Profit from better breeding

This article is the first in a series examining how modern breeding technology allows beef producers to select and breed, efficient and profitable animals. It is an introduction to the figures, which are used to describe the performance of beef animals. This information is available from pedigree breeders and is generally shown on cards placed above the bulls at the premier bull sales. Similar information is also available on the heifers and cows in a recorded herd. Other articles will examine how best to use of this information to:

Since the domestication of animals by man, selection has occurred. This has been a mixture of both natural selection ‘survival of the fittest’ and deliberate animal breeding. The deliberate methods of improvement have included:

The replacement of native breeds with continental breeds such as the Charolais.

Combining two breeds such as the Hereford and British Friesian to produce a suckler cow exhibiting hybrid vigour for improved performance.

Breeding from the better performing animals within a purebred population.

In the late 1960’s pedigree recording schemes based animal selection on raw weights collected from farms. This information was useful in ranking animals according to their mothering ability and growth rates within the recorded farm, but did not allow across farm comparisons of stock.

Therefore, central performance test stations were set up. These got around the problems of small herd size and the inability to compare animals across herds by rearing bulls together post weaning under standard management conditions. However the test stations were extremely costly to maintain and run. It was also difficult to ensure sufficient bull numbers of the correct type and genetic potential entered the station.

In 1991, Best Linear Unbiased prediction ‘BLUP’, a statistical procedure, became available for processing performance data. BLUP separates out the genetic factors influencing an animal’s performance from the non-genetic ‘or environmental’ factors, such as the way it is managed or fed. This is achieved by creating genetic links between groups of animals. For example at least one individual in a group must be the offspring of a sire who also has offspring in another group. This has been possible through the use of AI, which has spread the genetics of certain desirable bulls throughout many herds. BLUP makes use of this linkage to take out differences in management and environment, which occur between farms. This BLUP technology has replaced the need to bring animals together to a central test station. It produces a series of Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s).

Consider two bulls at a local sale. Both bulls have 400 day weights; bull A was 687kg and bull B 626kg. Automatically we would consider bull A to carry the better genes for growth. However, this may not be the case as bull B may have been lighter at 400 days because he had been ill, received less meal, was not given individual attention and the list goes on. Therefore, actual data can be very confusing and somewhat misleading when comparing bulls at a sale on the basis of weight only.

EBV’s estimate the worth of the animal’s genes for the recorded traits. It is determined by the animal’s own performance and also the performance of it’s relatives. Traits are those indicators of animal performance, which are measured. EBV’s have the same units as the traits (for example kg for liveweight) and are expressed relative to a common baseline. For example, a bull with an EBV of +40kg for 400 day growth is genetically 40kg superior at 400 days compared with the average of the bulls born in the base year, normally 1980. As half of the bull’s genes are passed onto his progeny the calves sired by this bull would be expected to be 20kg heavier on average at 400 days compared with calves sired by an average bull born in the base year.

EBV’s of all beef animals in the same breed can be directly compared. Bulls of the same breed can be compared across herds and also between years. In successive articles the individual recorded traits will be discussed.

With each EBV there is also an accuracy value which is expressed as percentage points ranging from 0 to 100. This provides a guide to the likelihood of an EBV changing ‘up or down’ as more information on the animal and its relatives becomes available. The greater the value the more accurate the EBV. The main factors, which affect the accuracy of EBV’s are:

EBV’s can be combined into a multi-trait selection index for a specific breeding objective in order to maximise improvements. Economic weightings relevant to current market conditions are used to ensure each trait is given the appropriate amount of emphasis in the index. The two indexes available at present are:

To improve the financial value of the carcase by genetically improving carcase weight, fat and conformation scores in line with current commercial carcase pricing structures.

To improve profitability by reducing the costs associated with difficult calvings and extended gestation lengths.

These values are presented as cash values for each animal. Positive values means increased profits, negative values mean a reduction in profits.

At Greenmount College the present stock bulls have average calving and beef values of 1 and 24, respectively. This equates to an extra £12.50 profit per beef calf sired by these bulls over and above a bull with calving and beef values of 0.

In Northern Ireland there is a gold star scheme which identifies genetically superior bulls in terms of growth and carcase quality. To qualify for a gold star bulls must be recorded through AI services/ Signet Beefbreeder and have been weighed at least three times. The bull must have a current Beef Value equal to or greater than the current breed average beef value and the beef value must have an accuracy of 30% or above. At breed society sales, bulls meeting this criterion will also be subject to an additional inspection by nominated members of the particular breed. Bulls sold directly off farm will also be required to pass an inspection by nominated members of the particular society. Therefore Gold Star bulls should be both visually pleasing and financially rewarding.