A Steak in Genomics™

The University of Missouri is recruiting 2,500 Hereford heifers to participate in a heifer puberty and fertility genomic research project. Reserve a spot for the webinar on September 6th, 2022 at 7 p.m. CDT to hear from the team members conducting the project and learn how to get involved. RSVP for the event here:  https://hereford.ac-page.com/aha-mizzou-webinar  

My hat is off to the Oklahoma State University Beef Extension team for putting together an excellent  Rancher's Thursday Lunchtime Series to continue to provide information during the pandemic.  I had the pleasure to present in the series with a talk titled "The Genetics of Fertility: Existing and Developing Tools". You can access the slides here:  http://beef.okstate.edu/files/the-genetics-of-fertility You can watch a recording of the presentation below. Red Angus and Hereford producers interested in heifer puberty and fertility research should check out the following pages to learn how to get free genomic-enhanced EPDs by participating in the project. https://blog.steakgenomics.org/2020/07/heifer-puberty-and-fertility-project.html https://blog.steakgenomics.org/2020/02/HeiferRecruitment.html Again, thanks to Dave Lalman for inviting me to present.

Researchers seek Hereford and Red Angus heifers in include in the trials. By Heather Smith Thomas Reprinted with permission of BEEF Magazine. You can’t sell a calf that’s never born. That’s why fertility is the most important trait in beef cattle because it all has to start with a pregnancy. A heifer that settles early in the breeding season and continues to have a calf on time every year is much better than a heifer that does not breed, breeds late, or has only one calf and then comes up open and must be replaced by another heifer that is expensive to develop. There are a number of methods producers utilize in selecting heifers, but accurate tools to select heifers for fertility and early puberty have not been available—until now. The University of Missouri is doing a research project looking into the genetics of fertility and heifer puberty, led by Jared Decker, state beef genetics Extension specialist. He recently received a grant from USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agric...

Pre-breeding exam at Red Hill Farms  Heather Smith Thomas wrote a great article on our Heifer Puberty and Fertility Genomics Project. Check it out in the American Red Angus Magazine.  https://issuu.com/redangusassociation/docs/201382_red_angus_oct20_complete_lr/40 Find out how to participate: https://blog.steakgenomics.org/2020/02/HeiferRecruitment.html http://blog.steakgenomics.org/2020/07/heifer-puberty-and-fertility-project.html

University of Missouri USDA Funded Heifer Puberty and Fertility Project Participation Overview Project Goals  Fertility is critically important to both commercial and seedstock breeders. This project aims to improve genetic/genomic predictions for puberty and fertility of heifers by collecting DNA samples and relevant phenotypes, specifically relating to pubertal status and date of conception within the breeding season. This project is funded by the USDA-NIFA Animal Reproduction Program . The project is recruiting 2,500 Hereford and 2,500 Red Angus heifers , to add to a data set of 6,000 Angus heifers. Participation  To inquire about participating in the project, please first contact one of the project coordinators by email or phone:  Erin Larimore Phone: 660-281-5518 Email: LarimoreE@missouri.edu  Dr. Jared Decker   Phone: 573-819-0837  Email: DeckerJE@missouri.edu  Dr. Jordan Thomas   Phone: 573-289-959...

Jordan Thomas University of Missouri Bos indicus cattle are different from Bos taurus cattle. They were domesticated at a different time, in a different location from a different population than Bos taurus cattle. The big difference between Bos indicus cattle and Bos taurus is the attainment of puberty. Bos indicus cattle reach puberty later on average. Nutrition does not cause earlier puberty, but adequate nutrition is necessary to express potential for puberty. Brahman influenced animals are very sensitive to lower target weights and their ability to reach puberty. Modern compound bows have multiple sights for different distances. Even if we use perfect form, but use the 20 yard sight to shot a target at 60 yards, we will miss the target. We often make this same mistake when trying to hit mature cow weight targets. Cull cow weights can help us better identify the mature cow weight target. Reproductive tract scores are a helpful tool in managing Bos indicus- influenced...