Paul Williams ABBA Breed Development Officer

Good records are one of the cheapest and most powerful tools a Brahman seedstock breeder can use. Whether you’re running AI, ET/IVF, or a mix of both, the quality of your recording directly affects the quality of your BREEDPLAN EBVs.

Two things matter more than most:

• AI dates
• ET recipient dam details

If you don’t record these details correctly, BREEDPLAN can’t separate genetic effects from environmental ones. The result is that EBVs lose accuracy, or the data is excluded from the analysis altogether.

Why Recording AI Dates Matters

AI is a major driver of genetic improvement, but only if it is backed up with accurate recording, especially the AI date.

1. Keeps your pedigrees right

In northern systems, it’s common to run:

• AI followed by clean-up bulls
• long joining periods
• large mobs in big paddocks

Without an AI date, it becomes much harder to confirm the sire. That can lead to wrong pedigrees, disputes later, and DNA testing to sort it out.

2. Helps BREEDPLAN get the EBVs right

BREEDPLAN needs the conception timing to help analyse traits like:

• gestation length
• birth weight
• early growth

If the AI date is missing or wrong, BREEDPLAN may reduce confidence in the record or exclude it.

3. Makes calving and herd management easier

Accurate AI dates help you:

• predict calving more reliably.
• plan supervision for heifers.
• manage nutrition around late pregnancy.
• identify empty cows earlier.

4. Shows fertility and semen performance over time

Good AI records allow you to track:

• conception rates by season
• cow-line fertility differences
• semen batch performance
• joining management success

That’s real, practical information you can use each year.

5. Adds confidence for buyers

Seedstock buyers value transparency. If you can confidently stand behind an AI sire claim, it strengthens credibility and can add value.

Why ET/IVF Recipient Dam
Details Matter

ET calves don’t get genetics from the recipient cow — but the recipient still has a major influence on early performance.

Things like:

• uterine environment
• milk supply
• mothering ability
• general cow type and maturity all affect traits like birth weight and weaning weight.

When recipient dam details aren’t recorded, BREEDPLAN may interpret maternal effects as genetic differences, which can skew the calf’s EBVs.

A simple example

If you put two full-sibling embryos into:

• a Brahman recipient
• a dairy-type recipient

You’ll always see a difference in weaning weight. Same genetics — different maternal environment.

How BREEDPLAN Treats ET Calves

BREEDPLAN manages ET calves fairly by accounting for the influence of recipient dams on early performance.

To make sure ET calf data can be used in the BREEDPLAN analysis, breeders must record:

• recipient dam ID
• recipient dam breed (as accurately as possible)

Recording the recipient’s approximate year of birth is also recommended.

If these details aren’t provided, the calf’s performance may not be included in the analysis, and EBVs may revert closer to mid-parent values.

Bottom Line for Brahman Breeders

AI dates and ET/IVF recipient details take only seconds to record, but they have a long‑lasting impact. These small pieces of information help protect pedigree integrity, strengthen BREEDPLAN analysis and ensure your calves are evaluated fairly. In a competitive seedstock market, accurate records aren’t simply good practice — they’re a direct investment in the value and credibility of your breeding program.