6 minute read
Performance Line
by Samantha Cunningham, PhD Geneticist for the North American Limousin Foundation
Fall is a season for keeping score or taking measure: football, harvest and fall cattle work which includes weaning for many, for example. Just as we all cheer for different teams and harvest different crops at different times, as cattlemen and women, we are likely placing emphasis on different traits when making selection decisions on the farm/ranch. And that’s okay, because we need to do what works best for us and our operation; however, there are a few things that can be done to not only help ourselves and our cattle, but also our customers and our breed. There are at least a few times per year when we are seeing our entire herd—calving, branding, breeding and weaning. As you work your way through an annual production calendar, what data columns are you filling in on your operation, and how will you use that data to make informed decisions?
As cattle producers, we have a plethora of tools at our fingertips that can (and should) help with decision making—pedigrees, performance data, genomic results and EPDs. EPDs, of course, are one of the most valuable tools in our toolbox, as they are a combination of those things listed, taking into account the performance of an animal’s relatives, the results of any genomic testing, and that animal’s own performance. Measuring and recording an individual animal’s own performance is one of the most valuable things we can do because these data points are necessary to support the accuracy of the genomic marker effects in the EPDs. Likewise, by increasing the amount of data collected, as it relates to a particular animal, we can also increase our EPD accuracies which, as you know, will help us make selection decisions that will impact future generations and profits. Which brings me back to my original question—what columns are you filling in this year at weaning and how will you use that data in informed decision making?
An animal has as many phenotypes as it has traits to measure, and a genetic evaluation is only as good as the data submitted. Genetic predictions have come a long way, but the basics for these predictions remain the same: phenotype (an animal’s performance),
TABLE 1
Birth Data Weaning Data Ultrasound Data Yearling Data 100-310 days of age 270-500 days of age 270-500 days of age
Dam information* Weaning date* Ultrasound date Yearling date* Calf birth date Weight* Weight Weight* Service Type (Nat/AI/ET) Temperament Weaning group Temperament Sire Reg. No.* Height (hip height) Height (hip height) Height (hip height) Register Y/N Premise/Pasture Management Scrotal on bulls Herd Prefix Management REA Pelvic area Tattoo* Feed Fat Premise/Pasture
Tag Sex* Status Dam status
H/P/S Color Weight Dam weight Dam hip height Dam body condition
CE score Bulls can be changed to steers
Twin code Management Name Disposal Season Premise/Pasture Breeding & Embryo information for calf *Required and recommended data (www.nalf.org) % IMF Rump fat Scrotal on bulls Management Feed Status Primary calving season Bulls can be changed to steers
genotype and environment. An animal’s performance for a particular trait or character is influenced by its genotype for that trait or character and the environment. To account for the genetic fraction of performance for a particular trait, we need to eliminate as much of the environment as possible, and we can do so by using contemporary groups. Contemporary groups are set with the submission of birth weight information and will usually decrease in size over time due to culling, loss, reassignment to a different/ smaller group, etc. The timely collection and reporting of honest data in contemporary groups helps to increase the accuracy of EPDs. When considering contemporary groups at weaning time, ask yourself the following questions: • Were all of the animals in this group given the same opportunity to perform? • Was any individual separated from the herd/its original group for any reason? For example, an animal could have become sick for an extended period of time or fed and managed separately as a show animal.
What more can be done to record and report the most accurate data that will help you make the most informed decisions? • Report data on all animals in the herd—high performers, low performers and even deads. • Collect data at the right times and the right way. Small steps can make a big difference. • Calibrating a scale and making sure it’s clean and free of debris can improve the accuracy of weights taken. • Weighing an entire contemporary group on the same day should keep the group together unless otherwise noted • Capturing measurements within the recommended guidelines of the North American Limousin Foundation (Table 1). • Document post-weaning performance and encourage your customers to do the same. Oftentimes, unless animals are kept in the breeding herd, this data is missed; and by capturing postweaning performance for growth and carcass characters, we can improve our genetic predictions and accuracies for these traits.
A genetic evaluation is only as good as the data contributed. Yes, some traits are expensive and cumbersome to measure and record, yet this information is valuable to the genetic evaluation in more than one way. This information, like feed intake and/or carcass performance, takes time and financial investment. These traits, like many others, are correlated to other traits that breeders evaluate when making breeding and management decisions. The more data collected and submitted, accurately and on time, the stronger the genetic evaluation can, and should, be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Samantha Cunningham, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University where she teaches undergraduate Animal Science courses with emphasis on hands on learning and livestock experience. Sam currently coordinates the CSU Seedstock Program that involves students in the merchandising and management of the University’s Angus and Hereford cow herds.
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