AngusPRO Magazine 2024

HIGH PERFORMANCE ANGUS CATTLE 2024

COVER PHOTO Kakahu Angus, Geraldine INSIDE

FROM THE EDITOR

Farming is tough at the moment. The sector faces continued challenges, with profitability levels at a multi-year low. Beef + Lamb New Zealand has said that inflation-adjusted farm gate profitability is at a 15-year low for the sector.

It would seem rational to be cutting costs at every turn. However, during the production of this publication, it occurred to me that farmer education is an investment that will improve the bottom lines of a great number of farming operations, at little to no cost at all.

Both beef and sheep farming are about more than what the eye can see. By utilising the data that tells us what’s under the skin of an animal, we can select animals that will grow more wool, more meat, have more docility, less worm burden, better structure, more growth, more IMF and so on…

If you’re not already utilising these tools, you have to ask yourself, why not?

In this issue we take a closer look at not just bull selection, but also how you can make your cow herd more efficient, to ensure you’re maximising your resources and improving profitability year after year.

Enjoy the read.

The 2024 AngusPRO Magazine is published in association with CountryWide Media Ltd.

EDITOR Sarah Horrocks

SUB EDITOR Alison Robertson

DESIGNER Emily Rees Design

ANGUSPRO CHAIRMAN Tim Brittain, Storth Oaks Angus

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of Angus Australia or of the AngusPRO members here in New Zealand.

AngusPRO - Our Story

AngusPRO are a group of New Zealand Angus studs that encompass over 40% of New Zealand’s registered Angus cattle. These studs have united and made the shift across the ditch, to join the progressive governing body that is Angus Australia. Angus Australia prides itself on their quality of leadership in the delivery of innovative programmes that will enhance and promote the value of Angus cattle and beef.

Everyone in the industry knows that profitability within a cattle system can be improved by making educated predictions with factual data. It’s scientifically proven. While ensuring cattle are of sound structure and are quiet in nature, the additional use of science and genomics can assist in viewing what’s under the skin of an animal, providing an insight into what future progeny will look like, grow like, breed like and essentially, eat like.

By shifting to Angus Australia, AngusPRO has opened the gateway to technological and education facilities for the studs involved and their clients that are second to none. In what may seem like an administrative shift, we’re all gaining a support network of 30-odd staff, countless educational documents and webinars, training sessions, technological tools, extensive research and continuing breed development. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Angus cattle are the backbone of the New Zealand beef industry. In the commercial environment they’re expected to survive. Amid winter conditions of driving rain and inches of snow they will forage and not only survive, they will thrive. It’s in their DNA.

When stud females are mated as heifers, this replicates the commercial farming model and improves overall fertility within the herd. Increased profitability is therefore bred into those

progeny, so to speak. EBVs are the best available tool we have in predicting future progeny and when stud breeders use technologies such as HD50k and Angus GS, the accuracy of EBVs and Indexes is increased.

Angus Australia is focused on supporting the genetic improvement of Angus cattle. Their angus.tech suite includes a range of software tools and technologies, such as Angus SELECT, which has been developed to support members in improving the profitability of Angus genetics within the beef supply chain, by assisting with the identification of those genetics that are most aligned with their breeding goals and objectives.

While increased profitability for the client is at the forefront of our AngusPRO members’ aspirations, producing the finest grass fed eating experience for the end consumer is absolutely imperative. This is their ultimate focus.

Maintaining high standards of sustainable farming practice to ensure the land is enhanced for generations to come is of course, part of daily life for the AngusPRO team. The environment here in New Zealand must be nurtured, with clear water in the streams and rich soils underfoot. It should go without saying that animal husbandry is paramount. These ideals and quality grass fed Angus beef go hand in hand for the end consumer.

Although we are a newly formed entity, many of the studs represented have stood the test of time. They are the perfect synergy of old school reputability and new school technique.

AngusPRO are committed to bettering Angus cattle within the New Zealand beef industry and ensuring Angus is the tastiest beef on everyone’s lips.

Building on a Generational Legacy at Shenley

WORDS AND IMAGES BY VICTORIA RUTHERFORD

It’s been a bumper season at Shenley Station, a sheep and beef hill country property near Albury in South Canterbury. So good in fact that Kate and John Hughes have just finished making and carting hay — the first time it’s been done on the farm in 20 years.

“The season has been amazing here, we’ve had so much rain,” says Kate. “We have three or four hot days, then we get the easterly winds which bring drizzle.”

Prior to haymaking, the couple had been out calf marking with their 19-month-old son Toby, living in and out of a horse trailer. Luckily, they had a team of rodeo friends to help during their

break on the summer circuit; something they are grateful for.

“It’s just us, so it’s amazing to have friends that come in and help when we need, and also having Mum and Dad too.”

Kate is a fourth generation Fisher to farm Shenley. She and John have progressively taken over from Kate’s parents, Rit and Sara Fisher, working their way to ownership of the stock and plant. They lease the 4000ha property, and Rit and Sara, who still reside on the station, are realising their dream of building a new house on the site of the old Shenley homestead. Kate’s brother Nick and family also live on Shenley.

“Succession remains ongoing really,” Kate says. “Dad is now a councillor for Mackenzie District Council and Mum is very much the amazing grandmother – she is still busy helping out and looks after Toby on the days we can’t take him with us.”

Kate and John’s management ethos is simple — a low cost, low input, holistic grazing system, adapted by Rit and Sara following the devastating snow in 1992, which Kate says “nearly broke them”.

While Shenley is traditionally considered snow-prone, the seasons have been kind over the past seven years. They work on 120-day winters but have been experiencing close to 90 days.

“We have been so lucky to have very wet winters, but without the cold. However, we don’t know how long this weather is going to last, and you have to protect yourself a bit. Since we have been back on farm, we haven’t had a snow, and in seven years there’s only been one that’s stuck around longer than a week but… it can’t last forever!”

The property rises to 1370m and stretches back towards the Hakataramea Valley. Much of the action goes on deeper into the property, with cattle yards and a woolshed almost 20km over a hill range. They run about 900 head of Angus breeding cattle and 120–150 top line replacements, along with 2200 merino sheep. The good seasons have meant they’ve been able to increase sheep numbers, and they’re excited to be moving to supply their wool to Devold this year.

“They were offering contracts, and being new, we needed a bit of continuity and a four-year contract gives the bank a bit of surety as well,” Kate says.

During the summer, the ewes graze the high parts of the property, while the cattle are rotated on the mid-to-low hills. Two mobs of 350–370 mixed-age cows are run on a 48-hour rotation, while all the first calvers and replacement heifers are run on the station’s front country, the 472ha Golden Hill, where they are shifted every 12 to 24 hours. At least 40% of the trampled pasture is left behind to aid pasture regeneration and reseeding, with excrement providing the fertiliser needs.

Stock classes are swapped post-weaning, with a single cattle mob moving out the back, eventually wintering over 750m, while the sheep move to the lower country.

“In the summer it works to have the sheep up high with their lambs where they are healthy – in the wind with no fly and where they grow out well. Then it’s a complete swap, because it’s much easier to get that mob of 800 cows moved than sheep with the way they spread out. The cattle will look after themselves in a big mob like that, they are amazing, while the sheep… you really have to go cuddle them!”

Heifers and replacements winter on the lower hills and are supplementary fed. The couple make baleage for young stock,

and have traditionally bought in hay, straw and lucerne for the cattle, as well as sheep nuts.

“Over a seven-year period it’s normally cheaper to buy in hay, and then you are bringing in fertility as well. Making baleage also helps with pasture renewal.”

Regenerative pasture management has been part of the Shenley system for years, adapted when times were tough.

“We had to find a cheap, simple way to run a system that was more natural for the animals,” says Kate.

John says a wide mix of species ensure choice is plentiful, and the strength lies in the adaptability to the seasons. Some of the pastures are 25 years old and “full of clover and other goodies”.

“Different things grow depending on the timing and seasons – if we have a dry year, then something will pop its head up; in a wet year, it’ll be something else.”

The secret sauce at Shenley is the mineral cart, which the cattle have become very fond of. It allows for easy shifting and the constant interaction means the calves and cows are very quiet,

something their buyers appreciate. In the past it had just been used with the heifers, but Kate says they’ve adapted it further.

“The heifers [on Golden Hill] are shifted with the mineral cart, and we thought, well, bugger it, we might as well use the mineral cart with the cows too. The cows pick up their calves, feed them and then follow the mineral cart, and while it’s not fast, it’s a lot easier. When you come back 12 hours later, you’ll only be tidying up 30 cows through the gate.”

Herbage, soil and blood tests are taken to ensure the mineral mix is correlated with the herd’s needs. The family has been doing this for almost 20 years now, and Kate says she and John are lucky to be reaping the benefits of time when it comes to the overall condition and fertility of the animals.

BENDING THE CURVE

Angus were brought to Shenley by Kate’s grandfather in the 1950s, and the herd was based on Te Mania and Stern genetics. They are dedicated to producing efficient and hardy animals with good temperaments. Cows are expected to raise calves that wean close to half their bodyweight, and with the management system designed for ‘survival of the fittest’; if they don’t perform in the environment, they are out the door.

JOHN SAYS THEIR FOCUS IS BUILDING A REPUTATION FOR THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF THE SHENLEY PROGENY AVAILABLE AND THE SALE REMAINS A GOOD WAY TO GET THEIR NAME OUT THERE AND BUILD THE SHENLEY BRAND.

Kate is carrying on the family’s passion for genetics with a goal to reach EBVs in the top 10% of the Australasian stud index.

She references the ‘curve bender’ moment when everything changed for Shenley – the introduction of Paramount lines into the herd through an embryo transfer programme with Five Star Beef in 2001. Embryos were sourced from Lawsons Angus, Australia, which had a connection to Gardiner Ranch in Kansas. With Shenley cows as recipients, the Fishers bought back the bull calves, mostly flush brothers, to use over their own herd.

“I was looking back at the IMF of the Paramount brothers and holy smokes, they really were curve benders!” Kate says.

Bulls are sourced from the Hargreaves family at Kakahu Angus and Roger and Susan Hayward at Twin Oaks Angus, with an emphasis on IMF and carcase weight. Bulls above 180 AngusPure Index, the top 20% for the breed, keep the genetic programme moving forward. Kate remarks on how good it’s been to have access to wider data when comparing EBV performance.

“EBVs have gotten easier because bulls are getting better and we have a lot to choose from at Kakahu and Twin Oaks. And with them going to Australia with AngusPRO, you can really see what’s happening – there are so many more animals to compare against, and it’s real data. We don’t so much go for family lines any more like we used to – we did that for many years because they were the choices we had.”

The couple do a raw scan for IMF and EMA production traits on the heifers every year, and while HD50K genome testing is high on the wish list, it will have to wait until the interest rate pressure is off.

“I think this would take us to the next level, it would be bloody great,” John says.

Heifers are picked on phenotype and size, and they are looking for an even line. With good seasons for the last couple of years, they’ve been spoilt for choice.

Golden Hill is split between the replacement heifers and the first calvers. Heifers begin on 12-hour rotations, and once the grass kicks off in spring, they move to 24 hours.

“They’re so quiet because we handle them so often,” says Kate.

First calvers are moved out the back for weaning, where they join with the mixed-age cow herd for winter. Mean calving is in November with all AngusPure progeny sold at the Temuka Saleyards in April. This year will be the fifth sale for Shenley, and timing means they will combine with the regional ‘western section’ calf sale rather than having their own as in past years.

In 2018 the decision was made to test the open market rather than continue supplying Five Star Beef, as the family felt the Shenley herd was reaching the upper end of its genetic threshold. Going to the market allowed them to explore the breed’s potential and find an appreciation for the herd’s EBVs.

John says their focus is building a reputation for the depth and breadth of the Shenley progeny available and the sale remains a good way to get their name out there and build the Shenley brand.

They also remain committed to hitting the premium grades with their calves. Last year was the first year they went over the scale at Temuka with 230kg steers. They averaged 210kg (range 134kg–259kg), while the heifers averaged 185kg (132kg–221kg) not including the top 140 heifers retained as replacements. The top steers made $920–$1000 and most of the balance $715–$890. The heifers sold over a tighter range of $500–$750.

One of the biggest challenges for Kate and John has been dropping a labour unit and juggling the management between them. Traditionally, a lot of the cattle work has been done on foot, horseback and by ute. The addition of a side-by-side has helped with speed and access, though John was skeptical at first.

“We got it to make things easier when Kate was pregnant,” he says. “For the first month I was trying to work out how to get rid of the bloody thing, but then I worked out how I could use it and what it could do… and now I wonder how we did without it, especially with the two wet years we had – we wouldn’t have been able to get a truck through a lot of the county.

As for the future, Kate and John are working hard to set themselves up. “We wanted to save money and pay off as much debt as we can and get ahead as quick as we can,” John says. “We are always looking for ways to move forward… we want to be in the position to expand the operation if the opportunity comes up.”

He says they are open to all options, but they would both love to be able to experience the fruits of the family’s labour – finishing their own genetics.

They are both still active in the rodeo scene, and Kate is busy bringing on young horses. She’s had a good run this season in the barrel racing. John is calf roping and team roping and has added back bareback riding after giving it up for a season. “It makes the days quite busy,” Kate says.

Something tells me this hard-working couple wouldn’t have it any other way.

