Optimising Cow Mature Weight – How Heavy Is Too Heavy?

Optimising Cow Mature Weight – How Heavy Is Too Heavy?

by | Jul 2, 2021

OPTIMISING COW MATURE WEIGHT –

HOW HEAVY IS
TOO HEAVY?

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Research by AbacusBio International on behalf of AHDB, QMS and HCC has used industry data to create a model of UK beef production systems, which shows how increases in mature size affect traits such as carcase size and cow maintenance requirements, and how these changes affect cost and revenue on farm.

Suckler cows in the UK have been increasing in size over time. Heavier cows provide extra value to the farm by producing heavier offspring, and by having a higher cull cow value. However, they also cost more to keep on farm, and so we must strike a balance on cow mature weight.

The AbacusBio International team compared the cost of producing cows with a mature weight of 651kg compared to those with a mature weight of 751kg. The results (Table 1) showed that heavier

cows benefit the modelled farm through higher cull cow revenue, and by producing offspring with higher carcase revenue and quality. However, heavier cows have higher costs in terms of maintenance feed and replacements, and they also suffer from a decrease in fertility, potentially producing less offspring in their breeding lifetime. Heavier cows also require more land than lighter cows, resulting in a reduced stocking density on farm. Once you combine all of these factors, the cost of production is higher for heavier breeding females and therefore profitability is worse. 

Having taken all of these effects into account and applying the model across a range of cow mature weights, the team found that the optimum mature weight for a breeding female is between 680 and 685kg. Beef producers who feed primarily home-grown feedstuffs may be able to keep breeding females of up to 700kg to optimise their profits, as the cost of producing home-grown feed is lower than the cost of buying feed in. 

Table 1: Herd margin over feed for different cow mature weights (based on a 100 cow herd). The margin over feed is the net revenue when feed is the only cost that varies. In this model, all other costs remain the same.

AnimalMature Weight
651KG751KG
CostRevenueCostRevenue
Maintenance Feed£11,771£21,655
Cull Cow£10,924£13,144
Replacement Growth£10,620£16,588
Heifer Carcase Value£15,834£28,906£18,278£34,292
Steer Carcase Value£24,522£42,920£29,296£46,175
Bull Carcase Value£5,465$8,120£6,602£9,948
Total£68,213£90,872£92,420£103,561
Margin Over Feed*£22,658£11,140

Simmental cow mature weight trends

As mentioned on page 80, and can be seen in Figure 1, the genetic trend for mature weight has been increasing by over 1kg per year. The average EBV for mature cow weight for animals born in 2000 was 46.9kg, rising to 66.7kg for animals born in 2018.

Looking at the phenotypic trend for mature cow weight over time using Breedplan data is difficult due to the low level of mature weight recording in the breed. However, we have been able to get an estimate of Simmental mature cow size over time by analysing cull cow data from the slaughter records that are shared by abattoirs for use in the AHDB national beef evaluations. The estimates are based on multiplying the cow carcase weight by the industry average killing out percentage.

Figure 2 shows the distribution of cow mature weights for cows born in 2000 vs 2013 that were slaughtered between 5 and 10 years of age. In this 13 year period, the estimated average mature cow weight has increased by 56kg, from an average of 631kg back in 2000, to an average of 687kg in 2013.

Assuming that this dataset is a representative sample of the UK Simmental herd, this would suggest that in 2013, over 50% of mature cows weighed more than the optimum 685kg, and as the genetic potential for larger mature cow weight increases, the percentage of mature Simmental cows over the optimum mature weight is likely to be higher than 50% today. The profitability of the national herd is therefore lower than it could be.

To increase herd profitability, there is a strong argument of the importance that this trend for heavier cows is reversed. As mature weight is a heritable trait, we can use genetic improvement techniques to help take aim at the current trend.

