A Steak in Genomics™

Simplicity, management key to successful program  Story by Lisa Henderson Reprinted from Cattlemen' s News . Fewer open cows, less death loss, more growth, more milk and more efficiency. Those are the significant economic advantages crossbreeding can offer your cattle operation. “A crossbred cow is 25 percent more productive over her lifetime compared with a straight-bred commercial cow,” says University of Missouri animal scientist Jared Decker. “Not only do we see increased growth performance out of crossbred cattle, but we see significant impacts on fertility and reproduction.” Decker adds bluntly, “All commercial operations should consider using crossbreeding.” While the popularity of breeds can rise and fall over time, crossbreeding remains an advantageous practice for commercial herds. Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, and breed complementarity are the primary benefits realized from a properly planned crossbreeding program. Heterosis is the increase in perfo

Red Angus Association of America announces release of Dry Matter Intake (DMI) and Average Daily Gain (ADG) EPDs. https://www.progressivecattle.com/news/industry-news/8383-red-angus-association-releases-two-new-epds-aimed-at-increasing-efficiency Why not release a RFI EPD? The animals ranking for feed efficiency changes based on how we express the trait.  http://blog.steakgenomics.org/2014/08/improving-feed-efficiency-feed.html The best way to account for the cost of additional feed intake is through an economic selection index in which we balance both growth and intake. "Five Reasons to DNA Test Your Cows" https://hereford.org/2018/05/five-reasons-to-dna-test-your-cows/ Head over to the American Hereford Association website to learn more about DNA testing your cowherd. Speaking of DNA testing cows... Leoma Wells provided an update on the American Simmental Association's Cow Herd Roundup (CHR) on their Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/AmericanSimmental