The purebred Shorthorn cattle breeding project proceeded according
to plan during the last year. The project has been planned to facilitate
the collection of production data that will be used to devise and test
breeding procedures useful to cattlemen to improve beef cattle through
breeding methods.
Pedigree barriers were established in the original College Shorthorn
herd in 1950 and two inbred lines are being developed. College Premier
29th, 2368167, and Gregg Farm's Hoarfrost, 2492499, have been used
as herd sires for this purpose and the inbred lines are designated as the
Wernacre Premier and Mercury lines, respectively, for these two
foundation sires. The inbreeding program in the Wernacre Premier
line was initiated in 1949 by mating College Premier 29th to his half sisters.
These matings were continued during 1950, 1951, 1952, and
1953. A son of College Premier 29th, KSC Premier C 11th, was mated
to the females produced in the Wernacre Premier line to extend the
inbreeding into the second generation. Calves from these matings
were produced in 1952 and 1953.
