By Paul Williams – Breed Development Officer

Early genotyping of Brahman cattle offers significant economic and genetic advantages. By testing animals early, producers can make informed selection decisions, enhance herd performance, and boost long-term profitability.

The Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association (ABBA) and Neogen have partnered to deliver specialised genomic testing tailored to Brahman producers. The best value lies in using the Standard Bundle, which includes:

Core Components of the Standard Bundle

• Parentage Verification: Ensures pedigree accuracy, vital for herdbook registration and sale integrity.
• Horn/Poll Testing: Identifies polled animals early, supporting dehorning-free breeding programs.
• Pompes E7 Screening: Detects carriers of Pompe’s disease, facilitating informed breeding decisions.
• Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs): Provides high-accuracy genetic merit estimates for key traits.

This bundle is more cost-effective than conducting the SeekSire Parentage and Pompes E7 tests alone (see Tables 1 & 2).

1. Improved Genetic Selection

• Accurate Breeding Decisions: Use Genomic EBVs to identify animals with superior genetics in fertility, growth, and carcass traits.
• Early Selection: Make breeding choices before traits are phenotypically expressed, especially valuable for sex-limited or hard-to-measure traits like fertility, growth, and carcass quality.
• Parentage Accuracy: Confirm parentage early, reducing errors and inbreeding risks.
• Small Contemporary Group Genotyping: Genotype animals that are likely to be in single animal contemporary groups or small contemporary groups (e.g. ET calves, show animals, animals from a small herd), enabling precise genetic evaluation.

2. Fertility & Reproduction

• Better Heifer Retention: Identify heifers with the best genetic potential for reproductive success, including early puberty and long-term fertility.
• Efficient Culling: Allows for identification of sub-fertile animals early to save on feed and management resources.

3. Genetic Conditions & Qualitative Traits

• Pompes E7 Testing: Detect carriers early and plan management or breeding strategies accordingly.
• Horn/Poll Status: Identify polled (PP) animals early to support dehorning-free breeding programs. Progeny from PP animals will produce calves that are either polled or have scurs and without horns.

4. Parentage Verification

• Pedigree Integrity: Crucial for registration on the Brahman Database, especially in large-scale herds where it can be difficult to mother up calves.
• Accurate pedigrees: In multi-sire mating allow stud breeders to shift from single-sire mating groups if they choose to go that way.
• Sale Animals: Early parent verification ensures that pedigree issues do not arise when preparing animals for sale.

5. Herd Management

• Data-Driven Decisions: Integrate genomic data with herd management software like MateSel to create more precise mating plans and enhance herd productivity.

6. Supporting Breed Improvement

• Contribute to Genetic Progress: Your participation strengthens the Brahman reference population, improving genomic evaluation accuracy for the entire breed.

Tables

Table 1: Standard Bundle Prices for BREEDPLAN and Non-BREEDPLAN Members

Product	Fees
Brahman Standard Bundle (GGP TropBeef) Genomic package including Horn/Poll, Pompes E7, and parentage (If parentage requested – sire/dam list must be provided for each batch)
Standard Bundle – BREEDPLAN Members	$53.30
Standard Bundle – Non BREEDPLAN Members	$64.50
Traits Panel Includes E7, CMS, Horn/Poll and Tenderness and Dwarfism (Does NOT include GGP TropBeef profile)	$43.00

Table 2: Stand-Alone DNA Test Prices (Parentage & Pompes E7)

Stand alone Tests	Fees
SeekSire Parentage	$35.00
Pompes E7 / CMS	$37.75

Conclusion

The introduction of genomic evaluations has benefited Australian Brahman Breeders, including the ability to calculate EBVs on animals that cannot or have not had data collected and sent to BREEDPLAN. Genomic data in the inclusion in the BREEDPLAN analysis has increased the accuracy of EBVs for young animals with limited performance data. Therefore, genomics is a valuable tool for Australian beef producers who wish to continue making informed decisions about making genetic improvements into the future.