British White X Red Angus calf pics

[DJ in WA]

So I bred my British White cow to a red angus and wasn't sure if the calf would be red, white, white with red poiints, or white with black points like the mom. So here's how she looks.












Pretty much like mom.

[CJBegins]

Awwwww, it's that beautiful!

[ArmyDoc]

Not surprising really. Red is recessive. Black is dominant (the black nose and ears indicated the dominant coat color is black) and the diluter gene that causes white is dominant also. So the first generation is going to look like mom (assuming she is homozygous) If you breed the calf to a red angus, you're more likely to get some variation.

Pretty calf by the way.

[goodhors]

What lovely pair! I love the black ears, eyes and noses. Speckled feet are also pretty cute.

[gone-a-milkin]

Beautiful pics.
Congrats on the heifer too.

[bama-newsteader]

Love your British Whites DJ!!!

[DJ in WA]

The British Whites are easy to look at, but since I'm in the pet cow business, I wish this mom was gentler. And I can already tell her calf is going to be skittish. She startles easily, and I tried picking her up to weigh the day she was born and she put up a big fight to where I almost lost her. The bull was rated high for docility.

Originally Posted by ArmyDoc

Not surprising really. Red is recessive. Black is dominant (the black nose and ears indicated the dominant coat color is black) and the diluter gene that causes white is dominant also. So the first generation is going to look like mom (assuming she is homozygous) If you breed the calf to a red angus, you're more likely to get some variation.

Pretty calf by the way.

I’m aware of those rules, but having seen some of the photos at the website below, I thought maybe they didn’t apply. You wouldn’t think there would be that many genes hiding in british white bulls and cows (heterozygous) to make these reds and near solid blacks.

The mostly solid black calf is out of a registered BW and registered angus.

Assuming the info is accurate at these two pages.

Crossbred British White Heifer and Bull Calves -- Photos of Brahman, Angus, Simmental, Santa Gertrudis, and Commercial Cow Crossbred Calves

Crossbred BW2

[G. Seddon]

DJ in WA, that is a striking pair! The contrast with black and white is wonderful.

I have a couple of cows who are stand-off-ish and I also have worried that their calves would take after them. I think some of it is definitely genetic and further reinforced by the cow's attitude. So when I bring them all in the pen in the mornings, I try to spend some time with the calves, without their mothers around, and let them sniff and wander into the barn, explore on their own and I talk to them quietly. They come around, though not as quickly as the calves of the easy-going mothers. We've got some cows whose calves are just born friendly and others that require some effort.

[DJ in WA]

Originally Posted by G. Seddon

DJ in WA, that is a striking pair! The contrast with black and white is wonderful.

I have a couple of cows who are stand-off-ish and I also have worried that their calves would take after them. I think some of it is definitely genetic and further reinforced by the cow's attitude. So when I bring them all in the pen in the mornings, I try to spend some time with the calves, without their mothers around, and let them sniff and wander into the barn, explore on their own and I talk to them quietly. They come around, though not as quickly as the calves of the easy-going mothers. We've got some cows whose calves are just born friendly and others that require some effort.

The experts and I agree with you there's alot of genetics involved, though that doesn't guarantee docility, just improves the odds. Like you say, with work you can overcome alot of it, but you have to be forever more careful with the skittish, and it takes longer for others to be able to handle them. Just not as fun.

They say the only good thing is the less gentle can be more attentive mothers, which this one certainly is. She takes her job seriously, but fortunately hasn't decided to kill me yet.

[ArmyDoc]

Originally Posted by DJ in WA

I’m aware of those rules, but having seen some of the photos at the website below, I thought maybe they didn’t apply. You wouldn’t think there would be that many genes hiding in british white bulls and cows (heterozygous) to make these reds and near solid blacks.

The mostly solid black calf is out of a registered BW and registered angus.

Assuming the info is accurate at these two pages.

Crossbred British White Heifer and Bull Calves -- Photos of Brahman, Angus, Simmental, Santa Gertrudis, and Commercial Cow Crossbred Calves

Crossbred BW2

Black angus has the same "problem" with hidden red, because the black gene covers the red completely. (not a problem for me - I'm partial to red)

It's the diluter genes that are the hard ones for me to understand. I know they are dominant, but apparently there are more than one, and they also can have incomplete penetrance, which results in the spots/partly white instead of all white.

[Cheribelle]

That is one gorgeous baby!

[wvdexters]

What a beautiful calf! I have never seen British Whites. But they are truly beautiful.