WITH the start of a new stud stock bull selling season around the corner, now is as good a time as any to revisit some pointers worth thinking about when in the market for a new sire.
Landmark commercial cattle manager Darren Chatley said from what agents have seen so far, the quality on offer this season was high.
“From what we’ve seen around the State there is certainly a lot of quality out there,” Mr Chatley said.
“The season didn’t help in some parts, but the bulls have come through that well and are looking really good.
“Stud producers in WA are constantly bringing in better genetics and we’re seeing that coming through in the cattle they have on offer this season.”
When asked what some of the factors he considered important when selecting the right bull, Mr Chatley said every buyer had different needs but there were a few things that counted across the board.
“At the end of the day, what counts is weight, temperament, structural correctness and all-round doing ability,” he said.
In the new world of ever-expanding research and information availability, selecting a bull is no longer simply about making sure it has the right length and depth of body to do the job.
Each season, bull sale catalogues seem to gain a few extra numbers and figures as well as a bit more science speak including fancy words like genomics.
It can sometimes seem like an information overload, but breed societies are throwing their support behind stud breeders in their endeavours to provide as much detail to their clients as possible.
Angus Australia, for example, released an article via its website, looking at understanding the influence a bull can have on a herd, which referred to the value of Estimated Breeding Values and genomics.
But the article also pointed out the importance of utilising that information within a greater context in order to make the best, most effective and profitable selection for a cattle enterprise.
According to the article, often the value placed on a bull within a breeding program had a very short-term focus, with high expectations on the sire and the immediate influence it would have.
A bull’s immediate value to any breeding program is through the progeny it sires, but the influence it has is far greater and understanding the role of past and present bulls within a herd is the key to realising genetic gain.
Looked at simplistically, the influence of a bull is 50 per cent gene contribution to its progeny, with the cow contributing the balance as we all know.
But taking a step back to think about the real selection influence on progeny, in a typical self-replacing breeding program which buys in bulls, the current bull has a 50pc influence and the previous sires selected have 25pc (maternal sire) and 12.5pc (maternal grandsire) influence.
This means each new bull builds a long-term legacy within the breeding herd it operates because more than 85pc of calf genetics will have been influenced by sires used in the past three generations.
It highlights the importance of having a thought out, long-term and goal oriented bull selection plan which complements the production goals of the enterprise.
Mr Chatley agreed.
“I think it’s important that producers are always looking to improve the genetics they bring into their herd whenever they are buying a new bull,” he said.
“As agents we see the evidence in the calves produced by those who are investing in those quality genetics.
“It trickles down to the saleyards too - you can easily go to a weaner sale and pick out the calves which are from the better bred cattle, which is reinforced by the prices those calves receive.
“So really thinking about purchasing the right bull to suit a business is very important.”
The Angus Australia article went on to say that genetic gain within the Angus breed had been driven by the great work seedstock producers had done in utilising things like EBVs and genomics, blending them into programs which assess not only the physical characteristics we see in the animal but the science of breeding values.
Indeed, this is the case across most breeds available at auction in WA this stud stock season, meaning there are plenty of resources available for buyers looking to make a sound investment come sale day.
Mr Chatley said agents had noticed buyers gaining interest in the use of EBVs for selection.
“Certainly the more progressive producers are putting more emphasis on EBVs, but I do think it’s important to remember to take that information hand in hand with visual inspections,” Mr Chatley said.
Physical traits and performance provide valuable information but breeding values take the hard work out of assessing the merit of an animal because they take into account a huge amount of data, not only on the animal itself but also how animals in its pedigree have performed and how the genetics it carries have performed in other animals.
It compares animals within the same herd, enabling the influence of environmental conditions to be accounted for.
With that said, producing the highest quality cattle relies not only on great genetics and breeding, but also suitable feeding and environmental conditions to allow the genetics to express themselves to their full potential.
Overall what this means is that utilising as much information as possible to make a selection puts producers in the best stead to move their breeding herd forward.
The first point of call for further information on your preferred breed would be that breed society’s website, where a full range of data, comparisons and sale details will be available and as bull sales commence around the State next week.
That information won’t just come in the form of visual inspections, EBVs and scan data - it also comes from people walking the lanes.
Stock agents, stud breeders and long-term clients are a big resource to tap into on sale day - there’s a lot of information and wisdom out there to aid your bull selections, so make the most of it all and good luck with your bull purchases this season.