Several prestigious agricultural research stations have conducted lengthy projects on Tarentaise and Tarentaise crossbred cattle.  The results of these projects validate the importance of the breed to the industry.

• South Dakota State University found Tarentaise X Hereford to be 10% more feed efficient than other breeds studied (straight Hereford, Simmental X Hereford, and Angus X Hereford).  They also found that the difference between an efficient cow and an inefficient cow will remain essentially the same regardless of the bull to which they are bred

• Also at South Dakota State, a study indicated that Tarentaise-cross cattle had the highest cutability, least fat cover and tied for the largest ribeye, with the lowest total cow-calf feed requirement for each retail pound produced.

• The U.S. Range and Livestock Experiment Station at Miles City, Montana, has found that Tarentaise not only produce a high level of milk, they also milk at high levels for a longer lactation than the other breeds tested.

• The Miles City research also showed that the Tarentaise X Hereford heifers had less calving difficulty and larger pelvic measurements than the straight Hereford and Hereford X Red Angus heifers in the study.
  
  
• A study from Oregon State University involving Hereford, Angus, Simmental, Pinzgauer, and Tarentaise breeds concluded, "All three European breeds transmitted genes for heavier weaning weights to their calves, compared to Hereford and Angus.  The Tarentaise accomplished this without increasing calf birth weight above that of the Angus cattle in the experiment."

• Studies conducted at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska, have consistently shown Tarentaise wean calves heavier than Hereford X Angus, while being comparable to Simmental-cross cows.

• A study done by the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Monoa, noted that the crossbred and composite cows had calves with higher average daily gains than straight bred Angus, Hereford, or Santa Gertrudis cattle.  The advantage was partially explained by the extra milk production associated with adding Tarentaise.

Source information courtesy of American Tarentaise Association