Lactanet is collaborating with Angus Genetics Incorporated (AGI) to share genotyping of Angus bulls from Canada, the U.S., and Australia to assist in beef-on-dairy breeding decisions. This move comes as dairy sector stakeholders call for better information on crossbred calves, which are a significant potential income stream on Canadian dairy farms. The “perfect trifecta” of conditions led to calls for better beef-on-dairy information, with genomic testing of dairy animals allowing for accurate rankings within a herd, regardless of age, of the best dams from which to build bloodlines.
The movement to breed the rest of the animals to beef sires has increased the chance of getting a heifer calf from those top ranking animals to 95%. Nearly 40% of Holstein breeders and 30% of Jersey and Ayrshire breeders across Canada use some form of this strategy, with producers now looking at other traits such as calving ease when selecting beef bulls for lower-ranking dams. To aid beef-on-dairy decisions, Lactanet can collect on-farm data it already performs on participating Dairy Herd Improvement and DairyComp herds.
Lactanet also has access to data on calf move-ins and move-outs through its leadership of the DairyTrace national traceability program, but generally knows little on the beef sire side. Genotyping the crossbred calves could grow and strengthen the database, but it is unlikely any dairy producer will pay to genotype animals that will leave the farm within a few weeks.
A key difference between the beef-on-dairy strategy and a genetic program to build dairy strengths over the long term is that the beef strategy typically doesn’t aim to build long-lasting bloodlines. Lactanet will not invest in a beef-on-dairy genotyping initiative, as it would require a huge investment of money, people, and time with little chance of a return on investment. Instead, a collaboration has begun with Missouri-based Angus Genetics Incorporated (AGI) for access to genomic data from Angus bulls in the U.S., Australia, and Canada. The organization will soon include a “Beef on Dairy Query” on its website, alongside other “Query” options for searching bull or cow information.
Breed breed associations could eventually share their information about carcass weights or carcass quality if they’re collecting such data. For the most reliable information, more research is necessary in North America into beef-on-dairy breeding.
