HEREFORDS Australia is pressing ahead with its genomics research by putting out the call last week for breeders with commercial cow herds to participate.
The herds are being sought to take part in a large-scale progeny test project.
Herefords Australia commercial development officer Andrew Donoghue said herds did not have to be pure Hereford – British-bred or Bos indicus cow herds would provide valuable cross-breeding data. The project is conducted with co-funding from Meat and Livestock Australia Donor Company under the Beef Information Nucleus program.
As many as 50 young Hereford bulls of high genetic merit are tested across six different cohorts using co-operator herds from Queensland to South Australia. Mr Donoghue said 1000 females were expected to be artificially inseminated this year under Cohort Six of the project.
“We are chasing another 300 cows to reach this goal,’’ Mr Donoghue said. The project involves 10 to 15 Hereford sires artificially joined to commercial cows from co-operator herds each year. Data collected on the calves includes growth, fertility, carcase, eating quality and net feed intake. The progeny will also be genotyped for progression of Herefords Australia genomics.
Mr Donoghue said under Cohort One to Three (2011-13 drop calves) there was a total of 1272 progeny, comprising 672 steers and 600 heifers across 12 co-operator herds.
“The steers have been slaughtered with full progeny performance reports available online while the heifers are being measured for their maternal traits,” he said.
Cohort Two steers processed in December 2013 averaged 64.55 on the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) Index, compared with the industry average of 56.77.
Cohort Three steers processed in February 2015 at John Dee, Warwick, Qld, averaged 64.77 on the MSA Index.
Overall, Cohorts One to Three have averaged 62.74, placing the steers in the top 10 per cent of the national herd for eating quality.
Cohort Four, comprising the 2014 and 2015 drop calves, resulted in 477 progeny – 254 steers and 223 heifers – from five co-operator herds. The autumn 2014-drop steers have been slaughtered while the spring 2014 drop steers are being measured at the Tullimba feedlot, in northern NSW, for net feed intake.
The 2015-drop steers are being backgrounded for feedlot entry in mid-year.
Under Cohort Five, 700 cows and heifers in three co-operator herds have been artificially inseminated with the calves due in autumn and spring 2016.
Mr Donoghue said breed was committed to the project while funding was available.
