What Is the BREEDPLAN in Angus Cattle?

A BREEDPLAN for Angus is an analysis that the Agricultural Business Research Institute or ABRI performs with the help of special software and is for the purpose of providing genetic evaluation for purebred Angus as well as Angus-infused herds. The technology that this plan uses is state of the art and produces Estimated Breeding Values or EBVs of the cattle on record to help identify important production characteristics, such as weight, fertility and carcass. The Angus BREEDPLAN includes genomic, pedigree and performance information that is obtained from the databases of the Angus associations of both Australia and New Zealand.

What Are Estimated Breeding Values or EBVs?

The Angus breeding value for a particular animal involves its genetic merit for each of its various characteristics. While it is next to impossible to set the true value of an animal, the Angus BREEDPLAN can estimate it. It is this estimate that is the Estimated Breeding Values or EBVs. Differences between a particular Angus animal’s genetics and the historical genetics of the overall breed are easy to compare using EBVs.

You Can Use EBVs to Compare Genetics of Multiple Animals

Also, you can turn to the EBVs to compare the genetics of multiple animals. However, all of the animals must be registered with the Angus BREEDPLAN in order for you to do this. Otherwise, you may not have all the relative information.

EBVs Are Usable for Benchmarking an Animal’s Genetics Effectively

Another use for EBVs is to benchmark one animal’s genetics in relationship to the genetics of the other Angus-infused or purebred Angus animals in New Zealand and Australia. This includes a percentile table and the overall EBV breed average.

Characteristics That Are Examined for the EBVs

• Fertility EBVs include days to calving and scrotal size.

• Birth includes calving ease direct, daughters calving ease, gestation length and birth weight.

• Growth figures include 200-day growth, 400-day weight, 600-day weight, mature cow weight and milk.

• Carcase includes carcase weight, eye muscle area, rib fat, rump fat, retail beef yield and intra-muscular fat.

• Feed efficiency includes both net feed intake after weaning and net feed intake in a feedlot setting.

• Temperament involves examining the docility of the animals.

• Structure information includes the angle of the front and rear feet, front feet claw set and rear leg hind and side view.

• Other elements included in EBVs are Angus breeding index, domestic index, heavy grain index and heavy grass index.

To learn additional information about what the BREEDPLAN is for Angus cattle, contact Southfork Angus. We specialise in providing highly functional, well-tempered Angus to various producers in and around the Mornington Peninsula.

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