Building Blocks of IMF

WORDS BY SARAH HORROCKS FOR COUNTRY-WIDE

IMF gives beef its flavour, taste, tenderness and juiciness, and processors are rewarding farmers who deliver it in their cattle because the more there is, the more beef the consumer demands.

The process of achieving IMF begins at conception, and there are a number of opportunities throughout the year when the farmer can get things right or wrong.

IMF develops in the perimysial connective tissue between muscle fibres, opening up and disrupting the organisation of intramuscular connective tissue, making it easier to chew. More fat within the muscle also improves the aroma and flavour of meat during cooking and eating. This is how we get tender, tasty beef.

Farmers around the country are now selecting bulls with favourable estimated breeding value (EBV) figures for IMF

because they want to breed progeny that will have good marbling at killing time. But there’s more to the equation – stock bred to deposit higher levels of IMF also need to be nourished to encourage the trait, and that nutrition starts in utero.

In a recent Head Shepherd podcast, hosted by neXtgen Agri chief executive Dr Mark Ferguson, he spoke with Dr Charlotte Westwood of PGG Wrightson Seeds about the importance of not just the quantity and quality of the feed going into animals, but also the timing throughout the lifetime that this feed is available.

While the ratio of the value of genetics to nutrition in livestock production is a well-debated topic, there’s no denying that genetics is a slower burn, whereas the results from nutrition can be seen almost immediately.

Westwood is a veterinary nutritionist who did a PhD at the University of Sydney looking at cattle reproduction and how it’s

influenced by the interaction between nutrition and genetic merit. At the What’s The Beef field days in 2023, she discussed the importance of genetics, nutrition and other management aspects when trying to increase the amount of IMF in a beef carcase.

GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT

Westwood says it’s an interplay between genetics and all aspects of management.

“We’ve got the sex effects and the age of the animal, their liveweight as a percentage of mature weight, and the time of slaughter if they’re a little bit younger.”

She says a lot of what is happening when the animal reaches its finished stage for processing has started while still in utero.

“Opportunity to improve IMF in the finishing animal actually does start inside mum’s tum, and there’s a term that’s framed the ‘marbling window’.”

While this might sound a bit mystical, the last trimester of pregnancy, from day 180–190 onwards, can influence both the number and potential future growth of the fat cells (adipocytes) within the muscle itself.

“So if we work mum a little bit too hard during the last trimester of pregnancy, that may influence the decision around stem cells inside the unborn calf – whether they’re going to turn themselves into fat cells or muscle cells or fibre cells, like collagen-producing cells.”

Westwood explains there’s a drafting gate happening during the

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Dr Charlotte Westwood runs her own podcast, The Rumen Room, where she covers a broad range of topics that bring together the nutrition, health, reproductive performance and well-being of ruminant animals.

that primarily compose adipose tissue and are specialised in storing energy as fat.

“So yes, beef cows have to do what they have to do and suck it up… for other capital stock classes during winter, and work a bit harder.

“But if we are looking for … an end-to-end aspect around nutrition and IMF deposition, it does start inside mum’s tum and during that critical first 250 days.”

Westwood says if you’re looking for the added benefits that come from genetics, nutrition is a key part of the management strategy.

“You can’t run a Ferrari on 91 fuel.”

She says essentially the gestational diet of the breeding cows is what is being looked at, encouraging better foetal maternal programming for the calf. Improving cow condition at calving and

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feeding optimal nutrition for lactation performance and mating go hand in hand with this science.

If you’re already ticking these boxes then you’re already giving your Ferrari genetics (as Westwood terms them) the opportunity to express themselves.

WHAT ELSE TO CONSIDER

While Westwood spoke about IMF in isolation during her presentation at the What’s The Beef field day, she did note that it shouldn’t be looked at in isolation from other aspects around productivity and profitability – growth for example.

“I wouldn’t suggest we tip a farming system on its head just to chase more IMF cells being deposited within the muscle bundles in an unborn calf, but it kicks a few goals along the way.”

She says farmers are chasing IMF in their bull-buying decisions and while, of course, the science tells them that they’ve got to have the genetics there to get that IMF into finishing progeny, they don’t want to burn those progeny by not getting their nutrition right from conception onwards.

“Some think that genetics are a silver bullet, and there are also those at the other end of the spectrum who think it’s only about feeding.”

The two work together and it is a key issue in terms of IMF predisposition. Genetics is certainly a strong attribute to part of it, like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.

“You know, if you’ve got half a jigsaw puzzle piece missing, well you’re not going to get the complete picture in the end product.”

You don’t create a premium product such as high-marbling beef by accident – you have to get all aspects of the production system right, every time.

The finishing phase is equally important with IMF, since all the different fat depots inside that animal are laid down in a specific order. First is intra-abdominal or visceral fat, which protects internal organs and serves as an energy source; the second is subcutaneous fat, deposited under the skin as an energy source and protects the skeleton from harm; third is intramuscular fat, also an energy source, though surrounding moving muscle surfaces, therefore serving to reduce friction from muscle movement. It’s not until the fourth and final stage of fattening when an animal is typically getting closer to its mature liveweight that the IMF gets laid down.

If things come unstuck – perhaps you hit a drought, bad weather, a feed deficit, stress or there’s no feed budget in place – the IMF will disappear. Any of these examples can be enough for the animal to go through a short period of negative energy balance and it starts to mobilise fat. They’ll mobilise it out in the same order that was laid down. So the IMF that you’ve lovingly

sculpted through a combination of genetics and good nutritional management is the first to peel out.

“So if we see back-fat mobilisation, as in a drop in body condition score, heaven forbid, in our prime cattle, the IMF is probably long gone and we’re gonna have to start that process again.”

Breed for it, feed for it, and farmers will be rewarded for it.

JUST FEED THEM

Grain feeding is the typical way to pump IMF into finishing animals around the world, but here in New Zealand, there’s a far greater focus on grass-fed, forage-based finishing. The opportunities are there with forage-based feeding but in order to look at which are most suitable Westwood says it’s important to look at the biochemistry involved in creating intramuscular fat.

Westwood says intramuscular fat cells love their glucose and they take their glucose and turn it into fat.

“The subcut internal fat tends to prefer making fat directly from some of the VFAs [volatile fatty acids] … inside the rumen.”

So when a lot of good quality leafy green feed is fed, it is potentially improving the total amount of volatile fatty acids. This creates more of a special VFA called propionate, which converts in the liver and makes more blood glucose.

She says overseas research has shown that more blood glucose is better in a finishing programme, because those little IMF fat cells prefer glucose as the building blocks to deposit fat. Therefore any diet that can increase blood glucose is good.

On a feedlot starchy grains such as maize, corn grain and sorghum, all lift blood glucose in two ways. Increasing VFAs in the rumen (subsequently creating more propionate), and secondly, there is some rumen bypass of starch which also drives up blood glucose.

Westwood says that because of NZ’s temperate climate, she predominantly sees C3 pastures, legumes, and increasing amounts of herbs such as plantain and chicory being used for finishing. “It seems that chicory drives higher dry matter intake as a percentage of liveweight. So they’re eating a whole lot more, which means a whole lot more VFAs, which coincidentally along for the ride, brings more propionate.”

Feeding high-quality forages at an allocation well above maintenance maximises the likelihood of IMF accumulation in finishing cattle.

Westwood says there’s a resounding take-home message that’s applicable to all ruminant species.

“Just feed them.”

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Meet and exceed all present and future beef quality standards excelling in EMA, IMF and carcass yield

Redefining what’s Possible

WORDS BY SARAH HORROCKS

IMAGES BY GREG BOWKER

When Tom Sanson and Dr Andrew Cribb took on the lease at Whangara in 2021, they knew they had to make rapid changes to bring the objectives of the stud back to fruition.

Three generations of Lane brothers have farmed Whangara, most recently the late Patrick Lane. Patrick had a big focus on using highgrowth American Angus genetics that had carcase quality to boot. However, in more recent years, rightly or wrongly, the reputation of their structure had come into question and change was needed.

Andrew and Tom signed a 20-year lease for the farm, situated between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay, and bought all stud and commercial stock — 270 registered cows, 200 commercial cows and 1000 commercial ewes.

“Purchasing the stock outright gave us full autonomy over the breeding decisions,” Tom says.

The lease incorporates 1100ha of Whangara and there is another 500ha planted in pine trees for carbon credits, which remains in the care of the Lane family trust.

“

WHANGARA IS ONE OF THE ONLY STUDS ON THE EAST COAST TO MATE THEIR YEARLING HEIFERS, WHICH TOM FINDS HARD TO GET HIS HEAD AROUND, GIVEN THE ADDED PROFITABILITY BENEFITS.

Andrew (a full-time veterinarian) and Tom were relieved to find that the structural issues were nowhere near as bad as they’d been led to believe, so after some hard initial culling, they sorted the issues out within the first two years. All commercial cows were moved on, allowing the stud to grow to 400 females as they brought in more heifer replacements each year.

Because the Lanes had so much growth and carcase weight data in the herd, it allowed Tom (who is integral in the operations side of the farm) room to bring in more material traits without compromising growth.

“We have to be breeding females that will rear a calf in the hill country on their own, as our clients expect them to.”

Whangara is one of the only studs on the East Coast to mate their yearling heifers, which Tom finds hard to get his head around, given the added profitability benefits.

“The evidence there is irrefutable, there’s no maybe in it.”

Tom says that as a stud breeder, he feels he should be leading the industry with his farming practices.

“Patrick had been mating heifers for over 25 years, so we don’t have any calving issues and there’s great fertility there.”

At Whangara the maiden heifers are put through a single round of fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) and then go to paddock bulls for a further two cycles.

Conception rates for AI are 50-60%, with an overall pregnancy rate of 90% in the yearling heifers.

The mixed age (MA) cows are culled pre-mating, removing any females with structural issues, unfavourable data or calf-rearing issues. These are put to a terminal Simmental sire down in Hawke’s Bay on another property.

“Everything that doesn’t get in calf, rear a calf and then get back in calf is culled,” Tom says.

The MA cows also go through a single round of FTAI followed by two cycles with a herd sire. Everything goes through AI except those who have calves less than 45 days prior (caught on the second cycle the previous year).

“Those late females just do two cycles with the bull.”

The MA cows have a higher success rate of 60-70% with AI, and an overall pregnancy rate of 95%.

All cattle are on the hills all year round, strictly grass fed. The 90ha of flats at the front of the farm give a false impression of its overall kindness, with 70% of the farm steep hill country. Those 90ha are there to grow high octane grasses for 6000-8000 trade lambs.

In addition to these lambs, the 1000 pre-existing hill country ewes were replaced with 1000 commercial Coopworth ewes. Whangara plans to build this number to 2000.

The main calf drop is late August to mid-September. At pregnancy testing the females are recorded into two-week blocks and later in the year they’re drafted into those mobs for calving, which cuts down unnecessary time in the yards later on.

This also allows ease of weighing and tagging at birth - another rarity for East Coast Angus studs.

All calves at Whangara are HD50K tested at birth which increases the accuracy of estimated breeding values and enables parent verification.

“It’s a huge cost for us, but we value that investment.”

All bull calves are retained so they can be scanned and have all data recorded, again for increased accuracies, and anything not being sold is killed from 18 months of age.

“This year’s sale bulls are the first bulls we’ve brought through from conception.”

Tom says the bulls are unrecognisable from pre-2021 and he’s excited at the number of bulls they can offer.

“We want to ensure we’ve got a structurally sound, really consistent line of bulls with good data.”

That was hard to find in 2022, with only 20 bulls put forward for auction. This year they’ve got more than 50 that are suitable.

Tom is adamant that no bull is perfect, yet every bull is a piece of the puzzle. When looking for bulls to use over the Whangara females, docility and structure are paramount and they then look for bulls with those maternal attributes, while keeping growth, carcase and intramuscular fat (IMF) in the mix.

IMF is expected to steadily increase as the older cows are replaced with younger high-performance females.

“We’re having quite a fast turnover of the cows to get those older ones out.”

Mention of the June 25th sale has Tom a bit flustered…

“My partner is due to have a baby on the 20th, so sale day will be busy!”

In the lead up to the sale, the bulls are fed lucerne baleage for six weeks to get them into peak condition but before that they’re on a straight grass system.

Farm Manager Christopher Richardson oversees the day to day at Whangara, with a shepherd and a general hand working alongside him. Tom is on farm for key events such as calving, cow and bull selection, etc, but on a daily basis he is more involved with data recording, marketing and keeping in touch with clients and agents.

“Chris is a key part of our business,” Tom says.

The 20-year lease gave Tom and Andrew, who are 50/50 shareholders in Sanibbs Worldwide Ltd, the scope to initially invest heavily in fencing and fertiliser.

“Putting it in initially meant we’d see maximum return on our investment.”

Fertiliser has been going on heavily, with pH levels at 5.8 on average and low Olsen P.

“We’ve been pouring the P on, but it’s a slow process.”

The farm working expenses are 47% of gross farm income and this has been steadily lifting since Andrew and Tom took over Whangara.

Tom says that over the next five years they plan to grow and improve the stud operation further. When they purchased the stud it was shifting its data records from Angus New Zealand to Angus Australia to become part of the AngusPRO group. Tom says the benefits of shifting have been immense, though he hadn’t understood the political implications back in 2021.

“Without understanding why back in ’21, we were kicked out of the East Coast Angus ward.”

