Source: American Angus Association news release
The Angus genetic evaluation has now surpassed 500,000 genotypes in the database. The actual number stands at 500,879, which reflects a dual collection partnership between the American Angus Association® and the Canadian Angus Association.
Starting in 2010, the Angus genetic evaluation was the first in the beef cattle industry to be updated on a weekly basis. Angus breeders have been quick to adapt to the technology and their continued support only helps to drive the breed forward.
“The accuracy of the Angus genetic evaluation is unparalleled in the global beef industry,” said Dan Moser, Angus Genetics, Inc. (AGI) president. “The database is robust not only because of the number of genotypes, but also the number of pedigree and phenotypic records used.”
To date, the Angus extended pedigree includes more than 22 million animals, and the evaluation consists of 8.9 million weaning weights and 1.57 million calving ease records all from first-calf heifers, 280,000 docility scores, 118,549 carcasses, 67,600 heifer pregnancy records and 22,000 individual feed intake records.
Moreover, AGI continues to update its portfolio with affordable advances in genetic technology for Angus breeders, which makes it even easier for producers to submit data. Last fall, AGI and Neogen GeneSeek Operations launched Angus GS™, the first high-density genomic profile test designed specifically for Angus cattle with a low-cost price point amendable to whole-herd genotyping across the Angus breed.
For more news and information on the American Angus Association and Angus Genetics, Inc., visit www.angus.org, and for more information on Angus GS, visit the website.
