Key Points
- Set the breeding objectives for your enterprise and target markets.
- Use BreedObjectTM
- or refer to breed societies market-based breeding objectives and indexes when setting the breeding objective.
- Assess merits of within breed selection, changing breeds or crossbreeding.
- Select bulls (or semen) that best fit the enterprise breeding objectives of the herd and provide a return on investment based on $indexes.
- Bring genetically unrelated bulls into the herd to avoid inbreeding.
- Mate heifers to bulls with the highest EBV for calving ease if experiencing calving problems.
Why is genetic improvement important?
Genetics sets the potential for upper or lower production limits that animals can achieve. This can impact on the goals you set for the beef enterprise, including your market options. Important beef enterprise profit drivers related to animal performance – including weaning rate, cow survival rate, cow weight, calving ease, sale weight, retail beef yield, P8 fat depth and marbling score – are set by the genetic make-up of the herd. Using the best cattle genetics allows you to improve the animals’ contribution to enterprise profit.
Although animal genetics cannot improve non-animal production factors such as pasture and grazing management, it can complement such aspects of enterprise management, for example through greater capacity for more efficient feed utilisation and growth rate. Genetics can also determine whether you are able to achieve a particular production target, like a high level of marbling or a particular muscle score. In other situations, genetics can change the way you manage the herd (such as reduced need for supervision at calving), as well as reducing operational costs.
How does this article assist you?
This article is designed to assist the discerning commercial breeder whose main avenue for ongoing genetic improvement is through buying-in bulls or semen. It is not designed for seedstock or stud breeders. It takes you through the steps of setting the breeding program to achieve animal production targets that contribute to enterprise profit. It also considers the implications of changing breeds or crossbreeding and provides a guide to selecting the best bulls for your enterprise and setting up the mating program.
Principles of cattle genetics
- Set the appropriate targets for genetic improvement to increase enterprise profit
- Evaluate the merits of changing breeds, crossbreeding or within breed selection alone.
- Select the best bulls for your enterprise and mating program.
- Monitor progress and adjust the breeding objective to achieve enterprise targets and provide for changing market circumstances.
