Youth interested in the beef industry are encouraged to compete in a national essay contest. Essays should respond to the prompt “What does it mean to be a beef breeder in the 21st century?” The winning essay will be published in one of  BEEF  magazine’s online newsletters (e.g.  BEEF  Daily or  BEEF  Cow-Calf Weekly). The 2nd through 5th place essays will be published on  A Steak in Genomics  blog. We will award $500 for first, $300 for second, and $200 for third place in the contest. New this year, we will have two age divisions, "13 and Younger" and "14 to 19".  Essays will be judged by beef genetics extension specialists, breed association staff, and trade publication staff. Essays will be judged on their ability to encourage best practices and technology adoption by describing: Trust and effectiveness of beef breeding best practices and technologies. Simplicity of using technology. The profit and sustainability outcom...

Written by Logan Jackson College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources The Division of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) boasts many strengths, including its vast research and work with beef cattle reproduction and genetics. The faculty, who have responsibilities not only in research, but also in teaching, extension and economic development, are experts in taking their findings and sharing them with farmers, ranchers and the Missouri community as a whole. With the help of a $300,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the division will be able to expand on those leadership opportunities. The grant, through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will be used to develop The National Center for Applied Reproduction and Genomics (NCARG) in Beef Cattle. The goal of NCARG will be to promote the economic impact of the technologies Mizzou Animal Sciences fac...

Eric Bailey, MU Extension beef nutrition specialist , discusses winter nutrition for beef cows. One of the practices that we see commonly in Nebraska, but less so in Missouri, is grazing corn stalks. Dr. Bailey discusses opportunities and limitations of this practice. Recorded at the MU CAFNR  Thompson Research Center Field Day, September 21, 2017. Loading...

The Southwest Show-Me-Select™ Replacement Heifer Sale will be November 17th, 2017 at 7 PM at the Joplin Regional Stockyards. Video preview and sale may be viewed at www.joplinstockyards.com and DVAuction on-line bidding may be arranged in advance. A Show-Me-Plus™ heifer is a registered or commercial heifer that has genomic predictions. For a registered heifer, this means she has GE-EPDs. For commercial heifers, it means she has been tested with a DNA panel providing genomic predictions. The following lots contain Show-Me-Plus™ heifers. DJV Cattle Co. , Edwards djvcattlecompanyjustin@gmail.com 573-345-3404 15, Angus and Angus cross heifers; all heifers have been GeneMax tested which qualifies them as Show-Me-Plus; all are synchronized and AI bred to calve on February 20; our first SMS sale. Service Sire Breed CE/ Acc WW/ Acc Milk/ Acc YW/ Acc $W AI – GAR Prophet Angus 11/ .91 72/ .96 33/ .86 124/ .95 $92.42 Goo...

The Thompson Research Field Day will be Thursday, September 21, 2017. This year we will be having an evening program, hopefully to better accommodate more people's schedules. See the flyer below for program details. Dinner will be provided.

Dr. Clay Mathias King Ranch Institute After adjusting for inflation, there was an 18% increase in calf value from 1990 to 2015. The big cost categories are Depreciation, Feed, and Labor. The drivers of these are corn, oil, ag land and minimum wage. Corn cost increased 24%. Oil increased 284%. Ag land increased by 134%. Labor only increased by 9%. "Like calf prices, all of these increased more than inflation." Mathias said. We have seen a 30 to 50 lb increase in weaning weight over the past 20 years in the seedstock sector. We have data-driven tools for selection decisions such as genomic-enhanced EPDs. In Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma: Pregnancy rate from 1993 to 1995 was 89%. In 2013 to 2015 it was 90%. Weaning rate from 1993 to 1995 was 84%. In 2013 to 2015 it was 84%. Weaning weight from 1993 to 1995 was 525 lbs. In 2013 to 2015 it was 525 lbs. Pounds of calf weaned/cow exposed was 439 lbs. It was 438 lbs. in 2013 to 2015. Identical trends are see...

The application of genomics to improve the accuracy of EPDs is a rapidly developing field. There are ongoing improvements in genotyping and sequencing technologies, statistical methods to increase the correlation between genomic predictions and true genetic merit, and the computing systems to handle the large datasets associated with animal breeding. One thing still remains true in the genomic age and that is the need to collect accurate phenotypic records. It is essential to ensure performance data, pedigree, and DNA information are recorded and reported accurately. Genomic predictions will only be as reliable as the data upon which they are based.  Although it might seem like the genomics era could signal the end of performance recording, the opposite is true. Now more than ever, it is important that producers accurately report data, and ensure that animals which are genotyped are correctly identified so that their information can contribute towards improving the accuracy of the ...

