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Hereford and Red Angus Heifers Recruited for Genomics Research

The University of Missouri is recruiting 2,500 Hereford heifers and 2,500 Red Angus heifers to participate in a heifer puberty and fertility genomic research project. Heifers should be registered Hereford, registered Red Angus, or commercial Hereford or Red Angus. Hereford x Red Angus crossbred heifers targeted for the Premium Red Baldy Program would also be a good fit for the research project. Producers must be willing to work with a trained veterinarian to collect the following data: ReproductiveTract Scores collected at a pre-breeding exam 30 to 45 days prior to the start of the breeding season. PelvicMeasurements (height and width) collected at the same pre-breeding exam 30 to 45 days prior to the start of the breeding season. Pregnancy Determination Using Ultrasound reporting fetal age in days. Ultrasound will need to occur no later than 90 days after the start of the breeding season. In addition, heifers must have known birth dates and have weights recorded eithe
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TBCSC 2017: Useful Scoring System: Teat, Udder, Disposition, Feet and Legs

Tommy Perkins
International Brangus Breeders Association

You must measure every animal in your population. Weaning weight is a must. Actual birth weights (not a tape weight or a windshield weight), yearling weight, mature weights are also valuable and relatively inexpensive.
Genomics is here to stay.
Other traits, like feed efficiency and scan data, are more expensive.

Today, Perkins will talk about visual scoring systems.

Calving ease scoring system is easy. If a cow comes in with a calf, she is a 1, no difficulty, no assistance. But, what we need are 3 and 4 scores reported to the breed associations. A C-section is a score of 4. A Calving ease score of 1 is no assistance. A calving ease score of 2 is an easy pull. A calving ease of 3 is a hard pull, with a crank/calf puller used.

Brangus is going to start using a 1 to 5 calf vigor scoring system. 1 is standing up and nursing in 30 minutes. 2 is standing up within 2 hours and nursing without assistance. 3 is nursing with assistance. 4 is no suckle reflex.

Udder suspension and teat scoring system. This needs to be recorded within 24 hours. See this fact sheet from UNL for more information (http://beef.unl.edu/learning/udder_score.shtml).

Brangus is using a 1 to 5 foot angle scoring system. They are also using a 1 to 5 scale for claw set. They also have two scores for leg set, front/rear leg set and side leg set.

We can also use hair shedding scoring. See http://blog.steakgenomics.org/2017/01/ebeeforg-hair-shedding-scores-tool-to.html for more info.

We also have docility and sheath scoring systems.

Collect these scores and turn them in to your breed association.


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