Steps to optimise mature cow weight

  1. Where available, make use of selection indexes that have penalties applied to breeding female mature weight EBVs; this controls the increase in mature weight, associated with selection for early growth
  2. Weigh breeding females regularly and compare this to the weight of the calf they produce at weaning. It is aimed that a cow should produce 45% of her weight at weaning. Sign up for performance recording so that the data can be shared with Breedplan and used in genetic evaluation.
  3. Don’t retain heifers from your biggest cows in the herd, mature weight is heritable. 
  4. Buy sires where it is possible to assess the size/weight of the breeding females, and gather more intelligence about the genetic merit of the males for growth, mature weight and other genetic merit estimates
  5. Communicate with commercial farmers to understand the needs in the context of breeding female mature weight, with an understanding that bigger is not always better.
Commercial Carcase EBVs improving Productivity and Profitability

Commercial Carcase EBVs improving Productivity and Profitability

by | Jul 2, 2021

COMMERCIAL CARCASE EBVs
IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY
AND PROFITABILITY

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SIMMENTAL RANKED UK’S #1 CONTINENTAL BREED
FOR AGE AT SLAUGHTER

A bull’s Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) provide you with a good idea of the genetic potential he will pass on to his calves, and should always be taken into consideration when purchasing stock bulls or choosing AI sires. Although terminal traits such as growth rate and muscle depth are a step in the right direction to producing profitable carcases, they are an indirect and therefore imperfect measure of carcase performance.

Work by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), with funding from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC), has led to the publication of the AHDB National Beef Evaluations, a set of five EBVs that are linked to the things commercial farmers get paid for, such as carcase quality and speed of finishing. These are:

  • Carcase weight (kg) 
  • Carcase conformation (EUROP classification) 
  • Carcase fat class (EUROP classification) 
  • Days to slaughter (days) 
  • Average daily carcase gain (kg)

These EBVs are calculated using data from BCMS, processors and breed societies, giving high accuracy figures for bulls that have had progeny slaughtered. For young bulls, EBVs can still be calculated using data from their relatives, such as their parents and grandparents. These figures will get more accurate when their own progeny reach slaughter age. The processor data currently covers 40 per cent of the national kill and almost 3 million carcase records for both purebred and crossbred animals have been used in the latest genetic evaluation.

The heritability tells us what proportion of variation we see in a phenotypic trait is down to genetics. For the new carcase traits, over 40% of variation we see is a result of genetics, so making use of these new EBVs will greatly accelerate improvement in carcase characteristics.

Understanding the new carcase traits 

This set of EBVs is derived directly from commercial data, and should therefore be of high interest to commercial producers as well as the pedigree sector.

So as well as being useful when making your own breeding decisions, these EBVs could also be used as a marketing tool when selling stock bulls. They are also highly relevant to beef on dairy sires, with some bulls having the potential to produce a calf that will be much more profitable when put into the beef supply chain.

The carcase EBVs are the first to be released under the umbrella of the AHDB National Beef Evaluations, a growing set of EBVs based on commercial data sources. Further work currently in the pipeline includes the development of EBVs for age at first calving, calving interval, longevity and calf survival, and also EBVs for resistance to bovine tuberculosis.

DAYS TO SLAUGHTER

Definition: An EBV predicting days to slaughter at a given weight and fat class.
Calculated from: Dates of birth and slaughter. These are primarily obtained from records within the BCMS database.
Unit of measurement: Days
Interpretation: Skerrington Superstar has a days to slaughter EBV of -32.67. On average, he will produce progeny that reach slaughter 16.3 days earlier than progeny from a bull with a days to slaughter EBV of 0. High negative values for age at slaughter indicate animals whose progeny reach a given carcase weight faster (ie. in fewer days) than average.

CARCASE WEIGHT

Definition: An EBV predicting carcase weight at a given slaughter age.
Calculated from: Records of cold carcase weight provided by UK processors.
Unit of measurement: Kilogrammes (kg)
Interpretation: Skerrington Superstar has a carcase weight EBV of +5.19. On average, he will produce progeny whose carcases are 2.6kg heavier than progeny from a bull with a carcase weight EBV of 0.