However, it’s been onwards and upwards since then, and the

team has been working hard to boost the stud’s profile.

Part of this has been including Whangara sires in Beef + Lamb NZ’s across-breed beef progeny test.

Tom says that for their clients, it’s about not having to spend $20,000 on the top bulls in the catalogue – there should be quality spread right throughout a sale catalogue and you will be able to come to Whangara and buy any bull, knowing you’re buying quality.

Building relationships with clients and ensuring they’re mentored throughout the year – not just before sale day – with their breeding programmes is a key focus, ensuring they retain their old clients and also get some new ones on board with this approach.

“We have invested heavily in marketing, including a new website and a rebrand.”

It seems that Whangara is on track to deliver on promises and truly is “Redefining what’s possible”.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

This year marks the first time we present our full bull progeny from our own breeding programme.

We’ve been working hard on providing 100% proven profitability and performance in our bulls so that you and your farm can capture more premium for your product.

That has always been our aim and we never waver from it.

One example of this is when we purchased Waitangi S257 last season for $65,000, who went on to be one of the

WHANGARA ANGUS

BULL SALE

12PM TUESDAY

25TH JUNE 2024

25 ANDREWS ROAD, WHANGARA, GISBORNE

seven Angus bulls selected in the 2023 cohort of the Beef + Lamb Progeny test.

We make these commitments because when you win, we win.

So if you’re after a proven bull with unbeatable EBVs that make you more money, then we hope to see you in town to buy your next boys from our sale.

Cow Herd Efficiency

WORDS AND IMAGES BY SARAH HORROCKS

When you’re looking at efficiency in cattle there are two main aspects. There is profitability — maximum output from minimum input — and there’s environmental — every kilo of input produces methane so reducing input ultimately reduces the total methane emissions.

Neither of these concepts is anything new, however, the addition of the Net Feed Intake EBV on animals registered with Angus Australia has brought efficiency into the spotlight here in New Zealand.

Dr Jason Archer from B+LNZ Genetics has been working on efficiency for nearly 30 years and is well qualified to make more than educated statements about it.

He says that from a base level within a cow herd, you want a cow that not only eats efficiently but produces well, gets in calf every year, suits her environment and produces a quality calf that goes on to grow well at a reasonable rate and kills as quality beef.

The traits of a cow need to be balanced to ensure they not only suit the physical environment but also the management environment — some farmers like an animal they can put on the hill and only see twice a year, while others like to manage their stock more intensively — these two situations would suit two different animals.

“There’s no such thing as the perfect cow, it’s about what suits its environment,” says Dr Archer.

BIGGEST COST

Feed is the biggest cost in every farming system, whether it be a feedlot or an extensive hill country station, where the land is there to grow feed so almost the entire value of that station could be attributed to feed costs.

Dr Archer completed a research project in the mid-nineties at NSW Agriculture where they wanted to investigate whether there was variation in the conversion of feed to live weight in young, growing animals. This was proven, so the next step was to find out whether that same correlation progressed to the animals at four years of age. It did — the cows still showed the same variation and ranking within their contemporary group as adults, as they did as heifers.

Enter the feed efficiency EBV, which is calculated using data collected on mostly young animals in confined feeding situations. Pedigree gives us the EBVs on most animals here in NZ so accuracies need to be taken into account since it’s highly variable depending on how much data has been collected from

close relations. For example, Australian and American AI sires have a lot more data collected through progeny in feedlots so they will have higher EBV accuracies.

Rissington and Te Mania are collecting data on their own young cattle to improve the accuracy on their animals and genomics is also beneficial.

Dr Archer says that while the feed efficiency EBVs are a great inclusion in animal data, they’re just one aspect of efficiency within a cow herd.

WHO’S MOST EFFICIENT?

Taking this knowledge to a commercial environment, how do we find the most efficient females in a cow herd?

“There’s no point in having a feed-efficient cow that can’t get back in calf.”

This brings in the concepts of individual animal efficiency and overall system efficiency. Reproduction comes into play in both concepts and the simple answer here is to utilise EBVs in bull selection.

“A bigger cow is not necessarily an inefficient cow, she can still be productive if she produces a good calf with the potential to grow.”

Again, Dr Archer goes back to a cow being well suited to its environment. He says that if you’re able to feed your cows to

a level that their body condition scores are 7+ at mating and they’re rebreeding with good fertility rates then you’re in a good zone. If you’re having trouble with that then you’ve either got too many cows on or they’re too big.

From a system point of view, you’ve got to have good rebreeding rates and you should be mating your heifers for maximum efficiency.

The only argument not to mate heifers would be someone farming in tough country who wants a stock class that doesn’t have to be fed very much.

“Even in this instance, they’d be better to have fewer cows and be mating their heifers.”

Yearling heifer mating in a stud environment puts crucial pressure on young females from a fertility perspective.

“It’s easy to get a yearling heifer in calf but it’s getting heifers back in calf as R2s where most of the variation happens.”

In research completed by Dr Archer, he didn’t find any genetic variation in getting the R1 heifers in calf and says that getting a heifer back in calf and culling the dries is crucial for fertility within a stud herd.

Putting yearling heifers to the bull a month earlier than the MA cow mob gives them a better chance of getting back in calf during the first cycle as R2s, provided you can meet their feed requirements at calving. The grass curve can cause issues if you can’t feed them well with their first calves at foot, since if they get stressed and feed deficient they’re less likely to get back in calf.

For this reason, Dr Archer says that arguably the best feed investment you could make throughout the year with your females would be to feed those early calvers some baleage to get them through till the grass growth comes in.

When looking at EBVs for fertility, Days to Calving is the obvious one.

“It indicates how many of a bull’s daughters are going to get in calf on the first cycle vs the second cycle.”

Dr Archer says the scrotal circumference EBV is for the breeder to worry about rather than the commercial farmer since steers are not going to benefit from better genetics for scrotal circumference! The scrotal circumference EBV is only a low correlation to female fertility, and this information is accounted for in the Days to Calving EBV. The commercial farmer buying bulls should still look at the actual scrotal circumference to ensure the bull has sufficient capacity to physically serve cows (although the breeder should have culled out any inadequate bulls anyway).

AGE OF FEMALES

There is often wonder about how long females should be kept in a herd. Dr Archer suggests that for genetic gain, studs would be cycling genetic gain as fast as possible and therefore turning over females more quickly than a commercial herd, provided their fertility had been tested by producing a calf as a yearling heifer and getting back in calf as a two-year-old heifer.

In the commercial environment Dr Archer says that for efficiency, it’s as much about keeping them in the herd for as long as possible, so long as they’re still productive.

“After 8 they start to drop off a little in productivity but after 10 they can really slip.”

He says you’ll see weaning weights and milk start to slow and you shouldn’t be needing to check teeth.

If you want to upgrade your herd quickly, perhaps to change direction if, for example, you’ve not been looking at IMF until now, then there are genomic tools available to help you

select the best replacements for your herd and cull unfavourable females.

“Without EBVs, you’re running blind when selecting replacements”

Dr Archer says that the visually more appealing heifers are often the early-born ones, out of mixed age cows rather than heifers, and a lot of what you are seeing is environment rather than genetics. He says the new genomic tools are one way to make much better-informed selections when choosing heifers to mate and retain.

He says that while EBVs are often not well understood by farmers, they are not “black magic” and are in fact, incredibly logical. In their essence, they do two things: 1) they remove environmental influences (such as sex and age of calf, age of dam and management mobs) and 2) they use family relationships to identify the animals more likely to be carrying the genes most suited to your requirements.

AngusPRO Index developed specifically for the New Zealand farming system and markets

Selection indexes have been published within the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation for several decades and have made an important contribution to the genetic improvements that have been achieved within the Angus breed during this time.

Selection indexes aid in the selection of animals for use within a breeding programme where there are several traits of economic or functional importance by providing an overall “score” of an animal’s genetic value.

Selection indexes are calculated for a specific breeding purpose and are calculated based on weightings placed on individual traits that are deemed to be important for that purpose.

The selection indexes assist in making “balanced” selection decisions, taking into account the relevant attributes of each animal to identify animals with genetics that are most aligned with the breeding objective for the given selection scenario.

The selection indexes published within TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation are economic selection indexes and are derived using BreedObject software, as developed by the Animal Genetics & Breeding Unit (AGBU) in Armidale, NSW.

Ten indexes are currently published as part of the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation. Of these, the Angus Breeding and Angus Breeding Low Feed Cost selection indexes are general purpose selection indexes that are suitable for use in the majority of commercial beef operations, while the AngusPRO selection index is specific to New Zealand production systems and beef markets.

ANGUSPRO INDEX

($PRO)

SELECTION INDEX SUMMARY

• New Zealand production system

• Self replacing herd

• Daughters are retained for breeding

• Steer progeny are finished on pasture for the AngusPure programme.

• Steer progeny slaughtered at a carcase weight of 290kg at 20 months of age

• Significant premium for steers that exhibit superior marbling

The AngusPRO index ($PRO) estimates the genetic differences between animals in net profitability per cow joined in a commercial self-replacing herd based in New Zealand that targets the production of grass finished steers for the AngusPure programme.

Daughters are retained for breeding and therefore female traits are of importance.

Steers are assumed marketed at approximately 530kg live weight (290kg carcase weight with 10mm P8 fat depth) at 20 months of age, with a significant premium for steers that exhibit superior marbling.

TRAITS CONTRIBUTIONS

This graph shows the traits that are considered in the $PRO index, and how much they contribute to the overall balance of the selection index. The larger the segment, the greater the impact on the Selection Index.

SELECTION ADVANTAGE

Figure 2 shows the selection advantage if animals are selected using the $PRO index.

The selection advantage is calculated by ranking well-used sires within the Angus breed on the $PRO index, and comparing the average EBVs of the sires in the highest 10% with the average EBVs of all sires from which they were selected. For example, the sires ranked in the highest 10% based on the $PRO index had 9kg higher 400 Day Weight EBVs and 1.2kg lower Birth Weight EBVs than the average EBVs of the sires from which they were selected.

The selection advantage is indicative of the long-term direction and relativity of response that will occur in individual traits if selection is based on the $PRO index. The actual response that is observed will vary depending on the features of the individual breeding programme.

A feature of the $PRO index is a selection advantage of close to zero for mature cow weight, meaning that selection on this index will maintain mature cow weight, while still increasing growth to 200, 400 and 600 days of age.

Figure 2: Selection Advantage for the AngusPRO index

*The prisoner’s name has been changed.

In life, everyone and perhaps everything deserves a second chance. At Tongariro Prison in Turangi at the foot of Lake Taupo, the focus is on keeping people safe and giving the prisoners a second chance.

All prisons in New Zealand have an industry space for vocational training. Reading and writing come first if that’s not been taught previously, followed by ITO training to give real-life work experience and deliver practical skills up to level 4 NCEA. Tongariro offers 14 industry programmes, ranging from barista courses to carpentry, catering, engineering, gardening and forestry. The programmes are part of the rehabilitation pathways selected by and for prisoners – the first part being treatment for the cause of their being incarcerated in the first place.

Manager of Industries at Tongariro Luan Kloppers says the industries give purpose, training and qualification, setting the men up for life after prison.

“Everyone in prison is a burden on the taxpayer so the earlier rehabilitation and reintegration is successful, the better,” he says.

Of the 18 prisons in New Zealand, Tongariro is the only one to have both internal and external farming industry programmes. The unique operation has a 15ha farm inside the prison wire which is used solely as a training farm. Levels 2 and 3 ITO courses can be done within this space with a small number of sheep, beef and dairy stock.

“The stock inside the wire are the most frequently weighed animals in the country,” jokes Luan.

That’s all part of the training though, and it provides a positive experience for many of the prisoners who have come from a life of conflict and family issues.

“Getting certificates and having to care for something is often completely foreign to them,” Principal Instructor Claire Goddard says.

The prisoners are all men of a low-security class and range in age from 17 to 84. Once they’re within six months of their parole eligibility and have completed rehabilitative programmes they may be assessed as safe to progress to the external farm outside the wire, where they’re monitored with electronic bracelets. For men who come from a farming background or see their future in farming, this is a great opportunity to upskill and get themselves employable.

There are currently 16 men working on the external farm and that number is set to double in the next 12 months.

The farm itself is 660ha and hosts 450 Angus females and 2500 Romney females (Focus Genetics Goudie-based). There is also 30ha of forestry in small pockets, used for forestry industry training – pruning, thinning, planting and other relevant skills.

The Angus programme went through drastic change four years ago, shifting from being a generic beef programme that serviced the industry programme to a high-performance herd with a drive for profitability.

“There is a responsibility when working with public money to do things in the most cost-effective way possible,” says Luan.

The farm has a long history and was always a sheep farm, with some cattle. That is now shifting to a beef focus, with some sheep. They hope to eventually lift cow numbers to 800 and have only trade lambs. Steers were always traded in the past but now they’re all finished on farm and processed at AFFCO.

When they decided to make changes, Luan and Claire visited several studs to discuss how they could use genetics to shift the direction of the programme.

“Roger and Susan Hayward at Twin Oaks buy into what we’re doing here with these men,” Luan says, adding that the Haywards understand that farming here is about the rehabilitation and skills programme and that it’s not a normal farming system.

“We used to have a focus on fertility and easy calving and now focus on growth – the 200- and 400-day weights,” says Luan.

Claire reiterates that while the three instructors are working as farmers, they are corrections officers first and foremost and the 16 farm-worker prisoners are also only on the farm for limited hours, to work around mealtimes and recreational time, so working out the exact staffing rate is nearly impossible.

THERE

IS A RESPONSIBILITY WHEN WORKING WITH PUBLIC MONEY TO DO THINGS IN THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE WAY POSSIBLE. “

Aside from staff, the farm runs as a normal commercial system, with standard animal health practices.

When they first transitioned into high-growth genetics in 2020, Tongariro purchased four bulls from Twin Oaks but now that number sits at six to eight a year.

In another recent change, the 100 heifers are put through artificial insemination, which was more successful in 2023 than it was in their first attempt in 2022. A separate group of lowbirthweight bulls are used as the follow-up sires after AI in the heifers.

The replacement heifers are selected using the Zoetis’ HeiferSELECT™ genomic selection tool, which removes environmental influence and allows Tongariro to select the heifers with the best EBVs to take through.

“It’s such good technology,” says Claire.

Within seven years the whole herd will be DNA tested and they expect to have seen drastic shifts in production rates.

PRISONER PERSPECTIVE

When talking with *Simon, a prisoner who has completed both his level 2 and level 3 certificates in primary industry skills within the last four years, he says it’s been interesting to see how bull selection alters the outcome of the calves on the ground.

Genomics was covered by Simon in the level 3 classroom work and after completing industry work inside the wire for three years and now having worked outside the wire for 12 months, he has seen the shift in gross production first-hand.

“The time from weaning to kill weight has reduced a lot.”

Everything is grass finished, with the steers and sale heifers also given palm kernel in feed bins. Claire says it’s lolly for them, so they always go straight onto it, and it makes giving mineral supplements very easy as it’s just mixed through.

“The pumice country means we’re always deficient in something,” Luan says.

Supplement feed is grown as necessary, including 12ha of baled lucerne, kale for the cows over winter, chicory for lamb finishing and 1000 tonnes of grass silage which is stored in pits.

The growing season is very short and while they’re theoretically summer safe with 1600mm annually, the balance date for the grass curve is quite late – mid-December.

The daily diary always looks pretty similar for Simon, who collects his packed lunch and is picked up at the prison gate first thing, after having his electronic monitor fitted. The work is general stock work, fencing, tractor work, and of course extends to dipping, dagging and drenching the sheep – it seems nobody will be sorry to see the sheep numbers reduced!

If the opportunity arises, Simon will move to the ‘release to work’ section of the pathway programme where the men work for an

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external employer on a nearby farm during the day and return to the prison at night.

After his release Simon plans to move to full-time work either in farming or somewhere in the agriculture industry.

TRANSITION TO SOCIETY

Luan stresses that public safety is always first and foremost with everything they take on during the industries programme.

“Prison is not what you see on TV, it’s a completely different place to the way most people perceive it,” he says.

One of the main things they’ve seen is that as employment becomes important, the success rate with reintegration into the community and not landing back in prison is much higher.

“They have a purpose and self-respect.”

In the last four years, there have been 32 men employed on farms outside the prison system. These jobs are aided through liaising with Federated Farmers and Rural Support Trust, but the transition from incarceration back into society is really important; Luan says that’s where most guys will fall over, so finding the right farmer to ensure they get the right support is crucial.

The long-service prisoners are going out into a world that is completely different from the world they left behind.

“A lot haven’t seen mobile phones or EFTPOS cards,” Luan says.

Tongariro staff can give employers the full background story so they know everything about what goes on inside their employee’s head and how things were addressed to ensure they don’t reoffend.

Claire says Tongariro issues an employability report that gives full details about numeracy, literacy, attitude and work ethic, and outlines all the skills and tasks they’ve completed.

“They’ve been labelled prisoners but it’s all about second chances,” she says.

During release to farm work, prisoners are paid a standard working wage that’s held in a trust account.

There are always going to be prisoners who don’t want to get their lives back on track but this programme is here for the ones who do. Don’t they deserve a second chance?

ANGUS STUD – TE AKAU NZ

Genomic Tools Prove Worth in Commercial Beef Operation

WORDS BY VICTORIA RUTHERFORD

IMAGES BY ELISE RUTHERFORD FOR B+LNZ

Finding a ‘free lunch’ is almost impossible in the farming world these days, but North Canterbury commercial beef farmer Andy Mason reckons he’s stumbled across one.

Andy uses the genomic tool Igenity® to rank his heifers on traits that impact productivity, allowing him to focus his resources on breeding stock with strong genetic merit. He selects his heifer replacements before weaning, and as a commercial farmer, the process has been an eye-opener, particularly when it comes to the assumption that ‘biggest is best’.

“Like many farmers, we were selling the lightest half of our heifers and keeping the heaviest half, thinking that they were the genetically superior ones,” Andy says.

“But [though genomic testing] we discovered was there’s no truth in that. There was no consistency in the data at all by taking the heaviest half at weaning.”

Andy and his wife Angie winter 350 mixed-age and R2 Angus breeding cows on their 1000ha hill country property, St Leonards Station, in the Lowry Peak Range near Culverden.

They also winter around 85 replacement heifers along with 70 steer calves on a 40ha block at Amberley House where they live. They have relationships with repeat buyers through PGW stock agent Nic Denton, who purchase the calves on a per kilogram basis.

“The repeat buyers know what we’re doing with our genetic improvement and they're coming along on the journey as well.”

As Next Generation Herd farmers, they are part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme, designed to generate more income for beef producers and the economy while protecting the environment.

By understanding the value of better genetics, commercial farmers can select the right genetics for their system and drive greater profitability. These herds feed back performance data

collected in commercial environments, genomic data calibrated against commercial reality, female replacement selection and carcase data. They are now in their third year of collecting herd data.

FINDING THE FREE LUNCH

One of the big blocks many commercial farmers have is justifying the costs of the genomic analysis, which is around $50 per head.

“I always had a desire to do it, but I could never quite figure out how to make it work financially,” Andy says.

Then he had a lightbulb moment. By choosing genomics over liveweight, he could cover costs by selling the heavier heifers that didn’t make the grade on the traits they were selecting for.

“Through this programme we’ve discovered we can isolate our genetically superior heifer replacements at zero cost by the increased value of selling our heavier, genetically poorer heifers at weaning rather than simply keeping the heaviest half. It’s rare to get a free lunch in farming but we get one every year now, and the flow-on is massive.”

Tissue sampling is done at marking during the last week of November. There are 17 subsets to consider for maternal, performance, and carcase traits. While tissue sampling makes calf marking a little more intensive, it’s worth it.

“The data enables us to go through the heifer calves and select on things that are important to us. Sometimes we might look closely at a high indexing heifer calf, but when it’s really low on docility or something like that, it gets a big X.”

This made an immediate gain in temperament and management in the first year.

“There were always three or four at the end of the replacement heifer mob that would run the other way for no apparent reason, causing drama and wasted time. We just don’t get those animals anymore.”

Having help from structural assessor Bill Austin with fertility and structural culling has further advanced the herd.

“Bill brings another dimension to it all and it’s a tremendous learning experience. We've seen an increase in quality in our herd’s output because we’ve taken that bottom end out.”

Before the genomic programme they were already selecting heifer calves from the heifer mob for replacements, having confidence they’d punch above their weight (due to better genetics) over the mixed-age progeny, even if they were on the lighter side at weaning. They were more lenient on the heifer’s

heifers weaning weight, taking animals at 180kg as opposed to over 210kg from the MA cows.

“We found this lower weaning weight made no difference in outputs after running these heifer’s heifers through the next couple of winters and getting them in calf twice.

“This gave me the courage to select genomically superior heifers that weren’t just the heaviest half because by the time the bull goes out, they've caught up and sometimes surpassed their heavier peers. And it’s even been the case as we’ve increased the number of steers wintered and there’s more competition in the mob.”

Andy looks for top quality yearling bulls that can be used over his heifers to breed replacements, with a focus on sourcing stud-quality genetics at a commercial price. The herd was largely built on Te Mania genetics, which still feature in the bull battery, together with other genetics from around the country.

Seven bulls go out with the 270 MA cow mob (1:40 ratio) on the steep country at the back of the Lowry Range. The recently calved R3s are run on the easier front country facing Culverden with two bulls, while two yearling bulls cover the 85 replacement heifers on the home block at Amberley.

Andy prefers to take a big picture approach to selecting his bulls.

“Growth, IMF, fertility, temperament - they‘re all important. Everything’s a compromise, but our desire to compromise is pretty low because I don’t think you have to. If you believe in genetics, then it makes it very hard for you to go out and buy a below-average bull.”

He also notes the importance of the heredity factor when it comes to EBVs in their commercial situation.

“Sometimes a bull might be great in every way except one or two of the EBVs may not be totally appropriate for us. But when you break it down, we’re able to select heifers from that bull, picking up issues on the bell curve in Igenity® and send those heifers away at weaning. Heifer selection with Igenity® gives us more flexibility in our bull purchasing decisions.”

One thing Andy would like but misses out on is not having last year’s bull success rate data before the bulls go out again.

“That’s a frustration, but to get that data, I'd have to mark the calves too early causing mismothering and all sorts of things, given the country they calve on.”

He gets it for the following year, and from this, he can gauge bull performance and work out bull pairings for first calvers.

“It’s not really about finding out that this bull’s not as good as that bull, sometimes one is just pushier than the other, so I’ll put two, non-pushy bulls together with my first calvers just to suck a little bit more genetics out of those bulls.”

Andy is a firm believer that you can have it all, and genetic selection is an invaluable tool.

“We're commercial farmers, we can’t go and pay a hundred thousand dollars for a bull, so you need to work a bit harder at finding the genetics at a value that works.”

ATTENTION FARMERS

Wilson Hellaby Ltd, as proud partners of New Zealand AngusPure, require Prime Angus Steer and Heifer supply 52 weeks of the year to meet our strong domestic and export market demand.

For further information on competitive weekly pricing and applicable Angus premiums, please contact the Wilson Hellaby Livestock Team on 0800 856 910 or email livestock-info@hellaby.co.nz

Using TACE Percentiles in Animal Selection

BY JAKE PHILLIPS, ANGUS AUSTRALIA EXTENSION MANAGER

IN BRIEF

Angus bulls sold within New Zealand are registered in two different databases — Angus Australia (AngusPRO animals) and Angus New Zealand. The TACE percentiles in sale catalogues are only relevant to the population they are compared against, meaning you can compare one AngusPRO animal against another, but these percentiles can’t be compared across different breed societies i.e. animals registered with Angus NZ.

It is however important to note that the TACE EBVs themselves are comparable. For most EBV traits, the direct EBV is comparable to establish expected progeny performance differences, however, where the animal sits in reference to the rest of that population (its ranking) can be substantially different across the Angus Australia and Angus New Zealand societies.

Let’s look at the breed average for IMF. Angus Australia’s 50th percentile is +2.2 whereas Angus NZ’s 50th percentile is +0.8 (April 2023 TACE analysis). If you’re selecting bulls based on percentiles, please ensure you are aware of the population they’re compared with, or check the actual EBV figures carefully.

BACKGROUND

The TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE) routinely publishes estimated breeding values (EBV) percentile rankings for all animals in the TACE evaluation. The percentile value for each animal is displayed alongside the Estimated Breeding Values (EBV) and the selection index values on various platforms such as in the Angus database search results, TACE herd reports and customised sale catalogues.

The percentile value describes where an Angus animal sits in the current TACE population for a specific EBV (i.e. genetics for a specific trait) or Selection Index (i.e. genetics for a specific production system). The current TACE population is specifically devised from the Angus animals that have a birth year two years older than the current analysis year. For example, for the 2023 evaluations, the 2021 drop Angus animals are set as the percentile benchmarking population. This will be updated to the 2022 drop animals for the 2024 evaluations. This ensures we are effectively benchmarking EBVs to a current (i.e. modern) population of Angus animals.

An example of interpreting percentile values is if an animal’s 400 Day Weight EBV is +101kg, which is ranked in the 20th percentile (April 2023), effectively 80% of 2022 drop calves will have an EBV that is ranked lower than that individual. Similarly an animal with an Intramuscular Fat EBV of +1.0% ranks in the 80th percentile, with 80% of the 2022 drop calves with an EBV that ranks higher than that animal.

The TACE analysis supplies percentile results on all animals within the TACE analysis and displays these on a ranking from the top 1% of the breed (1st percentile) to the bottom 1% of the breed (99th percentile). The use of percentiles has become an easy-to-interpret tool for cattle breeders to establish whether the animal in question is more desirable or less desirable for specific breeding programmes and objectives.

LET’S LOOK AT THE BREED AVERAGE FOR IMF. ANGUS AUSTRALIA’S 50TH PERCENTILE IS +2.2 WHEREAS ANGUS NZ’S 50TH PERCENTILE IS +0.8 (APRIL 2023 TACE ANALYSIS). “

WHO IS GETTING COMPARED?

Percentiles are relevant to the population they are being compared against, meaning the published TACE percentiles are relevant only to cattle registered with Angus Australia and can not be compared across different breeds, or within the Angus breed across different breed societies i.e. Angus New Zealand. It is however important to note that the TACE analysis is a joint analysis of Angus Australia and Angus New Zealand resulting in the TACE EBVs themselves being comparable. It is the published percentiles that are not comparable due to comparing two different benchmark populations.