The application of genomics to improve the accuracy of EPDs is a rapidly developing field. There are ongoing improvements in genotyping and sequencing technologies, statistical methods to increase the correlation between genomic predictions and true genetic merit, and the computing systems to handle the large datasets associated with animal breeding. One thing still remains true in the genomic age and that is the need to collect accurate phenotypic records. It is essential to ensure performance data, pedigree, and DNA information are recorded and reported accurately. Genomic predictions will only be as reliable as the data upon which they are based.  Although it might seem like the genomics era could signal the end of performance recording, the opposite is true. Now more than ever, it is important that producers accurately report data, and ensure that animals which are genotyped are correctly identified so that their information can contribute towards improving the accuracy of the ...

The application of genomics to improve the accuracy of EPDs is a rapidly developing field. There are ongoing improvements in genotyping and sequencing technologies, statistical methods to increase the correlation between genomic predictions and true genetic merit, and the computing systems to handle the large datasets associated with animal breeding. One thing still remains true in the genomic age and that is the need to collect accurate phenotypic records. It is essential to ensure performance data, pedigree, and DNA information are recorded and reported accurately. Genomic predictions will only be as reliable as the data upon which they are based.  Although it might seem like the genomics era could signal the end of performance recording, the opposite is true. Now more than ever, it is important that producers accurately report data, and ensure that animals which are genotyped are correctly identified so that their information can contribute towards improving the accuracy of the ...

During the 2015 Angus Convention, there was a producer panel discussing the American Angus Association's MaternalPlus program. Matt Perrier of Dalebanks Angus and Richard Tokach of Tokach Angus discussed a producer's perspective on the program. In this post I share some of their thoughts on the program. (Unfortunately, I didn't have the names of the panelists prior to taking notes, so I can't assign quotes to individual panelists.) Fertility is the number one driver of profitability. No matter how well they grow, how well they grade, if she can't reproducer herself, she can't be profitable. We could have both animals that are great in terms of performance and carcass quality, as well as fertility. MaternalPlus provides us an opportunity to record reproductive data and to produce estimates of fertility. The graphs through the program are also very helpful. MaternalPlus is a tool the association gives you. You can choose to use it or not. But, MaternalPlu...

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 !

Denver, Colorado – The Red Angus Association of America recently acquired a major share in Top Dollar Angus, Inc. RAAA President Kim Ford made the announcement at BrainTrust during the Red Angus activities held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show. "This is a tremendous day for the RAAA to become directly involved as an owner in Top Dollar Angus,” said Ford. “The Red Angus breed believes strongly in value-added genetic programs and has a long history of innovative thinking as a breed association. Top Dollar Angus is a pioneer in bringing distinct feeder calf marketing based on superior genetics to the U.S. beef business. We view this purchase as an investment that will bring greater rewards to cow-calf operations that consistently purchase high-genetic-merit bulls and match those genetics with good health management and nutrition programs. And if it's good for commercial cattlemen and women, it's positive for Red Angus." Tom Brink, founder of Top Doll...

by Jeffrey Beall The 2015 National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium Brown Bagger series kicked off today. The Brown Bagger is a webinar discussing beef cattle genetics every Wednesday in October at 12:00 Central time. While we've already missed today's webinar, no fear there are more great presentations coming up. Plus, recordings of today's webinar will be available online in the coming weeks. The theme for this year's series is "Advancing genetic selection in beef cattle: Improving current tools and developing new ones." The following presentations are scheduled: Oct 7 Advancements in National Cattle Evaluation Strategies Host, Dr. Matt Spangler Latest changes to national cattle evaluation systems—Dr. Bob Weaber, Kansas State University Across Breed EPD and multi-breed genetic evaluation developments—Dr. Larry Kuehn, USDA-ARS-US-Meat Animal Research Center Oct 14 Beef Cattle Fertility Project and Sequencing Effort Update Host, Dr. Darrh...

The Thompson Research Center Field Day will be held on Tuesday September 15, 2015 at the research center in Spickard. I will be discussing the use of genomics predictions in registered and commercial heifers. In addition to my talk and demonstration, there will be information on reproduction, nutrition and forages, antibiotic labeling, economics, and timber sales. In the survey below, let me know what topics or questions you would like addressed in my presentation. For those of you in Northwest Missouri, I would love to see you there. Loading...

