Page 26 - MWC 04-22-2021s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 22, 2021 · P26
Limousin Leads the
Way in Collecting
Carcass Data
Carcass trait EPDs for pact on the accuracy of our
Limousin and Lim-Flex® cat- genetic prediction for carcass
tle are now among the most traits.”
accurate and predictable in “Incorporating
the industry, thanks to a co- amount of actual carcass
operative effort between the data, directly into the Nation-
North American Limousin al Cattle Evaluation at IGS,
Foundation (NALF), Aurora, is unparalleled,” says Mark
CO, International Genetic Anderson, NALF Executive
Solutions (IGS), Bozeman, Director. “What’s even more
MT and Feedlot Health Man- exciting is the large volume
agement Services, Ltd., Oko- of data we plan to add on a
toks, Alberta, Canada. quarterly basis. The carcass
The leap forward comes phenotypes generated will
with the inclusion of more greatly enhance accuracy, not
than 45,000 actual harvest only on the EPD’s of sires in
data phenotype records from the NALF herdbook, but also
pedigreed Limousin and on related cattle throughout
Lim-Flex influenced cattle their pedigreed bloodlines.
into the IGS national cattle This will also greatly en-
evaluation. hance carcass progeny equiv-
“An ongoing challenge in alents when genomically en-
estimating carcass EPDs hancing cattle and will result
is the lack of carcass phe- in improved predictability
notypes,” says Randie Cul- in the mating decisions our
bertson Ph.D., IGS lead breeders make, especially as
geneticist. “Considering car- it relates to highly heritable
cass phenotypes measure carcass traits.”
the attributes of the actual Wulf Cattle, Morris, MN
end-product we are focused made inclusion of the unprec-
on producing in the beef in- edented number of carcass
dustry, improving accuracy phenotypes possible. Wulf
of our carcass EPD’s is im- Cattle is one of NALF’s larg-
perative to making genetic est producers of Limousin
improvement in these traits. and Lim-Flex cattle. Besides
However, the collection of producing seedstock, the op-
carcass data to be used in eration also feeds cattle in
genetic evaluations remains commercial yards through-
an ongoing challenge. The out the central United States.
implementation of more than Wulf Cattle has long made
45,000 carcass records into a significant commitment to
the IGS genetic evaluation capture carcass records from
represents a 52% increase in fed beef cattle purchased
actual carcass phenotypes in from commercial cow/calf
our entire IGS database and operators using their Limou-
will have a significant im- sin and Lim-Flex bulls. This
this
same commitment applies our breeders to not only cre-
to collecting carcass records ate better cattle at an accel-
from the firm’s BeefBuild- erated rate, but provide more
er™ cattle1. consistency and predictabil-
Other NALF members en- ity to commercial cow/calf
gaged in cattle feeding are operators and the entire beef
also providing carcass pheno- value chain,” says Curt Wiec-
type records for the enhanced zorek, NALF President, a
second-generation Limousin
genetic evaluation.
“With the initial data breeder from Mount Vernon,
set and the expected large SD. “This effort is a win for
monthly flow of new re- the beef industry and will
cords from the BeefBuild- certainly help solidify our
er™ program, Limousin and breed’s long-standing posi-
Lim-Flex cattle are among tion as the Carcass Breed,”
the best characterized car- Wieczorek says.
cass genetics on the planet,” “The current marketplace
says Robert Weaber, Ph.D. of demands cattle that can hit
Kansas State University, a consumer-driven targets in
noted industry geneticist. He terms of quality grade while
worked with the IGS science achieving a higher percent-
team to usher in this new age of Yield Grade 1-3 car-
era of carcass evaluation for casses that deliver improved
NALF and Limousin breed- red meat yield,” Anderson
ers. says. “As importantly, current
Weaber explains each market signals are asking us
Wulf Cattle bull in the genet- to do that while simultane-
ic evaluation represents at ously taking cattle to larger
least several hundred proge- out-weights without sacrific-
ny carcass records, with some ing feed efficiency.”
having 1,000 or more. 1 BeefBuilder™ cattle from
“The new carcass evalua- Wulf Cattle are the result of
tion provides Limousin and crossbreeding proven Limou-
Lim-Flex breeders the infor- sin and Lim-Flex® bulls with
mation necessary to make Holstein and Jersey cows.
more precise and predictable BeefBuilders are high quality
breeding and selection deci- grading, consistent, beef-type
sions than ever before as they cattle with improved feeding
continue their quest to in- performance and superior
crease profitability through- red meat yield, compared to
out the beef value chain,” strait-bred dairy cattle.
Weaber says.
“Enhanced data-sets like
the one we’re creating, enable