Post on 12-Jan-2016
Practical Bull Selection for
YOUR Situation
Jared E. DeckerDeckerJE@missouri.eduhttp://steakgenomics.blogspot.com
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Decisions
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Practice what you preach…
Overview
Have a Plan
Use economic selection indexes
Use genomic-enhanced EPDs
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What would you do…
If you were driving from Brooksville, Florida to Miles City, Montana?
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Have a Plan
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Have a Plan
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Have a Plan
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Have a Plan
Identify the marketing endpoint for your operation
Do you sell cattle at weaning?
Do you retain ownership through the feedlot?
Do you sell to a specialty market?
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Have a Plan
Are you going to crossbreed or straightbreed?
If you crossbreed, which breeds will you use?
Must have a plan!
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Have a Plan
What economically relevant traits influence your bottom line?
Take an inventory of your herd
Which traits need improvement?
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Have a Plan
Why would I want to develop a plan (a.k.a. breeding objective)?
Focus selection decisions on our economic well being
Make selection decisions more accurately and consistently
Simplifies evaluation of candidates for selection
Courtesy of Michael MacNeil
Expense
Income
Number of calves
Weight of calves
Body composition
Product quality
Number of cull cows
Weight of cull cowsNutrients required
Number of replacements
Interventions
Medical care
Genetic load
Factors to consider in Selection Decisions
Courtesy of Michael MacNeil
ExpenseIncome
Number of calves
Weight of calves
Body composition
Product quality
Number of cull cows
Weight of cull cows
Nutrients required
Number of replacements
Interventions
Medical care
Genetic load
Economically relevant traits
Courtesy of Michael MacNeil
EPDs Inform selection decisions for Income
Number of calves Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving
ease Weight of calves
Weaning weight, yearling weight, carcass weight Body composition
Yield grade (carcass weight, fat depth, ribeye area) Product quality
Marbling score Tenderness
Number of cull cows Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving
ease Weight of cull cows
Mature weightCourtesy of Michael MacNeil
EPDs inform selection decisions for Expenses
Nutrients required Mature weight, weaning weight maternal (milk), feed intake
Number of replacements Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability,
calving ease
Interventions Calving ease, docility, udder quality, ?
Medical care No EPDs currently available, under development
Genetic LoadCourtesy of Michael MacNeil
Questions
That is a lot of EPD to consider at one time – genetic improvement would be faster if I considered few traits, right?
That depends on how you define “genetic improvement”: the individual traits would change more quickly by considering fewer of them, but the increase in genetic potential for profit would be slower.
Courtesy of Michael MacNeil
How do I keep all the economically relevant traits in balance and moving in the right direction?
Courtesy of Michael MacNeil
To index… or not to index?
USE INDEXES!!!
Courtesy of Michael MacNeil
To index… or not to index?
What is an economic index?
Combination of EPDs weighted according to their economic importance
Expressed as a dollar value
Breeds have different indexes
Different indexes for different marketing endpoints
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Economic Index Example
Can sort by any of the $Indexes
When would we want to use $Beef index?
Can put restrictions on other traits as well
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Truncation selection
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Economic index selection
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Economic index selection
Humans have certain advantages
Computers have other advantages
Computers are really good at analyzing large amounts of data!
Use them!
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Quiz Time: Which Bull?
CE WW YM Milk MW SC FAT REA MARBBMI
$CEZ
$BII$
CHB$
EPD 5.0 59 89 21 102 0.9 -0.012 0.43 -0.05 19 18 15 27
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CE WW YM Milk MW SC FAT REA MARBBMI
$CEZ
$BII$
CHB$
EPD 5.0 70 110 20 106 1.0 -0.021 0.58 -0.15 20 18 14 32
Bull A:
Bull B:
Quiz Time: Which Bull?
BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 19 18 15 27
Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%
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BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 20 18 14 32
Rank 15% 15% 60% 5%
Bull A:
Bull B:
BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index
CEZ$: Calving Easy Index
BII$: Brahman Influence Index
CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index
Quiz Time: Which Bull?
BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 19 18 15 27
Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%
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BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 20 18 14 32
Rank 15% 15% 60% 5%
Bull A:
Bull B:
BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index
CEZ$: Calving Easy Index
BII$: Brahman Influence Index
CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index
Keeping replacement females
Quiz Time: Which Bull?
BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 19 18 15 27
Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%
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BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 20 18 14 32
Rank 15% 15% 60% 3%
Bull A:
Bull B:
BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index
CEZ$: Calving Easy Index
BII$: Brahman Influence Index
CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index
Retaining ownership in feedlot
Quiz Time: Which Bull?
BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 19 18 15 27
Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%
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BMI$
CEZ$
BII$
CHB$
EPD 20 18 14 32
Rank 15% 15% 60% 3%
Bull A:
Bull B:
BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index
CEZ$: Calving Easy Index
BII$: Brahman Influence Index
CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index
Answer: They are the same bull!
Genomic-enhanced EPDs
Provide more accurate estimates for young animals
Reduce risk Help manage inventory and make
selection decisions Identify differences between full siblings
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Take Home
Economic indexes simplify and improve selection decisions
Genomic-enhanced EPDs work and provide more information for young animals
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Thank You!
Questions?http://steakgenomics.blogspot.com