projects : technical : performance recording
download EBV Users Guide July 2008 
Performance Recording – Annual Report 2007
In
2005 this report identified that bull sales from Perth and Carlisle
grossed over £1.75 million, highlighting the strength and scale
of the Limousin breeding industry. In 2007, this figure has risen to
over £3 million, demonstrating buyers’ increasing commitment
and a new demand for the breed in times that are considerably more
difficult for suckler herds than even just three years ago.
This should
therefore give some comfort that the product is good. Despite the difficult
operating conditions, buyers are returning, new buyers are coming on
board and sales are increasing. Sale evidence continues to identify
too, that recorded bulls are keenly sought after, with a continuing
strong relationship between price and Beef Value (Table 1).
Table 1: Carlisle Autumn Bull Sale Results
| Beef Value |
No Sold |
Average Price (gns) |
| Top 1% |
18 |
8567 |
| Top 10% |
35 |
3831 |
| Top 25% |
21 |
3743 |
| Average |
6 |
3600 |
| Below Average |
6 |
2333 |
| Non-Recorded |
23 |
2900 |
The average price increases as Beef Value increases with a
significant premium paid for bulls in the Top 1%
Non-recorded bulls
sold at an average price less than those with just average Beef Values.
It would be easy for all to sit on these
laurels, but there is a proverb that says ‘if we don’t
change, we don’t grow’ and
2007 has seen a year of significant change brought about by Signet
and the Society working together to enhance future performance recording
for breeders and their buyers.
NEW DATABASE
The Society’s new pedigree database allows all Signet performance
data to be entered alongside the pedigree records of each individual
animal. This means that pedigree and performance records are now held
on one file (rather than two) leading to a much more accurate BLUP
analysis than previously with many more animal records successfully
linking in to it.
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| New Pen Card |
NEW PEN CARDS
At some of the breed sales this year we trialled a new design of pen
card illustrating the Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) in the form
of a bar chart (diagram 1). Support from breeders and buyers has been
strong and, as a result, this will now become the standard form of
presentation at all breed sales.
NEW MATERNAL EBVS AND INDEXES
These new EBVs and Indexes have been developed from trial data collected
from commercial and pedigree herds in the UK over a period of several
years and are unique in this respect. They specifically target producers
wishing to select bulls to breed suckler replacements:
New EBVs
Calving Interval (days)
Age at First Calving (%)
Longevity (years)
Maternal Calving Ease (%)
Data is also being collated from breeders to produce EBVs for other ‘functional’ traits
such as Udder and Teat Shape, Cow Weight and Scrotal Circumference.
Once sufficient data banks have been built up, these EBVs can be developed.
New
Indexes
With these new maternal EBVs has come a new Maternal Value Index. Incorporating
the four new EBVs above as well as the existing 200-Day Milk EBV, this
index identifies the overall economic value of an animal’s ability
to produce breeding females.
Two further Indexes have also been developed
and will be released when the new Cow Weight EBV referred to above
can be published. They are a) Maintenance Value (the economic cost
of cow size) and b) Maternal Production Value (incorporating the Maternal
Value Index, the Maintenance Value Index and the existing Calving Value
and Beef Value Indexes to predict the overall economic value of an
animal in terms of its genetic merit to produce female replacements
for breeding AND males for finishing).
NEW
DOCILITY EBV
There is evidence that buyers of all breeds would like to place much
more emphasis on selecting for animal temperament than they can at
the moment and this is almost a direct result of less time and labour
available on farms to handle stock. Forms have recently been released
asking breeders to start collecting temperament scores on animals aged
between 350-500 days using a scale based on their behaviour in the
crush. This will start collection of a bank of data that will be analysed
to produce the eventual EBV. How quickly this happens will depend on
breeder support and the quantity of data received to carry out its
development.
NEW COMMERCIAL DATA
An independent study completed this year by Harper Adams University
College (on behalf of EBLEX and Genus) identified that dairy-bred calves
sired by a Limousin bull with a Beef Value in the Top 1% of the breed
were worth over £45/head more than calves sired by a bull with
a Beef Value in the Bottom 1%. In addition, calving performance was
as predicted from the sire’s calving EBVs.
Performance recording
works and 327 herds are currently involved in the scheme. Breeders
that do not record their herds should have the confidence to do so.
Simply because an animal is currently non-recorded does not mean it
will have ‘poor figures’ and there is
a risk that some high performers will fail to be identified and their
true value realised just because the information is not available.
AND
FINALLY…
The Limousin breed dominates the market in terms of its prevalence
in commercial herds (source: BCMS). The breed will undoubtedly change
as commercial producers’ objectives change and performance recording
has an important role to play within that. Indeed, for the 327 herds
that currently record, the process has started already; whilst some
of the new EBVs above may be regarded by some as folly, their advent
has been driven by the decoupling of subsidy and producers’ shift
in demand for ‘functionality traits’ as well as the more
traditional ‘production traits’. If we don’t change,
we don’t grow.
download Genetic Trends (.xls file)
download EBV Users Guide July 2008
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