A variation of this is the structural EBV analysis which is conducted by Angus Genetics Incorporated (AGI Inc), a subsidiary of the American Angus Association, from combined datasets from the Angus Australia, American Angus and Canadian Angus structural records. For this reason, structural EBVs on animals registered with Angus New Zealand can not be compared to animals registered with Angus Australia — completely separate and different analysis models.

For most other EBV traits, the direct EBV is comparable to establish expected progeny performance differences, however, where the animal sits in reference to the rest of that population (its ranking) can be substantially different across the two societies.

For example, in the April 2023 TACE analysis, Angus Australia’s registered animals have a breed average for 400 Day Weight of +90. The Angus New Zealand average is +76. This means an animal ranking in the 50th percentile (breed average) for 400 Day Weight registered with Angus Zealand, would actually rank in the 85th percentile of the breed when compared to those animals registered with Angus Australia that have the same EBV. The different averages of populations can largely be put down to production system differences, and environmental constraints, coupled with the dedicated selection of certain traits over time by Angus cattle breeders.

Another example shows that the New Zealand Angus registered population has a higher Rib and Rump Fat EBV, indicating estimates of genetic differences between animals in fat depth at the 12/13th rib site and the P8 site in a 400kg carcase. The Angus Zealand 2021 born calves’ EBV average is +1.1 for both traits, which puts those animals within the top 25th percentile of the Australian population.

LET’S COMPARE THE PERCENTILES

— BALDRIDGE BEAST MODE B074

Table 1 shows the different percentile rankings on a high-use, high-accuracy AI sire with calves registered in both countries.

Table 1. Difference in EBV percentile ranking for Baldridge Beast Mode B074 (April 2023 TACE analysis)

An alternative way to view this is to compare the breed average or 50th percentile for both populations. Table 2 highlights the EBV differences between the 50th percentile for each population — Angus New Zealand or Angus Australia.

HOW DO YOU USE PERCENTILES FOR SELECTION?

Simply accepting that the highest percentiles for each EBV indicate the most ‘desirable’ is a flawed approach without understanding what each EBV represents. An example of this is the Mature Cow Weight EBV, where the higher percentiles (e.g. top 1%) indicate heavier mature cows, which may not be aligned with the individual breeding objective of breeders trying to maintain mature cow weights. Similarly, a Leg Angle EBV in the higher percentiles is indicating the animal is likely to contribute a leg angle score in progeny which is lower or closer to a score of 5 (i.e. straighter). Similar to Mature Cow Weight, selecting on higher percentile for this EBV may not align with a breeding objective in some situations.

Importantly the variation that exists in the EBV needs to be considered to make an informed selection decision and considering the percentile of the breeding candidates. For example, the difference between the 1st percentile and the 99th percentile for 400 Day Weight is +122kg to +57kg respectively. Assuming, all other things being equal, 50% of this difference is passed down to the progeny resulting in an expected average

weight difference between the progeny of 32.5kg at 400 days. Another trait such as Carcase Rib Fat has the 1st percentile EBV at +4.2 and the 99th percentile at -4.1, resulting in an average difference observed in the progeny (based on a 400kg steer carcase) of approximately 4.2mm. Both of these traits and the variation represented are likely to have different economic importance for each cattle breeder.

A challenge for breeders is to balance the number of mating candidates that are available to meet their selection criteria, while also choosing to select cattle that rank high on EBV percentiles in their traits of importance. Generally, an increased amount of selection pressure (i.e. higher expectations) placed on the group of animals will ultimately also reduce the number of animals that meet the criteria. This should encourage breeders to identify their own traits of importance to focus on, as they may be different to others’ operations.

An example of this occurring is by reviewing the 267 Angus semen sires (from April 2023) listed with Angus SemenSELECT on the Angus Australia website — no individual animal ranks higher than the breed average for every EBV, however, more than 234 of these bulls have 5 traits or more considerably above breed average, further highlighting the need to have a defined breeding objective with established traits of importance.

With the addition of percentile graphs to rank search results and various published EBV reports, breeders are able to quickly establish if a potential candidate suits their breeding requirements and warrants a further investigation without having to know the detail of a specific EBV or breed average EBV value.

PERCENTILE GRAPHS

The EBV percentile graphs can be utilised as a visual tool to understand the strengths and weaknesses of an individual animal’s genetic trait profile, or as an average of a group of cattle in some circumstances. It can also be used to compare the attributes of different animals and to identify which has the best combination of genetics for a given scenario.

Consider the three bulls in graphs 1, 2 & 3, and their potential to be used as heifer bulls (i.e. joined to yearling heifers that will calve at 2 years of age). The biggest differences between the three bull examples are seen for the calving traits — Calving Ease Direct, Calving Ease Daughters, Gestation Length and Birth Weight — while maintaining some similarities in the weight traits — 200 Day Weight, 400 Day Weight, 600 Day Weight and Mature Cow Weight.

Bull 1 is a high-growth bull, being in the 10th percentile (top 10% of the breed) for 200, 400 & 600 Day Weight. This bull is also in the top 30% of the breed for calving ease traits, this is a major difference to bull 2 who is in the 80th percentile for calving ease traits (less desirable for heifer mating).

Table 2. Breed Average EBV Comparison (April 2023 TACE analysis)

Another example shows the bull displayed in graph 3 having similar calving ease and growth EBV trait percentiles to that of bull 1, however, he is the only bull of the 3 examples to also have both rib fat and rump fat EBVs in the 20th percentile or higher.

TAKE HOME MESSAGES

• Establish which traits are most important to you and aligned with your Breeding Objectives.

• Use percentile values across the TACE population to rank animals based on their EBV for specific traits from the 1st (highest) to the 99th (lowest) percentile.

• The percentile value indicates the proportion of the current benchmark population that ranks above or below the individual for that trait.

• The ranking is taken from the comparison against 2-year-old animals at the time of the analysis i.e. 2021 born calves form the percentile benchmark population in 2023.

• All animals deriving their EBVs from the TACE analysis are directly comparable on EBV but not necessarily their percentile values e.g. when comparing published percentile values on Angus Australia registered animals with Angus New Zealand registered animals.

• Percentile graphs are an easy way to establish if an animal is more or less suitable compared to the breed average and percentiles for a particular breeding objective.

• Apply a balanced approach to selection, with percentiles being only part of the tools available to assist you with making a balanced selection decision. The highest percentile values (i.e. top 1%) may not be the most appropriate choice for all breeding objectives.

MSA Marbling and Shear Force RBVs

BY NANCY CRAWSHAW, ANGUS AUSTRALIA EXTENSION OFFICER

Research Breeding Values (RBVs) have emerged as pivotal tools in the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE), offering Angus breeders invaluable insights into the genetic makeup of their cattle. The recent introduction of two new RBVs, MSA (Meat Standards Australia) Marbling Score and Shear Force, marks a significant stride towards empowering breeders with the ability to make informed selection decisions aimed at enhancing the quality of beef products for the end consumer.

“RBVs are an important step in allowing early release of genetic information for new traits,” says Christian Duff, Angus Australia’s General Manager Genetic Improvement.

Christian says this enables the refinement of both the performance recording information and the analytical models used in their calculation. Importantly, it also allows feedback from users before becoming TACE EBVs.

The MSA Marbling Score RBV and Shear Force RBV draw from a vast dataset comprising over 10,000 animals, predominantly steers from the Angus Sire Benchmarking Program (ASBP), that have undergone both grading at abattoirs and genotyping. Notably, 38 New Zealand-born Angus sires have been included in the ASBP across various cohorts. The MSA Marbling Score RBV and Shear Force RBV are highlighted as significant additions to the existing evaluation framework.

MSA Marbling Score, a subjective assessment of intramuscular fat content and Shear Force, an objective measure of beef tenderness, are both identified as important traits impacting consumer eating experience and carcase value. Both these traits are significant for enhancing Angus carcase value and consumer satisfaction through eating experience.

MSA Marbling Score RBVs are expressed in MSA marbling score units, with higher values indicating the likelihood of progeny producing higher marbling scores in a 400kg steer carcase.

Shear Force RBVs, on the other hand, are expressed in kilograms of shear force required to pull a mechanical blade through a piece of cooked meat, with lower values indicating more tender meat.

MSA Marbling Score is used to assess the intramuscular fat content in beef, commonly referred to as marbling. The AusMeat marbling score commonly used in New Zealand, ranges from 0 to 9, with higher scores indicating greater marbling and a higher quality grade. MSA marbling scores are used to provide a finer scale than the AusMeat scores. It is assessed based on the amount as well as distribution of the marbling within the eye muscle. Each MSA marbling score is divided into tenths for grading, creating a score range from 100 to 1190 in increments of 10.

The Meat Standards Australia (MSA) marble score is a similar grading system used to assess marbling in beef, taking into account the distribution and piece size of the marbling fleck instead of the total amount of marbling such as the AusMeat score. The MSA Marbling Score ranges from 100 to 1200, with higher scores indicating higher marbling levels.

RBVS FOR MSA MARBLING SCORE AND SHEAR FORCE SERVE AS VALUABLE PREDICTORS OF GENETIC DIFFERENCES AMONG ANIMALS...

Studies conducted on the Angus Australia data by Angus Genetics Breeding Unit AGBU reveal a substantial genetic component to variations in both MSA Marbling and Shear Force. MSA Marbling has a high heritability of 0.54. This study also looks at the correlation between MSA Marbling with bull ultrasound scan IMF as well as heifer ultrasound scan IMF, both having a genetic correlation with MSA Marbling of 0.35. Shear Force demonstrates a moderate heritability of 0.37, as determined by studies conducted by AGBU.

RBVs for MSA Marbling Score and Shear Force serve as valuable predictors of genetic differences among animals, enabling breeders to select individuals that are predisposed to produce progeny with superior marbling and tenderness characteristics. The routine analysis of these RBVs in the TACE every two weeks ensures breeders have access to up-to-date genetic information to inform their selection strategies.

RBVs enable early access for Angus breeders to select animals with desirable genetics for MSA Marbling Score and Shear Force, while also considering other traits relevant to their breeding objectives. It emphasises the dynamic nature of RBVs, subject to refinements in analytical models and additional performance data collection and analysis.

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Proven Under Pressure

In conclusion, the integration of MSA Marbling Score and Shear Force RBVs into the TACE framework represents a pivotal advancement in genetic evaluation within the Angus breeding community. By leveraging these RBVs, breeders and commercial farmers can enhance the quality of their cattle and ultimately deliver superior beef products to consumers, thus fostering sustainability and profitability within the industry. www.mountlinton.co.nz

Two Herds; Two Different Focuses

It’s no easy life for the Totaranui cow. She spends the hard winter months cleaning up the pastures for the ewes, just as the commercial farmer would expect her to.

Totaranui runs two separate stud cow herds; one to generate high value A+ two year old bulls and the other to generate low birth weight yearling bulls. The yearling bulls are not second class citizens, they’re bred specifically for heifer mating in the beef and dairy markets.

“With over 500 females, we have the scale to run the stud in this way, says owner Daimien Reynolds.

The premium Angus bull for the two year old market doesn’t disappoint. He’s recognised with an A+ endorsement from AngusPure, meaning he’s genetically blessed to leave progeny that will perform well, both in a self-replacing farming system and with superior carcase qualities, especially IMF.

Growth is a strong point, ensuring his progeny will finish quickly to meet the premium processing grades. The Totaranui two year old is a moderate hill country bull that will perform.

While docility and structure are paramount in all animals, these attributes are now a given as Totaranui won’t breed from an unsound animal. Fertility is bred into the herd, so to speak, as they’ve mated all the yearling heifers for over 35 years.

The cows are never given a second chance in the commercial hill country environment. They must calve and rear their calf as a two year old and then get back in calf every year thereafter.

“Any glitches and she’s down the road, no second chances.”

Profitability is the bottom line and the Totaranui Angus bloodlines grow fast, have a high yield and marbling, and consequently perform well for clients.

Totaranui is targeting the discerning farmer who wants more than just another black bull. The farmer who understands the true benefits of technology and demands more than just a grazing tool to aid his sheep programme.

“It’s ultimately about profitability and the progeny from your high performance bulls should contribute more to your bottom line.”

Managing Heifers Prior to and During Mating

Abeef herd can be 15% more profitable if heifers are successfully mated as yearlings. This fact sheet sets out some guidelines for deciding whether to put yearling heifers to the bull and how to produce a calf without prejudicing the cow’s lifetime production.

DECIDING WHETHER TO PUT YEARLINGS TO THE BULL

Depending on the region, between 30% and 80% of yearling heifers are put to the bull in New Zealand.

Consider the policy if:

• Replacement heifers are grown out to at least 300kg LW or 60% of mature cow liveweight by 15 months.

• There is feed available for calving/lactation and re-mating (for 2nd calving). The greatest risk is failing to reach re-mating targets through poor nutrition between the first calving and re-mating.

• The main beef herd is performing well (i.e. in-calf rate of at least 90%).

BENEFITS AND RISKS

A key benefit from heifer mating is ‘economic return on feed consumed’. For example, a mated and calving yearling heifer needs around 850kg of extra dry matter over a two-year period compared with an un-mated yearling. If she produces a 200kg calf at weaning, this $100 of extra feed investment would return $700 (at $3.50/kg LW).

