In anticipation of the cattle industry’s inevitable rebuilding of the national cow herd, AngusLink, the American Angus Association’s USDA process-verified program, has introduced a new tool for objectively describing the genetic potential of replacement females. The new Maternal Score on AngusLink’s Genetic Merit Scorecard, draws on the Angus breed’s extensive genetic database to demonstrate the maternal weaned calf value of an enrollment group, which should aid producers in the selection of replacement heifers. This tool also provides producers selling replacement females a way to market their added genetic value.
Previously, the AngusLink Genetic Scorecard provided scores to evaluate the genetic merit of pens of feeder cattle, and its creators are confident Maternal Score will provide the same value on the maternal side. The Maternal Score will be displayed alongside other scores – Beef, Feedlot and Grid – on the Genetic Merit Scorecard as females are marketed.
“The Maternal Score is becoming available at a perfect time with herd expansion on the horizon," says Troy Marshall, director of commercial industry relations with the American Angus Association. “Maternal traits are generally more difficult to quantify because of the need to match cows to their environment, so it’s going to be a valuable tool for producers marketing or purchasing replacement females. This new tool provides a reliable way to compare cattle’s performance potential across our industry and rebuild with better genetics that are more closely aligned with targets that the marketplace has clearly defined: increase in efficiency and increase in consumers’ eating satisfaction, primarily through increased marbling and quality grade.”
"I see the same evolution coming with the Maternal Score that we have witnessed the past few years with Beef, Feedlot and Grid scores,” says California seedstock producer John Dickinson. “In today’s marketing landscape, reputation and historical data are still very important, but buyers also want more tools they can use to mitigate risk.”
Information about individual component traits – such as for Mature Size and Milk Production – will also be shared alongside an enrollment group’s Maternal Score, which will allow producers to better understand how a group of cattle would match with specific environmental conditions.
Scores are determined by the average expected progeny differences (EPDs) of the bulls used to sire the current enrollment group and the cow herd’s genetic makeup. To raise cattle’s Maternal Score, a producer would want to select for higher Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) on registered Angus sires.
To enroll, a producer must be AngusVerified through IMI Global, providing a list of sire registration numbers. Unique to the Maternal Score, the cattle must also have a predominantly Angus cow base. While the Maternal Score does not characterize individual animals, the data from an enrolled group can serve as an important tool to track a herd’s genetic progress to consistently improve calf crops year after year.
“There’s a lot of science behind this scorecard,” says Rafael Medeiros, a geneticist with Angus Genetics Inc., who spearheaded the technical development of the new score. “If you’re not genotyping, this is the best estimate and the best value.”
For more information or to enroll cattle, call (816) 383-5100, or contact AngusLink via email.
