14 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN March 2026 Genetic Predictions – Namely GE-EPDs for Commercial Cattle For decades, genetic improvement for commercial producers has been driven through buying genetically superior bulls from seedstock producers. Though this has led to favorable genetic progress in commercial cow herds for a variety of traits – notably improved calving ease, growth, marbling and carcass weights – this progress was somewhat hampered because documented genetic merit of commercial cow herds was mostly unknown. Arguably, genetic progress and related advancements in production efficiency in commercial cow herds and calf crops can be accelerated if selection and breeding decisions are similarly empowered by genetic predictions for both seedstock bulls and candidate commercial replacement females. In contrast, most commercial herds select replacement heifers by sorting off the runts and then choosing the more phenotypically appealing, larger heifers as their replacements. This usually means the “keeps” are made up of the oldest, highest growth heifers in a contemporary group but with unknown genetic merit for more important traits such as cow fertility, sensible cow size and feed requirements, as well as feed efficiency and carcass merit transmitted to feeder cattle progeny. Until recently, beyond practices such as weighing, reproductive tract scoring and pelvic measuring, there were no comprehensive and reliable methods for selecting replacements for strong genetic merit across maternal and other traits that cannot be evaluated visually. But in the last five or so years, by using innovations from the seedstock sector, genomic technologies have advanced to give commercial producers the same information that was historically only available to seedstock breeders. Because we’ve leveraged large volumes of data sourced from commercial animals and more advanced genetic evaluation technology, genetic predictions for commercial cattle are now available. Such genetic predictions developed specifically for commercial cattle weren’t around the last time we experienced a herd rebuild, but are now poised to enable producers to be more mindful of replacement heifers’ genetic merit prior to investing heavily in their developmental costs. Commercial genetic predictions are essentially all the genomic tools mentioned earlier but adapted specifically for commercial cattle producers. The more you know about your cows, the better job you can do when buying bulls to accentuate herd strengths and correct deficiencies. Producers only need to collect a DNA sample and complete an order form to get genetic predictions on their animals. They do not need to go through the hassle of capturing and reporting phenotypes and managing pedigrees. Commercial producers now can make more informed selection and management decisions based on individual-animal genetic predictions and index solutions, more easily manage crossbreeding programs, identify and control undesirable genetic conditions and more accurately manage pedigrees and bull batteries. This means the commercial industry will be able to improve the genetic potential and productivity of their herds more comprehensively, accurately and faster than ever before. Genomic tools are but one piece of a holistic beef enterprise. While they may offer powerful insights into a cow herd’s genetics, success in beef production relies heavily on being able to integrate these technologies with sound management practices, nutrition protocols and proper stewardship. During a herd rebuild, there is no better time to investigate the use of genetic tools to help set a cow herd up for long term success. ~NC~ FROM DATA TO DOLLARS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Igenity Beef INHERIT Select GeneMax Advantage Parentage Determination/Discovery Yes Yes – Discovery Yes Genomic Breed Composition No Yes No Estimation of Heterosis Yes Yes No Genomic Sex Yes Yes Yes Genetic Conditions Coat Color Yes ($) Yes No Horned/Polled Yes ($) Yes No Dilutor Yes ($) Yes No Other Conditions? Yes ($) Yes No Genetic Defects Yes ($) Yes ($) Yes ($) Genetic Predictions Scores Genomic EPD Scores Birth Weight Yes Yes Yes Calving Ease Direct Yes Yes Yes Calving Ease Maternal Yes Yes Yes Weaning Weight Yes Yes Yes Average Daily Gain/PWG Yes Yes Yes Yearling Weight Yes Yes Yes Dry Matter Intake No Yes No Feed to Gain No Yes Yes Residual Feed Intake Yes No No Yearling Height No Yes Yes Mature Cow Weight No Yes Yes Mature Cow Height No Yes No Cow Body Condition Score No Yes No Hair Shedding No Yes Yes Milk Yes Yes Yes Teat & Udder No Yes Yes Docility Yes Yes Yes Heifer Pregnancy Yes No Yes Stayability/Cow Fertility Yes Yes Yes Scrotal Circumference No Yes No Pulmonary Arterial Pressure No Yes ($) Yes Bovine Congestive Heart Failure Yes ($) Yes ($) No Bovine Respiratory Disease No Yes No Foot Score Composite No Yes Yes Carcass Weight Yes Yes Yes Fat Thickness Yes Yes Yes Ribeye Area Yes Yes Yes Yield Grade No Yes No Marbling/Intramuscular Fat Yes Yes Yes Tenderness – Shear Force Yes Yes Yes Economic Selection Indexes Yes Yes Yes * Where ($) indicates an upgrade add-on fee in addition to the product’s base price. All trademarks are the property of Zoetis Services LLC or a related company or a licensor unless otherwise noted. © 2026 Zoetis Services LLC. All rights reserved. GNB-00143
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTMxNTA5