A Steak in Genomics™

Shane Bedwell American Hereford Association Today is the 1 year plus 2 day anniversary of AHA's switch to single-step.This is the North American Hereford Genetic Evaluation including AHA and Canadian Hereford Association. They are currently working with Uruguay and Argentina are in the process of switching to the single-step approach. Part of the process was building a fully automated genomic pipeline to run the genetic evaluation weekly. They have been very happy with the quality controls measures that were built into this pipeline. AHA implemented a data pruning strategy to capitalize on their switch to whole-herd reporting in 2001. Animals that have data reported after 2001 plus 3 generations of their pedigree are included in the analysis. They have performance data on 2.3 million animals. They have genotypes on over 70,000 animals. Previously, all traits were fit in a single model. With the switch to single-step, AHA switched to 9 cluster models. They also re-paramet...

Dr. Robin Falkner Zoetis Beef Technical Services Talk at Mountaineer Cattlemen's College We have put a lot of the blame for high-risk feeder cattle on the cow-calf producer. However, Falkner says it is the system, not the producer, that is to blame. Pre- and postweaning factors affecting bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in beef cattle and the resulting outcomes of the disease. + = decreased incidence or consequence; − = increased incidence or consequence; ? = effects not fully understood based on the available data. BVD = bovine viral diarrhea virus. Figure 1 from  Duff & Galyean (2007) Journal of Animal Science , 85(3), 823-840 . Falkner described how as his time since graduating veterinary school has passed, that he knows less but understands more. When talking to Falkner, people want a recipe. He provides two recipes, one for Possumneck pudding and Biscuit pudding.  We spend a lot of time chasing the right "recipe" for cattle health. What we need to d...

David Pratt Presentation at  Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference  Ranch Management Consultants Inc. runs two programs, The Ranching For Profit School and the Executive Link . "When we work for ourselves, we work at what we are good at." Pratt says. We are doing the $10 an hour job. However, we may be leaving the $100,000 per hour job undone. Most ranches are likely losing money. Pratt encourages the audience to subscribe to the Ranching for Profit blog. What letter is most different? b? c? d? q? Look again: What about the t? We see things through the lens of our expectations. What if the t is a threat? What if you didn't even see it? What if the t is an opportunity? It is a lot easier to see threats and opportunities at your neighbor's operation. Too often, we wait till we are out of time and money to make changes. We hear the phrase, "If you always do what you have always done you will always get what you've always got....

Written by Duane Dailey Beef-cow herd owners will learn new ways to raise better calves at three University of Missouri meetings in March. The sessions lead producers from proven breeding to new uses of DNA. MU Extension animal scientists David Patterson and Jared Decker will lead the ReproGene Meetings. Management of fixed-time artificial insemination allows more live calves and more uniform calf crops. New DNA tools make rapid advances in beef quality. Genomics allow breeders to predict traits of the next generation. Traditionally, breeders use expected progeny differences (EPDs). Now, new EPDs add DNA data. Pedigrees and production testing are still used; however, genetically-enhanced EPDs give more accuracy. A simple DNA test with blood or hair samples replaces years of production testing. With GE-EPDs, the added DNA speeds improving traits, whether for maternal or meat market ends. Recent high premiums at packing plants signal demand for more high-qual...

Trey Befort AHA Director of Commercial Programs Brent Lowderman Carthage Livestock, Inc. Case Gabel  Hereford Advantage Program is a genetic merit feeder cattle program which looks at the bull batteries going into commercial programs. A commercial producer using Hereford bulls sends in the registration numbers for their bull battery. The Hereford Advantage Program then shows, compared to breed average, where these bulls sit. This is used to market the calves. Lowderman In 2003, John Meents approached Lowderman about having a Hereford influenced cattle. They started with 150 head, and last year they had over 800. Calves need to have two rounds of shots. Needs to be castrated and dehorned. They then break the calves into lots based on 100 pounds increments to group them into similar lots (steers between 450 and 550 pound, between 550 and 650, etc.). Heifers are broken into lots by 75 pound breaks. The Hereford sale is within 1 to 3 dollars of the Angus ...

Sean Jersett, Christy Bengno, Julie Mais, Alison Marx, Caryn Vaught Number one piece of advise for an advertiser: Be aware of your sale dates! You need to have the deadlines for dates to go to the printer and when catalogs will be to the customers. You need to have your ducks in a row before the printing date. How do you handle photography? Photos need to be high resolution, print quality photos to look good in the catalog. "We need to have the photos identified so we know how to use them," Bengno said. Dropbox or email is a good way to send in the photos. Make sure that email allows for the photos to be sent as high resolution. If you have a lot of photos, Dropbox is much easier. Put the photos in Dropbox and then share the folder with the AHA staff. Make sure you notify the AHA staff that you have added photos to an existing shared photo. When using phones, make sure your phone has a high quality camera on your phone and that you have your phone setting to the highe...

