ABSTRACT
The history of breeds of cattle in the US reveals that the commercial industry has intermittently turned to the breed that could solve periodic economic problems. The maternal-herd concept of Prairie City Farms has been influenced by a long family tradition of sound economics. Selection for fault-free cattle is the first priority in building a maternal herd, i.e., functional and structural soundness that includes trouble-free udders, feet, legs, eyes, reproductive systems, and disposition. Maternal selection is more than milk production reflected in weaning weights. The beef industry should have programs specifically designed to produce specialized strains of seed stock. The industry needs to give a higher priority to the production of maternal strains of beef cows. The objective of the "maternal" approach has been to produce the optimum cow whose nutritional requirement does not interfere with regular reproduction in unpampered range conditions.
