32 NQR | FUTURE BEEF NORTHERN MUSTER 29 August 2013 futurebeef.com.au

WITH spring bull sales fast approaching, now is thetime for producers to assess their production goals,evaluate their herd and identify which genetics willmove their business forward.

Christian Duff from the Tropical and Southern BeefTechnology Services said bulls bought this year wouldhave a long-term influence on a cattle producer’sbottom line.

“If you approach bull buying as an opportunity totake the herd forward through genetic improvement,you will put the business in a stronger position tocombat the cost-price squeeze and gain productivityand profitability,” Christian said.

“Whether you breed Brahmans in the NorthernTerritory for the export steer market, or Herefords inVictoria for domestic trade, industry resources such asBreedplan Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs)and selection indexes provide you with powerfulinformation.”

Christian compared the genetic variation acrossmoney-making traits between 2011-drop bulls in thetop and bottom 10 percent of their breed (based onEBV and index percentile bands).

“Bulls from the top 10pc of Herefords for weighttraits will have progeny that could weigh significantlymore at 200, 400 and 600 days (7.5kg, 12kg and 18kgheavier on average), compared to the progeny of bullsat the bottom 10pc of the breed,” he said.

“The top selection indexing bulls could also returnmore in different production systems, potentiallyearning an additional $18.50 per cow joined forsupermarket production systems, $20 for grassfedsteer, $22.50 for grainfed steer and $22 for EUsystems.

“Progeny from Brahman bulls in the top 10pc ofbreed for the weight traits could, on average, be 8kg,11kg and 20.5kg heavier at 200, 400 and 600 daysrespectively.

“The top 10pc for fertility traits could potentiallyproduce daughters that have higher conception ratesand calve earlier, and the top indexing bulls will returnon average $15 more per cow joined for Japan oxproduction systems and $12.50 more for live exportsystems.”

SELECTING THE RIGHT BULL FOR THE JOBChristian suggested evaluating all the genetic

information available from cattle breed societies andindividual seedstock producers (pedigrees, EBVs andselection indexes are available online or on-the-gowith the INSolutions app), incorporating your cattle-assessment skills and aligning with a progressive bullbreeder.

“If you buy a tractor, you expect the machinerydealer to be knowledgeable about the vehicle’sfeatures. Similarly, your seedstock producer should beable to explain the information they provide on theirbulls, so you can identify bulls with high genetic meritto suit your production system,” he said.

Market information and on-farm production meas-

ures can also refine your genetic shopping list.“Use processor feedback to identify the traits to

invest in, such as weight for age or fat cover, so yourcattle can better meet market specifications,” Christiansaid.

“Regularly and objectively measure your on-farmproduction points such as weaning percentages andpercentage of unassisted calves. If an area is identifiedthat can be improved to lift profitability, there is a goodchance that genetics through selecting the right bullscan help.”

REGIONAL FOCUSCommercial producers can select from a wide

menu of traits when buying bulls: weight, calving ease,docility, fertility, and the list goes on.

The combination of traits that will deliver optimumresults varies across production systems, with produ-cers in different regions emphasising specific traits.

“Female reproduction is an important profit driveracross all regions; however, it is particularly critical inthe northern production system,” Christian said.

“Northern producers should select bulls that willgenetically produce more fertile daughters throughshorter days to calving EBVs.”

Southern producers tend to put more weighting oncalving ease, both direct and in daughters, becauseheifers across this region are usually expected to calvedown as two-year-olds (up to a year younger than inthe north).

Temperament is high on genetic shopping lists forall producers as, when combined with the rightmanagement, it benefits worker safety, animal welfare,feedlot performance and meat quality.

“Beef breeds favoured in southern Australia, suchas Limousins and Angus, are publishing EBVs fordocility, which is a heritable genetic trait,” Christiansaid. “In the north, herds tend to use the objectivemeasurement of docility, being flight time.”

Different markets also affect regional selections.Some southern production systems might put a higherweighting on the marbling trait (intramuscular fat EBV)in bull selection, whereas it may be a trait of lowerimportance for tropical breeds.

Looking ahead, Christian said taking advantage ofgenetic variation for feed efficiency in the grazing herdwas still the ‘holy grail’ for most production systems,as feed intake in the cow herd was a significantenterprise cost.

Breedplan produces trial net feed intake EBVs forseveral breeds that describe genetic variation in feed

efficiency in young cattle and in steers in the feedlotsituation. Ongoing research for Breedplan is aiming toproduce EBVs that specifically target genetic variationin cow-feed efficiency.

GOING SHOPPING? A checklist for bull buyers:

● Select the right breed for your enterprise and identifybull breeders whose management systems and objec-tives align with yours.● Choose the selection index within your breed ofchoice that is most relevant to your production system– but still consider EBV traits you want to improve inyour herd.● Use this information to identify and rank bulls. Yourbudget and bidding competition will influence yourpurchases, so producing a relatively broad list of bullsis essential.● While doing your homework, take into accountadditional information such as pedigree (for geneticdiversity), genetic condition/defect status andhorn/poll status.● In conjunction with this information, when at thesale, make visual assessments of your target bulls forgeneral structure and temperament. ● Home in on other objective tools such as bullbreeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) results. Thismay be available before the sale.● Bought some bulls? Ensure your investmentsremain functional. Consider conducting a BBSEannually to ensure your sires can perform for theupcoming joining season and pass on their high-meritgenetics.● Reassess your bull team each year and identify siresthat need to be replaced. Keeping a bull for longerreduces the cost per calf, but you might miss out ongenetic progress from younger bulls of higher geneticmerit.

Download MLA’s Tips and Tools: Buying betterbulls at www.mla.com.au/bullsChristian Duff, (02) 6773 2472, christian.duff@abri.une.edu.au, www.tbts.une.edu.au

You will put thebusiness in a

stronger position tocombat the cost-price squeeze andgain productivityand profitability.

‘ ’

Moving herds ahead with genetic improvement

Bull selection season looms

LEFT: Female reproduction is an important profit driveracross all regions.

ABOVE: Producers line up to examining semen motilityunder a microscope as part of a BBSE on a herd bull.

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