MAJOR UPGRADE TO BRAHMAN GROUP BREEDPLAN

06TH SEPTEMBER, 2018

A number of significant BREEDPLAN software enhancements and the addition of a large amount of research data occurred in the August 2018 Brahman GROUP BREEDPLAN evaluation, and in all subsequent analyses.

The enhancements include:

• Transition to a full crossbred analysis model – The inclusion of the large amount of research data allows the Brahman analysis to move to a full crossbred configuration. This allows animals of different breed compositions, if recorded together, to remain in the same contemporary group, and for their performance to be adjusted for heterosis. Previously, Brahman BREEDPLAN was running a restricted crossbred analysis where crossbred animals were included in the analysis by contemporary grouping them based on their breed code. The resultant EBVs on crossbreds are now directly compared with EBVs from purebred Brahman animals.
• Inclusion of data from Northern Multibreed Research Database – Large numbers of animals with intensive recording from northern research projects (Beef CRC and the more recent Repronomics project and Northern steer BIN project) will be included in the Brahman evaluation for the first time. This includes a large amount of purebred Brahman data on several hundred Brahman sires. Data includes over 5000 animals that have been recorded for the full range of BREEDPLAN traits including: birth weight, 200, 400, 600 day weights, cow weights, ultrasound scans, flight time, and abattoir carcase and meat quality traits. All females have days to calving records along with the new measures of heifer age at puberty and lactation anoestrous interval of first-calf cows. Most of these animals also have SNP genotypes and the inclusion of this data will add significantly to the size of the genomics reference population of the Brahman breed and will help drive increased EBV accuracies through the single-step evaluation.

Please Note: The above enhancements could result in EBVs and Selection Indexes changing significantly for some animals. In some cases, the rankings of animals may also change.

If you have any questions regarding the enhancements to Brahman GROUP BREEDPLAN or changes in EBVs resulting from the enhancements please contact Paul Williams Brahman TBTS Technical Officer (0427 018 982 or paul.williams@abri.une.edu.au) or Brahman BREEDPLAN (P: 02 6773 3555, E: brahman@breedplan.une.edu.au)

ABBA ADOPTS GENOMIC SELECTION AS PART OF BREEDPLAN EBV’S
SINGLE STEP GENOMIC EBV ANALYSIS IN BREEDPLAN

28TH APRIL, 2017

Dear Member

Australian Brahman Breeders Association Ltd has for the past 12 months been moving towards the adoption of single step genomic EBV analysis in Breedplan and after internal testing and final confirmation, Brahman Australia wishes to advise that the Mid April Run 2017 Brahman Breedplan has now been completed in this new form.

Genomics is technology that will provide all red meat seed stock producers with the ability to identify more precisely the genes of an animal and more importantly what genes do.

Brahman Australia is proud to be the first beef breed in the world to utilize genomic single step EBV’s across all Breed Plan traits.

Please see attached (below) the information sheet, should you have an enquiry regarding the release or Brahman Breedplan, please contact persons listed at the end of the report or myself on 4927 7799.