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THE STABILIZERTM BREED

The Stabilizer breed is a multi-breed composite developed by Leachman Cattle Company. The breed is based
on research done by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at their Animal Research Service
(ARS) at the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), at Clay Center, Nebraska. The Stabilizer breed is a blend
of British and Continental inputs. The Breed combines the fleshing ability, marbling, and moderate size of
the British breeds with the muscle, milk, and growth of the Continental breeds. As a four breed composite,
the Stabilizer retains 75% of the F1 hybrid vigor and thus allows producers to crossbreed with simplicity.

The MARC (Meat Animal Research Center) started a project in 1973 called the Germ Plasm Utilization (GPU) project. Their research
showed several advantages that come from crossbreeding. Most importantly they showed that hybrid vigor has a large impact on
beef cattle productivity. The research demonstrated an 8% improvement in weaning weight when a purebred cow is mated to a
bull of a different breed. The research also showed that crossbred cows are far more productive than purebred cows. The benefits
came in multiple areas including more milk production, better body condition, faster re-breeding, and a longer productive lifetime.

In total, the crossbred cows weaned 23% more weight than did purebred cows.

Historically, crossbreeding requires the use of complicated
mating systems to keep the hybrid vigor effect. Scientists
designed rotational systems using three breeds. However,
such systems were too complicated. Furthermore, they
resulted in wide swings in breed composition, and prevented
breeders from having a uniform, well adapted herd. As an
alternative, the researchers at MARC developed multi-breed
composites. Their study confirmed that such composite
breeds retain hybrid vigor in proportion to the number of
breeds used – using more breeds generates more
retention of hybrid vigor. The Stabilizer (Marc II
composite), with four breeds, retains 75% of the

F1 hybrid vigor. Thus, breeders can breed
composite bulls to composite females
and keep most of the available hybrid
vigor without the complexity and loss
of uniformity associated with cross-
breeding.

Since 1988, Leachman has marketed over 10,000 Stabilizer bulls. Customers from across the

United States are successfully utilizing Stabilizers to improve their bottom line. The Stabilizer breed is also popular and growing
in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and in South America.

The Stabilizer has quickly
become the most widespread
composite breed in the world’s

temperate regions.

Good bulls run in our family!
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