Price Impacts of Brahman Influence in Southern Texas

Brahman influence is a key characteristic of cattle in the southern US. Several crossbreeds have been developed to utilize the hybrid vigor of the Brahman breed. However, tendency to produce lower-grade beef, Brahman influenced calves are typically discounted relative to British or European calves. Studies typically treat Brahman influence as a binary variable, which is appropriate in other regions, but may not accurately capture the effects of Brahman influence on cattle prices along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Using a standard hedonic price model and controlling for the typical genetic and managerial factors, we examine price effects using five levels of Brahman influence: 0% Brahman, approximately 25%, 50% or a first-generation cross, approximately 75%, and 100% Brahman. Data were collected on 1,879 calves in 5 auction facilities across south Texas during 2014-2015. Results indicate that Brahman influence doesn’t have a statistically-significant negative impact on price, except in the case of 100% Brahman calves.