Arnold Ziffle
Well-known member
Over time, quite a few posters have made references to genetic improvement in their breed, the practice of keeping heifers out of heifers since they should be representative of the latest and best genetics, the apparent lack of genetic improvements in some breeds, etc. I have absolutely no quarrel with those beliefs, notions or concepts.
But I don’t have readily available access to all the information that you seedstock raisers have from your respective breed organizations, so I wonder if some of you would care to comment or share some info. I’m curious about just how much genetic improvement really has been made in the last 25 years or so, of the sort that can be expressed tangibly. I understand that Hereford, red and black Angus all have a different year for establishing Zero for their EPDs (and probably Limo, Simmi, and others as well). But for example, I wonder how much have the breed averages improved, say in 5-year intervals, for weaning weight and yearling weight in each of those breeds. And I realize that not all genetic improvements can be expressed in terms of WW and YW --- does anybody care to comment on other improvements in their breed over those time periods that can be readily measured, for things like breed average IMF, REA, calving ease, etc.
I’m one of those many little operators that culls a few cows here and there, but if a cow regularly raises a “good” calf that I’m satisfied with I’m happy to keep her --- but I do buy new bulls more frequently. These genetic improvement issues are interesting to me, since I have not really studied the sort of genetic improvements that might be occurring in purebred operations and I wonder if I’m really falling too far behind the curve by not changing the cow herd out more frequently. Or is the tangible and measurable genetic improvement that is ongoing more subtle and subdued than all the talk would lead one to believe?
But I don’t have readily available access to all the information that you seedstock raisers have from your respective breed organizations, so I wonder if some of you would care to comment or share some info. I’m curious about just how much genetic improvement really has been made in the last 25 years or so, of the sort that can be expressed tangibly. I understand that Hereford, red and black Angus all have a different year for establishing Zero for their EPDs (and probably Limo, Simmi, and others as well). But for example, I wonder how much have the breed averages improved, say in 5-year intervals, for weaning weight and yearling weight in each of those breeds. And I realize that not all genetic improvements can be expressed in terms of WW and YW --- does anybody care to comment on other improvements in their breed over those time periods that can be readily measured, for things like breed average IMF, REA, calving ease, etc.
I’m one of those many little operators that culls a few cows here and there, but if a cow regularly raises a “good” calf that I’m satisfied with I’m happy to keep her --- but I do buy new bulls more frequently. These genetic improvement issues are interesting to me, since I have not really studied the sort of genetic improvements that might be occurring in purebred operations and I wonder if I’m really falling too far behind the curve by not changing the cow herd out more frequently. Or is the tangible and measurable genetic improvement that is ongoing more subtle and subdued than all the talk would lead one to believe?