Show-Me-Select Rules Require Genomic Tested Bull EPDs

New sire selection rules for Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifers improve reliable calving-ease genetics.

“Bulls used in the heifer program will carry DNA-tested EPDs (expected progeny differences),” said Jared Decker, University of Missouri Extension geneticist.

The rules going into effect Feb. 1, 2019, were set by the SMS governing board of farmers.
“DNA tests add reliability to EPDs for selecting herd bulls,” Decker said.

Bulls for pasture-breeding heifers will carry genomic-enhanced EPDs. In the past, EPDs were based on pedigree and production tests. “Now GE EPDs combine DNA, pedigree and production data into a single tool,” he said.

“DNA tests give results similar to 28 calving-ease production records,” Decker said. “More data boost confidence in a sire.”

With DNA tests, EPDs result from checking blood drops, tissue samples or hair root bulbs. Blood or tissue tests are preferred, Decker said. A one-time test adds data on young bulls equal to years of production testing. It lasts a lifetime.

Bulls bought before Feb. 1 will be grandfathered in, but those bulls must get GE EPDs by Feb. 1, 2020.

Seedstock producers advertising their bulls as “Show-Me-Select qualified” draw more bidders. Sires promoted as Show-Me-Select now must have GE EPDs.

SMS heifers gained fame for calving ease that cut death losses and labor at calving. Spring and fall SMS auctions across the state bring higher bids for calving-ease genetics.

Buyers pay premiums to lower assisted births with first-calf heifers. In the past, high death losses took out heifers entering the herd.

In recent SMS sales, heifers with genomic tests bring highest premium prices.

More genetic data beyond calving ease, especially on carcass traits, came into SMS over time. Quality beef brings premium prices.

SMS was started 21 years ago by Dave Patterson, MU Extension reproduction specialist. Now, SMS brings buyers to Missouri for replacements in cow-calf herds.

Only Missouri produces SMS heifers. Herd owners enroll in a yearlong MU Extension education program. Regional livestock specialists guide the heifer program.

SMS teaches management as well as genetics. “The program goes beyond typical heifer development,” Decker said.

One example: Reproduction tract scores on all heifers before breeding. Then pregnancy checks follow within 90 days after breeding starts.

Veterinarian tract scores rank stages of puberty, from one to five. Heifers slow to develop can be culled. That cuts costs, boosts conception rates and shortens calving seasons.

Bulls used for pasture breeding or AI breeding must meet required EPDs.

SMS heifers meet a goal of predictable results as 2-year-olds, Decker said. First-calf heifers often have problems. Those difficult first births can lead to late rebreeding.

“Genomic testing adds EPD predictability and reliability. That cuts risks,” Decker said.

“We know this adds cost to market registered bulls, but time is right for change,” he said. Since 2010, cost of DNA test fell from $150 to $37.

Show-Me-Select sales show repeat buyers bid more for added genetic data.

“Seedstock producers provide this as more customer service,” Decker said. “There are many strategies for meeting the new rules.”

Herd owners join SMS through county MU Extension centers. For more information on SMS, go to http://agebb.missouri.edu/select/.

Contact Jared Decker at 573-882-2504 or deckerje@missouri.edu. For a detailed explanation of the rules see http://blog.steakgenomics.org/2018/08/SMS-GE-EPD.html.

Show-Me-Select Board Approves Genomic Testing Requirement for Natural Service Sires

All bulls purchased after February 1st, 2019 for use as natural service sires in the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program™ must be DNA tested to have genomic-enhanced EPDs. All bulls used as natural service sires after February 1st, 2020 must have genomic-enhanced EPDs, regardless of when they were purchased. Seedstock producers classifying bulls as Show-Me-Select qualified in sale books must have genomic-enhanced EPDs on those lots.

Bulls purchased prior to February 1st, 2019 will be grandfathered into the program, as is the common practice with all natural service sires. However, this grandfather grace period will end February 1st, 2020. At that time for a bull to qualify for use in the program, it must have genomic-enhanced EPDs.

Why the change?

The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program has the goal of producing premium heifers that perform predictably as 2 year olds. The program has a history of requiring Show-Me-Select producers to go beyond typical cattle production practices. This has included requiring Reproductive Tract Scores on all heifers, and requiring pregnancy checks within 90 days of the start of the breeding season. The program has also specified which bulls qualify for use as natural service sires and which bulls do not. These requirements are in place to provide as predictable performance as possible.

