Using an EPD versus an animal’s phenotype is an ongoing debate among cattlemen. The question really boils down to whether the animal’s actual performance or the performance of its offspring is your primary interest.

Utilizing omega-6 fatty acids as a management strategy to mitigate early embryonic loss, a major cause of reproductive and economic losses to the U.S. beef industry, is the focus of a new project led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research researchers.

Known as the “six essentials,” selection for these traits can improve profitability of any herd, of any breed, in any location: disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, hardiness and milk production.

Sire overconditioning is a prevalent issue in the beef industry. While “fat sells” when it comes to selling bulls, research has shown that excessive conditioning can negatively affect semen quality.

Assisted reproductive techniques have revolutionized the field of animal breeding, as these techniques allow practitioners and scientists the ability to perpetuate the genetics of superior animals; cryopreserve genetic materials such as embryos, oocytes and sperm; allow shipping and transport of genetic material globally; enable selection and control of the sex ratio; and facilitate cloning and stem cell research.

Crossbreeding isn’t a new technology. We’ve known about it and have been doing it for ages. Yet, crossbreeding remains a severely underutilized tool industrywide, with less than 50% of commercial operations using it meaningfully.

The University of Nebraska – Lincoln and South Dakota State University are spearheading the Great Plains Heifer Development Program to help beef producers optimize heifer development and reproductive efficiency. The program will make its home at the Haskell Beef Lab near Concord, Nebraska.

The Functional Longevity (FL) research EPD was released by the American Angus Association for breeders on Oct. 25. The trait’s purpose is to help further characterize relevant maternal traits and increase the long-term success of breeders and profitability of cow-calf herds.

It is important to keep in mind the proper nutrition and care of herd sires after the breeding season. This is especially true for bulls under 2 years of age.

The study will focus on cattle’s mitochondria, cell components whose biochemical activity produces most of the body’s energy for cell function. The researchers hope the project will expand the range of genetic tools used by animal breeders.