GROSS MARGIN EXAMPLE

Using a typical New Zealand average, with over 50 heifers mated you could expect an in-calf rate of 84% and 76% calves weaned/cow mated. At $700/calf weaned, this would generate $26,600 of income.

Costs/Income

Extra feed for two years (above dry heifer feed) 850kg DM @ $0.12 = $100 x 42 heifers

10.5 hours Labour during calving (one 15-minute routine visit/42 days) @ $25

Assisting 5% with dystocia problems (2 heifers x $100)

2% cow death

One Bull (cost spread over five years)

$4284

$263

$200

$1500

$800

A less-quantifiable cost is that mixed age cow numbers may need to be reduced to make room for calving heifers, impacting on the number of cows available for pasture control.

Benefits include greater culling power and opportunity for genetic progress. Assuming a typical replacement rate of around 20%, there will be 16-18% more calves (and lactating females) after allowing for calf survival rates. Risks include lower in-calf rates at second mating.

SET TARGETS

To minimise the risk of failure, set and meet liveweight targets. There are no set recipes.

However, heifers must be grown to a minimum of 300kg LW to ensure:

a. They have attained puberty and will be cycling.

b. They are grown out enough to calve and re-breed successfully.

Note: farmers may choose to exclude light “tail ender” animals from the mating mob. We do not recommend mating heifers under 300kg.

Assumed 39 month weight is adult Liveweight although it might be nearer 60 months of age that adult LW is reached.

Underpinning these targets are some reproductive management targets:

1. An average calving interval of 375 days between first and second calving.

2. 42-day mating period and 93% cows pregnant.

3. 70% of heifers calve in the first 21 days of calving.

4. A ratio of no less than two bulls per 80 cows over joining when using natural mating, depending on experience/age of bull.

To achieve these targets there are four key areas that farmers need to focus on:

• Condition score and feeding levels

• Time of mating/calving

• Cow health

• Bull fertility and performance.

To avoid having late-calving heifers (third cycle), mate 10% to 15% more heifers than required and take the bull out after two cycles (42 days). The other option is to identify heifers conceived in the third cycle, put them in the finishing mob for slaughter or run as once- bred heifers (i.e. calved and slaughtered as prime beef immediately following weaning of their calf).

FEEDING TARGETS (TABLE C)

WEANING TO MID WINTER TARGET

Feed as a growing animal (target to grow heifer at 0.5kg/hd/day).

PRE-CALVING

Aim for condition score of 5 to 6 (scale 1 to 10) with the heifer gaining less than 0.5kg weight/day (22.5kg) in the last six weeks of pregnancy. This means the heifer is only maintaining but the calf is still growing.

Manipulation of calf weight during mid and late pregnancy is difficult due to the capacity of the heifer to buffer the nutrition of the calf.

CALVING

Ensure the heifer is fit (set stock on hills) and not excessively overweight as excess fat around the birth canal can make calving difficult. Shed-off calved heifers on to 2500kg DM/ha (about 10-12 cm) of quality pasture.

LACTATION

This is the point where underfeeding results in the greatest re-breeding failure rates. For good fertility a cow should eat in excess of 10kg DM/day from calving. To ensure cows achieve this, they must have unlimited access to quality pasture (2500kg DM/ ha or 10-12 cm) and pasture covers should not fall below 1500 kgDM (5-6 cm). This will not be a problem if calving coincides with spring growth. Over calving/lactation, the heifer should be eating 60% more feed than her dry counterpart.

This is because she needs to:

• feed a calf

• grow herself

• put on condition for re-breeding.

Aim to have heifers at condition score 7 (minimum 6 for lightest heifers in the mob) at second mating.

Table A. Average liveweight target weights.

Table B. Typical and top performance for heifers

SECOND MATING

Poor nutrition after calving can depress calf weaning weights. A rule of thumb is that cows should be within 5% of their autumn liveweight at the start of mating (around 400 kg for British breeds).

CALVE AT THE RIGHT TIME

The target of over 85% calves weaned per 100 heifers mated will be most easily and profitably met if cows are calved in mid-spring rather than late winter.

This means that the heifer will:

• Be consuming surplus feed

• Be able to grow a calf at 1.0kg/day

• Be on a rising plane of nutrition to meet her condition score target for mating

• Not be competing for feed with other higher earning stock (e.g. ewes).

However, calving should still coincide with the spring flush. Mating heifers earlier than cows is an option, but the benefit of doing this will only be obtained if the heifers are well fed after calving.

ANIMAL HEALTH

Ensure adequate magnesium.

Cows that have mastitis or footrot are usually infertile. Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is a significant issue affecting beef cow herd performance. A 2005 survey by The Vet Centre, Marlborough, showed that of the fifteen herds tested, 66% of herds had heifers with antibodies to BVD suggesting they had come into contact with the disease. These herds would also have animals infecting each crop of new heifers each year.

Only buy bulls that are confirmed clear of, or vaccinated for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea. Test heifers for presence of BVD antigens. Get veterinarian advice on vaccinating heifers.

BULL SELECTION FOR CALVING EASE

Bull selection and fertility testing is pivotal to success.

USE ESTIMATED BREEDING VALUES (EBVs)

Choose a bull with EBVs that are high (above average) for Calving Ease. Any growth-rate penalties will be off-set by the reduction in calving difficulties. Check the accuracy of the EBVs with your bull breeder. Many stud breeders do not weigh their calves at birth or record calving ease and this will be reflected in the EBV accuracies (e.g. 50% for non-weigh accuracy vs 70% for those that do weigh).

PHYSICAL QUALITIES/AGE

Do not use large continental breeds over British breed heifers as they have a strong tendency to produce large calves.

The two options are: a) select a bull specifically for heifer mating and accept that it will get heavier over the years or b) buy a young (lighter) bull with correct EBVs and then sell it on once it gets too big. The latter would minimise the chance of injuries to heifers during mating.

Purchase bulls from herds where calves are regularly weighed at birth and which are mated as heifers.

To achieve fertile and fit bulls:

• Test bulls for fitness once/year.

• Palpate scrotum/evaluate penis.

• Test semen quality following low pregnancy rates.

• Target condition score 5 to 7 at mating (on scale 1-10).

• Check bulls twice a week during mating. Observe them walking and look for physical abnormalities. If possible watch bulls mating.

The recommended mating rate for heifers is 40 heifers per bull if the bull is experienced (use a higher ratio of bulls to heifers if using yearling bulls). Always keep a spare bull(s) as back-up.

Rotate bulls between herds if single-sire mating.

CALVING ASSISTANCE

If heifers are used to human proximity, they will be calmer under intensive shepherding. Calve close to the cattle yards so assistance can be offered quickly. Be prepared to assist around five percent of heifers with dystocia (calving problems).

Table C. Feed requirements for heifers.

Graph A. Unmated heifer feed requirements vs. mated (from FARMAX).

Performance Starts Here

When your business sits at the beginning of the supply chain, the obvious way to create demand is to look to the end of that same supply chain and find out what is wanted or needed.

Bryan Bendall at Seven Hills Angus has done his research and knows that for taste and flavour in beef, IMF (intramuscular fat) is the only answer.

Seven Hills has been artificially inseminating (AI) their entire herd of 250 mixed age Angus cows and 110 heifers for more than ten years.

“To get more IMF we needed to shift to high-performance AI sires, and we’ve never looked back,” Bryan says.

At just under 1500ha with 200ha of finishing country in the middle, Seven Hills in Pahiatua is a medium to steep hill country property that is typically summer-safe and has a slow spring.

They don’t calve till late October – 100 days later than the other Angus studs – to align with peak grass growth in midNovember.

The later calving does mean their bulls are younger than others when they’re sold in late June. The annual bull sale sees 60–70 high performance 18-month-old bulls sold, with 30 of them well suited to heifer mating. Another 20 bulls are also sold by private treaty as two-year-olds in the spring.

The AI sires used by Seven Hills are sourced from anywhere in the world, but predominantly from Australia and America.

A large number of AI sires are used across the herd, the key motivator being that it increases the accuracy of the herd’s estimated breeding values (EBVs).

“I’ve been going to America every year since 2013 to educate myself,” Bryan says.

WORDS AND IMAGES BY SARAH HORROCKS

WE ALSO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND WON’T SELL A BULL UNDER 1.9 FOR IMF. “

It’s about more than just assessing potential sires phenotypically. He spends a lot of time visiting studs such as Gardiner, which sells 3000 bulls annually, Connealy Angus who sell 550 bulls (all penned in their sire groups), the AI centres, and talking with Certified Angus Beef and others about international consumer demands and trends.

“We were looking at feed efficiency 10 years ago, so it’s great to have that EBV now available with our animals on Angus Australia’s database.”

Bryan stresses that constitution should be the most important aspect of every beef cow herd and Seven Hills is no exception to that. The AI work starts in January, with the mixed age (MA) cows doing a single cycle and then going out with herd sires for another two cycles. The R1 heifers do two cycles of AI since

they’re easier to manage without calves at foot, and then have a follow-up bull for a single cycle.

“Our AI uptake is 55% in the heifers and 65% in the cows –industry standard.”

The main herd sire is Storth Oaks Rover R104. He’s a standout in the top 5% for IMF in both the Australian database and the World Angus Evaluation.

“He’s 5.4 for IMF.”

The other follow-up bulls used are Seven Hills yearlings, which are subsequently sold in June.

Bryan says that while IMF is a huge focus, the reason he doesn’t

typically use NZ bulls is due to their lack of data. He has strict criteria for bull selection, which sees mature cow weight capped at 90, and calving ease has to be in the top 50% – the Seven Hills birthweight EBV hasn’t shifted in the last 20 years.

“That’s been a big focus for us.”

On the other hand, growth has increased substantially through careful selection of bulls, with the right EBVs to bring in as much growth, EMA and carcase weight as possible.

“We also put our money where our mouth is and won’t sell a bull under 1.9 for IMF.”

The IMF levels in the herd are not only seeing the demand for sale bulls increase but Bryan is also reaping the benefits of the

Alliance Handpicked programme – he’s processing 70 R2 heifers annually and fetching the highest premiums available.

The sale bulls are run in a single mob through their first winter after weaning. Then as the 400 day weights are taken, they’re split into two mobs (based on weight). At EMA and IMF scanning in January, the bulls are split down again into their sale mobs of 30–40 bulls.

The feed programme is straight grass all year round, with baleage given to the bulls for sale preparation only.

The farm is 50/50 sheep and beef and originally focused more on its performance recorded Romney sheep. There are 3200 ewes with 500 of those recorded, but Bryan is the first to admit that he’s let the sheep recording slide since his younger days.

While Seven Hills has always sold a few rams to regular clients, Bryan’s enthusiasm was piqued recently when he had years of IMF scanning of his ram hoggets validated in a private testing trial in the central North Island.

“I placed first, second and third for three years in a row, so I’m quite enthusiastic about the sheep again,” he jokes.

The Romney rams are bought from Piquet Hills and Ngāputahi and Bryan is finishing all his lambs, processing through Alliance.

For most of the year the sheep and cattle run together on the hills in a rotational grazing system. The cows and heifers are calved on the flats for ease of tagging and weighing at birth. Once the calves are 15 days old they’re walked back onto the hills to be set-stocked with the twinning ewes until January when they’re mobbed up again for AI.

The hills are abundant with manuka – 500ha scattered across the farm. Bryan and wife Nicky are in a joint venture with The True Honey Company, who supply the hives, extract the honey and store it. This brings in some business diversification, as well as having 200ha of the manuka in the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Bryan Bendall is passionate about marbling in both sheep and cattle. He knows it’s what gives meat its taste and flavour and he knows that genetics, feed and good management will fetch premiums right throughout the supply chain.

Beef Programmes on Track to Deliver

As the seven-year Informing New Zealand Beef programme reaches the halfway mark, its focus is shifting to extension, education and the development of genetic evaluation tools.

Dan Brier, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) General Manager Farming Excellence, says Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) is well on track to deliver on its overall purpose of breeding greattasting beef underpinned by a strong environmental and welfare story. Ultimately, this will drive a sustainable and profitable New Zealand beef industry.

The programme, a Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures partnership supported by B+LNZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the New Zealand Meat Board, aims to boost sector profitability by $460m over the next 25 years.

Brier says the programme’s annual survey of farmers, beef breeders and agribusiness professionals showed an increased awareness and knowledge of genetic tools within the beef industry, as well as an increase in the use of artificial insemination (AI) by both stud and commercial beef breeders.

“This signals a willingness amongst bull breeders and commercial farmers to embrace technologies such as AI.”

Brier says the traits for which estimated breeding values (EBVs) and indexes are being developed include fertility, functionality, and mature cow body condition scores. All have been identified as being high priority by beef farmers and rural professionals.

“Developing NZ-specific breeding values and indexes is one of the key outcomes of INZB,” he says.

Commercial farmers play an important role in INZB and at the end of 2023, 21 farmers from across the country were involved in the programme. At least 10 more farmers will be brought onboard in 2024.

These farmers are recording data that can be incorporated into breeding value prediction, Brier says. This includes assessing the performance of bulls, recording the heifer replacement selection process and monitoring genetic progress.

Commercial farmers involved in INZB receive reports on the data they record for the programme and can benchmark their herd against others in the programme.

This year, a big focus will be on the development of economic models and selection indexes for the NZ beef industry. This will involve selection index modelling of new traits (including greenhouse gas emissions) to determine what the impact might be of including these traits in selection indexes.

Data collected from both the Beef Progeny Test (BPT) sites and commercial farmers will continue to be loaded in the research database – so far that’s more than 400,000 measurements on about 16,600 animals and growing.

Through 2024, INZB will continue to roll out the Better Beef Breeding workshops with 21 workshops planned across the regions. These workshops lay the groundwork to drive the adoption of genetic tools produced through the programme.

PROGENY TEST

Now in its fourth year, B+LNZ’s across-breed BPT continues to gain momentum with more than 50 bulls being nominated as sires for use in the 2023 mating season. Twenty-three of the nominated bulls were Angus.

This was the highest number of bull nominations since the across-breed BPT was launched in 2020, as a component of the INZB programme.

The test, which compares bulls under commercial farming conditions, is being run on Pāmu’s Kepler Farm in Manapouri and at Lochinver Station near Taupo.

Data is collected from conception and throughout the animal’s life, and the progeny test now has processing data from calves born into the programme and reproductive data from heifers born in 2020.

On Kepler farm, Angus and Hereford cows are run side-byside with crosses undertaken both ways. This replicates the crossbreeding programmes commonly used by commercial beef breeders throughout New Zealand. Simmental sires have been added to the mix on Lochinver Station. A commercial herd programme is also linking NZ Shorthorn data into the progeny test data.

The progeny test is building on the information gathered from the earlier BPTs. For example, the fertility investigation using tag monitoring and the soon to be developed Body Condition Score evaluation are drawing on information and insights from the earlier work.

3rd generation Lindsay Johnstone

Talking Genomics: Understanding the Random Shuffle of Genes

BY ANDREW BYRNE, SENIOR TECHNICAL PRODUCT SPECIALIST, NEOGEN AUSTRALASIA

Genomic testing is widely considered the most significant transformational technology in livestock breeding since the introduction of Estimated Breeding Values, or EBVs, with genomic information now routinely incorporated into beef, sheep and dairy genetic evaluations around the globe.

To understand the value of genomic testing for the prediction of breeding value in these genetic evaluations, one must first understand how genes are inherited from one generation to the next.

An animal’s genes are contained within its DNA, which is bundled into chromosomes. Livestock have pairs of chromosomes, with the number of chromosome pairs in an animal’s DNA varying across the different species (Table 1). For example, cattle have 30 pairs of chromosomes or a total of 60 chromosomes. One chromosome in each chromosome pair is inherited from the animal’s sire and one from the animal’s dam.

Table 1. Number of chromosome pairs by species

When the animal reproduces, for example, a sperm is produced by a sire, one of the chromosomes in each pair is selected at random and passed on to the progeny. So, when sperm is produced, the selection of chromosomes that are passed on is similar to flipping a coin numerous times (i.e. 30 times in cattle, 27 times in sheep), with a different combination of heads and tails returned each time a new sperm is produced.

If we label the chromosomes the sire inherited from his father as blue (paternal) and the chromosomes inherited from his mother as pink (maternal), the number of possible combinations of the sire’s paternal and maternal chromosomes that can be passed onto the progeny is illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Illustration of the shuffling of chromosomes that occurs during sperm formation. The first column represents the bull’s two sets of chromosomes. Chromosomes inherited from the bull’s sire are in blue. Chromosomes from the bull’s dam are in pink. The other columns depict possible combinations of paternal and maternal chromosomes in individual sperm cells. There are more than 1 billion possible combinations.

Delving into this in more detail, the number of possible chromosome combinations that can be passed on in cattle is 1,073,741,824 (i.e. 230), while in sheep the number of possible chromosome combinations is 134,217,728 (i.e 227). This number ignores the exchange of segments between paternal and maternal chromosomes that occurs in a biological process called recombination.

How chromosomes are passed from one generation to the next is often described as the progeny receiving a random sample of the sire’s genes or mendelian sampling, and with the number of possible combinations, the genes passed on in no two sperm are exactly alike. The same number of possible combinations is true for each egg produced by a dam, meaning the number of possible chromosome combinations inherited by animals from their parents is literally in the billions.

Think for a moment about your favourite set of full siblings, being brothers or sisters with the same parents.

Perhaps this is your favourite set of embryo flush mates, your brothers and sisters, or your children. The dissimilarity between full siblings may be striking, for example, one may be short and the other tall, one may have light hair and the other dark hair, or one may be laid-back and the other excitable.

The similarities and dissimilarities between full siblings are due to differences in the chromosomes that they have inherited, and the environment they have experienced.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BREEDING VALUES?

In their simplest form, the estimated breeding value (EBV) calculated for an animal can be thought of as one half of the sire’s breeding value, plus one half of the dam’s breeding value, plus the mendelian sampling term. The mendelian sampling term represents the animal’s difference from the average of its parents’ breeding values and is due to the random sample of genes and chromosomes that the calf inherited.

EBVCALF = ½ EBVSIRE + ½ EBVDAM + mendelian sampling term

In a traditional, pedigree based genetic evaluation, there is no data available when an animal is born, so the Mendelian sampling term can not be estimated, and the animal’s EBV is reported as the parent average. This is often referred to as the ‘mid-parent’ EBV value.

As performance data is subsequently collected on the animal, and the animal’s progeny, the mendelian sampling term can be estimated, and the animal’s EBV either increases, decreases or remains unchanged, reflecting the random sample of genes that the animal has inherited from its parents.

However this approach has limitations and it can be problematic to collect effective performance information on the animal to enable the mendelian sampling term to be estimated. For example, traits that are difficult or expensive to measure, traits that can’t be measured prior to the animal entering the breeding herd, traits that have a low heritability, or animals that are in small contemporary groups.

This is where genomics now provides considerable value.

In a genetic evaluation that incorporates genomic information, such as the industry single step genetic evaluations that are conducted in the beef and sheep industries in Australia and New Zealand (e.g. BREEDPLAN, Sheep Genetics), predominantly for seedstock animals, genomic data provides an insight into the random sample of chromosomes that an animal has inherited, which enables an estimate to be made of the Mendelian sampling term early in an animal’s life.

For example, in the real world example provided in Figure 2, based on averages, the animal would be expected to share 25 percent of its genes with each of its grandparents. But, due to the random shuffle of genes and chromosomes, this percent can vary greatly. Genomic testing reveals that the animal shares 25.8 percent of their genes with their paternal grandsire (orange chromosome pair), and 15.4 percent of their genes with their maternal grandsire (green chromosome pair).

Knowledge of the chromosomes that an animal has inherited via genomic testing, and the resultant ability to better estimate the mendelian sampling term, results in the availability of more accurate and reliable EBVs for animals.

Reference: ‘The Random Shuffle of Genes: Putting the E in EPD’https://beef-cattle.extension.org/the-random-shuffle-of-genes:putting-the-e-in-epd/

WE COVER ALL ASPECTS OF REPRODUCTION

• On Centre and on farm semen collection

• Bull fertility evaluations and fresh collections for AI

• AI and ET services

• Import/Export of semen/embryos

• Pre-export isolation

CONTACT US:

06 376 4955

@ tararuabreedingcentre@tvg.co.nz

tararuabreeding.nz

Figure 2. Illustration of the use of genomic information to determine the shuffling of genes and chromosomes, and the subsequent relatedness between an animal and its paternal and maternal grand sire.

Stokman Bulls are the complete package!

We are committed to providing every tool available on our bulls to improve accuracy, giving our customers the fastest return on investment. EVERY animal in our herd is sire and dam verified. We balance phenotype, EBV’s and carcase traits, without losing the strength of the Angus cow –our dams are sired by Angus bulls that lead the breed for fertility, performance and longevity.

All sale bullsl HD50K tested

l Fertility and semen tested l Carcass Scanned

l Parent verified

Stokman Angus - Breeding cattle that are profitable in every segment of the industry -from conception to carcass. Check us out on Stokmanangus.com or facebook: Stokman Angus Farm We are breed leaders in CalvingEase,GestationLength, combinedwithgrowth and carcass. STOKMAN ANGUS MATERNAL STRENGTH IS PART OF A 100 YEAR LEGACY

Sitz Angus Family has a 100 year reputation for producing females that are trait leaders in maternal, fertility, and structure, and you will see Sitz lineage throughout our cowherd. Stokman breeding program is built with a commitment to provide Angus genetics that will meet your requirements now and into the future.

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World Angus Evaluation

In conjunction with the American Angus Association® and the Canadian Angus Association, Angus Australia is excited to announce the launch of the World Angus Evaluation.

The World Angus Evaluation (WAE) is a globally focussed genetic analysis of Angus cattle. It combines phenotypes, genotypes and pedigree from the American Angus Association, Canadian Angus Association and Angus Australia. This allows cattle registered with Angus Australia to be benchmarked against other major Angus populations around the world.

The WAE aims to enhance the selection and genetic benchmarking of Angus Sires in the global Angus population through one evaluation on a common evaluation platform.

WORLD ANGUS EVALUATION SEARCH TOOL

World Angus Evaluation EPD results are accessible through an online sire benchmarking search tool. This search tool allows users to set EPD thresholds and other search criteria to directly compare sires from all three Angus Associations. Only sires will be listed on this site (i.e. no females or non-parent animals will be included at this time).

Sires will appear in the search facility based on the following criteria:

• Weaning Weight accuracy of at least 0.45

• 5 or more weaning weight progeny

• Have had 2 or more calves included in the herd book in the last 2 years

Following the initial release on October 14th, 2023, EPDs and sires will be updated in the search tool four times per year in the months of:

• March

• June

• September

• December

Please note:

• The sires included on the WAE search tool will update quarterly, but as data from all three countries flow into the WAE routinely, the EPDs on the sires are updated on a weekly basis.

• The update will generally occur early in the months listed above.

BACKGROUND

In 2018 the World Angus Secretariat (WAS) discussed an initiative to pursue a global Angus evaluation. Following this, the American Angus Association, alongside Angus Genetics Incorporated (AGI), stepped up to explore this idea. What started as a WAS initiative quickly shifted to a strategic partnership

among the three largest Angus Associations: The American Angus Association, Angus Australia and the Canadian Angus Association.

With this partnership in place, a multiple year research project was employed to understand the feasibility of a World Angus Evaluation. Multiple test evaluations and validation procedures were performed to ensure that phenotypes are compatible across databases, and that environmental differences such as age and contemporary groups are properly modelled.

An important step in the feasibility stage was to understand the relationship between animals across the three populations. To provide an effective evaluation, the populations must have overlap or links with each other through pedigree and genomic relationships.

Figure 1 (over page) represents the overlap in the populations based on the genotype of animals. This plot shows a large cluster of dots that represent individual animals from all three countries, which shows how closely the individual populations overlap. Individual colours, or countries are not clustered together by themselves, which supports that even though these animals have been in different herd books, and countries, the relationships among these animals are strong. This means the data being shared is valuable to inform genetic predictions of animals in differing countries.

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Figure 1. Represents the overlap in genotyped animals in the World Angus Evaluation USA AUS CAN NZ animals registered in the Angus Australia herd book

The first major implementation step in describing global Angus genetics was released in 2019, when the three associations released a joint evaluation for both foot angle and claw set EPDs (or EBVs). This global collaboration was expanded with 11 additional traits on the 13th of October 2023.

Importantly, participating in the WAE ensure Angus Australia is meeting a strategic objective “to enable the genetic benchmarking of Australian and New Zealand animals, that are registered with Angus Australia, with other major Angus populations around the world”.

WHY IS ANGUS AUSTRALIA PARTICIPATING IN THE WORLD ANGUS EVALUATION?

Angus Australia is participating in the WAE for the following reasons:

• Collaboration: The world Angus community working closely together on common initiatives will benefit Angus breeders across the globe, including Angus Australia members.

• Strategy: Angus Australia achieves a strategic objective to enable the genetic benchmarking of Australian and New Zealand animals, that are registered with Angus Australia, with other major Angus populations around the world.

• Selection: Enhance the selection and genetic benchmarking of Angus sires in the global Angus population through one evaluation on a common evaluation platform and language (or currency).

• Capability: Angus Australia has the required expertise, relationships, data (quality, quantity primarily because of dedicated, performance focussed members) and data pipelines to participate in the WAE.

• Trade: Further invigoration to the international trade of Angus genetics, including the potential for the targeted marketing of Angus genetics from the Southern Hemisphere into North America.

Additionally, the significant influence of North American genetics on the Angus Australia population is well understood. For example, in 2023, within the 20 most widely used sires with registered progeny (in 2023 and 2022), 10 were US bred sires. Out of the remaining 10 Australian bred sires, 6 were sons of US bred sires. This shows why participation in the WAE is important to allow more informed selection from the North American population.

UNDERSTANDING EPDS

An Expected Progeny Difference (EPD), is the genetic prediction of how future progeny of each selection animal are expected to perform relative to the progeny of other animals. EPDs are expressed in units of measure for the trait, with plus or minus.

EPDs are like Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), in that they are estimates of genetic differences. However, EPDs focus on describing progeny differences, while EBVs focus on describing the genetic differences in the selection candidates (e.g. sires and dams). Simply, an EPD is half an EBV, all other things being equal (EBV/2=EPD).

