MU Thompson Research Center event shows new beef genomics, AI breeding
Duane Dailey
Senior Writer, University of Missouri
SPICKARD, Mo. - It has happened before, but always surprises. The biggest, best-looking beef cows had the worst genetic scores.
At the University of Missouri Thompson Farm Field Day, eight cows were sorted out for study by farm visitors. Four cows were top of the herd. Four were on the bottom.
They were sorted on genetic value scores from DNA testing. Cows that looked the best to visitors who didn't know the scores were large frame in good condition, but their calves at side were light-muscled and less fleshy.
Jared Decker, MU Extension geneticist, said the bottom-scoring cows were ready to "go on down the road." They will be replaced by heifers from high-scoring younger cows.
The soon-to-be cull cows had not produced prime-grade calves like the high-scoring cows, Decker said.
Farm manager Jon Schreffler agreed with results from the GeneMax Advantage tests. The high-scoring cows also had high scores in herd records he ke…
Senior Writer, University of Missouri
SPICKARD, Mo. - It has happened before, but always surprises. The biggest, best-looking beef cows had the worst genetic scores.
At the University of Missouri Thompson Farm Field Day, eight cows were sorted out for study by farm visitors. Four cows were top of the herd. Four were on the bottom.
They were sorted on genetic value scores from DNA testing. Cows that looked the best to visitors who didn't know the scores were large frame in good condition, but their calves at side were light-muscled and less fleshy.
Jared Decker, MU Extension geneticist, said the bottom-scoring cows were ready to "go on down the road." They will be replaced by heifers from high-scoring younger cows.
The soon-to-be cull cows had not produced prime-grade calves like the high-scoring cows, Decker said.
Farm manager Jon Schreffler agreed with results from the GeneMax Advantage tests. The high-scoring cows also had high scores in herd records he ke…
