1. GeneMax Advantage empowers producers to make faster genetic progress by providing Sire Match^SM, individual trait scores, and dollar value indexes on commercial females.

The product allows commercial producers to make genetic progress on both the sire and dam sides simultaneously, rather than just relying on bull selection alone.

“GeneMax Advantage obviously is a great tool for our commercial producers to be able to benchmark the female side of their herd,” says Casey Jentz, COO of the American Angus Association.

Jentz says users of registered Angus bulls are used to using expected progeny differences (EPDs) and dollar value indexes ($Values) to make progress within their bull batteries. 

“We’ve always just used [the registered bulls] on our commercial herd and really haven’t put that data behind the commercial herd to be able to move both sides at once and really increase that speed in the genetic progress that we can make,” he says.

The product’s comprehensive approach helps speed up genetic advancement in commercial herds by providing 1-100 scores on 22 individual traits and five $Values that are directly comparable to those on registered Angus bulls. 

Commercial producers using natural service can also learn which bulls are most effective, using the Sire Match parentage technology included with each GeneMax test. With no retesting of sires required, Sire Match is available on tested daughters from registered and HD 50K^® or Angus GSSM-tested bulls in their battery.

“There’s no other test that has that capability within the industry,” Jentz says.

2. The program strengthens breeder-customer partnerships through year-round engagement.

GeneMax Advantage creates opportunities for seedstock producers to work with their commercial customers beyond sale week. The program provides a common language through $Values, helping both parties understand and discuss genetic merit more effectively.

“Anytime we can work with [commercial customers] more often and create that partnership, that creates a longtime customer and a repeat customer,” Jentz says.

He also shared about the new GeneMax-enhanced Genetic Merit Scorecard^® (GMS). This particularly applies to breeders who assist with their customers’ feeder-calf marketing efforts or have existing customers enrolling in AngusLink^® value-added programs such as the GMS.

Seedstock breeder Paul Bennett, of Knoll Crest Farm near Red House, Va., spoke during the webinar about his experience working with his customer, Shelton Miles of Gladys, Va., who has been testing consistently for 10 years with GeneMax Advantage.

“It’s really created an opportunity for us to have a lot of back and forth trying to understand what his needs are,” Bennett says. “Customers like Shelton have made us a much better breeder because we’re just more attentive to the details and staying focused.” 

He says having customers share GeneMax results can give seedstock breeders increased confidence when helping bull buyers select the right genetics to accomplish their goals.

“Reach out to your regional manager,” Bennett says. “Get them involved in that process of educating your customers and helping them understand what the value of this product is.”

Using the Association’s customer service toolkit, Angus breeders can share about what GeneMax Advantage can do. The kit includes language for buyer letters, newsletters and digital media; an email template; and a customer presentation cheat sheet. The toolkit will be delivered via email after you submit the form at https://bit.ly/GMXforAngusBreeders. 

3. Commercial producers use GeneMax data to strategically advance their herds’ genetics. 

Miles spoke firsthand about the product at River Bluff Farm. 

“I’ve been testing since 2014 with just a few, and then almost every heifer since 2016,” Miles says. “We were real interested both to do a snapshot to confirm where we were, but also how to make progress. Obviously, we use GeneMax to select the females that we’re going to breed. Then once they’re bred, which ones we’re going to keep and which ones we’re going to offer to other buyers — really focusing there on the maternal traits and also on the carcass traits.”

In the last several years, Miles has watched his methodical approach to using results and staying focused on his goals pay off. The number of his young heifers in the top 5% of the commercial female population has risen (based on more than 130,000 samples in the GeneMax population); and he’s been able to improve a variety of traits like Foot Claw & Angle Composite (CAC), calving ease maternal (CEM), Feed-To-Gain (F:G) and tenderness (TND) while maintaining desirable scores in other areas.

He says he has focused on eliminating the bottom performers rather than just seeking the highest performers.

“We looked at all the data on averages, and we used that data to set up the criteria for sires that we needed to purchase — where we needed to step our program up a little bit,” Miles says. “When you get down to the individual level, we could use GeneMax, and we have used it, to decide some particular matings here on the farm.”

Producers using the product still have to consider females’ phenotypes and cull the obvious ones that do not measure up to their standards for replacements, he says.

“Genomics is just one of the hurdles [replacement heifers must clear],” Miles says, “but we do use it as a hurdle.” 

Editor’s note: Additional product details, such as which individual traits are included, can be found at www.GeneMaxAngus.com.