The reality of twins in beef cattle

While the incidence of twins in beef cattle is very low, there is the possibility that it could improve the rate of their reproduction, says the Agricultural Research Council.

FAST FACTS

Twins or higherorder multiples are a rare occurrence in beef cattle.

Disadvantages associated with twinning include stillbirths and lower calf survival rates.

Despite these difficulties, selecting for twinning in beef cattle may present opportunities for significant productivity improvement.

The concept of improving the rate of reproduction in beef cattle by selection for an increased rate of twinning has been debated with both optimism and pessimism since the early days of animal breeding.

With the success of selection for multiple births in sheep, there was hope that the technique would also work in cattle. In general, however, beef cattle farmers have been opposed to twin births due to the number of problems associated with twinning. Successful reproduction in a cow-calf production system is the cornerstone of biological and economic efficiency.

Cattle evaluations have focused mainly on production traits, and genetic improvement in reproductive traits through the use of selection tools has been limited. It is globally accepted, however, that from an economic perspective, reproductive traits are twice as important as production traits in a cow- calf production system.

Reproduction of cattle is dependent on several factors, including breed type (for example Bos taurus or B. indicus), animal class and location. The interaction between environment, health, genetic factors and management also has a major influence on reproductive performance.

TWINNING IS RARE