Five Good Reasons this Cow will be Genotyped
The decision to genotype (DNA test) females in a seedstock herd is worth serious consideration. Doing so is an investment in the future of your herd. The payback may not be immediate, but nonetheless is real over time. RAAA data has shown that producers who regularly genotype their females make more rapid genetic progress compared to those that do not. With this in mind, here are five good reasons that the cow pictured below will be genotyped, allowing her EPDs to become genomically enhanced.
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As a 3-year-old female that’s A.I. bred with her third calf in utero, she represents a sizable investment. More knowledge about this cow’s genetics for all Red Angus EPD traits will help the owner get the most out of her, and her progeny, in the years ahead.
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She’s already produced a daughter that will stay in the herd, so her influence is expanding, despite the fact that she’s still a young cow.
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Genotyping this cow will significantly increase the accuracy of her EPD projections. This is helpful for all traits, but especially beneficial for traits that take a long time to gain accuracy and/or are difficult to collect data on, such as Heifer Pregnancy, Stayability and carcass traits.
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With her more accurate, genomically enhanced EPDs and verified parentage, better mating decisions can be made as she is bred for future calves. This will enable faster genetic progress toward the breeding objectives established by her owner.
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Genotyping provides the equivalent of 25+ progeny records and therefore instills more confidence, more quickly, in the EPDs used for management decisions.
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