Genomic testing increases the predictability and reliability of EPDs. In order to decrease the risk of a natural service sire not truly being a calving ease bull, we now require the use of genomic-enhanced EPDs. DNA testing provides approximately the same amount of information as 28 calving ease records or 21 birth weight records on calves out of a bull. This additional data will increase the probability of natural service sires truly being calving ease bulls.

We realize that this will add cost to the marketing of registered bulls. However, the time is right to make this change. Since 2010, the cost of DNA testing registered cattle has dropped from $150 to $37. Seedstock producers are encouraged to view this practice as an added measure of customer service for their bull buyers. We also note that there are multiple strategies to meet this requirement. 

Contact Jared Decker at 573-882-2504 or deckerje@missouri.edu if you have questions.

BIF 2018: Experiences with Implementation of Single-Step at American Angus, One Year In

Steve Miller


Angus Genetics Inc has four research scientists. They do single-step genomic evaluations for Angus, Canadian Angus, Charolais, Canadian Charolais, and Maine-Anjou.

Angus switched to single-step on July 7th, 2017. Miller feels like the switch to single-step was a monumental switch, should have made the Time Magazine year in review!

When breeders see bulls re-rank, they then understand was a correlation of 0.9 really means! On July 7th, Steve Miller talked to two breeders. On July 8th he was feel cool and casual like Ferris Buller. The next week, then the calls came.
"I've seen this before, in a couple of months it will all blow over" a friend told Miller. And that proved true.

The switch to single-step was kind of like the stages of grief with getting a flat tire.
Quiet phase: Listening, evaluating, asking yourself if you have a flat tire.
Expressive phase: Cussing, kicking dirt, frustrated.
Have to Move Forward phase: Fixing the tire and getting back on the road.

Communication was crucial, both before the changed occurred and phone calls after the change.

There is no way AGI would go back to the methods used before the switch to single-step. The new evaluation is that much better.

On July 7th, Angus changed to single-step. But they also made a lot of other changes to the evaluation. The changes were frequently due to the changes in the carcass model, by accounting for the selection bias in which animals had carcass and ultrasound data.

Single-step is now a brand.

Any genetic evaluaiton is only as good as the data behind it.

Genotyped database has doubled in 96 weeks. On June 16, 2018 they reached over 500,000 samples. They receive over 3,000 samples per week since November 2017.

So, after the storm of single-step passed, what questions now cause the phone to ring.
How can two flush mates have this different of EPDs?

The power in the pedigree. Creating the famous A matrix, the relationships between all of the animals in the evaluation. When we use pedigree data, we use the expected relationships between animals. But, with genomic data, we actually use the real relationships between the animals.

Recombination between paternal and maternal chromosomes cause unique chromosomes being inherited by the progeny of a bull.

We can look at 4 bulls.

Bull	Rank Whole Chromosome 6	Top Half of Chromosome	Bottom Half of Chromosome
Bull A	1	6	9
Bull B	51	7	167
Bull C	58	187	1
Bull D	183	171	184

Rank out of top 193 Sires for Birth Weight genomic value.

Look at variation in calf crop. One quarter of the variation comes from the dams. On quarter of the variation comes from the sires. One half of the variation comes from Mendelian sampling, the random shuffle of genes and chromosomes between generations.

As a breeder, we should love variation. Variation is what makes genetic progress possible.

Theory and what AGI is putting out the door matches. up.

Consider two full sib ET bulls. Pedigree says they should share 1/32 of their DNA with Shearbrooke Shoshone. But, what does the DNA say? Calf with higher birth weight EPD is 15% more related with ancestors is the pedigree with higher birth weight EPDs.

BIF 2018: How Does the Dairy Industry Handle Information?

Chuck Sattler
Vice President, Genetic Programs, Select Sires Inc.

Data is fuel for breed improvement programs. Data drives the machine. Noise in the data is like water in the fuel.

Data has value! However, individual records have very little data. We have to share data for it to achieve its value. "We are not good at investing in data. It's not sexy," Sattler said. We need to invest in data collection.

We need to share data thoughtfully. Have a written agreement and think strategically when sharing data.

Genomic evaluations are a big data success story! "We marvel at the technology that makes this all possible," he said. As much as it is a story about DNA technology, it is also a story about bring large amounts of data together. It is also a success of big data.

If we had to do it over again, dairy industry might re-think Dairy Recording Processing Centers. Dairy Recording Processing Centers control the data and sometimes the breeder's voice is not heard.

