Terry Cotton
Association Perspective
Show off your calves at sale time with more information.
Greetings from the western portion of Angus country. Water out here is the single most-limiting factor in agriculture. For three years now, rain and snow pack have been limited. This winter rain has come, but not enough to build the needed reserves. Saying all of that, bull and female demand, and, more specifically, Angus demand, is no different here than in other parts of the United States.
I’ve received several calls and emails from commercial cattlemen who want to add higher-quality genetics to their herds. Calf prices are the best in several years, and the feeding and packing sectors are demanding known Angus-sired cattle that will meet their quality specifications. Due to the higher calf prices, breeders can and are buying better Angus genetics.
The question then from the cattlemen is, “How can I provide a more known calf at sale time?” The shortest distance to achieving their goal is to buy bulls that are genetically profiled with a high-density (HD) DNA test.
The main issue for all of us has been the advent of technology and how fast everything is moving. The American Angus Association has taken a very steady and methodical approach, introducing the genomic-enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs). Genomic results are a way to enhance predictability of current selection tools and to achieve more accuracy on EPDs of younger animals. They also help characterize genetics for traits where it’s difficult to measure the animal’s own performance for the trait, such as carcass traits in breeding stock or maternal traits in bulls.
GE-EPDs are important because they make use of the results from the genomic, or DNA, test in addition to all other sources of information to provide added accuracy and reliability to the animal’s EPDs. In fact, depending on the trait, GE-EPDs on unproven animals have the same amount of accuracy as if they had already sired 8-20 calves.
Secondly, commercial cattlemen have an enhanced tool for high-percentage commercial-Angus females. GeneMax® Advantage™ is intended for use in prospective commercial Angus replacement heifers or cows.
Results of the test include three multitrait economic indexes expressed as simple-to-use Advantage scores:
Cow Advantage scores focus on maternal traits and rank females for net return from the heifer development and breeding to the progeny’s weaning phase of production. Both revenue from the sale of weaned calves and costs associated with milk and cow size are included in Cow Advantage scores.
Feeder Advantage scores zero in on genetics transmitted from tested females to offspring for net returns from feedlot (growth and feed efficiency) and carcass merit, assuming animals are marketed on a Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand grid.
Total Advantage scores rank females for net returns across the complete supply chain essentially from heifer development prior to first conception to CAB carcasses from progeny.
I would invite you to go to the American Angus Association website, www.angus.org, for more detailed information to better explain these programs. The breeders who have incorporated these tools into their programs are realizing the results.
Editor’s Note: Vice President of Sales Terry Cotton covers Region 11, including the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
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