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Why should we have a Young Sire Program?

Index

• Why a Young Sire Program?
• Let’s Look at the Background
• Artificial Breeding Usage Reaches 44%
• The Concept
  1. The Objectives
  2. The Process
     • Young Sire selection
     • Test Herd participation
  3. The Management
  4. What Will it Cost Bull Owners?
• Major Issues from Member Workshops
• Why you should be involved
  

Why a Young Sire Program?

In August 2003, the nation’s leading livestock geneticists, some Angus seedstock and commercial producers plus Angus Australia (AA) management gathered at Leura in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney charged with devising a program to double the rate of genetic gain of Australian Angus.

This MLA sponsored two day workshop explored many options but finally decided on a Young Sire Program which, after consultation with members and subsequent refi nement, is now ready to launch in July this year, less than a year after the Leura retreat.

This page explains the system and Angus Australia seeks the support of members to ensure the Young Sire Program delivers the maximum possible benefi ts to the Angus breed in Australia and in particular, to the members of Angus Australia.

Let’s Look at the Background

Angus Australia and our members have been leaders in the use of AI, ET, Breedplan and other genetic technologies, including its investment in the Elite Angus Progeny Test Program at Trangie.

The Australian Angus herd has the potential to be a world leader in genetic superiority, rising to the challenge issued in the MLA Beef Genetics Strategic Plan of Australia of becoming a net exporter of beef genetics within 10 years. To achieve this aim we need to accelerate the rate of genetic gain, benchmark ourselves with international competition, and identify, use and market the elite genetics within our Australian Angus gene pool.

Elite young sires are critical factor in achieving some of these aims as they have the highest genetic merit within the male population and the greatest ability to widely infl uence the entire population, while shortening the generation interval through their widespread use.

The program is designed to identify suitable elite young sires, encourage their use and prove them quickly to achieve widespread usage, initially of the complete team but eventually of the superior sires within each group. This will accelerate genetic gain and provide elite Angus sires for both domestic and international marketing.

Artificial Breeding Usage Reaches 44%

The widespread use of AI and ET in Australian Angus seedstock herds was recognised as one of the major factors in the rate of genetic progress. Artifi cially (AI and ET) bred calves comprise 44% of calves registered by Angus Australia. Decisions made by AA to free up the use and registration process for AI have resulted in greater adoption by breeders. One of the other benefi ts of more AI is to increase the linkage between herds thus improving the accuracy of Breedplan.

The Concept

The Young Sire Program concept involves the co-ordinated, cost effective testing of teams of leading young sires on an annual basis using member recorded herds for the testing environment.The aim is to identify high performing young Angus bulls when their accuracies are relatively low, testthem in a wide range of herds and evaluate the resultant progeny.

The Objectives

1. Provide an environment that encourages the use of high performance young Angus bulls in Breedplan recorded herds.
2. Double the rate of genetic gain in the Australian Angus gene pool.
3. Provide proven high accuracy, elite, Australian Angus sires for the domestic and international markets.Underpinning this proposal is the need for effective promotion and understanding of the value of using young bulls with potentially high genetic merit and lower accuracy.

The Process

Young Sire selection:

1. August / September 2004 - identify a preliminary list of leading young sires through $Index, EBV’s and variation in sire line.
   
2. Supply a list of nominated bulls to their breeders and allow them to remove bulls they deem unfi t for testing.
   
3. Invite the bull owners to have the remainder structurally assessed by an accredited structural assessor under the understanding that if their bull is included in the fi nal test team, they will abide by the rules of the program, including:
   • The owner will make 150 doses of licenced semen available to the program at no cost.
   • No test bull owner can have more than two bulls in the fi nal YSP team.
   • Bull owners must retain semen marketing rights and reserve semen stocks of each test bull in case the bull tests out well. Otherwise, many of the bulls tested could be unavailable before the EBV results are known.
     
4. Select the final number of test sires based on:
   • The number of test herds and females participating
   • Maximum two bulls per member
   • Maximum two bulls per sire line
   • $Index, EBV and structural parameters
   • Data collection required and all bulls and their contemporaries must have scans for the December analysis.
   • Viable semen availability.
     
5. The YSP Test team and YSP List to remain in place for 12 months only to be completely replaced with a new set of young sires each year.

