EBLEX Better Returns Programme

Material produced for EBLEX Beef BRP

by Signet Breeding Services

Genetic Improvement of Beef Cattle in the UK

Presentation Outline

Background

Importance of Performance Recording

Using EBVs and Indexes

Results of using EBVs and Indexes

Summary

Genetic Improvement - Historical Perspective

Natural selection + deliberate animal breeding = great variety of breeds in the UK

‘Master breeders’ e.g.

Robert Bakewell (1725 - 95)Shire horses, Longhorn cattle and Leicester sheep

“Prize Livestock at Dishley Grange”Thomas Weaver 1802

Assessing performance

?

Selection of the best animals within a pure breed

Only a small proportion of the beef cattle population of Britain are purebred but they are pivotal in the success of any breed substitution or cross-breeding programmes (the methods just explained) and therefore vital for the genetic improvement of beef cattle in the UK

Within-Breed Selection

Performance Recording

Performance Recording

The analysis of physical performance records of individual animals

Results then used to assist decisions when selecting breeding stock

The major difficulty to overcome:

How much of an animal’s performance is due to it’s genes and how much is because of the environment in which it is reared, managed etc?

Performance recording

Birth & Rearing Type

Age of Animal

Age of Dam

Inherited Genetic Potential

Health

Year / Season

Farm factors

eg mineral status

Nutrition

Performance recording

Performance recording

Which is the best bull?

….it is the same animal but on a very different

amount of feeding!

Why is this important?

Selection ‘by eye’ can lead to the wrong breeding decisions.

Environment can mask poor performance Not all traits are visible e.g. gestation length etc

Selecting for one trait can be to the detriment of another e.g. increased muscling and calving ease. A method of monitoring change is therefore required.

The effects of breeding decisions can last in the herd for a very long time

Performance recording

BLUP: Best Linear Unbiased Predictor

statistical procedure used in the UK dairy industry since early 1970s

disentangles genetic and non-genetic effects on performance

genetic links between herds required for across herd analysis (AI)

compares related animals with their contemporaries across many different herds using related animals as a benchmark

Performance recording – BLUP

HERD 2

HERD 3

HERD 1

Within

Across

Across

‘individual animal model’ used: for each animal its own performance records are used as well those of its relatives

data on all performance traits analysed simultaneously taking into account correlations between traits and the heritability of the traits

Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) produced for each animal for each trait – these are the estimates of the genetic worth of the animal

Performance recording – BLUP

EBVs

BLUP

Trait Heritabilities

Trait Correlations

INDEXES

Pedigree information

Performance records

How do we assess performance?

Service Providers

‘Beefbreeder’ delivered by Signet

‘Breedplan’ delivered by Pedigree Cattle Services Ltd

Breeds use one service or the other Although the information provided by the two systems

may differ in some respects, the approach and methods they use are similar.

Beef Performance Recording

Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs)

Terminal Sire EBVs

Gestation Length (days)

Calving Ease Direct %

Birth Weight (kg)

200 Day Growth (kg)

400 Day Growth (kg)

(600 Day Growth (kg))

(Carcase Weight (kg))

Muscle Score (points)

Muscle Depth (mm)

Fat Depth (mm)

(Eye Muscle Area (cm2))

(Rib Fat (mm))

(Intramuscular fat (%)

(Retail Beef Yield (%))

Easier calving

Efficient growth

Saleable meatLean meat yield

Maternal EBVs

200 Day Milk (kg)

Longevity (years)

Udder Score (points)

Teat Score (points)

Age at First Calving (%)

Calving Interval (days)

Maternal Calving Ease

(Calving Ease (Daughters))

Cow Weight (kg)

Scrotal Circumference (cm)

Docility (t.b.a)

Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs)

Beef Value

Ranks animals on the expected financial merit of the offspring’s carcases

Gestation Length (days)

Calving Ease Direct %

Birth Weight (kg)

200 Day Growth (kg)

400 Day Growth (kg)

(600 Day Growth (kg))

(Carcase Weight (kg))

Muscle Score (points)

Muscle Depth (mm)

Fat Depth (mm)

(Eye Muscle Area (cm2))

(Rib Fat (mm))

(Intramuscular fat (%)

(Retail Beef Yield (%))

Signet (Beefbreeder) Index

Terminal Sire Index

The economic value of an animal to produce prime steers and heifers for beef production.

