DENVER - The bustling ballrooms of Kalispell, Montana, will soon be filled with innovative and forward-thinking cattlemen and women during the 69th annual National Red Angus Convention. The Commercial Cattlemen’s Symposium, hosted by the Red Angus Association of America, is sure to be a highlight of the convention and will offer beef producers the tools and knowledge they need to strengthen their operations and improve their profitability. This year’s symposium, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell on Wednesday, Sept. 14, will feature a diverse, experienced group of speakers guaranteed to offer valuable insight to attendees. “We are thrilled to continue offering commercial cattlemen and women free educational events during the annual National Red Angus Convention. As the Commercial Marketing Team, it is always exhilarating to bring so many commercial operations – our customers – together for this event. Red Angus has always been focused on the cow, and with the release of our new...

For more information, see " The Random Shuffle of Genes: Putting the E in EPD ".

Jared Decker, PhD University of Missouri One point must be clear from the very beginning: EPDs work . When we select parents based on EPDs the genetic merit for that trait increases in our herd. When we select the parents using EPDs the performance of the next generation improves. EPDs Defined EPD stands for Expected Progeny Difference. These three words are loaded with meaning, thus the need to define them here. The most loaded word is Expected. Here we use Expected the way a statistician would use the word. Expected means we are making a prediction of a future value. But, in this context, Expected also means we are describing the average of a group. What is the group for which we are predicting the average? We are predicting the average performance of the Progeny or calves out of an animal. An animal’s own performance and its EPD can be quite different, because that is not the purpose of an EPD. The EPD is predicting the average performance of that animal’s calf crop. Final...

The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program recently announced the requirement that natural service sires have genomic-enhanced EPDs . Where possible, genomic-enhanced EPDs should be available on the bull prior to purchasing him. However, this is not always the case. Some previously purchased bulls will need to be tested prior to February 1, 2020. If GE-EPDs are needed, DNA testing should be purchased and ordered through the breed association in which the bull is registered. For example, DNA testing for an Angus bull should be purchased through Angus Genetics, Inc. Do NOT purchase tests designed for commercial heifers (Igenity Beef, GeneMax Advantage, Method Genetics, etc.). Here is information on purchasing DNA testing for GE-EPDs for several common breed associations used in the program: Angus Contact AGI Customer Services at 816-383-5100 for assistance. Submitting DNA Samples to Angus Genetics Collecting DNA Samples Testing Options Red Angus Contact RAAA Nation...

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...

Allen Moczygemba, CEO of American Angus Association announced in a memo  Monday August 14, 2017 that the price for Neogen GGP-LD and Zoetis i50K tests would be reduced to $37, effective immediately. The motivation for this price reduction is even more notable. In November of 2017 Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) and Neogen will launch a new genomic test (SNP panel) called AngusGS™. This test will use 50,000 (50K) DNA variants, designed specifically for Angus cattle. DNA variants are included based on their frequency in the Angus breed, rather than across many breeds like most DNA panels currently used in the industry. Further, AGI has increased the number of DNA markers in stretches of DNA believed to be involved in fertility, feed efficiency and tenderness. The more detailed genotyping of these chromosome segments will enable more refined research of these important traits. For example, AGI could include increased markers in regions believed to harbor embryonic lethal DNA vari...

Denton, Texas — Cattlemen and women frequently ask if DNA scores are truly predictive of phenotypic results. A recent study completed by the Red Angus Association gathered DNA data on a set of Red Angus calves and followed the cattle through harvest, collecting phenotypic data. The results illustrated the Igenity® DNA scores accurately predicted carcass weight, marbling score and overall carcass value. The cattle were raised and owned by Bob and Elaine Yackley of Onida, South Dakota, and fed at a custom feed yard. A total of 91 head of 2015-born steers comprised the group that was DNA tested with Igenity Silver and followed through harvest to obtain carcass data on each individual animal. The top 25 head with the highest DNA scores for Average Daily Gain (ADG) and marbling were compared to the bottom 25 head, which exhibited the lowest combined DNA scores for the same two traits. Summarized results for the two groups are shown in the table. This comparative analysis reveals that ...

