NAAB Symposium
Genetic Improvement from Artificial Insemination
and Estrus Synchronization: Everybody Wins!
BOZEMAN, Mont. (June 1, 2011) — Participants of the 2011 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Research Symposium and Annual Meeting had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) Symposium Wednesday night on the campus of Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman.
“BIF has always been associated with the idea of genetic improvement and genetic evaluation, and certainly AI continues to be one of the most important tools that we have to achieve genetic evaluation in the beef industry,” said Mike Tess of Packhorse Services LLC as he addressed the crowd on the topic, “Genetic Improvement from Artificial Insemination and Synchronization: Everybody Wins!”
Tess went on to discuss the American Simmental Association (ASA) Carcass Merit Program (CMP). He credited its success to artificial insemination (AI) and estrous synchronization, stating the program could not be accomplished without the two.
The goal of the CMP, which began in 1996, is to conduct beef cattle research to promote Simmental-cross cattle for calving ease, growth and carcass merit. ASA collected its first carcass data in 1999. Since that time, the program has grown to span 16 states and includes 35,000 matings, nearly 500 sires, 39 herds, 43 feedyards and 16 packing plants. Results from the program have been utilized by producers, academia and industry professionals.
To further detail the program, Tess presented a video produced by the ASA. In the video, ASA attributed much of the success of the program to its partnership with MSU researchers. The program also works with researchers at the University of Illinois, Kansas State University and the University of Missouri.
“Most importantly, we applaud the outstanding producers who maintain the cattle herds and keep accurate records,” the video’s narrator explained.
The video featured four operations that have made significant contributions to the CMP. These operations include Stewart Land and Cattle, Rosedale, Va.; the Dean Wang Ranch, Baker, Mont.; the E.L. Peterson Ranch, Judith Gap, Mont.; and the Bair Ranch Foundation, Martinsdale, Mont.
Animal science students at MSU have worked closely with the E.L. Peterson Ranch and the Bair Ranch Foundation through a calving management class offered at the university and taught by Tess. The class, pioneered by Ray Ansotegui, consists of a week in the classroom followed by several days on both the Peterson and Bair ranches calving out heifers where “tests are not taken with pencil and paper, but rather with real-life calving scenarios.”
Tess said he has grown to appreciate the cattlemen and women who are responsible for contributing more than 5,000 carcass records to numerous breed association databases through the CMP.
“They mean a lot to me. They mean a lot to the Simmental association,” he said. “They’re a part of this because they want to give something back to the industry and they realize the data they’ve helped [compile] is benefitting people besides themselves.”
“We welcome you to Montana,” the video concluded, "certainly one of the last, best places in the world where cattle are king.”
To listen to this presentation and to audio of the video that accompanied it, visit the Newsroom at www.BIFconference.com.
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