Stakeholders share data with Council Dairy Cattle Breeding, this is done guided by Material License Agreements. This shared data is used for national genetic evaluations. CDCB can share data but only with stakeholders permission.

Dairy used somatic cell score as an indirect measure of mastitis. In 2000, the genetic trend for mastitis reversed from a negative slope to a positive slope. They are now launching a direct mastitis genetic prediction that will help further reduce the incidence of mastitis.

Operations of CDCB funded by genomic evaluation user fees. Those that collaborate in providing data pay smaller genomic user fees.

Dairy industry is working on new ways of collecting data. They have become complacent and are looking for new opportunities.
One of the areas they need to improve is individual ID. Have to have unique IDs to make the data come together.
They are also working on how they use on-farm computer records in genetic evaluations. Zoetis lead the way in this by collecting data directly off the farm.

They also need to improve in harvesting and using data from automated data collection systems.

BIF 2018: Positioning for the Future of Beef Production, Bringing it All Together

John Pollak
Emeritus Professor, Cornell University

50 years is a milestone in time that provides an opportunity to reflect on accomplishments. It is also an opportunity to reset the clock.

The process for selection

• Establish a goal
• Create a breeding objective
• Collect data for traits defined in the objective
• Utilize the data to predict genetic merit
• (other steps I missed)

What was the goal to motivate selection we performed over the past 50 years?
Pollak could not identify a consistent goal over the last 50 years.

We can look at genetic trends and see that genetic change has been accomplished. Change has happened, but can we articulate the goal that lead to these changes?

What goal should motivate the selection we perform ove the next 50 years?
The temptation is to continue on perhaps the same path on before. Doing the same things better. We should avoid this.

If Pollak were to define the goal for the beef industry's breeding objective it would be increase the sustainability of beef production.

There has been inadequate consideration of reproduction, eating quality, healthfulness of beef, disease resistance, feed intake, lifetime performance, etc.

There are economically relevant traits (ERTs) and indicator traits for ERTs.

The beef industry is not one synchronized enterprise but rather is comprised of a multitude of independent businesses. In Pollak's view, this doesn't remove the value of a breeding objective, but perhaps different economic weights in different scenarios.

Genetics is driven by the seedstock segment. Can we provide incentives or subsidies to broaden the scope of a breeding objective.

The ability to collect data is going to improve over time with the develop of technology. One of the focuses of precision management is the recording of data. There are also valuable datasets, such as health data in feedlots, that are not feeding into national cattle evaluation.

Are there trends in the industry that change the value of traits that are measured?

Genomics is impacting genetic evaluations. Genomics can help us add new traits into the breeding objective.

How are we measuring success? We can look at genetic trends by monitoring change in EPDs over time. Are there alternatives? Alternative could include is the public happy with how beef is being raised. Example is green house gas emissions. Herd size has declined, production per animal has gone up, and thus green house gas emissions have gone down.

BIF 2018: Focus on Traits Not Considered

Dorian Garrick
Professor and Chief Scientist, Massey University

This is a one bull or two bull meeting. This means it cost about the profit from one or two bulls to pay for the attendence of this meeting. Beef producers need to leave this meeting with information and thoughts about how they will change and improve their operation.

We would like to think that you use index selection, but we know that you are probably using independent culling levels or phenotypic selection. However, we can look at genetic trends to see how traits have changed.

Weaning weight and yearling weights have increased over time. However, the rate at which these growth traits were changing slowed in 1990, when ultrasound carcass measures were introduced. So, Hereford breeders were still selecting for growth, but were also putting emphasis on other traits.

An average 2017-born daughter eats $57 more feed per year than an average 1980 daughter. This possibly outweighs improvement in terminal profitability. Mature weights are increasing by 10 pounds per year.

What do you measure?
Calving traits (calving ease scores and birth weight)
Early growth traits (weaning weight and yearling weight)
Reproduction
Ultrasound predictions of carcass traits
Mature Cow weights and condition scores
Actual Carcass characteristics
Actual feed intake
As we move down this list, we have a decreasing number of records.

We need to have a goal.
With that goal, what do you want to change? This is your breeding objective. A breeding objective is a list of traits (EPDs) and their economic value. Identifying the list of goals is easy. When we look at the economics value, we realize that some traits are indicator traits and not economically important.

You then need to look at the selection criteria. What traits are you measuring to produce EPDs?

