Producers and fitters were washing, blow drying, clipping and otherwise primping their purebred cattle in the Canadian Western Agribition barns while others paraded their stock in front of judges.
Meanwhile, just upstairs from the beehive of activity, a seminar on beef cattle genomics was notable for its sparse attendance.
Genomics will have a large impact on everything from sire selection to management programs as an in-creasing number of informative DNA markers are identified in the bovine genome.
This isn’t only for the purebred industry. Some commercial producers already submit DNA samples to labs, usually some hair with follicles attached.
Read Also
Agriculture needs to prepare for government spending cuts
As government makes necessary cuts to spending, what can be reduced or restructured in the budgets for agriculture?
It’s like the early days of personal computers. A growing amount of data can be gleaned from each sample at an ever-decreasing cost. If you want something as simple as sire verification, the cost may be as low as $10 or $15 a sample.
Expected progeny differences (EPD) have long been used to help select desirable breeding animals. This involves collecting data on birth weights, weaning weights and growth rate of progeny. Adding genomics to the toolbox provides a lot of information on an animal even before it produces progeny.
It’s exciting new technology, but apparently it can’t compete with the lure of preparing animals for the show ring.
There are fewer stops on the show circuit these days, but major shows such as Agribition in Regina and Farmfair in Edmonton continue to attract hundreds of purebred breeders willing to go through the work and expense of showing off their cattle the same way it’s been done for decades.
Many commercial and even purebred beef producers struggle to see the relevance.
In North America, black is beautiful. Due to the success of Certified Angus Beef, black calves going through auction markets receive a price premium regardless of their underlying genetics.
That’s why there has been a major push to put black in the genetics of breeds that were never noted for that colour.
Isn’t there something inherently wrong when breeding programs target a colour rather than growth rate, feed efficiency or meat tenderness?
It seems to me that the purebred cattle industry is clinging to tradition in a world that’s rapidly evolving.
With livestock producers in other sectors worrying about biosecurity and keeping their animals healthy, isn’t it counterintuitive to truck your best animals to locations where they mix with herds from far and wide? And when the business is producing beef, are beauty pageants relevant?
A lot of tradition is involved. Many young people still grow up fitting cattle in 4-H programs, and there will always be a need to show live animals to prospective buyers. However, aren’t EPDs and the best information that can be garnered from genomics ultimately more important?
It’s interesting to note that in the grain industry, seed shows such as the one that used to be held at Agribition have largely been discontinued. Seed shows are a beauty contest with the beauty bestowed mainly by environmental conditions.
Pretty seed samples don’t mean much for producers choosing which crop varieties to grow. They buy seed for its genetic potential: traits such as enhanced yield, shorter days to maturity, disease resistance and marketability.
Cattle shows will no doubt continue for many years to come. Traditions don’t easily change. However, more focus on numbers and less focus on hairspray might be useful.
