A Steak in Genomics™

 The Beef Reproduction Task Force invited me to present in their 2022 Webinar series. You can watch the webinar below or on Facebook. Thanks again to BRTF for the opportunity to present!

  Pre-registration is required for each session Nov 4th: go.beefrepro.org/Cow_Heifer Nov 5th: go.beefrepro.org/Bull Vet CE: go.beefrepro.org/VET_CE Following registration you will receive an email with session information and links Nov 4th – Cow & Heifer Session                   *All times are CST 1:00-1:45 PM: Dr. Phillipe Moriel, Univ. of Florida - Enhancing long-term growth and reproduction of heifers 2:00-2:45 PM: Dr. Reinaldo Cooke, Texas A&M - Nutritional strategies for pregnancy success  3:00-3:45 PM: Dr. Cliff Lamb, Texas A&M - Utilizing sexed semen in AI and ET programs 4:00-4:45 PM: Matt Perrier, Dalebanks Angus - Reproductive technologies that have changed the ranch   Nov 5th – Bull Session 1:00-1:45 PM: Dr. David Kenny, Teagasc - Bull development and its impacts on sperm 2:00-2:45 PM: Dr. Zach McFarlane, Cal. Poly - Bull nutrition for a successful herd sire 3:00-3:45 PM: Dr. Tom Geary, USDA-ARS - Bu...

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...

My older son Jaden Decker competed in the Missouri Junior Hereford Association Illustrated Speech Contest.  The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program has been very successful helping farmers and ranchers better manage beef heifers. We recently received USDA funding to use reproductive tract scores, pelvic measurements, and fetal age from ultrasound to better predict heifer reproduction EPDs. We are recruiting 2,500 Hereford and 2,500 Red Angus heifers for this project. Jaden discusses using these management practices and collecting this data in his herd.

Developing and maintaining a herd with the key profit driver By Rebecca Mettler Reprint from the Joplin Stockyards Cattlemen's News. Cow longevity is a key profit driver in cow-calf operations. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if a producer has purchased the perfect bull for their operation if the cows remain open because of poor cowherd fertility. Instead, developing and maintaining a herd with enhanced longevity should be a top item on producers’ minds when setting goals for the new year ahead. While proper nutrition and sound vaccination protocols for reproductive diseases are essential pieces of the puzzle, producers should also focus on making genetic improvements to fertility and other longevity related factors. Too often when producers looking at genetic predictions, e.g., expected progeny differences (EPDs) and indexes, they look at growth and carcass traits. But as an industry, we often don’t think about traits to improve our long-term employees—our co...

Reprinted from the American Red Angus Magazine. Written by Jaclyn N. Ketchum, Cliff Lamb, and Michael F. Smith, Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, and Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University Efficiency, sustainability, productivity and profitability – these words are used in conversations around the world including among cattlemen. How do cattlemen assimilate these goals into their herd? One way is by implementing a defined breeding season. “Heifers that conceive earlier in the breeding season will calve earlier in the calving season and have a longer interval to rebreeding. Calves born earlier in the calving season will also be older and heavier at weaning,” stated Robert Cushman of U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. He added, “Heifers that calved early in the calving season with their first calf had increased longevity and kilograms weaned, compared with heifers that calved later in the calving season.” Increased longevity and he...

Michael Smith University of Missouri The estrous cycle averages 21 days, with a range of 17 to 24 days.  There is variation in how long cows express estrus. Most cows express estrus for more than 11 hours. However, there is a significant number of cows who express estrus for less than 10 hours. These cows are often the ones that are missed in heat check programs. The success of artificial insemination programs is a function of both estrus detection and pregnancy rate. The presence of progestorone prevents ovulations and the expression of estrus. We use this principle in estrus synchronization procotols to synchronize estrus and ovulation. There are three catagories of horomones used in estrus synchronization: Progestins/Progesterone Prosteglandins GnRH Progesterone blocks estrus, blocks ovulation, preserves oocyte quality, and prepares for pregnancy. The two progestorone products used in the US are MGA and CIDR. MGA feeding for 14 days syncs heifers...