Better Beef Breeding resources aid bull selection
The incorporation of nProve Beef into Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Better Beef Breeding resources has made selecting bulls a whole lot easier. Words Sandra Taylor.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics Extension and Operations Manager Sarah Powdrell says the online tool was launched in March and is designed to help commercial farmers find breeders that rank highly in the traits that are important to them.
She says dedicated sessions within B+LNZ’s Better Beef Breeding workshops will guide farmers on how to use nProve to help select the genetics that will meet their individual breeding objectives.
The Better Beef Breeding workshops, which are part of the seven-year Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme, are designed to help farmers understand the information presented in bull sale catalogues and learn how to structurally assess a bull.
“Bulls represent a significant investment, and these workshops will help farmers select bulls that align with their specific breeding goals, are structurally sound and generate a good return on their investment,” says Sarah.
Bulls represent a significant investment, and these workshops will help farmers select bulls that align with their specific breeding goals, are structurally sound and generate a good return on their investment. – Sarah Powdrell, B+LNZ Genetics Extension and Operations Manager.
During these hands-on workshops, which will be held throughout the country in the lead-up to the bull-buying season, farmers will have the opportunity to set their own breeding objectives and then use genetic and structural information to assess sales bulls. Sarah says feedback from farmers who attended a Better Beef Breeding workshop last year showed that they found setting breeding objectives to be particularly valuable.
“It really encourages farmers to think about what is important to them and their business and this helps clarify their thinking when it comes to selecting genetics.”
The workshops also cover how to make the best use of indexes when selecting bulls. nProve for beef also houses the newly developed NZ Indexes, created by B+LNZ’s INZB programme.
The workshops complement other Better Beef Breeding tools and resources, including learning modules, resource books and podcasts, available on the B+LNZ website.