Gestation Length (days)

Calving Ease Direct %

Birth Weight (kg)

200 Day Growth (kg)

400 Day Growth (kg)

(600 Day Growth (kg))

(Carcase Weight (kg))

Muscle Score (points)

Muscle Depth (mm)

Fat Depth (mm)

(Eye Muscle Area (cm2))

(Rib Fat (mm))

(Intramuscular fat (%)

(Retail Beef Yield (%))

ABRI (Breedplan) Index

Calving Value

To improve financial returns by reducing costs associated with extended gestation lengths and difficult calvings

Gestation Length (days)

Calving Ease Direct %

Birth Weight (kg)

200 Day Growth (kg)

400 Day Growth (kg)

(600 Day Growth (kg))

(Carcase Weight (kg))

Muscle Score (points)

Muscle Depth (mm)

Fat Depth (mm)

(Eye Muscle Area (cm2))

(Rib Fat (mm))

(Intramuscular fat (%)

(Retail Beef Yield (%))

Signet (Beefbreeder) Index

Analysis

Date:29/11/2006

Calving Value

200 Day Milk

(kg)

200 Day Growth

(kg)

400 Day Growth

(kg)

Muscle Depth (mm)

Fat Depth (mm)

Beef Value

EBV 2C + 1 + 20 + 32 + 4.8 - 0.2 26Accuracy

%85 45 82 85 78 75 81

EBLEX FREDBorn: 25/06/05

Sire

WINTERHILL BOB

Dam

BRADWELL LIZ

100 Day Wt. 200 Day Wt. 300 Day Wt. 400 Day Wt. 500 Day Wt. Scanned

172 308 486 672 812 Yes

Accuracy… Indicates the amount of data used to calculate the EBV / Index Expressed as a % Influence by the following…

Whether the animal has been measured for the trait Whether relatives have been measured for the trait How heritable the trait is (since all are different) The amount of information on correlated traits both from the

animal itself and its relatives The number of contemporaries recorded

Is a measure of RISK

Accuracy Values

Accuracy Values

Analysis

Date:29/11/2006

Calving Value

200 Day Milk

(kg)

200 Day Growth

(kg)

400 Day Growth

(kg)

Muscle Depth (mm)

Fat Depth (mm)

Beef Value

EBV 2C + 1 + 20 + 32 + 4.8 - 0.2 26Accuracy

%85 45 82 85 78 75 81

EBLEX FREDBorn: 25/06/05

Sire

WINTERHILL BOB

Dam

BRADWELL LIZ

100 Day Wt. 200 Day Wt. 300 Day Wt. 400 Day Wt. 500 Day Wt. Scanned

172 308 486 672 812 Yes

So, how good is 32kg for 400 Day

Growth?

And is a +ve or a -ve EBV a good or a

bad thing?

Trait Bottom 10% Bottom 25% Breed Avg Top 25% Top 10%

Calving Value -1C 0C 1C 2C 3C200 Day Milk (kgs) -3 -2 0 1 3200 Day Growth (kgs) 0 5 12 18 24400 Day Growth (kgs) 0 10 21 31 41Muscle Depth (mm) -0.1 0.5 1.3 2.1 3Fat Depth (mm) 0.1 0 -0.1 -0.2 -0.3Beef Value 6 11 16 20 24

How to Use EBVs & Indexes

Why use EBVs?

Real Farm Example:– Marmaduke Beef Value Top 10%– Neptune Beef Value Below Average

Result:– The Marmaduke advantage:

• Bull calves 15kg heavier and finished 17 days earlier• Heifer calves 9kg heavier and finished 30 days earlier• Plus improved conformation in both cases• Worth on average extra £50/calf

Why use EBVs? Real Farm Example:

– Marmaduke Calving Value Bottom 5%– Neptune Calving Value Top 10%

Result:– The Marmaduke disadvantage:

• 17% more difficult calvings• 2.25% more caesareans• 4% more calf deaths• Cost an extra £10/cow mated (on average)

Conclusions:

1). EBVs are a good predictor of performance

2). Remember to check all the traits when selecting a bull

Industry evidence – (Perth Sales February 08)

TOP 1% bulls on Beef Value 9 sold to average £8120

TOP 10% bulls on Beef Value 26 sold to average £4248

TOP 25% bulls on Beef Value 22 sold to average £3107

AVERAGE bulls Beef Value 14 sold to average £3000

Producers are using EBVs to select stock bulls

Selection conventionally based on effects of genes rather than on genes themselves

New molecular techniques allow genes and ‘markers’ to be identified on the chromosomeUseful for traits that… Have low heritability Are difficult / expensive to measure e.g. disease resistance Can not be measured until the next generation Are not routinely measured e.g. meat tenderness Are phenotypically but not genetically correlated with a trait you do not want to increase e.g. marbling and back fat

New Breeding Technologies

Three main methods of genetic improvement of beef cattle in UK Breed substitution Cross breeding (exploiting hybrid vigour) Within-breed selection (perf. recording)

Performance cannot be judged by eye alone

EBVs and Indexes are the best indicators of breeding potential

EBVs and Indexes are easy to use and their commercial value is well proven

Breeding Summary

Further information

www.eblex.org.uk

Material produced for EBLEX Better Returns Programme by Signet

© Signet 2009

For further information contact:

www.signetfbc.co.uk