Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is talking with Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of Angus Genetics, Inc. (AGI) about genomic expected progeny differences or EPDs and their uses in the cattle industry today.
Retallick-Riley said, “We are in an interesting place right now with herd rebuilding. We have a lot of people thinking about starting with the end and understanding what the consumer needs are while making sure we have that quality packed in.”
She also described the evolution of the cow herd citing accelerated growth rates, quality carcass characteristics, and the balanced structure of maternal traits which allows the females to thrive while producing productive calves.
“There is a lot of information out there and you are getting a lot of market signals from different places,” Retallick-Riley admitted. “We try to help distill down that information. When you are looking at that big buffet of tools that we have available for Angus seed stock producers and commercial users, a lot of people start with those dollar values, those economic indexes. With that, they can refine it for specific traits to address issues they are having in their herds.”
If the issues are pregnancy rates, genomics can find improved heifer pregnancy traits. Dystocia problems can be improved with calving ease maternal and calving ease direct traits.
“I think the best advice we can give to a commercial producer is to figure out what your goal is,” Retallick-Riley added. “How do you remain profitable in your operation? That can really lead you to figure out how to work through all of these tools.”
She explained common indexes as maternal and maternal weaned calf values, which are based on the weaned calf value from conception to weaning. Next is the dollar beef value, or the terminal sire index. It relates to feed efficiency, carcass quality, and pounds of saleable meat yield. Then, the dollar combined value combines the maternal weaned calf value component with the terminal component in beef value.
When Hays mentioned increased days on feed and increased carcass weights, Retallick-Riley replied that it all begins with sire selection. “Selecting the sire with the right genomically enhanced EPDs.”
AGI is already working on upgraded GMAX Commercial Heifer tests to help producers be more selective as they begin rebuilding their herds. They can identify common traits in their females and better select bulls to complement their genetic strengths and weaknesses.
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