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Canadian Charolais Association News
CANADIAN CHAROLAIS ASSOCIATION
2320 - 41st Avenue N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 6W8 Phone: (403) 250-9242 Fax: (403) 291-9324 cca@charolais.com • www.charolais.com
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PROVINCIAL REPRESENTATIVES: ALBERTA|
President: Lyle Bignell, Stettler Secretary: Kristina Prokuda, Glenevis
SASKATCHEWAN
President: Donna Ross, Coronach Secretary: Dave Blechinger, Rosetown
MANITOBA
President: Shawn Airey, Rivers Secretary: Rae Trimble, Portage la Prairie
ONTARIO
President: Brad Buchanan, Victoria Harbour Secretary: Doris Aitken, Mount Forest
QUEBEC
President: Francois Couture, Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil Secretary: Laurent Jourdain
MARITIMES
President: Ricky Milton, Cornwall, PE Secretary: Jennifer MacDonald, St.Mary’s, Kent Co., NB
STAFF:
Registry & Office: Mel Reekie Registry: Lois Chivilo Registry: Judy Cummer French Membership: Cynthia Beck 306-436-2007 • CBeck@charolais.com
EXECUTIVE:
PRESIDENT:
BRENTSAUNDERS
RR 3, Markdale, ON N0C 1H0 (519) 986-4165 Fax (519) 986-4273 saunders@bmts.com 1st VICE-PRESIDENT:
JOHN WILGENBUSCH
Box 4, Halbrite, SKS0C 1H0 (306) 458-2688 Fax (306) 458-2371 wilgenbusch@sasktel.net 2nd VICE-PRES:
BRIAN COUGHLIN
RR3 1012 Snake River Line, Cobden, ON K0J 1K0 (613) 646-9741 (613) 312-0270 cornervu@nrtco.net PAST PRESIDENT:
WADE BECK
Box 5, Lang, SK S0G 2W0 (306) 436-4564 wcbeck@sasktel.net
DIRECTORS: LYLE BIGNELL
Box 1055, Stettler, AB T0C 2L0 (403) 742-6792 Fax (403) 742-8128 lylebignell@hotmail.com
CAMPBELL FORSYTH
Box 3, Eriksdale, MB R0C 0W0 (204) 739-2678 Fax (204) 739-5547 cmforsyt@mts.net
BERNARD BEGIN
1630 Rg St-Martin, Ste-Marie, PQ G6E 3A8 (418) 387-7514 Fax (418) 387-5623 louberfarm@hotmail.com
ROD McLEOD
293113 Twp Rd 263, Rockyview County, AB T4A 0N5 (403) 932-4622 Fax (403) 250-8928 rodmcl@telus.net
DORY GERRARD
RR 2, Innisfail, AB T4G 1T7 (403) 227-5632 Fax (403) 227-2583 gerrardcattle@gmail.com
RICKY MILTON
4558 Rt. 19 RR 2, Cornwall, PEC0A 1H0 (902) 393-8699 rmilton@upei.ca
Sean McGrath
The Canadian Charolais Association makes a significant investment each year in genetic evaluation and the calculation of Expected Progeny Differences (EPD). On a semi‐annual basis the entire pedigree, performance, carcass and ultrasound data is sent to AGI, where the genetic evaluation is conducted. The evaluation process compares animals that are raised in the same contemporary groups to determine genetic differences between animals and applies pedigree information to connect contemporary groups and predict genetic differences among animals that are passed onto their offspring. The EPD produced can be directly compared between Canadian Charolais animals and provide a tool that is up to 9 times more accurate for selection than the use of raw or adjusted weights, or within herd indexes.
EPD rank animals based on differences passed to progeny. A good way to think about EPD is to consider a situation where you use two sires (A and B) across the same group of cows in the same environment. The EPD expresses what do you expect the average difference in the calves from Sire A vs Sire B to be.
EPD are expressed in the unit of measure of the trait. For example, birth, weaning and yearling weight are expressed in pounds. Traits such as milk and total maternal weaning weight are expressed in pounds as well, but are related to the added pounds of weaning weight due to the influence of a sire’s daughters. In other words, they are expressed in differences between grandprogeny, rather than progeny. Calving ease is presented as a standardized value where high numbers indicate easier calving (fewer assisted births).
Current Population Average
The current population consists of calves born in the last 2 years. It provides a base for comparison of the majority of the animals for sale into the commercial industry (yearling and two year old bulls).
CE BW WW YW MILK TM
Top 25% 87.7 0.3 47.0 89.2 23.4 45.2
Avg 68.4 1.6 42.2 80.6 20.9 42.0
Top 75% 53.6 3.0 37.4 71.7 18.5 38.8
Percentile Rank
The CCA website also provides information on percentile rank. This value is presented beneath the EPD and Accuracy and shows more precisely how the animal’s EPD fits in comparison to the current population. For example a bull may have birth and weaning weight EPD that appear as...
BW WW
EPD 0.3 46 Acc 0.35 0.23 Pct 25 30
This birth weight EPD indicates that calves from this sire would be 1.3 pounds lighter on average than a bull with a 1.6 (current average) birth weight EPD when used in the same situation (1.6 – 0.3 = 1.3). The accuracy (Acc) shows that the EPD has some potential to change if we add more progeny information and the percentile (Pct) number shows that the bull is in the top 25% (lightest birth weight) of the breed for birth weight. The value of 30 for WW Pct shows that the animal is in the heaviest 30% of the breed for weaning weight.
Most yearling and two year old bulls will have an accuracy value of somewhere between 15 and 40% for most traits if the data has been reported on them.
Genetic Trends
The genetic trend for Charolais shows the direction that members have selected for over the years. It is a map of where the breed has come from and where it may be headed. The graph shows members have stabilized and slightly reduced birthweight and improved calving ease while still increasing growth and milk.