NCBA has recognized the changing face of selection in the seedstock industry. In order to help commercial producers make wiser selection decisions during the upcoming bull sales this spring, they are hosting a webinar at 7:00 pm CST on February 19th. Space is limited, so sign up soon. For those who can't catch the session live, it will be recorded and a link posted on the NCBA webpage. The seminar will feature Dr. Dan Moser from the American Angus Association , Jack Ward from the American Hereford Association , and Dr. Wade Shafer from the American Simmental Association . For more information and to register, visit the NCBA website . Loading...

The American Angus Association® and Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) will host the first-ever International Genomics Symposium as part of the 2015 Angus Means Business National Convention and Trade Show. The event takes place Nov. 3 in Overland Park, Kan., and will provide cattle producers with cutting-edge information about advancements in genomics technology – and how these advances impact their businesses. The symposium is sponsored by GeneSeek, a leading provider of comprehensive genomics solutions to the cattle industry, including the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler (GGP-HD). “We are excited about the symposium and what it will mean for the cattle business,” says Dan Moser, AGI president. “Genomics is rapidly reshaping the way we produce livestock, and providing producers with the best information available will not only help us improve quality and consistency, but also make our industry more competitive.” Genomics researcher and entrepreneur Richard Resnick (previously featured on this blog) ...

On January 27th I spoke with Scott Brown during the evening portion of the Southwest Missouri MU Extension Beef Cattle Conference organized by Patrick Davis, Andy McCorkill, and Eldon Cole. I discussed the facts about EPDs working to change a herd and how genomic testing can improve the precision and reliability of EPDs. Genomic testing is allowing us to select for traits that were previously not under selection, such as feed efficiency , bovine respiratory disease resistance, embryonic loss, and tenderness. You can download my slides from my extension website . But, in this post, I want to focus on Scott Brown's comments. For those of you who don't know Dr. Brown, he is a leading agriculture economist who has been influential in the formation of agricultural policy on the state and national level. On Tuesday night he gave a projection on the future of beef cattle economics. As we all know, beef prices are at record highs, but this is driven by historically low cattle num...

There was standing room only for the Breed Improvement Session of the Angus Means Business National Convention  on November 4th, 2014. Genomic Recalibration Dan Moser, Angus Genetics Incorporated Performance data reported to the American Angus Association has become more important than ever. Not only is this data necessary to get highly precise estimates from sires, but it is the foundation of developing genomic predictions for genomic-enhanced EPDs. In the training or recalibration of genomic predictions, basically an EPD effect is estimated for every DNA variant included in the genomic prediction test. The genomic prediction (also called the Molecular Breeding Value, MBV) is the sum of every EPD effect for approximately 50,000 DNA variants evenly spread throughout the cattle chromosomes. Initial GE-EPDs in 2010 were based on 2,253 animals. In 2012 the training set increased to  11,756, by 2013 the training set was larger than 38,000 animals, and now in 2014 has reach...

*UPDATED 7 October 2014 I had a brief meeting with Dan Moser of Angus Genetics Inc today in which he informed me of several updates to the American Angus Association's genetic evaluations. First of all, heifer pregnancy EPDs, which were not estimated this summer, are once again being successfully estimated. When the dataset became large the analysis would no longer run properly. Previously, the heifer's service sire was fit as a fixed effect in the EPD equations. This means sires were forced to have the same conception rate in every herd. In the new model, the service sire's conception rate is fit as a random effect, meaning that we do not perfectly measure the conception rate and allow for factors that influence conception, such as differences in semen handling, to vary between herds. The base year of the heifer pregnancy EPD was also changed from 2000 to 2005 due to 2005 being the earliest year with a large amount of pregnancy data. Second, the fourth recalibratio...

Burt Rutherford recently reported on a presentation by Mizzou's Scott Brown. Dr. Brown challenged beef producers to identify a strategy to remain profitable when beef prices come down in the next decade. Brown's solution is to target more cattle that grade Prime on the rail. He presented data from the Thompson Research Center, where 30% of the steer calves consistently receive a Prime grade. The genetics used at Thompson Research Center has allowed the herd to meet those levels. To here more about the genetics and changes that have occurred at the Thompson Reseach Center, watch this blog or attend the 2014 Thompson Research Center Field Day  where both Scott Brown and I (among others) will be speaking . Loading...