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How Genomic Profiles Benefit the Canadian Commercial Cattle Producer
anadian commercial cattle producers are faced with many challenges but share a common goal of managing the available inputs to maximize the outputs and get the highest return possible. Each herd is evolving and changing, and each producer needs to identify areas to improve or change their own herd. For example, maybe fertility is an emerging issue and you have identified your open or not pregnant rate is increasing over the years. Or say your weaning weights are shrinking and therefore your pay cheque is as well. How can you determine what could be the issues and more importantly how to solve them? One piece of the puzzle is genomics, the study of, in this case beef genetics and DNA. There is a lot of information to be gained by taking the opportunity to learn more about the genetics that are in your herd and that can pass down to each season’s calves. There are three DNA-based tools that can help commercial producers manage their herd. The first of these tools is sire verification or parentage. Determining parentage provides information to know which bull from your herd is the sire of each calf. Knowing which bulls are getting the job done for you and producing the best, (or the worst) of your calves.Knowing the sires of your replacement heifers allows you to plan so you don’t breed them back to their sire. The other DNA based tools that commercial producers can use are Igenity® Beef Profile and EnVigour™. The Igenity® Beef Profile is a genomic tool offered by Neogen Canada that provides a score of 1-10 on key measurable traits plus parentage. This 1-10 number is based on beef cattle records and genetics in the International Genetic Solutions (IGS) database. IGS is the genomic evaluation provider for most North American beef breeds thus providing you with the most accurate and relevant data in relation to your animals in your operation. The Igenity® Beef Profile evaluates 16 maternal, performance and carcass traits plus parentage. The traits that are evaluated and how they are measured are; Maternal Traits Birth Weight – Variation in birth weight a heifer or bull will pass along to its offspring. A higher score indicates potential for heavier birth weight. Calving Ease Direct – Percentage of unassisted births, indicating greater probability a calf will be born unassisted out of a first-calf heifer. A higher value is greater calving ease. Calving Ease Maternal – The probability a first-calf heifer will calve unassisted. Calving Ease Maternal (CEM) includes all genetic factors that impact a heifer’s ability to calve unassisted. A higher value is greater calving ease. Stayability – The chance a heifer will remain in the herd as aproductive cow until at least six years of age. A higher value is desired. Heifer Pregnancy Rate – A heifer’s potential to conceive during breeding season, a higher value is desired. Docility – The animal’s genetic potential to be calm or have calm offspring. Higher scores indicate a higher probability of progeny with acceptable disposition. Milk – Is expressed as pounds of calf weaning weight affected by the milk production of a calf’s dam.
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Performance Traits Residual Feed Intake – This is an indicator of feed efficiency. Lower RFI indicates greater feed efficiency. Average Daily Gain – Based on pounds of gain per day. The Igenity score for Average Daily Gain (ADG) identifies an animal’s genetic potential for post-weaning growth. Weaning Weight – Pounds at age of 205 days. Yearling Weight – Pounds at age of 365 days. Carcass Traits Tenderness – Animal’s genetic potential for carcass tenderness as measured by the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force test. A higher score indicates greater tenderness. Marbling – Marbling score indicates the degree of marbling in the rib eye at the 12th rib expressed in USDA marbling units. Ribeye Area – Ribeye Area estimates muscling in a beef carcass andis measured in square inches of the ribeye muscle at the 12th rib. Fat Thickness – Fat thickness is scored as depth of fat in inches over the ribeye muscle at the 12th rib. Higher Fat Thickness scores equate to lower lean yield. EnVigour™ is the third tool to help commercial producers and measures heterosis in their cattle to give an indication of hybrid vigour. What hybrid vigour adds to your herd is increased health, lifetime productivity, stayability, as well as increased tolerance to environmental conditions and stressors. EnVigour™ uses genetics from 13 cattle breeds to create a single measure of heterosis as a 1-10 score. Producers can use this 1-10 EnVigour™ score to help them select replacement heifers aligned with their herd goals. When added to the Igenity® Beef Profile, EnVigour™ generates the Igenity® Total Cow Index. The Igenity® Total Cow Index weighs the maternal traits of birth weight, calving ease direct, calving ease maternal, stayability, heifer pregnancy rate, docility, and milk and adds into the equation the animal’s heterosis (EnVigour™ score) to generate the index score. This index provides information that balances the hybrid vigour of the replacement female with her genetic potential to pass on heritable maternal traits to her offspring, providing a comprehensive score of her ability to stay healthy, wean calves, and contribute to the genetic gain of your future calf crops. When it comes to determining what scores are “ideal” it is very operational dependent. It is important to identify your goals. Do you want high ranking maternal cows who pass on strong performance traits? Maybe your goals are to raise animals with strong carcass traits that are enjoyed by the end consumer. Using the genomics can help in many ways. For example, you can use the Igenity® scores to sort cattle and managethem for breeding or production. You can choose which traits are important to enhance your operation and make decisions based on that. Or, the data can help you pinpointstrengths and weaknesses in your cow herd and identify traits you want to improve. A common way to make improvements in your herd is to buy bulls that excel in specific traits. For example, if your cows average low for marbling scores, you can improve your herd by buying bulls that are in the top 30% of their breed for marbling. You can also select your best females for marbling traits. This would move you faster towards your goals. Long term, you can use your Igenity® Beef Profile and EnVigour™ reports to track improvements across multiple traits, increase heterosis in your cattle and measure your progress to put you in the most profitable position possible.