UltraSELECT

UltraSELECT is a collaborative genetic evaluation initiative conducted in partnership between International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) and Angus Australia. It provides genetic evaluation for Australian Ultrablack animals using Australian and American data. The analysis produces Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for global benchmarking of Ultrablack and Brangus animals registered with Angus Australia in the Multi Breed Register (MBR).

UltraSELECT will be run concurrently with Angus Australia’s TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE).

Angus Australia has evaluated a number of opportunities for alternative genetic evaluation for members with Ultrablack and Brangus animals registered on the MBR. The joint evaluation with IBBA represents a number of benefits and opportunities to these members, and strategically aligns with Angus Australia’s participation in the World Angus Evaluation. These include;

• Selection: The ability to better describe an animal’s genetic merit through more accurate EBVs as a result of utilising the larger IBBA reference population, which provides significant genetic influence on Australian Ultrablack herds. It also enables for comparison to animals within the wider IBBA evaluation.
• Trade: Further invigoration to the international trade of Australian genetics, particularly to North America.
• Collaboration: Breeders across the globe working together on common initiatives that will benefit Ultrablack and Brangus breeders globally, including Angus Australia members.  
• Strategy: By participating in collaborative genetic evaluations Angus Australia achieves a strategic objective to enable the genetic benchmarking of Australian and New Zealand animals, that are registered with Angus Australia, with other major Angus Influenced populations around the world.
• Capability: Angus Australia has the required expertise, relationships, data (quality, quantity primarily because of dedicated, performance focused members) and data pipelines to participate in collaborative genetic evaluation programs.

Important details to be aware of:

• The UltraSELECT analysis will be released on monthly basis
• Animals recorded in the MBR that have a listed breed composition of Brahman and Angus (predominantly Ultrablacks, but including Brangus animals) are automatically included in the evaluation.
• The recorded performance data and genotypes for eligible animals and that of their pedigree are analysed, providing that it meets the IBBA parameters. The vast majority of data submitted to the TACE evaluation is suitable to be included in the UltraSELECT evaluation. Guidelines regarding the collection of performance data for both TACE and UltraSELECT will be provided to members.
• Sires can be expected to rank similarly, but not exactly the same when comparing rankings of UltraSELECT EBVs to TACE EBVs, for the same trait. This is a result of it being tailored specifically to Ultrablack animals, rather than the Australian & New Zealand Angus population. UltraSELECT includes significantly more data from North America in and there are also some differences in the analysis model and trait definitions
• As UltraSELECT results are published as EBVs, the breeding values for animals in the UltraSELECT evaluation are not directly comparable to IBBA EPDs. However, due to being a joint evaluation, with the correct conversion factors applied UltraSELECT EBVs can be converted to EPDs with BIF accuracies and directly compared to those reported by IBBA for North American registered animals. The percentiles reported in UltraSELECT are calculated specifically for animals registered with Angus Australia and therefore, animals cannot be compared on a percentile basis between UltraSELECT and IBBA. Angus Australia is able to provide EPDs and BIF accuracies for those members who wish to compare animals from the different associations.