What is genetic predisposition?

Genetic predisposition is the inherited ability of an animal to perform, for specific production traits, based on the genetics it inherited from both parents. Although certain animals may have a highly valuable genetic predisposition, they still need to be managed correctly, and be managed in the correct production environment to reach their genetic potential. Furthermore, animals with differing genetic predispositions may require different resources, different management, and most likely will not be the optimal animal type in every beef production system. The evaluation of genetic predisposition, in correlation with a beef producer's goals and resources, is essential to having cattle that will perform in a specific production environment.

What happens when genetic predisposition does not match my production system?

Unfortunately, this happens quite often when integrating breeding replacement animals produced from another system into your own. Many producers question why an animal can be so high performing and have such a great appearance in a particular system, but fall apart in their system. The answer is simple as that animal was either selected through multiple generations (genetically predisposed) to be successful in that system, or that particular system had the resources to develop an animal with that type of genetic predisposition. Unfortunately, when an animal's genetic potential does not match a production system, the animal is typically culled or the producer has to allocate resources that decrease profitability to keep the animal in the production system.

How do I select for a genetic predisposition that is right for my operation?

The first way a producer can select for the proper genetic predisposition is to know the capabilities of their operation. What type of animal can you raise with your resources (land, labor, finances etc) without having to purchase resources outside of your operation to maintain that animal? Multiple trait selection is essential to answer this question. Producers need to evaluate multiple traits and the level of performance for those traits that they believe will produce optimal cattle with the resources they have available. Through the use of expected progeny differences (EPD's), test performance data, genomic testing in some instances, and production system data, producers have the ability to evaluate multiple traits that could increase their accuracy in selecting animals that will thrive in their particular system.

Summary

As many Utah beef producers know, a large component of success in the beef production industry is determined by a producer's ability to maximize their resources, while still remaining sustainable and profitable every year. If a producer constantly has to supplement above their resources in order to keep a specific type of cow in their production system, they may not have cows that are compatible to their production system. A cow should be able to produce a product every year, with little assistance, and with a producer's resources to cover her costs and the producer's. Identification of animals with this capability in an individual beef producers' system is a major factor in remaining profitable and sustainable.

Ranch horses have a unique part in the history and the success of the western beef cow in the United States of America. They have become partners in a way of life for beef producers. Horse are counted on to work long hours with little sleep, just as their riders do. If a cowboy gets up in the middle of the night to check cows, most often he gets on a horse to do the job. Keeping horses healthy and sound becomes vital to the success of a working ranch. One way we increase the longevity of a horse is to ensure its teeth are healthy and doing their job correctly.

Horse's teeth grow continuously until they reach their early to mid twenties, wearing down with regular grinding and chewing. Because horse's teeth are offset, lower teeth set inside the upper teeth, a normal wear pattern can lead to sharp points developing next to the cheek or the tongue of the horse causing sores or ulcers. Also, missing teeth or abnormal wear patterns can lead to high and low spots and an unbalance arcade, or row of teeth. These problems prevent the horse from being able to chew feed normally leading to a lower feed utilization and weight loss. Problems with the teeth also cause pain leading to fighting the bit and also a decrease in performance. In order for horses to have proper head placement and head movement their bottom jaw needs to move freely. If their teeth are unbalanced, then head movement can become unbalanced as well. Dental problems are not always easy to pick up on. Signs that teeth problems exist include weight loss, increased salivation, dropping feed while chewing, foul smelling breath, lumps on the outside of the cheek, and a decrease in performance. Routine examination and dental care by an equine veterinarian can help to ensure that a horse's teeth are in proper working condition and fix problems before they become too big.

During the exam, veterinarians will most likely use sedation and a mouth speculum for a visual examination of all the horse's teeth. Only the front teeth are visible without a mouth speculum in place, leaving the cheek teeth unseen where the majority of problems occur. Veterinarians look for sharp points and abnormal wear patterns that can include hooks, high and low spots, wave mouths, missing teeth and more. Ulcers can form along the cheek and tongue of the horse leading to infection and abscess formation. After an exam a veterinarian will proceed with treatment. Treatment includes grinding or floating teeth to make a balanced arcade. Hand tools and power tools can be utilized. Power tools make the job easier for the person performing the dental as well as the horse. Hand floats require more movement than power tools and increase the likelihood of painful damage occurring to the soft tissue gums and cheeks. If infection is present veterinarians can prescribe medications to help treat the problems.