You then need a breeding scheme, a dissemination system, a mating plan, and than an economic analysis. In this economic analysis we think about the overall benefits and the overall costs of this breeding program. The most expensive breeding program is likely not to be the most profitable breeding program.

So, what should our breeding objective be, what traits are we selecting?
reproduction and longevity
income over feed cost
animal welfare
environmental footprint

We have done a good job on income over feed costs (growth, marbling, calving ease, etc.) We do a very poor job on the rest of this list. The tangible traits like growth and calving ease smack us in the face when they are bad. The less tangible traits like reproduction or cow efficiency receive less intention.

Why aren't traits being adequately considered?
Not selecting on total merit indexes (e.g. for maternal systems)
Not measuring enough of the less tangible attributes
Cannot be measured

Value proposition
Among bull breeding sector
Too many animals being recorded
Not enough traits being recorded
Not being rewarded by bull buyers (price or demand for less tangible traits)
Breed association structure might be impeding innovation
-routine EPDs provided on all animals regardless of phenotypic measurement or not

How might more balanced selection occur?

• New technologies
• Subsidies by government (USDA grants are an indirect example of this)
• Local regulations
• Market requirements

New business structures to capture value (small collectives on like minded breeders)

Reproduction and Longevity
Inadequate use of puberty data
Inadequate use of post-partum anestrus interval

Feed Cost
Forage intake (behavioral aspects - walking distance - grazing time -sward selection)
Feedlot intake
Complex trait where animals can rank differently based on sex, diet, etc.

Animal welfare
Disease resistance

Environmental footprint
Urinary nitrogen excretion
Greenhouse gases
Soil Damage

New Zealand now has limits on amount of urinary nitrogen that can be excreted by a farm.
We can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that an animal releases.

We want to move the cloud. We need to think about traits that are underrepresented (reproduction, animal welfare, environment).

We really need to improve the efficiency of beef production.
Selection is a proven and cost-effective mechanism for improvement. Needs to be based on whole-system indexes. The best way to do this would be to look at indexes and nothing else.

BIF 2018: Focus on Sustainability

Sara Place
Senior Director, Sustainable Beef Production Research, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Does less beef mean less heat? Is meat, especially beef, not good for the planet?
We see the marketing of plant based burgers. We also see work for lab grown beef.

In the United States, agriculture and forestry are net carbon sinks (they capture carbon). In the US, beef is responsible for 2% of emissions. However, pasture is responsible for 3.9% of carbon capture. Agriculture is a net help in carbon emissions because of carbon capture! Further, carbon emissions are improving over time in agriculture.

However, the news media is not telling this story.

Emissions are not going down due to decreased consumption of beef. Emission are going down because of technology advancements. Productivity is a key driver in improving sustainability. We would need many more cattle, with much more emissions, if we produced cattle in 2017 they way we did in 1976.

If we continue on current trends, global cattle herd will increase by 7%. However, if rest of world matched rate of improvement we see in U.S. cattle herd, we would see a decrease by 27%! If rest of world matched U.S. productivity, world cattle herd would decrease by 53%!

What is the pounds of feed per pound of product for beef, chicken, and pork. Beef takes 13.8 pounds of feed per pound of product. Chicken is at 1.6 and pork at 2.5 pounds of feed. However, beef uses 1.6 pounds of human edible feed. Chicken uses 1.4 pound of human edible feed and pork uses 2.0 pounds of human edible.
However, what is the net protein contribution of these meats? In other words, how much protein does the animal eat and how much does the animal produce. Chicken and pork both eat more protein than they produce (0.85 for chicken, 0.70 for pork). Cattle contribute 2.53 pounds of protein for every pound they eat! Cattle take sunlight and turn it into protein.

Further, cattle can produce food (protein) on land that cannot be used in any other way to produce food.

A lot of feed used for beef production is used for maintenance of cattle (maintenance of cow, maintenance of growing steer).

How can we improve sustainability of beef production?
What can we take from our monogastric friends?
Focus on both components of feed to gain ratio. We are likely no where near biological efficiency of cattle. Focus on red meat yield, decrease whole industry maintenance energy costs including improved fertility rates, and avoiding extra fat.
How can we take further advantage of ruminant cattle?
Can we add more total gain on forage and reduce use of human edible grains?

Beef's sluggish response to sustainability concerns left open an opportunity for "alternative protein".

We need to tell the story of a self replicating technology that can take energy from the sun in the form of plants and turn it into protein. This technology is beef.