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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #195527
Title: BREEDING OBJECTIVES FOR ANGUS AND CHAROLAIS SPECIALIZED SIRE LINES FOR USE IN THE EMERGING SECTOR OF SOUTH AFRICAN BEEF PRODUCTION

Author
item Macneil, Michael
item MATJUDA, EPHRAIM - ARC ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT IN

Submitted to: South African Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2007
Publication Date: 3/14/2007
Citation: MacNeil, M.D., Matjuda, E. 2007. Breeding objectives for Angus and Charolais specialized sire lines for use in the emerging sector of South African beef production. South African Journal of Animal Science 37(1):1-10.

Interpretive Summary: An agricultural development objective was established by the South African government as a means to poverty alleviation through wealth creation. To achieve this objective, many poor farmers should transition to commercial production and "emerge" from subsistence agriculture. Currently animals produced by the subsistence sector to not meet requirements of the feedlots and thus are discounted in the marketplace. The objective of this research was to develop breeding objectives for Angus and Charolais bulls intended for breeding indigenous cows to facilitate calves produced in the emerging sector better meeting requirements of the feedlots. A computer simulation model that relies on user inputs for phenotypic characterization of the germplasm and economic characterization of the production environment was developed. Relative economic values, which make up the breeding objectives, were calculated by approximating partial derivatives of profit with respect to relevant phenotypes. On average, relative emphases given to breeding values for survival, direct weaning weight, postweaning daily gain, postweaning daily feed intake, dressing percentage, and fat depth were 31., 31., 17., 1.4, 19., and 0.2%, respectively. Breeding objectives may be viewed as an appropriate step in the evolution of multi-trait selection to facilitate poverty alleviation among cattle producers in the emerging sector through wealth creation resulting from their production of calves for industrial feeding.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this research was to develop breeding objectives for Angus and Charolais bulls intended for breeding indigenous cows to facilitate calves produced in the emerging sector better meeting requirements of the feedlots. An aggregated simulation model that is reliant on user inputs for the phenotypic characterization of the germplasm and economic characterization of the production environment was developed. Relative economic values were calculated by approximating partial derivatives of simulated profit with respect to economically relevant phenotypes. Correlations among the breeding objectives calculated from simulations of Angus and Charolais bulls bred to Afrikaner, Bonsmara and Nguni cows were consistently > 0.9. Thus, an average index could be used for all 6 scenarios with little loss of selection efficiency. On average, relative emphasis given to breeding values for survival, direct weaning weight, postweaning daily gain, postweaning daily feed intake, dressing percent, and fat depth were 31.1, 31.0, 17.3, 1.4, 19.1, 0.2, % , respectively. These breeding objectives may be viewed as an appropriate step in the evolution of multi-trait selection to facilitate poverty alleviation among cattle producers in the emerging sector through wealth creation resulting from their production of calves for industrial feeding.