Jared E. Decker DeckerJE@missouri.edu 1

Practical Bull Selection for

YOUR Situation

Jared E. DeckerDeckerJE@missouri.eduhttp://steakgenomics.blogspot.com

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Decisions

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Practice what you preach…

Overview

Have a Plan

Use economic selection indexes

Use genomic-enhanced EPDs

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What would you do…

If you were driving from Brooksville, Florida to Miles City, Montana?

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Have a Plan

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Have a Plan

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Have a Plan

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Have a Plan

Identify the marketing endpoint for your operation

Do you sell cattle at weaning?

Do you retain ownership through the feedlot?

Do you sell to a specialty market?

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Have a Plan

Are you going to crossbreed or straightbreed?

If you crossbreed, which breeds will you use?

Must have a plan!

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Have a Plan

What economically relevant traits influence your bottom line?

Take an inventory of your herd

Which traits need improvement?

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Have a Plan

Why would I want to develop a plan (a.k.a. breeding objective)?

Focus selection decisions on our economic well being

Make selection decisions more accurately and consistently

Simplifies evaluation of candidates for selection

Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

Expense

Income

Number of calves

Weight of calves

Body composition

Product quality

Number of cull cows

Weight of cull cowsNutrients required

Number of replacements

Interventions

Medical care

Genetic load

Factors to consider in Selection Decisions

Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

ExpenseIncome

Number of calves

Weight of calves

Body composition

Product quality

Number of cull cows

Weight of cull cows

Nutrients required

Number of replacements

Interventions

Medical care

Genetic load

Economically relevant traits

Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

EPDs Inform selection decisions for Income

Number of calves Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving

ease Weight of calves

Weaning weight, yearling weight, carcass weight Body composition

Yield grade (carcass weight, fat depth, ribeye area) Product quality

Marbling score Tenderness

Number of cull cows Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving

ease Weight of cull cows

Mature weightCourtesy of Michael MacNeil

EPDs inform selection decisions for Expenses

Nutrients required Mature weight, weaning weight maternal (milk), feed intake

Number of replacements Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability,

calving ease

Interventions Calving ease, docility, udder quality, ?

Medical care No EPDs currently available, under development

Genetic LoadCourtesy of Michael MacNeil

Questions

That is a lot of EPD to consider at one time – genetic improvement would be faster if I considered few traits, right?

That depends on how you define “genetic improvement”: the individual traits would change more quickly by considering fewer of them, but the increase in genetic potential for profit would be slower.

Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

How do I keep all the economically relevant traits in balance and moving in the right direction?

Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

To index… or not to index?

USE INDEXES!!!

Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

To index… or not to index?

What is an economic index?

Combination of EPDs weighted according to their economic importance

Expressed as a dollar value

Breeds have different indexes

Different indexes for different marketing endpoints

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Economic Index Example

Can sort by any of the $Indexes

When would we want to use $Beef index?

Can put restrictions on other traits as well

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Truncation selection

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Economic index selection

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Economic index selection

Humans have certain advantages

Computers have other advantages

Computers are really good at analyzing large amounts of data!

Use them!

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Quiz Time: Which Bull?

CE WW YM Milk MW SC FAT REA MARBBMI

$CEZ

$BII$

CHB$

EPD 5.0 59 89 21 102 0.9 -0.012 0.43 -0.05 19 18 15 27

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CE WW YM Milk MW SC FAT REA MARBBMI

$CEZ

$BII$

CHB$

EPD 5.0 70 110 20 106 1.0 -0.021 0.58 -0.15 20 18 14 32

Bull A:

Bull B:

Quiz Time: Which Bull?

BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 19 18 15 27

Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%

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BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 20 18 14 32

Rank 15% 15% 60% 5%

Bull A:

Bull B:

BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index

CEZ$: Calving Easy Index

BII$: Brahman Influence Index

CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index

Quiz Time: Which Bull?

BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 19 18 15 27

Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%

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BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 20 18 14 32

Rank 15% 15% 60% 5%

Bull A:

Bull B:

BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index

CEZ$: Calving Easy Index

BII$: Brahman Influence Index

CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index

Keeping replacement females

Quiz Time: Which Bull?

BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 19 18 15 27

Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%

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BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 20 18 14 32

Rank 15% 15% 60% 3%

Bull A:

Bull B:

BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index

CEZ$: Calving Easy Index

BII$: Brahman Influence Index

CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index

Retaining ownership in feedlot

Quiz Time: Which Bull?

BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 19 18 15 27

Rank 25% 15% 45% 15%

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BMI$

CEZ$

BII$

CHB$

EPD 20 18 14 32

Rank 15% 15% 60% 3%

Bull A:

Bull B:

BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index

CEZ$: Calving Easy Index

BII$: Brahman Influence Index

CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index

Answer: They are the same bull!

Genomic-enhanced EPDs

Provide more accurate estimates for young animals

Reduce risk Help manage inventory and make

selection decisions Identify differences between full siblings

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Take Home

Economic indexes simplify and improve selection decisions

Genomic-enhanced EPDs work and provide more information for young animals

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Thank You!

Questions?http://steakgenomics.blogspot.com