Whereas attending Angus gross sales for years, Nick Edmunds seen a unfavorable correlation between two of the traits which can be among the many most fascinating to producers.
Utilizing his small herd of Angus as a genetic laboratory, Edmunds discovered an answer to the issue, and the work earned him the 2022 Seed Producer of the Yr award from the Angus Affiliation of Pennsylvania.
Based mostly in Bethel, Pennsylvania, the Edmunds Hidden Pearl Farm is residence to a herd of 10 animals. He started breeding Angus 17 years in the past, and though the herd is small, the outcomes of Edmund’s genetic work are important.
“I went into gross sales for years and seen that the traits that appear to be a very powerful are closing carcass worth adopted by calving ease,” he stated. “However I discovered a battle between the 2.”
In keeping with Edmunds, heavier animals get extra when bought as beef, and so they find yourself huge as a result of they began life as bigger animals after they had been born. Nevertheless, calving ease is one other extremely fascinating trait amongst Angus producers, and Edmunds stated that is the place the battle arises.
“Calving ease means an animal is born simply as a result of it begins out small and can most likely find yourself smaller,” he stated. “I needed to seek out out whether it is attainable to supply an animal that mixes the principle traits of carcass worth and calving ease.
“It is doable, however it’s not simple.”
It took Edmunds 4 generations till his herd produced a calf that scored remarkably excessive on each traits. The calf, Pearl Blackcap Ameya, was born final spring and is the results of Edmunds’ work deciding on the fitting bulls and cows over a number of generations.
Genomic assessments confirmed that solely seven animals scored larger than Ameya within the mixture of ultimate carcass worth and calving ease traits. Moreover, of the highest 30 traits thought of essential to the Angus trade, Ameya scored within the prime 1% for 12 of them.
“I used to be blown away,” Edmunds stated. “This was a distinct segment I used to be concentrating on, and it is uncommon to seek out an animal within the prime 1% for 4 or 5 traits, not to mention 12.”
However his work with Ameya continues.
Edmunds needs to duplicate Ameya’s mixture of final carcass worth and calving ease traits in future generations, and he needs to do it sooner than the standard 24-month era hole.
Ameya is of reproductive age and housed at a Trans Ova Genetics facility in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. Edmunds stated the heifer has been bred and in vitro and embryo switch work can be underway.
The method, he hopes, may slim the era hole by a number of months.
“The sooner you possibly can change generations, the sooner you possibly can progress with genetics,” Edmunds stated. “With the know-how, we will biopsy embryos with out compromising them, and the DNA from that materials is what you’d get if it is a new child calf. We are able to say which embryo will carry out one of the best.”
In the long run, Edmunds believes that animals like Ameya can change and enhance the genetic panorama of the Angus breed, and hopes that offspring and embryos might be accessible to producers considering excessive genomic worth.
Animals with a genomic profile just like Ameya’s have bought within the $30,000 to $40,000 vary, he stated, as producers turn into extra acquainted with the traits.
“The ribeye muscle, for instance, can nearly double the worth of the carcass relying on its measurement and high quality. Genomic testing can let you know what it is going to be,” Edmunds stated. “I need to share what I’ve discovered with others, and my intention is to proceed with the subsequent era to maintain that hole quick and attempt to produce among the many better of your entire breed.” LF20220723 Seedstock
Photograph offered by Nick Edmunds
Nick Edmunds sought to supply an Angus calf with excessive scores for each calving ease and closing carcass worth. He achieved the purpose with a calf, Ameya, pictured together with her mom, Pearl Blackcap Dottie 163.