Angus Genetics, Inc. (AGI), a subsidiary of the American Angus Association, has been very busy. They have led the industry in producing genetic predictions for a number of functional traits including foot angle and foot claw set, hair shedding, pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and docility.
They are now expanding their World Angus Evaluation tool, with longtime partner Canada Angus Association, as well as the Angus Australia now coming on board. AGI is also coming out with a new research EPD for Functional Longevity (FL). This will measure the differences in Angus seedstock in the predicted number of calves a cow will have through age 6.
The World Angus Evaluation will incorporate data from both Angus Australia and Canadian Angus into the weekly analysis of genetic predictions. However, while Australia Angus’ database will be updated biweekly, the Canadian data will be updated on a monthly basis. Despite only updating the Canadian data monthly, the cattle’s EPDs still can change through additional information, such as U.S. calves that are progeny reported on a Canadian sire.
Kelli Retallick-Riley, president of AGI, sees some major advantages to the international evaluation. First and foremost, it serves as a free trade agreement where producers can compare an animal’s specifications between countries on an apples-to-apples basis. She is also thrilled by the very large number of foot scores the Australians have collected. This more than doubled the number of observations available when they launched an international evaluation for foot conformation in 2020. Australia will also be increasing the number of sired-identified carcasses in the database by about 6%, with much of it being from structured progeny tests comparing U.S. and Australian sires.
The traits in the World Angus Evaluation will be foot score, birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, milk, calving ease direct, calving ease maternal, carcass weight, ribeye area, marbling and back fat. Retallick-Riley is excited about this step forward in producing an international Angus genetic evaluation and can see this expanding in the future to other traits and possibly other countries.
The biggest buzz has been around the upcoming release of the Research EPD for FL. It will be a genomically enhanced EPD from AGI’s single-step relationship model. Specifically, it will use the random regression model the other breeds have adopted to calculate Stayability—the same model, just expressed in predicted number of calves instead of a probability. This is the only somewhat disappointing aspect, as this difference will prevent the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center from developing base adjustments for the trait in the annual release of across-breed EPD adjustments.
The literature has shown that six is the proper number of years to express the EPD. However, because it is a regression equation, it can be run out for any length of time—8, 10, 12 years—and still be expressed at six. However, it is important that producers understand that the older a cow gets, the amount of information contributing to the genetic prediction declines significantly. This is because the heritability declines each year, as does contemporary group size, until after a certain age, there is no real additional information being added to the accuracy of the prediction.
Initially, only people enrolled in the Angus Herd Improvement Records Inventory Reporting Program will be able to see the FL research EPDs on their cow herd. In addition, a list of AI sires with 0.45 accuracy or higher for the trait will be released to the membership
Many people think that heifer pregnancy and predictions like Stayability and FL are either highly correlated or are basically the same trait. However, although there is a genetic correlation, other breeds have found it disappointingly low. They are different traits, and many people confuse the generally high environmental correlation between the traits as genetic. Environmental correlations add no information to a genetic prediction.
Retallick-Riley emphasized: “It is imperative to understand that we will take the next several months to hear feedback from the membership and industry to continue to make this tool the best it can be. To do that, members involved in Inventory Reporting who have access to FL research EPDs on their individual females, as well as all members with access to the sire list, are encouraged to submit feedback.”
She continued, “For producers wanting to gain visibility to FL research EPDs on their own herd, they need to enroll in Inventory Reporting to do so. The next enrollment period opens on Nov. 1. Together we may find details that need to be critiqued and updates to the FL EPD may be warranted between now and when this trait moves into the final production stage. Currently, the final production stage is slated for June 2024 during the annual updates to the genetic evaluation.”
It is an exciting time at the American Angus Association, and the work being done at Angus Genetics, Inc. With fertility being the most economically relevant trait, Angus adding a genetic prediction for FL is a highly positive addition to the breed’s genetic prediction arsenal. Angus’ clear lead in describing functional traits is to the benefit of their membership and their commercial customers, and the World Angus Evaluation holds the promise of opening new international markets for Angus genetics. — Dr. Bob Hough, WLJ correspondent