It is important to remember the routine maintenance procedures that can make our horses healthier and more comfortable. By making a dental examination and correction part of a routine yearly checkup you can make sure your horses teeth are in good working order improving performance and longevity. Proper dental movement allows your horse to utilize the feed they eat better, they will also not be experiencing the pain that can come from sharp points and other dental problems.

Perhaps some of you read the title of this article and thought to yourself, "I thought there was only the 5 C's of credit". If you thought this, you were correct. The 5 C's of credit have provided a framework to analyze credit for many years. Agricultural lenders rely on the 5c's to analyze and work with farmers and ranchers.  The 5 C's of credit are defined as:

 

 

Character is often thought to be the most important of the 5 C's. This is difficult to measure but it represents the integrity and trust a lender has in a borrower. In many instances, a farm or ranch may be suffering financially but a lender will continue to finance the operation based on the character of the borrower. Capacity is used to measure the repayment capacity of a borrower. From a lender's perspective, it measures how much is available to pay back debt obligations. Collateral represents the assets offered to the lender to help secure a loan. Conditions specify the guidelines, loan covenants, and obligations specified in the loan documents. Capital measures the wealth and financial structure of a borrower.

 

As agriculture is seeing a downturn, perhaps it is an important time to add a sixth C to this list. The additional C would be communication. Communication represents the manner in which a borrower communicates with his/her lender. This communication is key in developing and maintaining a healthy business relationship. Often times a farmer or rancher view their lender as a negative to their business when in fact they should view the lender as vital part of their operation. Veterinarians, feed consultants, and agronomists play a vital role in a farming or ranching operation. A lender should be viewed in the same way. Your lender can provide sound financial advice as you are pursuing future opportunities or trying to find ways to build financial strength in your operation. This is especially true when financial stress occurs in your operation. It is in the best interest of your lender to keep you profitable but if there is weak communication it is difficult for your lender to help you build financial strength.

 

So the next time you sit down with your lender, communicate with them as if they were part of your operation. This communication will build a business relationship that will benefit both parties in the short term and long term.

We've having the opportunity for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) to lease Utah State University's Wool Lab an Australian OFDA2000 exceptional wool testing machine almost three (3) years ago. Longtime friend and manager of the Rafter 7 Merino's Inc., Tom Filbin, and the ranch's owner, Mr. Rick Powers, assisted us in having this instrument relocated to Logan, Utah. Since that relocation, we've been able to test wool for purebred breeders and commercial range producers in Utah, Nevada and Wyoming. The ASI and the Wool Council have been very supportive of our efforts. However, I must admit, we haven't advertised these services to the various State Wool Growers Associations, and hopefully this new quarterly newsletter, initiated by our new Utah Extension Beef Specialist, Dr. Matthew Garcia, will help get the word out.

The information we can provide our producers with regards to the various wool measurements of their sampled rams and ewes, is most valuable when selection is implemented. The other advantage of measuring wool traits, is that they are the most heritable of any of the sheep and wool traits, which means, when utilized, producers will see genetic improvement, more expeditiously than other measured livestock traits. We can measure micron average, micron standard deviation, micron coefficient of variation, staple length, staple length standard deviation, comfort factor, spinning fineness, fiber curvature degrees, both scoured and grease tests.

Originally, ASI wool consultants recommended that we charge $3.00 per sample. But, because of our appreciation and support of ASI, and the Utah Wool Growers Association (UWGA), last year we dropped charges to $2.00 per sample for registered members of the Utah Wool Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers Association, and the Nevada Wool Growers Association; and if a producer sends over 200 samples to be tested, the fee drops to $1.50 per sample. Non-members of UWGA will be charge $3.00 per sample, as ASI recommended. All the fees collected for testing, go to pay our lease with ASI, and my USU sheep and wool certified student tester's.

Because wool traits are highly heritable, producers can make better informed and earlier selection decisions for replacement animals and fine tune their wool selection program using individual animal data based on sire information. Only needing to test an individual animal once in its lifetime, is obviously a direct financial benefit to a sheep producer For those producers not involved in National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) the information we can provide, indicates that after testing your replacements, the genetic rankings of your animals within your flock probably will not change. I also recommend that commercial producers, as well as purebred producers, of the wool breeds have their rams wool tested as well, when yearlings. 

For additional information, please feel free to email  [email protected] or call (435) 797-2140 or 797-2162. The mailing address to mail your raw wool samples to: Dr. Lyle McNeal, Sheep & Wool Specialist, P.O. Box 4454, Logan, UT 84323-4454.