of saleable beef.
As a breed the RED POLL holds its own amongst the best whist remaining whilst remaining a preferred cross breeder for many commercial farmers.
