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Why Charolais

Charolais Breed History

Unlike Angus and other English-Continental breeds, Charolais are a French cattle breed. Established in Central France starting in the 12th Century and refined over the next 400 years, Charolais remained in-demand for their quality meat and beautiful white coats. By the 16th and 17th Centuries, they dominated the French meat markets—but it wasn’t until the 20th Century that Charolais were exported across the world, reaching the US via Mexico in 1936. Since then, the Charolais breed has continued to grow in popularity among cattle breeders and commercial industries alike. Here’s why.

Charolais Hybrid Vigor 

The Charolais breed offers many benefits—especially when crossbred with red and black Angus cows. Crossbreeding results in calves with hybrid vigor: improved weight and growth rates, improved vitality at birth, improved fertility, and numerous other valuable health advantages. 

A study by Kansas State University showed that across 7 years and 2 million cattle, Charolais cross-calves outsold all other breeds by $3.73 per hundred weight.

"We bred 100 blacks to PVF Charolais bulls and that group weighed 55 pounds more than all steers and heifers. The following year we bred all steers and heifers to PVF Charolais bulls and that group weighed 48 pounds heavier than all black the previous year.
Hybrid Vigor goes a long way when you use Charolais bulls on either black or red cows. We use quite a number of PVF Charolais bulls in our bull battery, with great success. Try 'em, you'll like 'em!"
Ron Rabe
4R Calamus River Ranch

Benefits of Purebred Charolais

  • Powerful muscling and high red meat yield
     "Charolais’ greatest strength is red meat yield and cutability.”  —Gretchen Mafi, Boulware Endowed Chair of Animal Science, OSU (Source: https://charolaisusa.com/pdf/2018/1-24/Charolais-Edge-Value-of-Charolais-on-the-Rail.pdf
    The Charolais breed is heavily muscled and stout, with vigorous growth rates, high weight gainability, and weaning and yearling weights than other other English-Continental breeds. Fed properly, they can add 0.4kg per day, allowing earlier turnoff than other breeds. 

    In the meat industry, pounds equal profit—but only if those pounds are high-quality beef protein. That’s what Charolais calves provide.
  • Predictable genetics
    Charolais are easily selected and bred or crossbred with Angus cattle to encourage beneficial traits such as increased muscling, quality marbling, increased milk production, fertility, and other maternal characteristics, and so on. Charolais seedstock immediately diversifies and improves the genetic potential of any herd.
  • High reproductive rates and easy calving
    Charolais cows are highly fertile, with increased pregnancy and birth rates in comparison with other breeds. Calving tends to be easy and uncomplicated, improving live calf rates. Calves show vitality and hardiness at birth and require only grass and milk to grow healthy and strong.

    Charolais sires are high-performance in terms of reproductive efficiency as well.
  • High milk production 
    Charolais cows produce high yields of milk, averaging 4.4kg daily—an excellent source of milk both for calves and dairy operations.
  • Good temperament
    Charolais are calm and good-natured, easily managed and integrated into larger herds.
  • Versatility and adaptability 
    Charolais can adapt and thrive in a wide range of environments and climates—from harsh winters to sweltering deserts—more so than English-Continental breeds. They have pliable skin, extremely reduced rates of eye cancer, and are tolerant of heat and temperature changes due to their skin pigmentation and light coats.
  • Charolais genetic traits are invaluable for crossbreeding, pure breeding, and commercial purposes.  
    Sources:
    https://charolaisusa.com/ad-campaign.php
    https://charolaisusa.com/pdf/2018/1-24/Charolais-Edge-Value-of-Charolais-on-the-Rail.pdf
    https://cattleinternationalseries.weebly.com/charolais.html 
    https://discover.texasrealfood.com/raising-cattle/charolais-cattle-essential-facts-and-breed-information#:~:text=Charolais%20milk%20production%20per%20day,next%20generation%20of%20the%20breed. 
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