Beef Genomics Is Providing Speedy Accuracy In Genetic Selection For Cattle Producers

With the rapidly developing world of genomics in beef cattle breeding- improvements in the information that a cattle producer can see about their cattle is amazing. That's the takeaway from a conversation that Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays had with Ryan Ruppert of Neogen at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Diego. Ruppert says that when he was in school not that many years ago- genomics was not even a word. 

 

The world of genomics as it relates to the Beef Cattle business really began in 2007, when the bovine genome sequence of the Hereford Beef Cow Dominette was finished. Ruppert says that now "genomics is a major part of cattle producers everyday life- and that if you havn't been doing anything with genomics- you will be."

 

Ruppert says in today's Beef Buzz that this is all about the accuracy on the production information a cattle producer can learn about their animals at an earlier age than ever before. It results in "the kind of accuracy of data that it used to take years to get on your cattle."

 

Video: Special Considerations for Grazing Sheep

Presented by Christine O'Reilly

Many Canadian grazing recommendations were developed using beef cattle in the prairies. While we have adapted these the forage species and climate in Ontario, other livestock have different needs. Public enemy number one for grazing sheep are gastrointestinal parasites.

The purpose of the Profitable Pasture conference is to bring fresh ideas and new research results to Ontario grazing managers across the ruminant livestock sectors. These conferences have a major focus on pasture management.