Page 66 - Hereford Magazine 2022

Informing NZ Beef

programme supports

NZ beef

A Hereford and Angus mob in the Progeny Test programme at Kepler Farm.

Words: Sam Halstead. Photos: B+LNZ Genetics & Megan Graham. “B+LNZ has had its Progeny Test programme since 2014,”
Jason says. “We are now in the new phase and have Massey
ey findings that will underpin the development of PhD student Franzi Weik analysing the existing data and
valuable new tools for beef farmers are emerging producing interesting results, including around variation in
from research for the Informing New Zealand Beef reproductive performance.”
(INZB) programme. The analysis has identified that there was no significant
K The research has identified a genetic influence differences between sires in the reproductive performance of
on the ability of heifers to rebreed as two-year-olds. It has 15-month-old ‘first mating’ heifers. However, a clear genetic
also highlighted that using fat depth estimated breeding influence was found in the ability of these heifers to re-breed
values (EBVs) is a less effective way to predict a cow’s ability as two-year-old ‘second calvers’.
to maintain body condition and get back into calf than many “The findings suggest that genetics matter when it comes
breeders might think. to identifying, at an earlier stage, the heifers that are less
Dr Jason Archer, genetics specialist – livestock for Beef + likely to re-breed.
Lamb New Zealand Genetics, said the results come from an “That is important, because by the two-year mark the
analysis of research undertaken through B+LNZ’s Progeny farmer has invested a lot in the animal. It is expensive to
Test programme. The next step will be to build on these have it drop out of the breeding herd rather than producing
through the INZB project. a calf every year for the next 10 years.”
The seven-year INZB beef genetics programme, a partnership A second key finding is around farmers’ use of fat depth
between B+LNZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries, aims EBVs to select bulls whose daughters will maintain condition
to boost the sector’s profits by $460m over the next 25 years. and get back into calf.
It is focused on increasing uptake of use of genetics in the “There’s a widespread view among many farmers that the
beef industry. The four main components are: Progeny Test fat depth EBVs are the best indicator of that,” Jason says.
herds; developing breeding objectives and indexes; building “Identifying these cows is important for farmers because
a genetic evaluation and data infrastructure, and developing the ideal is to select the cows that will do the job and stay in
new data sources. Ultimately it will provide farmers with the condition without needing specialist feed.
genetic selection tools they need to breed animals better “However, in the trial data, we found the correlation between
suited to New Zealand’s farming conditions. fat depth EBVs and the ability of cows to hold condition is

64 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2022