SUBMITTED BY THE CANADIAN CHAROLAIS ASSOCIATION
Genetics Matter in Beef: Driving Profit through Genetics on the Ranch
CANADIAN CHAROLAIS ASSOCIATION 2320, 41st Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6W8 403.250.9242 F 403.291.9324 www.charolais.com @canCharolais aceboo co c ncharolais
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ALBERTA
President: Stephen Cholak, Lamont Secretary: Deb Cholak, Lamont
SASKATCHEWAN
President: Jordan Moore, Redvers Secretary: Saskatchewan Livestock Asso., Regina
MANITOBA
President: Jeff Cavers, La Riviere Secretary: Rae Trimble, Portage la Prairie
ONTARIO
President: Josh Taylor, Dunsford Secretary: Doris Aitken, Mount Forest
QUEBEC
President: Mathieu Palerme, Gatineau Secretary: Chantal Raymond, Sainte-Eulalie
MARITIMES
President: Jason Ringuette, Bridgetown, NS Secretary: Nancy Milton, Nine Mile Creek, PEI
STAFF:
General Manager: CRAIG SCOTT Registry: LOIS CHIVILO Registry/Member Services: HAYLEA JONES French Membership: Bernard Dore 514-910-4935 • bernarddore@videotron.ca
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PRESIDENT: MIKE ELDER
Box 216, Coronach, SK S0H 0Z0 306.267.5655 C 306.267.7730 mjelder@sasktel.net
1st VICE-PRESIDENT: KASEY PHILLIPS Box 420, Waskatenau, AB T0A 3P0 780.358.2360 C 780.656.6400 kphillips@mcsnet.ca
2nd VICE-PRES: SHAWN AIREY Box 639, Rivers, MB R0K 1X0 204.328.7704 C 204.724.8823 htacharolais@hotmail.com
PAST PRESIDENT: DARWIN ROSSO
78 325 4th Ave SW, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 5V2 306.693.2384 rosso.c@sasktel.net
DIRECTORS:
ROGER MALONEY
2420 Jermyn Line RR 1, Indian River, ON K0L 2B0 705.295.6439 C 705.761.7316 malrog64@hotmail.com
MATHIEU PALERME
814 Pink Rd., Gatineau, QC J9J 3N3 819.682.2723 C 819.213.3143 matpalerme@yahoo.ca
JIM OLSON
Box 882, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3C3 204.252.3115 C 204.856.6357 lejcharolais@gmail.com
LORNE LAKUSTA
Box 37, Andrew, AB T0B 0C0 780.365.2079 C 780.719.0264 spruceviewcharolais@gmail.com
RYAN NESBITT
17100 Cedardale Rd, Nestleton, ON L0B 1L0 905.242.2046 ryan@cedardalefarms.ca
ROD McLEOD
293113 Twnshp Rd 263, Rocky View County, AB T4A 0N5 403.540.7986 rodmcl@telus.net
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It has been said that it is getting harder and harder to make money in the cattle business expenses too often outweigh revenue resulting in limited profit potential. hether you agree or not, conse uently many ranchers are very cautious about making additional investments to their management systems. To many it feels as though mounting demands on how beef is being produced are becoming increasingly burdensome, while at the same time technology advancements through innovation are occurring at an increasing pace, with return on investment not always well-defined making implementation decisions at the ranch level challenging. Though cattle production is steeped in tradition it has also seen remarkable advancements in production and management practices in recent decades. Some of these advancement benefits have been clear-cut and have been readily adopted with immediate and direct impacts on the bottom line, others have been uestioned about their value and impact so have therefore been a point of debate. Progressions in genetic information and selection tools is one of the areas where many have been skeptical. As a result, considerable opportunities and profit potential are being left on the table. As a beef cattle producer, you are continually making genetic selection decisions in your breeding programs. Some may find these decisions challenging and difficult, some may find them uite easy, but all know the significant implications that poor genetic selection decisions can have on their business. Some may use all the tools available and some may not. Some may feel confident in their decisions, some may not. For decades, there have been increasing amounts of genetic information made available to those Charolais Connection • February 2021
trying to make breeding decisions fertility, growth, feed efficiency, disposition, calving ease and carcass measures to name a few. tilization and interpretation of this information can feel overwhelming as variations and shifts in the tools continue to evolve faster than we can adapt in some cases. This has added to the uncertainty and skepticism of the tools and information. As animal breeders you undoubtedly know that the observable physical properties of an animal (phenotype) are determined by its genetic potential (genotype) and how that animal is managed (environment), or as geneticists say phenotype e uals genotype plus environment. This is the key concept to understand when considering genetic decisions within your herd. hile an animal may have the genetic potential, whether that potential is fully realized will depend on the environment and management strategies that is experienced by the animal. Therefore, while the genetics you choose are important optimizing those genetic choices is heavily influenced by your management. Evaluating those decisions must be done through individual animal record keeping and benchmarking or comparing the data over time. nly then can genetic decisions be monetized or translated into profit. All beef breeds capture individual data on economically important traits for beef production and conduct genetic evaluations in order to estimate the genetic breeding potential of animals within the breed, which are then reported in the form of EPDs. As data is captured on the animal and its offspring, the accuracy of the estimate of its performance (EPDs) increases. In other words, the EPD will be more accurate in predicting the resulting expression of traits. enetic evaluations and