CARCASE CONFORMATION

Definition: An EBV predicting carcase conformation at a given slaughter age.
Calculated from: Records of carcase conformation based on the EUROP classification system, provided by UK processors.
Unit of measurement: Carcase conformation scores converted to a 45 point score. A conformation grade (e.g. R to U) spans about 9 points.
Interpretation: Skerrington Superstar has a carcase conformation EBV of +0.02. On average, he will produce progeny whose carcase conformation is equivalent to that from a bull with a carcase conformation EBV of 0. A bull with a carcase conformation EBV of +9 would produce progeny that have conformation half a grade higher than a bull with a conformation EBV of 0.

CARCASE FAT CLASS

Definition: An EBV predicting carcase fat class at a given slaughter age.
Calculated from: Records of carcase fat class based on the EUROP classification system, provided by UK processors.
Unit of measurement: Fat class scores (ie values 1 to 5H) are converted to a 45 point score. The difference between the main grades is about 9 points.
Interpretation: Skerrington Superstar has a carcase a fat class EBV of 1.18. On average, he will produce progeny that are marginally fatter than progeny from a bull with a fat class EBV of 0. A bull with a fat class EBV of +9 will produce progeny that are half a grade higher (fatter) than a bull with a fat class EBV of 0.

AVERAGE DAILY CARCASE GAIN (ADCG) 

Definition: An EBV predicting daily gain in the carcase.
Calculated from: Carcase weight, date of birth and date of slaughter.
Unit of measurement: Kilogrammes (kg)
Interpretation: Skerrington Superstar has an ADCG EBV of +0.04. On average, the daily carcase gain of his progeny will be 0.02kg greater than progeny from a bull with an EBV of 0.

All five EBVs are expressed on two bases, native and continental, so EBVs for Simmental cattle can be compared directly with other continental beef breeds.

What does this mean for Simmentals?

Currently ranked #1 continental breed for age at slaughter

Based on data from the December 2020 evaluation on continental breeds, the Simmental breed ranks number one in terms of average EBV for days to slaughter, with an average EBV of -5.13 days. This average is currently significantly lower than the other continental breeds. The genetic trend for days to slaughter has a shallow downward slope, meaning that Simmental breeders are successfully breeding animals that finish at an earlier age, but there’s still plenty of room for more progress.

We do see high levels of variation in all five traits for all breeds, which combined with the high heritabilities means there is good scope for carcase improvement in every breed. To maintain the current breed advantage in terms of days to slaughter, Simmental breeders should make use of these new EBVs when making selection decisions to help accelerate genetic gain.

Remember: Carcase merit is only one aspect of a profitable beef enterprise. It is important to consider this new data alongside other EBVs when selecting individuals for breeding. For example, animals of high carcase merit should not be chosen to the detriment of health and fertility traits such as calving ease.

Identifying new sources of good genetics

Because the AHDB national beef evaluations are based on millions of commercial carcase records, accurate EBVs are available for a wide range of Simmental cattle.

In the latest run (December 2020), there were 3,902 Simmental bulls with high accuracy (≥80%) carcase traits EBVs. Of these 3,902 bulls, approximately 70% of animals had EBVs for weaning, yearling and finishing weight published on the Breedplan database, and less than 50% had EBVs available for eye muscle area and fat (Table 1). Less than 10% of the bulls had Breedplan EBVs with accuracies of ≥80%. 

The AHDB national beef evaluations therefore provide a good opportunity to make better informed decisions on breeding bulls who don’t have enough information within the Breedplan database for them to have high accuracy EBVs published.

Breedplan TraitAnimals with a published Breedplan EBVAnimals with a published Breedplan EBV >80%
N%N%
Weaning Weight283372.6%2476.3%
Yearling Weight283372.6%2225.7%
Finishing Weight283372.6%1804.6%
Carcase Weight211254.1%601.5%
Eye Muscle Area168043.1%40.1%
Fat Depth168243.1%441.1%

Table 1: The amount of Breedplan data available for 3,902 bulls with high accuracy carcase trait EBVs (≥80%) published via the AHDB national beef evaluations.