There are thirteen EPDs published from the WAE covering calving ease, growth, carcase and structural soundness. The specific EPDs and their descriptions are:

CALVING EASE DIRECT (CED) is expressed as a difference in percentage of unassisted births, with a higher value indicating greater calving ease in first-calf heifers. It predicts the average difference in ease with which a sire’s calves will be born when he is bred to first-calf heifers.

CALVING EASE MATERNAL (CEM) is expressed as a difference in percentage of unassisted births with a higher value indicating greater calving ease in first-calf daughters. It predicts the average ease with which a sire’s daughters will calve as first-calf heifers when compared to daughters of other sires.

BIRTH WEIGHT (BW), expressed in pounds, is a predictor of a sire’s ability to transmit birth weight to his progeny compared to that of other sires.

WEANING WEIGHT (WW), expressed in pounds, is a predictor of a sire’s ability to transmit weaning growth to his progeny compared to that of other sires.

YEARLING WEIGHT (YW), expressed in pounds, is a predictor of a sire’s ability to transmit yearling growth to his progeny compared to that of other sires.

SCROTAL CIRCUMFERENCE (SC), expressed in centimetres, is a predictor of the difference in transmitting ability for scrotal size compared to that of other sires.

MATERNAL MILK (MILK) is a predictor of a sire’s genetic merit for milk and mothering ability as expressed in his daughters compared to daughters of other sires. In other words, it is that part of a calf’s weaning weight attributed to milk and mothering ability.

CLAW SET (CLAW) is expressed in units of claw-set score, with a lower EPD being more favourable indicating a sire will produce progeny with more ideal claw set. The ideal claw set is toes that are symmetrical, even and appropriately spaced.

FOOT ANGLE (ANGLE) is expressed in units of foot-angle score, with a lower EPD being more favourable indicating a sire will produce progeny with more ideal foot angle. The ideal is a 45-degree angle at the pastern joint with appropriate toe length and heel depth.

CARCASE WEIGHT (CW), expressed in pounds is a predictor of the differences in hot carcase weight of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires.

MARBLING (MARB), expressed as a fraction of the difference in USDA marbling score of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires.

RIBEYE AREA (RE), expressed in square inches, is a predictor of the difference in ribeye area of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires.

FAT THICKNESS (FAT), expressed in inches, is a predictor of the differences in external fat thickness at the 12th rib (as measured between the 12th and 13th ribs) of a sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires.

NOTE:

• Additional EPDs may be added to the WAE in the future. This will depend on further R&D to assess technical feasibility including phenotype compatibility.

• Due to the production system specific nature of Selection Indexes, no standard Selection Indexes will be published at this stage.

• Most EPDs will be listed in an imperial unit of measurement (e.g. pounds not kilograms). Please refer to the description of each EPD.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AND EPD AND AN EBV?

Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) is the genetic prediction of how future progeny of each selection animal are expected to perform relative to the progeny of other animals. EPDs are expressed in units of measure for the trait, plus or minus. They are the usual language for genetic descriptions used in the North American beef industry.

EPDs are like Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), in that they are estimates of genetic differences. However, EPDs focus on describing progeny differences, while EBVs focus on describing the genetic differences in the selection candidates (e.g. sires and dams). Simply, an EPD is half an EBV, all other things being equal.

Scan the QR code to view the full education module, or visit: angusaustralia.com.au/education/ world-angus-evaluation

A bold breed, perfected.

Silver Fern Farms Angus is farmed as nature intended, for lean marbling and full-bodied beef flavour, then carefully aged and prepared to ensure exceptional quality.

Our 100% Standard is:

100% Grass-fed

100% Antibiotic free

100% No added hormones

100% GMO free

100% No feedlots

100% Lifetime traceability

ANGUS BEEF EYE FILLET STEAKS

with garlic & herb butter, mushrooms, roast potatoes and sweet carrots

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Silver Fern Farms Angus Beef Eye Fillet Steaks

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

GARLIC & HERB BUTTER

• 50g butter, softened

• 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

• 2–4 Portobello mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp rosemary, chopped

• Pinch cayenne pepper

ROAST POTATOES

• 300g Agria potatoes, peeled and cubed

• Olive oil

• Salt

ORANGE GLAZED CARROTS

• 300g baby carrots

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1 orange, juice and zest

• 1-2 Tbsp liquid honey

• Italian parsley, chopped

METHOD

To make roast potatoes, preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat oil in a shallow baking tray. Par-boil potato cubes in slightly salted water for 5 minutes, then drain. Tip potato cubes onto heated baking tray, stir to coat with hot oil. Roast for 30 minutes until crispy and golden.

To make orange glazed carrots, place carrots on oven tray lined with baking paper. Heat butter, orange juice and honey in a small saucepan until melted. Pour the mixture over the carrots and toss to coat. Sprinkle grated orange zest overtop and cook for 25–30 minutes or until golden. Turn carrots halfway.

Remove Silver Fern Farms Angus Beef Eye Fillet steaks from the fridge and packaging and allow to bloom at room temperature for 10 minutes. Coat steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bring BBQ to a med-high heat. Cook steaks for 3-4 minutes each side for medium-rare.

Transfer to a plate or board, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

To make garlic & herb butter, mix ingredients and wrap with baking paper to make a cylinder shape. Chill until ready to serve.

To make grilled mushrooms, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Soy sauce, garlic powder, rosemary, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl, then add mushrooms. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes. Grill mushrooms on BBQ next to steaks for 2-3 minutes each side.

Serve steaks with garlic & herb butter, accompanied by roast potatoes, sweet carrots and grilled mushrooms.

A Word on Live Export

In the vibrant landscape of New Zealand’s agriculture industry, live export stands out as one of the most controversial yet integral trades. Almost a year ago, this trade was abruptly halted, and yet, before that it had been moving at a rapid pace. The ban, through the winding-down process, has left farreaching consequences, affecting not only the livelihoods of farmers and exporters but also the intricate web of businesses that rely on this trade.

Since its inception in late 2019, BeefGen has become a prominent player in the world of live export and has been at the forefront of exporting cattle to China. This trade has not only bolstered BeefGen’s business in recent years but has also benefited countless other businesses across the motu. However, the ban has left many skilled individuals, including stock agents and export service providers, with uncertain futures – all eagerly awaiting the reinstatement of the trade by the new coalition government.

I am Alex Feng, Managing Director of BeefGen. In August of 2023, we organised a business delegation to China to reconnect with BeefGen’s clients and visit the thousands of cattle we have exported over the years. Crossing half of China from the far east to the bottom of the south, we were extremely satisfied with the livestock conditions we observed.

One such valued client is Mr Zhang, a close friend of the late Patrick Lane. His beef farm is in the upper north of China, near the border with Mongolia. BeefGen has exported thousands of New Zealand Angus cattle to his farm over the years, significantly contributing to the growth of his operations. During our visit, it was evident the imported cattle had thrived in the new

environment, with the farm now boasting an impressive 20,000 head of cattle, up from approximately 5000 head in 2019. Zhang’s success and his robust animal welfare management made us very proud of what we were doing. His farm is just one example of the positive impact of the New Zealand livestock export industry.

Since 2024, BeefGen has gained its live export licence and started its operations in Australia. Australia has been at the forefront of export requirements globally, which has made the trade more resilient, sustainable, and positioned it as a global leader in regulation.

Looking ahead, the future of New Zealand’s live export industry remains uncertain. The decision to reintroduce the live export industry stirs up passionate debates on both sides of the issue. While concerns over animal welfare have been critical to the current decision, there are compelling arguments in favour of bringing back live export that warrant careful consideration.

The reintroduction of live exports should not be seen as a backward step for animal welfare. On the contrary, it should be seen as an opportunity for New Zealand to strengthen regulatory oversight and ensure first-class compliance with international welfare standards. By implementing robust regulations and monitoring mechanisms, New Zealand can safeguard the welfare of its livestock and maintain its reputation as a world-leading provider and pioneer of the best animal welfare standards.

One of the most significant benefits of reinstating live export is the potential economic boost it would bring to New Zealand’s agricultural sector. The big question for all of us to ponder is, can the New Zealand rural sector afford to miss the boat?

CLEARDALE

Ben Todhunter

Rakaia Gorge

P. +64 21 140 3760

E. genesforprofit@gmail.com

W. cleardale.co.nz

FOCUS GENETICS

Duncan Elliott

Reporoa / Kerikeri / Te Anau

P. +64 21 222 7324

E. duncan.elliott@focusgenetics.com

W. focusgenetics.com

GRAMPIANS

Jono Reed

Culverden

P. +64 27 258 0732

E. grampians@amuri.net

W. grampiansangus.co.nz

KAHURANGI

Hunter Harrison

Murchison

P. +64 27 833 1368

E. kahurangi_angus@hotmail.com

W. kahurangiangus.co.nz

KAKAHU

Tom Hargreaves

Geraldine

P. +64 27 692 3451 or +64 3 697 4979

E. tom@kakahuangus.com

W. kakahuangus.com

KOMAKO

Dave & Nicole Stuart

Ashhurst

P. +64 6 329 4748 or +64 27 422 7239

E. komako.farm@gmail.com

LAKE FARM GENETICS

Colin Brown

Cambridge

P. +64 27 575 0301

E. colinbr@gmail.com

W. lakefarmgenetics.co.nz

MOUNT LINTON

Office - Trudi Baird

Otautau

P. +64 3 225 4838 or +64 21 779 481

E. office@mountlinton.co.nz

W. mountlinton.co.nz

NGĀPUTAHI

Forbes & Angus Cameron

Ashhurst

P. Forbes +64 6 329 4050 or +64 27 529 4050

Angus +64 6 329 4711 or +64 27 299 1350

E. cameronfamily@inspire.net.nz

ORANGA

Blair McCarroll

Apiti

P. +64 27 247 7143

E. orangatrust@xtra.co.nz

RANUI

Lindsay & Maria Johnstone

Kai Iwi

P. +64 27 445 3211

E. ranui.w@farmside.co.nz

W. ranuiangus.co.nz

RISSINGTON

Daniel Absolom

Rissington

P. +64 21 989 067

E. daniel@rissington.com

W. rissington.com

ROTOWAI

Alan & Natasha Cave

Te Kuiti

P. Alan +64 21 162 3177 or Natasha +64 27 278 7509

E. rotowaifarmsltd@outlook.co.nz

SEVEN HILLS

Bryan Bendall

Pahiatua

P. +64 6 375 8583 or +64 27 243 3449

E. sevenhills@inspire.net.nz

W. sevenhillsangus.co.nz

STOKMAN

Mark, Sherrie & Jake Stokman

Rotorua

P. Mark +64 27 640 4028 or Jake +64 27 787 4008 or Sherrie +64 27 499 7692

E. mtkiwi@farmside.co.nz

W. stokmanangus.com

STORTH OAKS

Tim & Kelly Brittain

Otorohanga

P. +64 27 593 5387

E. tim@storthoaks.co.nz

W. storthoaks.co.nz

TAKAPOTO

Cambridge

E. info@takapoto.co.nz

W. takapoto.co.nz

TE MANIA

Will Wilding

Parnassus

P. +64 27 826 4015

E. will@temania.co.nz

W. temania.co.nz

THE SISTERS

Hamish Haugh

Cheviot

P. +64 27 4399 725 or +64 3 319 2873

E. lmhaugh@xtra.co.nz

TOTARANUI

Daimien Reynolds

Pahiatua

P. +64 21 430 710

E. bulls@totaranuistud.co.nz

W. totaranuistud.co.nz

TWIN OAKS

Roger & Susan Hayward

Te Akau

P. Roger +64 27 6855 989 or Susan +64 27 274 5636

E. twinoaksangus@gmail.com

W. twinoaksangus.co.nz

VERMONT

Russell & Kim Berquist

Alford Forest

P. +64 3 303 0888 or +64 27 478 5981

E. rkberquist@netspeed.net.nz

VILLAGE FARM

Bruce Wallace & Gary Meyer

Auckland

P. Bruce +64 21 922169 or Gary +64 21 449489

E. bwallace@wallacegroup.co.nz

WAIRERE

Cedric Lander

Hawera

P. +64 6 272 2899 or +64 21 144 3862

E. cedriclander@yahoo.co.nz

WAITANGI

John, Joss & Phil Bayly

Waitangi

P. John +64 27 474 3185 or Phil +64 27 426 3072

E. jbayly@xtra.co.nz

W. waitangiangus.co.nz

WAKARE

Michael Salvesen & Bryce Vreugdenhil

Mount Somers

P. Michael +64 27 450 9980 or Bryce +64 27 823 5868

E. salvesen@farmside.co.nz

WHANGARA

Tom Sanson & Andrew Cribb

Gisborne

P. Tom +64 27 248 9098

E. tom@whangaraangus.co.nz

W. whangaraangus.co.nz

Sovereign Q485

Animal ID:NZE145720190485

• Exciting progeny being weaned both in Australia & NZ this autumn with 331 recorded progeny.

• Unique combination of high carcass merit, curve bender spread with outstanding phenotype and super sound structure.

• Backed by phenomenal dam in Ellerton 17009 who has produced three sons that have been used in Rissington program.

• His dam & grand dam were the highest scanning females in their contemporary group scanning +8.03 & +7.8 for IMF.

• Between Sovereign & Maternal brother Paradox both have generated more than $200,000 in semen sales.

Dam Ellerton 17009