Profitability
Shorthorns are known the world over for adding hybrid vigour in cross-breeding. Here is our own Shorthorn / Bonsmara work, and videos from Shorthorn Beef Australia.
Shorthorn Beef Australia
Shorthorn Beef Australia, now Australian Shorthorns, published these short TV commercials of commercial cattlemen talking about what Shorthorns do for them. Their commercial breeding page is worth a read too.
Andrew Campbell
ShorthornProfit TV commercial
Ross Keane
ShorthornProfit TV commercial
Craig Price
ShorthornProfit TV commercial
Read the original Shorthorn Beef Australia text
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqa7eljGpVg
Shorthorn / Bonsmara cross-breeding
When we moved to Forest Glade we added five top-class, in-calf Bonsmara females from Norton Thompson’s Glen Glyde Bonsmara production sale in Komga. We unfortunately lost one to clostridial redgut soon after they arrived, and we have bred the rest hard to a selection of Shorthorn bulls.
The commercial benefits of heterosis are well documented, and Shorthorns complement almost every cross-breeding programme. Farmer’s Weekly put it well: a breed made for crossbreeding.
Bulls used over the Bonsmara cows
Shorthorn bulls also used over
Read the original cross-breeding text
When we moved to Forest Glade, we augmented our female numbers with a parcel of 5 top-class in-calf Bonsmara females acquired at the production sale of Norton Thompson’s Glen Glyde Bonsmaras, Komga. After unfortunately losing one to Clostridial redgut soon after they arrived at Forest Glade, we have bred them hard to a selection of bulls, including LBR 0302, Spry’s All Gold D052, Deerpark Furty and Shadybrook Powerplay 802U. Shown in the slider at the top of the page is a selection of progeny from the above bulls out of the cows.
The commercial advantages of heterosis are well documented and Shorthorns are known the world over to be complementary in almost all crossbreeding programmes. To this end we have also used Shorthorn bulls over Hereford, Bonsmara and Friesland cows with very pleasing results.
What the research says
We would rather show you the figures than tell you how good our breed is. In the USDA’s big breed evaluation of the late 1980s, 89% of Shorthorn-sired steers graded Choice, the highest of the eleven breed groups, and 99.6% of the calves were born unassisted. Shorthorn-sired heifers reached puberty a fortnight ahead of the Hereford-Angus heifers.
of Shorthorn-sired steers graded USDA Choice, the highest of eleven breed groups.
of Shorthorn-sired calves were born without assistance.
to puberty for Shorthorn-sired heifers, a fortnight ahead of Hereford-Angus.
more calf weaned per cow from crossing Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn.
Sources: USDA-ARS Germplasm Evaluation Program, Progress Report No. 12, 1990; University of Tennessee Extension W471 (Fort Robinson); Thallman et al., 1999
Hybrid vigour in numbers
23% more calf weaned per cow in the USDA’s Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn trial at Fort Robinson.
The breeds built on Shorthorn
The Bonsmara, Santa Gertrudis, Droughtmaster and others all have Shorthorn in their foundations.
Shorthorn, Angus and Hereford
How the breeds compare on marbling, rib-eye and fat cover in the 2026 USMARC figures.
What buyers have paid for Shorthorn
The premiums Morrisons and JBS have paid for Shorthorn cattle.
Putting vigour in your hybrids
Speak to us about a bull for your cross-breeding programme.