Oct. 6, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
For more
information contact:
Bill Bowman,
chief operating officer, at 816-383-5100 or bbowman@angus.org; or
Sally Northcutt,
director of genetic research, at 816-383-5100 or snorthcutt@angus.org
Docility:
From Research to Reality
American Angus
Association¨ and Angus Genetics Inc. release weekly docility EPD.
Anyone ever
chased out of a pasture gate knows the value of good temperament in cattle, but
thereÕs an economic incentive in addition to plain-old convenience.
IowaÕs Tri-County
Steer Carcass Futurity feedlot performance data reported by Certified Angus
Beef LLC (CAB) shows calves reported as docile generated an average profit of
$46.63 per head while their nervous-to-very-aggressive counterparts netted only
$7.62.a
Better
performance, reduced morbidity and treatment costs, and improved carcass merit
from more docile cattle also resulted in better marbling scores and Certified
Angus Beef¨
acceptance rates. An earlier study reported a difference of $62.19 per head in
the net dollars returned between the most docile animals versus the most
aggressive.
While Angus
cattle are known for their generally docile nature, Angus breeders have been
submitting yearling cattle temperament scores for the past several years.
Breeders evaluate animals on a 1-to-6 scale, with 1 being docile and 6 very
aggressive. (Visit www.angus.org for more information on how to submit
scores.)
With heritability
estimates indicating effective selection for improved temperament, the American
Angus Association began releasing research Angus docility EPDs on sires in
spring 2008.
Since then, an
increase in breeder-submitted records has contributed to the development of the
docility research report into a full release of National Cattle Evaluation
(NCE) expected progeny differences (EPDs).
ÒLike docility,
ultrasound evaluation underwent a similar process in that it also began as a
research report,Ó says Bill Bowman, AGI president and Association chief
operating officer (COO). ÒAfter accumulating records for several years, we can
now use the data to more fully characterize highly used sires in terms of
potential for docility of their progeny.Ó
Docility (DOC) is
expressed as a percentage point difference in yearling cattle temperament, with
a higher value indicating more favorable docility. The EPD can be used as part
of a complete selection program in the event that a breeder needs to make
improvements in the herdÕs cattle temperament.
ÒThis was the
next step in meeting the needs of our commercial producers,Ó Bowman says.
ÒFeedback from producers buying registered Angus bulls shows docility continues
to rank among the top traits used to select animals.Ó
Now ranchers have
more than word-of-mouth testimony to select for docility.
The Docility EPD
is released on a weekly basis — every Friday — along with Residual
Average Daily Gain (RADG) feed efficiency measures and carcass traits. The
latest evaluation for docility incorporated 93,439 records to generate 268,805
EPDs.
Visit www.angus.org, contact your Angus regional manager or
call 816-383-5100 to access the latest NCE or for more information about Docility
EPDs and the newly released feed efficiency selection
tool, RADG.
Angus
Genetics Inc. (AGI) is a division of the American Angus Association, with
headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo., which offers services to the more than
30,000 members of the American Angus Association and thousands of commercial
cattle producers using Angus genetics across the United States. For more
information about AGI or other Association programs, visit www.angus.org or call (816) 383-5100.
aClick here to read the Certified
Angus Beef LLC (CAB) article about how disposition can drive feedlot and
carcass performance.
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