Accessing the data

The new EBVs can be accessed via the EGENES website and you can search by pedigree name or ear tag number, at http://ahdbbeef.egenes.co.uk/

Currently ranked #1 continental breed for age at slaughter

Based on data from the December 2020 evaluation on continental breeds, the Simmental breed ranks number one in terms of average EBV for days to slaughter, with an average EBV of -5.13 days. This average is currently significantly lower than the other continental breeds. The genetic trend for days to slaughter has a shallow downward slope, meaning that Simmental breeders are successfully breeding animals that finish at an earlier age, but there’s still plenty of room for more progress.

We do see high levels of variation in all five traits for all breeds, which combined with the high heritabilities means there is good scope for carcase improvement in every breed. To maintain the current breed advantage in terms of days to slaughter, Simmental breeders should make use of these new EBVs when making selection decisions to help accelerate genetic gain.

“Why is the average progeny performance half of the EBV value?”

The EBV is the measure of the genetic merit of the bull. He contributes 50% of his genetics to his progeny, therefore the average progeny performance is 50% of the EBV value.

“Will such small increases in conformation and fat class really make a difference?”

Example shows small benefits (less than half a grade) for conformation and fat class. It’s important to remember that genetic improvement is both cumulative and permanent, so even small improvements will add up over generations to produce higher performing animals.

“How reliable are the new EBVs?”

As with the BREEDPLAN EBVs, the new carcase trait EBVs have an accuracy value associated with them. The higher the accuracy value, the more reliable the result. EBVs are only published for animals where the accuracy for all five traits is over 30%. 

How can you help to make these EBVs better?

The production of these EBVs relies on sire details being recorded on passports to be able to identify genetic links between bulls and recorded progeny. In the latest genetic evaluation (December 2020), there were 5 million carcase records that could not be utilised because the sire was not recorded in BCMS, so genetic links could not be made. We are urging farmers to make sure they record known sires when registering animals with BCMS as this is the best way to improve the range and accuracy of these EBVs. As well as recording all known sires for your own herd, please encourage buyers of stock bulls to do the same. Increasing the level of sire recording will allow us to identify genetic links between cattle and improve the accuracy

Simmentals Fitting Into Organic, Low Cost System In West Wales

Simmentals Fitting Into Organic, Low Cost System In West Wales

by | Jul 2, 2021

SIMMENTALS

FITTING INTO
ORGANIC, LOW
COST SYSTEM

IN WEST WALES

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Highlighting the flexibility and adaptability of the Simmental breed to all systems and geographies, here we feature the organic suckler herd and Welston pedigree herd of Anthony and Harry Davies, Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

Welcome to West Wales, where my son Harry and I farm 275 acres together with another 120 rented acres.  Our climate is gentle thanks to the gulf stream and ideal grass growing country, which we try to utilise to the max.  We carry 105 suckler cows and all followers are kept right through to either breed or to fatten.  The farm has been organic for more than 20 years, producing milk, corn and beef.  Without the use of chemicals, the farm has thrived with the dairy herd averaging 7800 litres/cow.  Clovers – red and white – are the mainstay with arable silage boosting yields.  In 2011 we decided to sell off the milking cows and increase the suckler herd.  The majority of our beef cows were graded up from the dairy herd, and we found half bred cows had loads of milk, whilst the 15/16th cows have a lot more muscle.  Each year we try to bull 20 to 25 heifers, and now all pedigree.

The simple organic, low-cost system we employ, also helps with a low carbon footprint.  Growing clover to fix nitrogen means we are able to graze from 1st March until November in most years.  We make our own silage with a forage wagon and spread the manure back onto the silage ground.  About 10% of the farm is reseeded each year, following the arable silage which we have gone back to this last 2 seasons.  A mix of barley, oats and peas under sown with ryegrass and clover to give cover over the winter.  For next year we will introduce vetches and radish for deep tap root penetration of the soil.  We also aerate the farm each year to allow oxygen into the soil.  Soil health means crop health which in turn means stock health. 

