New Herefords Australia Selection Indexes Better Represent Modern Production Systems In October 2019, Herefords Australia will release four new selection indexes. These are the Southern Self-Replacing Index (SSR), the Northern Self-Replacing Index (NSR), the Southern Baldy Maternal Index (SBM) and the Northern Baldy Terminal Index (NBT). These four selection indexes will replace the previous Hereford…
DetailsBy Catherine Brown Associate Editor Canadian Hereford Digest October 2016 Commercial Edition “In the 1950s, artificial insemination was developed,” says Rod Geisert, beef genetics extension specialist at the University of Missouri, in Jared Decker’s “A Steak in Genomics” blog. “In 1978, the first human [conceived] from in vitro fertilization was born. Both of these technologies…
DetailsIntroduction Females play an important role in the herd. Not only does she contribute 50% of her genetics to her calf, but she is also required to get pregnant, give birth, wean her calf and get back in calf, all while maintaining her own condition at an acceptable level. This article will examine the traits…
DetailsOne question I am asked by Hereford breeders is “Given Herefords are such a quiet breed, why should I measure docility?” While Herefords have a justifiable reputation for being a quiet breed of cattle, variation for temperament in Herefords does exist, just as there is variation for other traits within the breed. The percentile bands…
DetailsBirth weight is an important economic trait in beef production systems as lower birth weights are associated with reduced incidence of calving difficulty, but unfavourably correlated with growth rate. Careful recording birth weight of calves allows Hereford breeders to obtain EBVs for Birth Weight, which in turn helps in breeding to minimise calving difficulties while…
DetailsFour new Herefords Australia version 6 BreedObject selection indexes are to be released in mid-October with the publication of the October 2019 Hereford BREEDPLAN analysis. Herefords Australia, along with staff from the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) and Southern Beef Technology Services (SBTS), have finalised development of these selection indexes following approval from the…
DetailsFour new Herefords Australia BreedObject selection indexes are to be released with the publication of the October 2019 Hereford BREEDPLAN analysis. These are the Southern Self-Replacing Index (SSR), the Northern Self-Replacing Index (NSR), the Southern Baldy Maternal Index (SBM) and the Northern Baldy Terminal Index (NBT). These four selection indexes have been developed by Herefords…
DetailsFollowing enquiry and feedback from members regarding Herefords Australia DNA regulations, in particular regulation 6.1, the following information is provided to members: Below is Regulation 6.1: 6.1.(iii) (a) Sires of all calves (HBR & MHB registers) born after the 1st of January 2018 must be sire verified; and (b) In…
DetailsIn 2015, Herefords Australia, in conjunction with the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (ABGU) and Southern Beef Technology Services (SBTS), began development of a Genomics Policy. The aim of this Genomics Policy is to develop and enhance genomic selection for Australian Hereford cattle. During this process there has been much discussion around the challenges associated…
DetailsThe recent introduction of the MSA Index and the expectation that some processors will move to a payment system whereby animals with higher MSA Index carcases will attract a premium price has caused renewed interest in the marbling potential of animals. While the MSA Index is influenced by multiple factors, both environmental and genetic, the…
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