American Breeds Provide Selection Indexes for Beef Producers

.
.
(Beefmaster Breeders United)

“If we made EPDs and indices incredibly easy to drive and continue to improve them, would we have better adoption of them?” asked Dr. Kari White, Neogen genetic evaluation scientist. White gave her presentation, “An Overview of Economic Selection Indexes Offered by American Breeds” at the 2021 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium June 24 in Des Moines, Iowa.

A selection index is a cumulative number that combines expected progeny differences (EPDs) and weights on those EPDs to combine them into one number with the idea that it is easier to select for several traits at a time in a more consistent direction than by selecting only on one number. Neogen’s focus on education shows the complexities of the selection index system but allows for continuous improvement and makes them easier to use and allows intuitive producers to adopt selection indexes.

White looked more closely at the Milk EPD and reminded producers that it is maternal weaning weight and is not intuitive about milk. Milk has an inverse relationship to direct weaning weight, as direct weaning weight pounds increase the maternal component decreases. Neogen has created selection indexes for the American Brahman Breeders Association, International Brangus Breeders Association, Beefmaster Breeders United and Santa Gertrudis Breeders International.

“Selection decisions can never be made in a vacuum, there are always unintended consequences,” White explained. “A user of selection indexes should care less about the coefficients for the traits and more about how the index correlated to economically relevant traits.”

Watch the full presentation here. For more information about the Symposium and the Beef Improvement Federation, including additional presentations and award winners, visit BIFSymposium.com.

 

 

Latest News

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies
APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

The livestock industry continues to grapple with the first confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle, while federal and state agencies continue to assure consumers there's no concern about the safety of the U.S. milk supply.

AABP Creates 'Using Credentialed Veterinary Technicians  in Bovine Practice' Guidelines
AABP Creates 'Using Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Bovine Practice' Guidelines

Utilizing credentialed veterinary technicians (CVTs) in bovine practice can assist veterinarians in providing additional and efficient services to their large animal clients.

Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Now that the mystery illness impacting some dairy herds has been revealed as the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza that has been impacting the U.S. poultry flock, pork producers are asking questions.

New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows
New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.

"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years
"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years

Once a technology becomes a boring experience it means it has become proven, well-adopted, and easy to utilize. There are three "boring" technologies silently shaping the industry.

Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat
Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat and is not a food safety risk to humans.