Hat tip to Dr. John Cole, USDA, and Jesse Hoff for bringing this to my attention on Twitter . I need to make an important point: I am not a patent lawyer. I do not have a deep understanding of patent law and nothing in this post should be considered legal advice or council. On November 8, 2016 Canada issued a patent to Ben Hayes and Michael Goddard for genomic prediction. Genomic prediction is estimating an animal's breeding value (i.e. genetic merit) using DNA variants. See the Canadian Intellectual Property Office website for more detailed information about the patent. Meuwissen, Hayes and Goddard first published their work on genomic prediction in 2001. Hayes and Goddard filed for a patent of the method on December 21, 2007 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. About 23 days later, the Illumina BovineSNP50 Beadchip, a DNA test that can test 54,000 DNA variants quickly and cheaply for cattle, was released at the Plant and Animal Genome Conference. This 50K ...

This fact sheet goes through the fundamentals of how and when producers might use DNA testing in beef cattle production.  It covers the different types of tests that are available, how to submit samples and to whom, and what to do with the results. For more information, see the eBEEF.org factsheet " How to Get Started with DNA Testing ".

Larry Kuehn USDA-MARC When we go from less than a thousand animals to several thousands of animals, genomic predictions can explain about 50% of the genetic variance for important traits. Genomic prediction is working and providing tremendous benefits to seedstock and commercial producers. But, we still struggle with genomic predictions with very little data recording and genomic predictions that work well across breeds. Two methods are used to use genomics in national cattle evaluation. With the genomic pedigree method you track genetic effects more accurately than with pedigree data. With the second method you are relying on linkage on chromosomes between the DNA markers and the variants responsible for the differences (causal mutations). The linkage signal between DNA markers and causal variants breaks down over generations due to recombination (switching) between paternal and maternal chromosomes. Because this linkage breaks down over time is part of the reason genomic pr...

Guest Post Written by David Hoffman, MU Extension Livestock Specialist/County Program Director Spring is quickly approaching.  That means warmer weather and green grass are on the way.  For the cow/calf producers, it means that calving is in full swing (or about over for some) and the breeding season is just around the corner. Decisions are being made that will impact the cattle operation for several years, such as the next herd bull to purchase or the sires to breed cows and heifers through artificial insemination.  Some producers spend many hours in selecting the right bull for their operation, looking over pedigrees, EPDs, performance data, etc.  There is a tremendous amount of data available on purebred cattle, but limited genetic data on commercial cattle. In the past, selection for our commercial replacements has been on individual performance, structural soundness, body phenotype and possibly genetic information about sire(s) and/or dam. There has be...

Technology in the beef industry is constantly improving, which can make it hard to keep up. Plus, we want to ensure that we are using all of the available practices to produce beef in a profitable, efficient, and conscientious manner. With this in mind, National Cattlemen's Beef Association hosts an annual webinar series, and this year I am excited to be involved! On February 16th at 7PM CST, Bob Weaber and I will present during the NBCA Cattlemen's Webinar Series. Dr. Weaber will discuss the positive effects crossbreeding has on your cow herd and how new research is allowing us to better understand why crossbreeding works. I will discuss where we have been and where we are going with DNA and genomic technologies. There will be a question and answer period, so please bring questions. Register today at www.beefusa.org !

And where are we going next? Data via  http://www.genome.gov/sequencingcosts/ . Code for generating the plot at  https://missouri.box.com/SequencingCost . This graph never ceases to amaze me. On the horizontal axis we have dates from September 2001 to July 2015. On the vertical axis we have the cost to sequence a million base pairs of DNA, with the axis having a logarithmic scale  (each tick mark is multiplied by 10, e.g. change from 10 to 100 to 1000). The blue line describes what is called Moore's Law  which describes the increase in purchasing power as computer costs come down. The rate of improvement in DNA sequencing easily outpaces the improvement in computing. Since September 2001, the price of DNA sequencing has dropped 6 orders of magnitude  from $5,292.39 to $0.015. From more than $5,000 to less than 2 cents!!! Same data as above by with the vertical cost axis  on a normal scale, not logarithmic. What caused the drop in sequencing f...

