5 minute read
Performance Line
by Alison Jones NALF Director of DNA Processing & Accounting Operations
As I write this, I can’t believe 2023 is right around the corner. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are ready to take the new year head-on. I am very excited to see a lot of you in Oklahoma City at Cattlemen’s Congress, as well as in Denver for the National Western Stock Show. Regardless of where you are traveling, there will be plenty of high quality genetics on display.
Last month I had the privilege of attending the International Genetic Solutions meeting held here in Denver. It was a fantastic experience meeting with some of the industry’s top minds and looking toward the future. The amount of work and commitment that comes from every one of them is remarkable, and I was truly honored to get to share a meeting room with them. Whether these individuals work for Simmental, raise Red Angus, live here in the states or abroad, they are all striving for the same goal: the betterment of the beef industry. Everyone leaves their breed and their brand at the door to look at the big picture. I left feeling inspired about the progress we’ve made, excited for what lies ahead, and proud to work in the field of agriculture that I love so much.
The Limousin breed has come a long ways, especially in the last 10 years. The seedstock we are producing today is the best it has ever been, and I look forward to those sale catalogs hitting my mailbox in the coming months. I’ve spoken on this plenty of times, but as seedstock producers, are you taking advantage of the best practices you can to produce the best animals you can? Each operation is unique, and only you as a producer know what is best for your cow herd and your bottom line.
In their Fall 2022 issue of SimTalk, Drs. Jackie Atkins, Matt Spangler, Bob Weaber and Wade Shafer list the best practices for
continued on page 64
ROM’NLimousin ROM’N Limousin Where Class Meats Carcass
Mark February 16 as the day to invest in your next herd bull. This offering is the Top Cut of our 2022 Bull Crop and includes many potential AI sires that embody the eye-appeal, numbers and carcass traits we strive to create.
Online Bull Sale
February 16, 2023 hosted by L365Auctions.com
ROMN Horsetrader 104H ROMN Floyd Mudhenkey 101F ROMN Graffiti 103G ROMN Game Changer 106G ROMN Fear Not 102F
SALE MANAGEMENT: Kiley McKinna • 402.350.3447 Wiley Fanta • 320.287.0751 These bulls from our program have been placed in leading herds across the country.
Contact us or any member of our marketing team with questions. 20129 450th Ave., Arlington, SD 57212 Robert “Cookie” & Mary Nielson • 605.203.0903 or 605.203.0904 Adam, Michelle, Greyson & Palmer Nielson • 605.203.0733 or 605.203.0732 email: romnlimo@msn.com • www.romnlimousin.com
LAND AND CATTLE 41st Annual Production Sale
March 18, 2023 • 1 PM • At The Ranch
60 BULLS 45 Yearlings 15 Two-Year-Olds 12 SPRING YEARLING HEIFERS Limousin, Lim-Flex, Angus and Simmental Reds, Blacks and Polled
CELL History Buff 0245H CELL Guard House 9300G
Sons and daughters of some of the breed’s leading sires will highlight this sale. PAP-tested and rancher approved!
Live Bidding Available
We hope you will join us for our 41st sale. We have never chased fads. Our cattle represent three generations of our family who have strived to raise real-world, problem-free cattle that are profitable for our customers. Give us a call with any questions or to request a catalog.
KILEY McKINNA • 402-350-3447 WILEY FANTA • 320-287-0751 mcmarketingsales@aol.com www.mcmarketingmanagement.com
SALE MANAGEMENT:
Seedstock Producers to receive the most accurate genetic predictions. I’d like to go over a few: 1. Clearly define your breeding objectives. If you aren’t sure what your goals are, how can you improve? Make sure you stick to your game plan and are making the selection decisions to go with it. 2. If you have been considering joining the LIMS program, do it! Whole Herd Reporting holds you accountable for complete and unbiased collection. By reporting data on every animal in the herd, this allows the top end of your calf crop to really stand out. 3. Make sure your contemporary groups are properly defined.
Animals treated uniformly need to be grouped together. Inaccurate reporting of contemporary groups can lead to bias in the calculation of EPDs, reducing the efficiency of our selection tools. (If you have any questions regarding contemporary grouping in Digital Beef, please get in touch with me.) 4. Take pride in your data collection and reporting accuracy.
Genomic testing is very important, but it cannot take the place of phenotypic data, which is an integral component to the genetic evaluation. Every calf in every contemporary group should have an accurately measured phenotype. Digital Beef allows you to designate whether birth weights were taken on a scale, with hoof tape, or an estimate, and will adjust data accordingly to be represented in the genetic evaluation. 5. Make data collection for economically-relevant traits a high priority. This is an area where IGS would like to see significant improvement. If a female leaves the herd, mark her with the appropriate disposal code. 6. Use index-based selections when it comes to making selection decisions. This not only helps you as a breeder, but also your commercial clientele. Keep an eye out for new tools that NALF can put out in the upcoming months! 7. Use genomics! When used correctly with phenotypic data, adding a genomic test to your decision is equivalent to 25+ calvingease scores, 22 birth weights, 25+ weaning weights, 25+ yearling weights, stayability records on 15 daughters, six carcass weights, 10 marbling scores and eight ribeye area measurements. If you are considering utilizing an animal in your herd, or marketing one, the $57 will be well worth.
Every operation is different, and what works for you may not work for someone across the country. I challenge you to take a look at your operation and see which of these you can improve upon. In today’s economy, it may not be feasible to genomically test every animal, but even something as simple as sitting down and re-evaluating your program’s goals could help paint a clearer picture of your operation.
I encourage you to reach out to me with any questions, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events.
17463 CR 19 | Sanford, CO 81151 Rod: 719.588.1230 | Troy: 719.580.1308
Thank you to Lawrence Family Limousin, West Texas A&M University Animal Science Department, City of Amarillo and the Texas Limousin Association and to Sullivan Supply for hosting and inviting the North American Limousin Junior Association Board of Directors to their operations and facilities for board meetings.
If you would like to host the NALJA Board of Directors and/or give them a tour for one of their board meetings, reach out to a board member or the junior advisor, Mallory at Mallory@NALF.org.
