genotype and environment . An animal ’ s performance for a particular trait or character is influenced by its genotype for that trait or character and the environment . To account for the genetic fraction of performance for a particular trait , we need to eliminate as much of the environment as possible , and we can do so by using contemporary groups . Contemporary groups are set with the submission of birth weight information and will usually decrease in size over time due to culling , loss , reassignment to a different / smaller group , etc . The timely collection and reporting of honest data in contemporary groups helps to increase the accuracy of EPDs . When considering contemporary groups at weaning time , ask yourself the following questions :
• Were all of the animals in this group given the same opportunity to perform ?
• Was any individual separated from the herd / its original group for any reason ? For example , an animal could have become sick for an extended period of time or fed and managed separately as a show animal .
What more can be done to record and report the most accurate data that will help you make the most informed decisions ?
• Report data on all animals in the herd — high performers , low performers and even deads .
• Collect data at the right times and the right way . Small steps can make a big difference .
• Calibrating a scale and making sure it ’ s clean and free of debris can improve the accuracy of weights taken .
• Weighing an entire contemporary group on the same day should keep the group together unless otherwise noted
• Capturing measurements within the recommended guidelines of the North American Limousin Foundation ( Table 1 ).
• Document post-weaning performance and encourage your customers to do the same . Oftentimes , unless animals are kept in the breeding herd , this data is missed ; and by capturing postweaning performance for growth and carcass characters , we can improve our genetic predictions and accuracies for these traits .
A genetic evaluation is only as good as the data contributed . Yes , some traits are expensive and cumbersome to measure and record , yet this information is valuable to the genetic evaluation in more than one way . This information , like feed intake and / or carcass performance , takes time and financial investment . These traits , like many others , are correlated to other traits that breeders evaluate when making breeding and management decisions . The more data collected and submitted , accurately and on time , the stronger the genetic evaluation can , and should , be .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Samantha Cunningham , PhD is an Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University where she teaches undergraduate Animal Science courses with emphasis on hands on learning and livestock experience . Sam currently coordinates the CSU Seedstock Program that involves students in the merchandising and management of the University ’ s Angus and Hereford cow herds .
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