Collecting Performance Information at Weaning

With weaning of calves born in the spring of 2017 either completed or soon to get underway, it is timely for Angus Australia members enrolled in Angus TACE to reflect on what performance information should be collected on their animals.

Weaning is an ideal time for the collection of weights on both the calves being weaned, and their mothers, plus docility scores for the calves. This information will help inform the calculation of the 200 Day Growth, Milk, Mature Cow Weight and Docility EBVs.

While nothing is compulsory, the collection of this information would be recommended for any members who place importance on calf growth to weaning, mature cow size, milking ability and temperament within their breeding objective.

Further information regarding the collection of performance information at weaning is available from the links below:

Weaning also serves a useful time to collect and store DNA samples for all calves. The stored samples can then be easily retrieved for use when DNA testing is required. A common practice is to collect a hair sample for each animal, place it in an individual envelope with the Angus Australia ID clearly identified, and store it in a cool, dry place such as a shoe box or filing cabinet.

Further information regarding the collection of DNA samples is available from the link below: