Edisto Research & Education Center

IRM Beef Production Systems

IRM Beef Production Systems for South Carolina's Coastal Plains

Dr. Larry W. Olson - Associate Professor, Extension Animal Scientist - Principal Investigator

Rebecca H. Davis - IRM Beef Production Systems Technician

The goal of the Integrated Resource Management [IRM] Beef Production Systems program at the Edisto Research & Education Center is to evaluate the integration of recommended available and new genetic, nutritional, forage and management resources into efficient, productive, profitable and environmentally-friendly beef production systems for South Carolina's Coastal Plains.

Crossbreeding research has shown that the greatest benefits of heterosis or hybrid vigor are realized through the crossbred cow. Breed complementarity combines the advantages of two or more breeds to produce a more productive animal. Many extensive breed evaluation research programs have been done all over the world. The IRM Beef Production Systems program is not another breed evaluation but a breed utilization project.  In South Carolina, there are four beef breeds from which significant numbers of performance-tested bulls are available to cow-calf producers - Angus, Gelbvieh, Simmental and Charolais. This project will evaluate the optimum utilization of these four breeds in South Carolina’s Coastal Plains production environment.

In the real world of the cattle business, genetic and phenotypic uniformity and predictability are worth a lot of money to producers, especially with the rapid increase in value-based marketing of finished cattle in the last five years. This project will emphasize maximizing genetic and phenotypic uniformity and will evaluate the achievement of this goal.  The project has 10 production components covering the total beef production cycle:

cow-calf production => feedlot => carcass => consumer

The 11th component of the program will evaluate new and alternative forages for the Coastal Plains in small plots then under actual pasture production conditions. Grazing management systems for more efficient forage utilization of new forages and our traditional Coastal Plains warm-season perennial forages - coastal bermudagrass, bahiagrass and crabgrass - will also be developed and evaluated.

Production Components
  • Angus Cow-Calf Production
    • Herd of registered Angus cows raising Angus calves.
    • Base herd for creating and maintaining all component Angus herds.
  • Angus 1st-Calf Heifer Development
    • Second year of the 2-year Angus heifer development management program.
    • Program designed to provide 1st-calf heifers the opportunity to fully develop their genetic potential for growth and productivity and to rebreed.
    • Lasts through their first calving season until their first calves are weaned.
    • Pregnant coming 3-year-olds go to the Angus Cow-Calf Production and/or the Crossbred 1 Cow-Calf Production component after their first calves are weaned.
  • Angus Yearling Heifer Development
    • First year of the 2-year Angus heifer development management program.
    • Program designed to provide yearling heifers the opportunity to fully develop their genetic potential for growth and productivity and to breed.
    • Developed to reach a minimum target weight of 65% of expected mature size - 800 lbs - by the start of their first breeding season.
  • Crossbred 1 Cow-Calf Production
    • Goal is the production and evaluation of Charolais-Angus, Gelbvieh-Angus, Hereford-Angus and Simmental-Angus steers and heifers.
    • Females will be developed for Crossbred 2 Cow-Calf Production.
    • Last group of crossbred calves produced in 2006.
    • Steers will be preconditioned then shipped to a feedlot for feedlot and carcass evaluation.
    • COMPLETED with 2006 calf crop.
  • Crossbred 2 Cow-Calf Production
    • Groups of 30 Charolais-Angus, 30 Gelbvieh-Angus, 30 Hereford-Angus and 30 Simmental-Angus cows pasture bred to Angus bulls.
    • Steers will be preconditioned then shipped to a feedlot for feedlot and carcass evaluation.
    • First group of mature crossbred cows in 2006.
  • Crossbred 2 1st-Calf Heifer Development
    • Second year of the 2-year crossbred 2 heifer development management program.
    • Program designed to provide 1st-calf heifers the opportunity to fully develop their genetic potential for growth and productivity and to rebreed.
    • Lasts through their first calving season until their first calves are weaned.
    • Pregnant coming 3-year-olds go to the Crossbred 2 Cow-Calf Production component after their first calves are weaned.
    • First group of crossbred heifers calved in 2005.
    • COMPLETED with 2008 calf crop.
  • Crossbred 2 Yearling Heifer Development
    • First year of the 2-year crossbred 2 heifer development management program.
    • Program designed to provide yearling heifers the opportunity to fully develop their genetic potential for growth and productivity and to breed.
    • Developed to reach a minimum target weight of 65% of expected mature size - 900 lbs - by the start of their first breeding season.
    • First group of crossbred heifers in 2004.
    • COMPLETED in 2007.
  • Preconditioning Program
    • 45-day nutrition and herd health management program to minimize weaning stress, health problems and death losses.
    • Profitable, value adding management program for cow-calf producers.
    • Prepares the steers for the Feedlot & Carcass / Retained Ownership component.
    • First step in a effective heifer development program.
  • Feedlot & Carcass / Retained Ownership
    • Steers from all components are sent to a feedlot to evaluate feedlot performance, carcass merit, carcass acceptability and profitability.

Handling Facilities

  • During the winter of 2002, a new corral was built for the IRM project. 
  • It was built with highway guardrail - making it virtually indestructible and maintenance free.
  • Plan
  • Budget
  • Photos

Edisto REC - Home Page

For Additional Information Contact:

  • Dr. Larry W. Olson
  • Extension Animal Scientist
  • Edisto Research & Education Center
  • 64 Research Rd.
  • Blackville, SC 29817
  • E-mail: LOLSON@clemson.edu
  • Phone: (803) 284-3343 ext 231
  • Fax: (803) 284-3684

This Web page was created by Dr. Larry W. Olson - LOLSON@clemson.edu