We originally bought Simmentals in 1987 after using MMB Halo on the dairy cows.  Those first cross breds showed to us the growth the breed had, and so our first pedigree purchase was Estelle 3rd and Tascha 14th from the Heywood sale.  Then, in 1990, came Revelex Avril 3rd, Avril 11th and Avril 12th out of Fincham Avril ERM.  We always look for stock from a very good female line.  Fincham Avril should have made Golden Cow, but alas, because she had moved farms, she didn’t have 3 calved cows on the same unit and so missed out.  The Avril family went on to produce Welston Frontier Avril who classified EX94. The Tascha family became our firm favourites with Welston Elgars Tascha classified Ex94, and a host of daughters classifying excellent (and maybe one of the first EX Simmentals to breed 3 generations EX).   Having bred Holstein for 30 years, Beef Character, legs and feet, body and mammary had improved the dairy herd no end, so we were keen to classify the Simmentals as we are well aware of the benefit.  

Initially, we had only used AI – Rickardstown Jumbo and Camus Brandy on our pedigree Simmentals.  However, we also used Sacombe Wishful Thinking on dairy cows and heifers as well as pedigree Simmentals.  Wishful Thinking was a very good all-round bull.

We decided we needed our first stock bull, which we found in Ireland when we bought Jennalyn Aspen from Clonagh – a son of Banwy TRex out of Milton Sapphire ET.  He is a full genetic brother to Clonagh Darling Eyes. In 2015 we purchased Shiloh Farm Forever Royal, a son of Kilbride Farm Bantry out of Shiloh Farm Royal Babe ET – a Hercules daughter.  Royal was Junior Champion bull at Tullamore also winning 8 first prizes that show season.  He has bred extremely well for us, being a long bull and has Classified EX 94. He is breeding smaller cows with extra length which is perfect for us.  In August 2018, we decided to look for a polled bull which we found in Northern Ireland and came home with Kilbride Farm Hans PP EX93 – a son of Sneumgaard Imperator out of Kilbride Farm Fanni 44 – a daughter of Hoeness.  We have used him on the heifers for the last 2 seasons and so far, we have been very pleased with the calves. Our recent Classification resulted in a further 15 cows and 2 bulls going EX.

The Classification for these 2 bulls is shown below as well as 6 heifers from Royal –

BODY CONFIRMATION
BEEF CHARACTERLEGS/FEETMAMMARYRUMPFINAL CLASSIFICATION
KILBRIDE FARM HANS PPEX93EX94EX930EX92EX93
SHILOH FARM FOREVER ROYAL
EX94EX95EX950EX93EX94
ROYALS PROGENY
85858485084.86

We aim to breed easy care cattle that don’t cause us problems.  So, temperament, milk, growth, and easy calving are the goal.  We fatten off grass and silage with a guide cost for grass at £1/kg dry matter, silage at £3/kg dry matter and concentrates (if used) at £5/kg dry matter.  However, being organic, we aim to finish off grass wherever possible.  Royal’s progeny are grading particularly well as shown below by the kill sheet from a consignment sent in June 2020.  

GRADEQUANTITYAVERAGE WEIGHTPAY WEIGHTAVERAGE VALUEPRICE PER KG.
HO CROSSR4L2338.3676.61522.354.5
SO CROSSR31440.440.1892.4.3
SO CROSSR31430.430.1870.54.35
SO CROSSR31420.6420.61850.644.4
SOR31412.8412.81836.964.45
SOR4L1440.440.1892.4.3
SOR4L1422.2422.21857.684.4
HOR32366.3732.61648.354.5
HO-U31330.2330.21512.324.58
SO-U32421.1842.21886.534.48
SO-U31411.4411.41863.644.53