Test Herd participation:

1. All Angus Australia Group Breedplan recording full members are invited to participate as test herds.
   
2. Test herds must be prepared to:
   • Accept a semen package comprising a number of bulls selected from the YSP sire list by the coordinator.
   • Semen priced between $6 and $12 per semen dose, with payments funding the YSP.
   • Join a minimum of 30 recorded cows to the semen package bulls. This will include a minimum of two bulls with at least 15 cows allocated to each bull.
   • Performance record the progeny to a specifi ed minimum set of parameters.
     
3. Test herds will have the opportunity to:
   • Nominate a sire-line to exclude.
   • Indicate a wish list of three bulls from the available young sires.
   • May nominate if APR bulls are acceptable. HBR only herds would not be expected to use APR bulls.
     
4. Test herds will be monitored to ensure the test semen package is used in one mating season based on the number of progeny registered by the test sires allocated.

Total cow numbers need to be in the order of 2000 to make testing of 13 bulls possible. At an average of 45 females joined in each test herd, this means 13 bulls with 150 straws of semen each. An average pack would then consist of three bullsto be used over 45 cows. A minimum of 30 cows will probably be set but 45 cows or more are encouraged.

The Management

The following management components are required:

1. A representative management committee from the test herds to set policy and selection parameters and oversee the program.
2. A co-ordinator to administer the program, select the test sires, allocate semen packages and monitor the results. Initially Carel Teseling will coordinate with assistance from Bob Dent.
3. An AI organisation will be contracted to collect, check for minimum standards, store and distribute the semen to test herds.

The final number of doses of semen per test sire and doses per test herd will be defi ned by numbers of test sires, test herds and participating females.

What Will it Cost Bull Owners?

The cost to the bull owner is estimated at $2,500 per bull for licensed semen collection, around $500 for structural assessment and scanning costs plus $1000 test bull entry fee totalling about $4,000 per bull. This makes the YSP relatively cost effective, considering the bull owner may also sell additional semen to assist in recouping the outlay. (Only 150 doses of semen will be used by the YSP).

The YSP is designed to involve as many Angus Australia members as possible. The Angus breed will benefi t by more members using potentially elite young sires to both prove those sires and increase their herd’s rate of genetic gain. As acceptance of using quality assured young bulls increases it is likely that the defi nition of the rules for the YSP sire list and the YSP testing procedures will evolve quite rapidl

Major Issues from Member Workshops

At member workshops across Australia to discuss the YSP concept, several major issues emerged. Until the management committee makes fi nal decisions, the general consensus on these issues is indicated.

1. Semen packages. The YSP will ask test herds to agree to use a package of test sires. This will include 2 to 3 or more test bulls selected on indicated preferences. The semen package ensures all test sires get a chance to produce enough progeny. This is an important concept and has worked well in the sheep YSP. It is seen as a fairer way than only letting test herds select the bulls they want to use.
2. Number of bulls per breeder. As having a bull involved comes at a cost, participation will be limited by economic considerations. Members generally agreed to limit the number of bulls from any one breeder in any one year to two.
3. Genetic diversity. While we aim to select bulls that rank highly on performance, the need to maintain genetic diversity in the test bulls is critical. The number of bulls from any sire line will be limited each year to ensure that a variety of bloodlines is offered.
4. Management. A representative management committee comprising of participating breeders, AA staff and an academic representative will formulate policy and guidelines. Expressions of interest in this committee are now being sought.
5. Licensed semen will be required from test bulls. While this is more expensive than custom collection, it provides quality assurance and ensures the health status of test herds is maintained.

Why you should be involved

Test Herds

1. Low cost semen from quality assured, structurally assessed young Australian bred bulls of the highest genetic merit .
2. Higher rates of genetic gain from young bulls with known and acceptable structure compared to other AI bulls often with unknown structure and similar low accuracy performance.

Bull Owners

1. Test bull owners have a co-ordinated test environment provided at only the cost of semen for test semen packages, structural scoring cost of the bull and their participation fee, making the test program low cost.
2. Marketing exposure from the program’s promotion

Industry Outcomes:

1. Reduced average generation length in Angus test herds.
2. Some of the young test sires are likely to prove out as elite and hence become candidates for domestic and international semen sales.
3. Wider use of local leading young sires will reduce the costs of genetic progress compared with the use of imported semen.
4. Semen price competition from leading young sires and proven elite young sires will assist in rationalising the price of imported semen.
5. YSP forms a very strong focus for an annual Angus advanced genetics conference.
6. The increased participation of breeders will stimulate their focus on genetic progress and use of elite genetics.
7. The combination of the above contributes to the objective of doubling the rate of genetic gain and the overall goal of becoming a genetic exporter within the next 10 years.