1. Jared E. Decker DeckerJE@missouri.edu http://steakgenomics.blogspot.com 1

2. 2

4.  Have a Plan  Use economic selection indexes  Use genomic-enhanced EPDs 4

5. If you were driving from Brooksville, Florida to Miles City, Montana? 5

6. 6

7. 7

8. 8

9.  Identify the marketing endpoint for your operation  Do you sell cattle at weaning?  Do you retain ownership through the feedlot?  Do you sell to a specialty market? 9

10.  Are you going to crossbreed or straightbreed?  If you crossbreed, which breeds will you use?  Must have a plan! 10

11.  What economically relevant traits influence your bottom line?  Take an inventory of your herd  Which traits need improvement? 11

12.  Why would I want to develop a plan (a.k.a. breeding objective)?  Focus selection decisions on our economic well being  Make selection decisions more accurately and consistently  Simplifies evaluation of candidates for selection Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

13. Expense Income Number of calves Weight of calves Body composition Product quality Number of cull cows Weight of cull cows Nutrients required Number of replacements Interventions Medical care Genetic load Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

14. ExpenseIncome Number of calves Weight of calves Body composition Product quality Number of cull cows Weight of cull cows Nutrients required Number of replacements Interventions Medical care Genetic load Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

15.  Number of calves  Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving ease  Weight of calves  Weaning weight, yearling weight, carcass weight  Body composition  Yield grade (carcass weight, fat depth, ribeye area)  Product quality  Marbling score  Tenderness  Number of cull cows  Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving ease  Weight of cull cows  Mature weight Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

16.  Nutrients required  Mature weight, weaning weight maternal (milk), feed intake  Number of replacements  Heifer pregnancy, sustained reproductive success, stayability, calving ease  Interventions  Calving ease, docility, udder quality, ?  Medical care  No EPDs currently available, under development  Genetic Load Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

17.  That is a lot of EPD to consider at one time – genetic improvement would be faster if I considered few traits, right?  That depends on how you define “genetic improvement”: the individual traits would change more quickly by considering fewer of them, but the increase in genetic potential for profit would be slower. Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

18. How do I keep all the economically relevant traits in balance and moving in the right direction? Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

19. USE INDEXES!!! Courtesy of Michael MacNeil

20.  Combination of EPDs weighted according to their economic importance  Expressed as a dollar value  Breeds have different indexes  Different indexes for different marketing endpoints 20

21.  Can sort by any of the $Indexes  When would we want to use $Beef index?  Can put restrictions on other traits as well 21

22. 22

23. 23

24.  Humans have certain advantages  Computers have other advantages  Computers are really good at analyzing large amounts of data!  Use them! 24

25. CEWWYMMilkMWSCFATREAMARB BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD5.05989211020.9-0.0120.43-0.0519181527 25 CEWWYMMilkMWSCFATREAMARB BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD5.070110201061.0-0.0210.58-0.1520181432 Bull A: Bull B:

26. BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD19181527 Rank25%15%45%15% 26 BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD20181432 Rank15% 60%5% Bull A: Bull B: BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index CEZ$: Calving Easy Index BII$: Brahman Influence Index CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index

27. BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD19181527 Rank25%15%45%15% 27 BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD20181432 Rank15% 60%5% Bull A: Bull B: BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index CEZ$: Calving Easy Index BII$: Brahman Influence Index CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index Keeping replacement females

28. BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD19181527 Rank25%15%45%15% 28 BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD20181432 Rank15% 60%3% Bull A: Bull B: BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index CEZ$: Calving Easy Index BII$: Brahman Influence Index CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index Retaining ownership in feedlot

29. BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD19181527 Rank25%15%45%15% 29 BMI $ CEZ $ BII $ CHB $ EPD20181432 Rank15% 60%3% Bull A: Bull B: BMI$: Baldy Maternal Index CEZ$: Calving Easy Index BII$: Brahman Influence Index CHB$: Certified Hereford Beef Index Answer: They are the same bull!

30.  Provide more accurate estimates for young animals  Reduce risk  Help manage inventory and make selection decisions  Identify differences between full siblings 30

31.  Economic indexes simplify and improve selection decisions  Genomic-enhanced EPDs work and provide more information for young animals 31

32. Thank You! Questions? 32 http://steakgenomics.blogspot.com