In January 2019 we decided it might be a good exercise to take pelvic measurements of the heifers.   So, Richard Cummings, Cwarre Herd, who is a local vet, came along with a measuring instrument and measured the pelvises of our heifers.   Having measured the width and depth at this stage, you can calculate the size of a calf, by weight, that the heifer can deliver without difficulty.   We felt this information would be very useful before bulling, in order to calculate what size calf can pass safely through the pelvis. The pelvic area grows at a fairly constant rate from 9 to 24 months of age.  Heifers pelvic area increases slightly faster from 10 to 15 months versus 16 to 24 months.  The Continental breeds average growth is 0.30 cm sq. Per day and the native breeds are 0.25 cm sq. per day.  This relates to 8 or 10 cm sq. increase per month for this period.

Below is a list, by age, weight and calving history of our results:

Welston HerdAGE IN MONTHSWEIGHTPELVIC WIDTHPELVIC HEIGHTPELVIS SIZECALFWEIGHT KGSIREDIFFICULTY
COOMBER AVRIL
276101620320HEIFER40HANS
APOSTLE HONEY275601417238BULL47HARRYCEASEAR
MANS/MAN AVRIL2557816.517280HEIFER43HARRY
ROYAL TASCHA2356014.517246.5BULL42HANSPULLED
EDWARD CANDY2351413.515202.5BULL44ICON
ASPENS ANNAKEL224901417238DEADCALF
ROYAL TASCHA 2224801415210BULL43NEWRY
ROYAL WELCOME224801516240BULL41HANS
ASPEN TASCHA225041516240HEIFER40HANS
ROYAL ANGEL2146514.516232BULL41HANS
EDWARDS AVRIL204041416224BULL47ICON
ASPEN TASCHA 21642314.515217.5HEIFER38HANS
ROYAL KARINA twin1533811.514161BULL43HARRYSLIGHT PULL
ROYAL KARINA 21335011.514161HEIFER40HARRY
COOMBER ANGEL13.540012.513.5169HEIFER40HANS
MANS GENIES13.542012.514175TWINSHARRY
MANS GENIES134201416224BULL47HARRYPULLED
BULLSAGE IN MONTHSWEIGHTPELVIC WIDTHPELVIC HEIGHTPELVIS SIZECALFWEIGHT KGSIREDIFFICULTY
WELSTON IVAR218101315.5202
WELSTON ICON2179012.513.5169

100 cows weighing 700 to 800 kg eat the same amount of feed as 120 cows weighing 600 to 650 kg. and also produce an extra 20 calves per year.  Basically, we are currently trying to breed a small to medium cow that is polled, out of dams classified Very Good or Excellent with a self-replacing index in the top 25%.   

We now have our first home produced poll bull – Welston King Hans – son of Kilbride Farms Hans PP EX93 and out of Curaheen Gretal P EX92 (a granddaughter of Raceview Merle Beauty).  He looks very promising.

We believe the Simmental has all the leading traits of all the other breeds put together, but also believe that we must get more efficient by breeding a correct cow or bull of moderate size that can wean a calf weighing 50% of the dams’ body weight.  Heifers must calve by 2 years old, be easy calving with fewer than 3 to 5 per cent needing calving assistance.  They need to be efficient foragers and converters with optimum milk yield.  Good Classification will lead to longevity and so more calves produced per cow. Earlier in the year we purchased 6 Stabilizer heifers in order to directly compare the breeds and maybe follow some of their strengths in conversion of feed.

Our aim last year was to reduce cow size by about 100kg.  For every 100kg reduction per individual, 15% more cows per acre can be carried.  We intend to breed moderate cows, that are polled, Classified VG and EX with estimated breeding values in the top 20%.

A highlight for us in 2020 was the Virtual Show held by the Welsh Club, with Welston Harry winning overall Male Champion.  The Welsh Club was founded 30 years ago and it has been a great way of meeting fellow breeders at home and in Ireland.