The Red Angus Association of America has enabled more particular selection of Red Angus commercial females. The Herd Navigator reports breed percentile ranks for the RAAA HerdBuilder and GridMaster indexes, plus 13 EPD traits. The percentile ranks mean a score of 50 is average, a score of 1 is in the top 1 percent (cream of the crop) and a score of 99 is in the bottom 1 percent (bottom of the barrel). The interpretation of these percentile rankings is the same as Red Angus EPDs but is opposite to other commercial heifer panels. The test is marketed for $25 per female. The producer is required to own at least one registered Red Angus bull and the registration must be transferred to the producer (or show involvement with RAAA, such as large semen orders). If the possible sires of the females have been genotyped at GeneSeek for genomic-enhanced EPDs, then the parentage of the females will also be reported to the commercial producer. This is helpful if the commercial producer has used a co...

Previously, when I spoke with commercial producers about genomic predictions for their heifers, I talked about two products, the GeneMax Focus and the GeneMax Advantage tests marketed by Zoetis. This has now changed. GeneMax Focus and GeneMax Advantage Of course, genomic predictions for seedstock cattle have been available for a large number of breeds, including Angus, Red Angus, Simmental, Hereford, Limousin, Gelbvieh, Santa Gertrudis, and Charolais. But, genomic predictions for commercial cattle where only available from Zoetis for high-percentage (greater than 75%) Angus cattle. GeneMax Focus was the first commercial cattle genomic prediction test released. It provides predictions on a 5 point scale for marbling and gain, and an index called a GMX score on a scale from 1 to 100. These scores are percentile ranks where 50 is average, 1 is the bottom of the heap, and 99 is top of the class. This test cost $17. From my conversations, it explains about 20% of the variation in mar...

Rebecca Mettler wrote a story for the Joplin Regional Stockyards Cattlemens News. Mettler talked to Dr. Megan Rolf of Oklahoma State University and me about the use of DNA testing in the beef industry with a focus on commercial operations. Check out the article on page 18 of the November issue !

SAN ANTONIO, TX- The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) has selected GeneSeek , a division of Neogen Corporation, as the association’s new DNA services provider. The partnership will allow Brangus breeders to submit DNA samples to GeneSeek for parentage determination and lay a foundation for Genomic-Enhanced EPDs for the breed association. “IBBA’s agreement with GeneSeek moves us closer to conducting all Brangus parentage testing using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers versus previously used technologies,” said Dr. Tommy Perkins, IBBA Executive Vice President. Samples will be tested with the GeneSeek®Genomic Profiler™ GGP HD 80K (tests approximately 80,000 DNA variants) and the GeneSeek®Genomic Profiler™ GGP LD 30K (tests approximately 30,000 DNA variants) for eventual incorporation into genomic-enhanced EPDs for the Brangus breed. The GGP 80K is finding a role as a premium genomic profiler, while the GGP LD 30K is a highly accurate, affordabl...

In their efforts to develop genomic predictions and genomic-enhanced EPDs, the American-International Charolais Association announced today that they have surpassed the 1,000 samples suggested to develop genomic predictions. Now that this level has been reached the association can prepare to release a commercially available genomic prediction test. As we have seen in other breed associations , once the genomic prediction test is commercially available, the amount of data available for retraining can grow. As new animals are tested they can also be used in future rounds of retraining (also called recalibration ). This is an exciting day for the AICA. Congratulations Charolais breeders! Now, what will you do with genomics ? Loading... " Vache de race charolaise avec son veau " by Forum concoursvaches.fr - http://www.concoursvaches.fr . Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons .

Management aims to raise additional capital to commercialize range of high-value targeted genotyping assays for clinical, animal health, and agriculture. HERCULES, CA, August 18, 2014 — Eureka Genomics, a leader in Next Generation Genotyping (NGG), announced that it has been awarded a $450,000 grant from The National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Institute is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Eureka Genomics was awarded this grant to commercialize a second generation NGG assay focused on bovine genotyping known as the Sparse Genome Scan (SGS). Eureka Genomics’ SGS is a technology platform that produces commercially relevant data, currently generated from micro arrays , at less than half the cost. This most recent USDA grant awarded to Eureka Genomics follows an ongoing cooperative research and development agreement with the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center. "The USDA’s financial and research support is part of Eureka Genomics’ strategy to ...