In today’s beef buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Kelli Retallick Riley, president of Angus Genetics, about how genomics continue to reshape the Angus breed and deliver value from seedstock producers all the way to commercial cattlemen. Visiting with Riley at the recent Cattlemen’s Congress, the conversation focused on research progress, data-driven decision making, and new tools aimed at improving profitability and functionality in cow-calf operations.
Riley pointed to record-setting engagement with genomic testing as a major milestone for the American Angus Association. She noted that while registrations again topped 300,000 head, the bigger story was that “75% of them had a genomic profile done on them.” According to Riley, that level of participation is strengthening the breed database by verifying parentage and improving pedigree accuracy. “We’re making our pedigrees better, and in return, adding information to our EPDs, which really allows commercial cattlemen to select their herd sire, which is going to be their largest genetic investment,” she explained.
She added that despite all the genomic advances, cattle producers remain deeply focused on basic functionality, especially in the cow herd. “The fundamentals have to be right. The feet and legs have to be right. They’ve got to be able to travel. We’ve got to have these cattle that are built right and are functional,” Riley said, emphasizing the importance of productive, long-lasting mama cows in today’s production systems.
Riley highlighted strong growth in the GeneMax Advantage program as a key bridge between seedstock and commercial operations. “We’re so excited about what we’ve seen with GeneMax over the past year,” she said, noting the addition of new traits like teat size, udder suspension, and functional longevity. Those updates allow commercial producers to access the same dollar value indexes used in bull selection. “Those dollar values are called that for a reason, because they’re profit indexes,” Riley said, helping producers align genetics with their specific breeding and marketing goals.
The American Angus Association had to deal with some unhappy members after its foundation accepted a $4.85 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub for a five-year study on cattle methane emissions and efficiency. Riley told Hays that the research being funded by that grant into grazing efficiency and methane-related traits, including a global collaboration to collect new phenotypic data, is in its early stages. “This is new territory for us,” she said, explaining that the goal is to better understand why some cows consistently breed back early, maintain condition, and wean heavier calves. By combining data from multiple countries, Riley said the effort could provide “one more piece to this big whole systems approach,” delivering insights that benefit Angus producers in the U.S. and around the world.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
