What went down at Angus CONNECT

Cheyne Twist, Communications Officer

The Angus CONNECT Research & Development Update - Autumn 2021 took place May 25th, with a number of presentations from Angus Australia staff and guest speakers.

Presenting a number of interesting and timely conversations around the research and development coming out of Angus Australia from staff at Angus Australia, Angus CONNECT also provided an international perspective on the topics discussed with a presentation from guest speaker Dr Bob Weaber (Kansas State University). Streamed via the Angus Australia YouTube channel, the event has reached more than 400 views at the time of print, with viewers able to the watch the full event on the hosting platform after the conclusion of the live event. Access the full event here https://youtu.be/rKGFWIHBRdA QR CODE AngusCONNECT full video - WB21

Genomic opportunities for commercial breeders

This presentation focused on the opportunities that are available to incorporate genomic based tools in commercial herds for the selection of Angus heifers and steers. Discussed were the options available through the use of Angus HeiferSELECT which sees the use of genomic technology, coupled with a highly effective reference population, and modern analytical models, resulting in a prediction of a commercial Angus heifer’s genetic make-up, for important beef production traits, based on a simple DNA sample. The presentation also provided information on the new opportunity for Angus commercial steers, based on the same genomic based system to Angus HeiferSELECT, Angus SteerSELECT. Angus SteerSELECT will include the 9 steer relevant traits covering growth, feed efficiency and gain, carcase attributes and disease resilience.

Return on investment for Angus HeiferSELECT

Angus CONNECT investigated the return on investment achieved when investing in new genomic selection tools for commercial heifers. The presentation, delivered by Zoetis Animal Genetics’ Genetics key account manager, Lachlan Ayoub, discussed the Angus HeiferSELECT selection tool that is offered by Angus Australia, in association with partners Zoetis Animal Genetics and Neogen Australasia. Mr Ayoub presented on the outcomes of a recent case study exploring the return on investment of Angus HeiferSELECT with the herd examined utilising Angus HeiferSELECT over 5 year drops of calves, since 2015.

Managing and selecting bulls for use in Northern Australia:

Selecting suitable bulls and managing their acclimatisation is vital for a bull to deliver reproductive and genetic impact to herds in northern environments. During this presentation, Jen Peart discussed the considerations that should be accounted for in finding, selecting and keeping Angus bulls in northern operations.