A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was in reality buying weanlings blind, that I had little information on either the dam or the terminal sire of the animal I was purchasing with the aim of producing a bull beef animal in line with my processor’s needs and specifications.
As it happened, I was asked to chair part of the “Big Data” conference held just before Christmas in UCD. Among the large attendance were some of the senior ICBF personnel.
I had been envious for some time of the genetic information available to dairy farmers where the development of genomics had allowed the quick and cheap identification of heifer calves with superior genetic qualities. These qualities would be visible when they matured and were in production.
The fact that they can be graded accurately on an index, the EBI, allows for buyers to have precise information on their genetic merit and so, the product and profit potential of the individual animal is known. Even if the animal was never to be sold, it is invaluable information for a dairy farmer to have.
So what about beef? I had no knowledge whatsoever as to the genetic characteristics of the bull weanlings I was buying. In discussing the difference between dairy and beef with the ICBF personnel, I was asked if I was willing to have my herd records fully interrogated – all I needed to supply was my herd number and a signed authorisation. What I got back was at least to me, staggering. I had not realised that the amount of detail behind the simple blue card number was so extensive and so accurate.
Analysis
Within a few days, I received full analysis of my beef operation. The details included the breed and date of birth of each animal; the tag number and breed of the dam; the breed of the sire and, thanks to the new beef data genomics scheme, the star rating of the sire which on the cattle I had purchased varied from a star rating of one to five.
Because the cattle, even those bought on the land, had gone through a mart for weighing and payment purposes, the price of each weanling was recorded and available and of course, the meat factories are also linked into the general system and so, the carcase weight and the price I received for each beef animal was also automatically available.
So, pulling it all together, what did it tell me?
Broadly, the top 20% of animals ranked on just the sire terminal index left €100 at slaughter more than the bottom 20% of animals; the top 20% were also on the farm for 20 days less than the bottom 20%. These were the basic raw facts that the ICBF analysis showed but the ongoing performance trials at Tully also show that the higher merit animals also eat less to reach a given slaughter weight.
Lessons
So, what are the lessons? There are a number of them:
Genetic analysis works. Efficient bulls produce more efficient animals. It would be a huge national loss if these animals were not identified. In my view, it is also essential that their weanling progeny be identified at time of sale.Some will say that having this type of information readily available removes the skill of judging the live animal. This is hardly any truer than would be the case with dairy cattle. The more the industry can be steered towards using more productive animals, the more efficient the Irish beef sector will be and the more likely it is that it will have a future in competition with beef producers from other parts of the world. It will also be better able to hold its own with the ever more efficient pig and poultry sectors. Having a system that allows continuous genetic gain in the national beef herd is hugely important.Finally, it is important that a national service organisation such as ICBF is the custodian of the data. It is hugely helpful to producers that such information can be processed and made available to individual producers but, clearly, many would be uneasy about the detailed margins and the factory prices paid for individual lots being widely available so the security of the sensitive data is important.But, the overall level of accurate and enormously useful information that can be generated means that the present funding glitch that has affected ICBF must be resolved. The new beef genomics scheme is a powerful tool for national beef improvement. The more it is extended and the more people avail of it the better for the beef sector and for Irish agriculture.
Read more
What beef price is needed to deliver €200 a cow in a suckler finishing system?
Editorial: price, efficiency and direct supports all critical for suckler sector
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was in reality buying weanlings blind, that I had little information on either the dam or the terminal sire of the animal I was purchasing with the aim of producing a bull beef animal in line with my processor’s needs and specifications.
As it happened, I was asked to chair part of the “Big Data” conference held just before Christmas in UCD. Among the large attendance were some of the senior ICBF personnel.
I had been envious for some time of the genetic information available to dairy farmers where the development of genomics had allowed the quick and cheap identification of heifer calves with superior genetic qualities. These qualities would be visible when they matured and were in production.
The fact that they can be graded accurately on an index, the EBI, allows for buyers to have precise information on their genetic merit and so, the product and profit potential of the individual animal is known. Even if the animal was never to be sold, it is invaluable information for a dairy farmer to have.
So what about beef? I had no knowledge whatsoever as to the genetic characteristics of the bull weanlings I was buying. In discussing the difference between dairy and beef with the ICBF personnel, I was asked if I was willing to have my herd records fully interrogated – all I needed to supply was my herd number and a signed authorisation. What I got back was at least to me, staggering. I had not realised that the amount of detail behind the simple blue card number was so extensive and so accurate.
Analysis
Within a few days, I received full analysis of my beef operation. The details included the breed and date of birth of each animal; the tag number and breed of the dam; the breed of the sire and, thanks to the new beef data genomics scheme, the star rating of the sire which on the cattle I had purchased varied from a star rating of one to five.
Because the cattle, even those bought on the land, had gone through a mart for weighing and payment purposes, the price of each weanling was recorded and available and of course, the meat factories are also linked into the general system and so, the carcase weight and the price I received for each beef animal was also automatically available.
So, pulling it all together, what did it tell me?
Broadly, the top 20% of animals ranked on just the sire terminal index left €100 at slaughter more than the bottom 20% of animals; the top 20% were also on the farm for 20 days less than the bottom 20%. These were the basic raw facts that the ICBF analysis showed but the ongoing performance trials at Tully also show that the higher merit animals also eat less to reach a given slaughter weight.
Lessons
So, what are the lessons? There are a number of them:
Genetic analysis works. Efficient bulls produce more efficient animals. It would be a huge national loss if these animals were not identified. In my view, it is also essential that their weanling progeny be identified at time of sale.Some will say that having this type of information readily available removes the skill of judging the live animal. This is hardly any truer than would be the case with dairy cattle. The more the industry can be steered towards using more productive animals, the more efficient the Irish beef sector will be and the more likely it is that it will have a future in competition with beef producers from other parts of the world. It will also be better able to hold its own with the ever more efficient pig and poultry sectors. Having a system that allows continuous genetic gain in the national beef herd is hugely important.Finally, it is important that a national service organisation such as ICBF is the custodian of the data. It is hugely helpful to producers that such information can be processed and made available to individual producers but, clearly, many would be uneasy about the detailed margins and the factory prices paid for individual lots being widely available so the security of the sensitive data is important.But, the overall level of accurate and enormously useful information that can be generated means that the present funding glitch that has affected ICBF must be resolved. The new beef genomics scheme is a powerful tool for national beef improvement. The more it is extended and the more people avail of it the better for the beef sector and for Irish agriculture.
Read more
What beef price is needed to deliver €200 a cow in a suckler finishing system?
Editorial: price, efficiency and direct supports all critical for suckler sector
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