Angus Sire Benchmarking Program – Autumn Update
An updated progeny performance report for Cohort 12 was published in January. This report included important carcass traits from the steer progeny processed in the second half of 2024. The final report, which will include the DTC trait, will be published in the 2nd quarter of 2025.
The last of the Cohort 13 steer Progeny are finishing their feed intake trial and methane testing at the Tullimba Research feedlot. The data from the feed intake trial provides important information that informs the reference population for the NFI-F trait published in TACE, as well as the Daily Feed Intake (DFI) trait published for steers genotyped with SteerSELECT. Once the steers have finished their trials, they will be sent to Rangers Valley Feedlot to take them out to 270 days on feed before processing.
Meanwhile, their sisters have finished a natural joining at their respective cooperator herds and are now being preg tested and structurally assessed. These heifers provide nearly 100% of the data that feeds into the Days to Calving (DTC) trait published in TACE and the Heifer Conception trait published in HeiferSELECT. An updated Cohort 13 Progeny Performance Report including scan, structure and Net Feed Intake will be published and available in the 2nd quarter of 2025.
Cohort 14 progeny are being weaned during March and April. We collect DNA samples, weaning weights, crush docility scores, flight time, faecal samples for worm egg counts and pinkeye scores where outbreaks occur shortly before or during weaning. Additionally, in collaboration with CSIRO we perform immune competence testing on approximately 500 progeny each year to inform the ImmuneDEX breeding trait. This involves two phenotypes; an antibody-mediated immune response, and a cell-mediated immune response.
Lastly, we are in the middle of preg testing the cooperator cow herds that underwent fixed time artificial insemination to produce the progeny of the Cohort 15 sires. So far, we have had some great results, with some herds pushing their AI conception well above 60%. If you have any ASBP related questions, please contact liam.mowbray@angusaustralia.com.au.
– Dr Liam A. Mowbray Research & Development Specialist
