Episode 25: Panama’s Fertility Paradox with Roderick Murray

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What happens when a country selects cattle for trophies instead of calves?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Roderick Murray to unpack hard numbers, hard lessons, and a practical path back to fertility and profitability on grass. Drawing from herd-level observations and long-term production data, we discuss why birth rates have remained stuck between 35 and 60 percent, why age at first calving has stretched past 42 months, and why steers often take more than three years to finish, even as nutrition and management improved.

Roderick explains how a 1990s push for larger frames and heavier carcasses, reinforced by show ring culture and a government backed sire program, unintentionally selecting for later maturity, contributed to cattle that struggle outside high input systems. The result has been declining fertility, calving challenges, udder issues, and animals that perform well on paper but fall short under real pasture conditions.

We also talk about what is changing. Research and producer herds in Panama are re evaluating local Creole genetics for early maturity, fertility, and adaptation, then using thoughtful crossbreeding, including Nelore, to improve reproduction and calf vigor without increasing inputs.

The solution is not always imported. Often, it is already adapted to the environment and available right in your backyard.

If you care about cattle that work where they live, this conversation offers data, perspective, and a clear look at how incentives shape outcomes.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/SCPLPJD5t48

Connect with Dr. Roderick Murray:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roderickagm

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about fertility, genetics, or how incentives shape outcomes, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo. These conversations spread one producer at a time.

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