Learn about general questions regarding
Angus GROUP BREEDPLAN

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General Questions
34 - What are these environmental effects that Breedplan talks about
35 - How does Breedplan allow for differences between seasons and years
36 - Can I record ET calves
37 - Does Breedplan evaluate structural soundness and conformation
38 - Can Breedplan evaluate "doing ability" of my cattle
39 - On which trait should I place most emphasis
40 - Should I select for the highest EBVs
41 - How much emphasis should I place on EBVs when selecting bulls
42 – Breedplan selection indexes – a simple solution to a complex problem
43 - Can I performance record crossbred cows.
44 - I'm a commercial breeder - should I be in Breedplan

34 : What are these environmental effects that Breedplan refers to

These are the range of things that influence the way cattle look and perform, but which are not inherited by their progeny. They are the man-made or chance events that influence our judgement when we compare cattle, but have no bearing on the value of the animal as a future parent. These factors include..

• differences in age between calves
• differences in age of the calf's dam - this effect can influence the post-weaning eight of a calf until it is almost 24 months of age
• differences in feeding, whether they be paddock differences or supplements
• differences in seasonal conditions between years and between properties
• differences in the feed quality between different properties
• preferential parasite control and trace mineral supplementation
• differences in gut-fill between animals at weighing time
• health problems such as pink eye, scours, or the dam having 3 day sickness

If we are to make valid and fair comparisons about the differences we observe between animals, environmental differences that effect those differences need to be recorded and accounted for. Breedplan makes adjustments for these effects.  

35 : How does Breedplan allow for variation between seasons/years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

The comparison of EBVs for animals born in different seasons and different years is achieved by comparing the performance of similarly bred calves in those other seasons or years. This is termed linkage.

Each animal is initially compared only with animals of the same sex born within a limited calving spread and reared under the same conditions. It is then compared to other linked groups. A calf that is 25 kg heavier as a yearling than its group average of 250 kg in a poor season will get the same credit as another calf that is 30 kg heavier than a group average of 300 kg in a good season.  

36 : Can I record ET calves reared on recipient cows . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

Yes, but if the performance of the ET calf's natural dam has not been previously recorded, Breedplan will make a very conservative estimate of the EBV. If you want accurate information on ET calves you should use recipient dams that have already had several calves recorded on Breedplan. Preferably, use recipient dams of the same breed as the donor cow.  

37 : Does Breedplan make allowance for structural soundness & conformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top  

It doesn't! Breedplan can only estimate traits that can be accurately and repeatedly measured.

Important traits such as structural soundness, eye placement etc need to be subjectively evaluated independently of Breedplan EBVs and adjudged accordingly. It is possible to have an animal that has very high EBVs and yet be unsound - such an animal is not useful to breeding program regardless of its EBVs and should be avoided.  

38 : Can Breedplan evaluate "doing ability" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

Yes, indirectly. High performing animals are those that can best handle the environment in which they produce. As long as they are maintaining a regular reproductive pattern, the animals with the higher EBVs will be the better "doers" under your environment.

If your highest "performing" cows have difficulty getting back in calf then nature is giving you a signal that their "performance" is too high for your production situation and they are not suitable for your breeding program. Record "bull in" date and Breedplan can evaluate this information across the daughters of a sire and estimate a days to calving EBV.  

39 : On which trait should I place most emphasis . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

The trait on which breeders place most emphasis depends on their production goals and the current strengths and weaknesses of their herds. Bull breeders' production goals should largely be determined by the production goals of their potential clients.

For example, a breeder selling bulls to breeders of heavy steers would probably place considerable emphasis on 600-Day weight EBVs. A breeder selling to self-replacing vealer herds would place emphasis on days-to-calving (when available), 200-Day milk EBV and the 400Day growth EBV which incorporates milking ability and early growth. Milk would not be of interest to a terminal sire buyer.  

40 : Should I select for the highest EBVs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

Not necessarily, your selection pressure will depend upon your environment, your herd improvement goals, and the market you are aiming for. Different traits will assume different importance under different circumstances, but improving growth, as long as it not at the expense of fertility, is sound economic sense.  

Successful breeding results from applying selection for a balance of economically important traits therefore it is usually better to select animals that fall within an acceptable range for a number of traits rather than select the best for only a single trait.

Field evidence would suggest that there is an optimum level foe Milk within different environments, beyond which fertility may be compromised in a tough season.  

41 : How much emphasis should I place on EBVs when selecting bulls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

A logical procedure for selecting bulls is:

Firstly, select those bulls that fall within you minimum/maximum EBV range for your target traits, then disregard any that don't meet minimum requirements for functional and/or market traits, for example,

• those below a minimum scrotal circumference, say 36 cm at 20 months
• those bulls that have unacceptable structure , conformation and temperament
• those bulls outside the muscle type I want
• those bulls who are too early or too late maturing for the type of market that I'm aiming for

A number of Breed Societies now provide a web based Animal Inquiry facility that allows you to sort their pedigree/performance databases. You define the acceptable limits for EBVs and/or indexes as well as sorting on a range of geographical, time and pedigree constraints. The program will give you a print out of animals that meet your specific sort criteria.

Click here to link to the Angus Animal enquiry database.

42 : Breedplan selection Indexes – a simple solution to a complex problem

Click here to go to the Understanding $Index Values page for more information.

43 : Can Breedplan analyse performance records from crossbred animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go to Top

Breedplan software has the capability to analyse data from crossbred animals, as yet there is insufficient field data available to accurately account for the effect of hybrid vigour on the performance of progeny from crossbred cows.

A MLA funded research program is facilitating the development of a multi-breed database which allows adjustment factors for certain breed cross combinations to be estimated.

44 : I'm a commercial breeder, should I be in Breedplan . . . . . . Go to Top

The benefit of Breedplan to commercial breeders is less clear than it is for seedstock breeders, as some of the recording procedures that are an integral part of a stud operation would require additional work and commitment for commercial breeders.

Extensive commercial operations and herds in difficult terrain would have problems in meeting the animal identification and birth date recording requirements of Breedplan. These herds can still directly benefit from Group Breedplan, by using Group EBVs as a method of comparing the genetic merit of sire replacements.

More intensively run commercial herds may well benefit by direct involvement in Breedplan, and in fact many herds are, if not for the entire herd then for a nucleus herd from which they breed their replacement stock. If these herds can handle at least one AI program to provide links to Group Breedplan herds, then they can clearly identify the relative genetic merit of their herd to the breed benchmark, and identify sires that will give the desired rate of improvement.