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Dear [Name,fallback=]What an incredible turn around 2020 has been. At the beginning of the year we were bracing ourselves for our 4th year of drought and unsure of how we were going to survive. It started raining in mid January and has turned out to be one of the best seasons to date.
Our commitment to breeding functional females has paid off with a 94% pregnancy conception rate. Our breeding numbers have taken a bit of a hit for a few years. Despite this we have been able to maintain our core breeders which represent the best of our genetics.
A sincere thank you to all who have supported us with regular phone calls over the past 3 years. The physical and emotional exhaustion would take its toll and a call when least expected checking if we're OK brightened spirits and meant more than you would have expected. We are very fortunate to be connected with such good caring people.
Collaborating to drive Genetic gain
At Futurity we are working with several of our clients to drive genetic gain for our program, breeders that use our genetics and the wider beef industry. This collaborative approach is paying dividends for producers in helping them select genetics best suit their need and strengthen shorthorn genetic evaluation and genomics. Articles of interest (Source Shorthorn Beef Magazine 2020) Collaboration Driving Genetic Gain
Understanding the change from EBV's to EPD'sShorthorn Group Breedplan has been replaced by International Genetic Solutions (IGS) for genetic evaluation.
Shorthorn Beef has been working very closely with IGS over the past 3 years to develop a broad scale genetic evaluation platform to closer connect the producers to meet the expectations of the supply chain. IGS incorporates shorthorn performance data from 3 countries including Canada and the USA totalling 1,737,457 animals. We will be hosting a virtual (via ZOOM) information session on Thursday 4th June. Graham Winnell will be explaining the new system and how to understand and interpret EPD's (Expected Progeny Differences). A time will be negotiated to suit participants. If you would like to login to the information session click here to register your interest.
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| www.futurityshorthorns.com |
Good summer rain allowed for forage sorghum to be planted and it has been amazing how the tropical pastures have responded, considering we thought they were no longer viable. The stock are now enjoying grass, no dust and the milder temperatures.
Initially we were a bit lost for what to do when we didn't have to get up and feed or treat sick stock 7 days a week. The change in season has allowed for things to start to get back to normal and have a bit of time to do the things we enjoy.
IGS is an International multi-breed genetic evaluation system and will allow shorthorn cattle to be compared to other breeds.
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