          According to Garry L. Mathes, chair of the 2016 Missouri Livestock Symposium, producers and land owners coming to the Missouri Livestock Symposium to participate in the farm management section can expect the speaker lineup to address some of the toughest questions facing agriculture today. Mathes continues to say that the Missouri Livestock Symposium continually strives to be on the cutting edge of producer education and our Farm Management section is designed to do just that. Dr. Scott Brown, University of Missouri ag economist, will return for the Saturday program to lead two discussions. The first talk focuses on “Land Values and Cash Rents: How Far Will They Fall” and the second talk concentrates on “Who is Winning the Agricultural Trade Game.” Dr. Brown brings many years of experience dealing with agricultural economics and farm management. Mathes notes Scott is an exceptional speaker and no one will want to miss his presentations.  Als...

“Supply and Demand works!” said Scott Brown at the Thompson Research Center Field Day. We have seen huge increases in meat production in the last two years. In 2014, we saw record cattle prices. Beef producers saw high prices, so they produced more beef. This of course lead to lower cattle prices. The strengthening dollar has also lead to fewer beef exports. Lots of beef production but very little exports. We may not be done with lower cattle prices. A $1.10 looked a lot better on the way up than on the way down. “Scott, where is the bottom at? Guys, if I knew where the bottom was at I’d be rich by now” Brown said. If you had bought LRP or futures in the spring, you would be much happier right now. When comparing 2008 to 2016 cattle inventory, it looks like Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri still have a lot of room left to grow. If you look at cattle return for 2016, it is the 8th or 9th highest all time. In 2015, cow-calf producers were still in charge. Now, the cow-calf producer i...

Anyone familiar with the Missouri beef industry, knows the Show-Me-Select™ Heifer Program. In 2015, we started a new heifer classification in the Show-Me-Select™ Heifer Program , called Show-Me-Plus™. A Show-Me-Plus heifer simply has a genomic prediction, either reported as genomic-enhanced EPDs for registered heifers or genomic tests for commercial heifers. At the most recent board meeting, the board approved 5 additional products; now heifers qualify for Show-Me-Plus™ with breed association GE-EPDs, GeneMax Focus, GeneMax Advantage, Gelbvieh Maternal Edge, Red Angus Herd Navigator, Igenity Gold, Igenity Silver, Igenity Gold Angus, Igenity Silver Angus, Method Choice, and Method Commercial tests. In the Southeast, West Central, and North Central sales, there were 33 lots of 86 heifers that carried the Show-Me-Plus ™  label. Below are the summary statistics for the 2015 Fall Sales, breaking heifers out by Tier II (sire identified heifer out of a proven AI sire), pre...

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 Eldon Cole, Livestock Specialist Headquartered in Lawrence County, MO The skidding cattle market the past few months resulted in considerable pessimism prior to the 33 rd Show-Me-Select (SMS) Bred Heifer Sale at Joplin Regional Stockyards on November 20.  However, when the last of 293 heifers left the ring, the average price of $2477 brought smiles to most of the sellers. The previous 32 sales results predicted an average heifer price just under $2000 per head.  That forecast is based on the week’s average price per head for a 550 pound, Medium and Large Frame, Number 1 Muscle steer at the Joplin and Springfield markets.  That average amounted to $1011 per head according to the Missouri Market Summary. The SMS heifer average of $2477 divided by the steer average resulted in a 2.45:1 figure.  In the previous sales the highest ratio was 2.4:1.  Since the SMS sales began in 1997 at Joplin the smallest ratio was 1.65:1 in 1999. There was a s...

The Missouri Red Angus Association invites all Red Angus breeders large and small, near and far, to participate in a newly established bull test. Come and join the new era of the Missouri Red Angus Association. Missouri Red Angus Association’s (MORAA) Board of Directors has been evaluating the past methodology for marketing bulls at the April MORAA sale in Springfield. Based on their evaluation and consistent member feedback that the old program was inadequate, a new program has been launched. The board believes this will be an excellent marketing opportunity for Red Angus genetics. For cattlemen who have an interest in participating in the project, the test is now accepting entries with receiving dates from Oct. 1–15 for bulls born January, February and March of 2015. Entry-Consignment Fee: $200 per bull Paid at entry to the selected developer Consignor must be a current Missouri Red Angus member Approved Test Facilities & Developers: Green Springs Bull Test - Nev...