A few final thoughts.  We need to work with our neighbours as one breed.  Simmental is one of the largest breeds in the world but we have to be open and mindful that this great breed is slipping behind in the UK.  We must look at the work of breeds like the Stabilizers who are measuring feed efficiency, weight trait trend, average weaning and finisher index by year of birth and, most importantly, average profit by year of birth which has improved by 100% since 2010.  Stabilizers also claim to be the most carbon efficient suckler cow, and, another milestone, they are now geonomically testing to enhance all their EBVs.  Don’t forget, the Stabilizer has Simmental in its makeup!  With all our leading traits, Simmental can get back to be THE LEADING BREED.  

Let’s make it happen! 

Simmentals the Continental Breed of Choice in Canada

Simmentals the Continental Breed of Choice in Canada

by | Jul 2, 2021

SIMMENTAL THE

‘CONTINENTAL
BREED OF
CHOICE’

IN CANADA

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A commitment to genetic improvement and a focus on Calving ease, carcass traits and fertility, has seen Simmental become the continental breed of choice in Canada. Here Bruce Holmquist, the Canadian Simmental Association’s General manager, and a past President of the World Simmental Fleckvieh federation, gives us a terrific overview of the breed’s challenges and development to the present day.

It is an honour to have been asked to contribute my thoughts on the Simmental breed as part of this publication which marks the milestone of 50 years of Simmental in the United Kingdom, and the formation of the British Simmental Cattle Society. I was fortunate to visit the United Kingdom in 2008 as part of the World Simmental Fleckvieh Federation (WSFF) Congress that toured England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great hospitality was enjoyed throughout the event and it was especially memorable for me as that was the year I began my four year term as President of the WSFF. Great times in a world that was much different than we are unfortunately experiencing today. It would be great if Simmental breeders in the United Kingdom would consider hosting the WSFF Congress again at some point in time.

When contacted to do this article it was suggested that I provide an overview of Simmental in Canada and where it currently sits in its development and position within the Canadian beef industry. In order to better understand the status of Simmental in Canada, we need to revisit where Simmental has come from and recognize both the challenges we faced over the last 53 years, as well as our current success. To do that properly we need to go back to 1967 when SBL Parisien 1A was imported to Canada, becoming the first Simmental bull to set foot on the North American continent. From that moment on it was apparent the Simmental breed was destined to change and improve the beef industry in North America. The “belt buckle” tall cattle of the 1960’s were in desperate need of change and the timing was right for the infusion of Simmental genetics.

Although not fully understood at the time – heterosis manifested itself as the only thing that is truly free in beef production. Increased performance combined with superior maternal traits was thought to be an impossible combination, however Simmental was able to provide both. Later Canadian Simmental breeders became victim to the mindset that if something is good, then more of it must be even better. For some breeders, performance became a fixation and with that we saw a remarkable increase in mature frame size along with higher maintenance requirements. Many breeds of cattle went through a ‘bigger is better’ phase, especially in frame, and Simmental was no exception.

Through the 1980’s many of the Simmental cattle in North America were of a type that had questionable economic value for the beef industry. Simmental breeders in both Canada and the USA countries had joined others in the purebred industry in producing cattle that fit a model of refinement and extremes that the show-ring favored. This left commercial cattle producers scratching their heads about the direction that the purebred sector had headed and Simmental ended up on the feedlots “do not buy list”. Things had to change, and that they did!

The road back to practicality was not a successful path for all breeds in North America and there was a reshuffling of the ranking of popularity amongst them. Some breeds that had enjoyed initial

success after their importation during the “exotic boom” were pushed aside by breeds that changed more quickly and adapted to the North American beef industries evolving needs. Optimum performance became the goal replacing maximum gain; extreme frame was moderated and soundness of feet and legs along with overall structure was dramatically improved. Not surprisingly we also discovered that consumers expected a quality eating experience and on many occasions were disappointed with beef that was too lean. Carcass quality and tenderness traits became extremely important and the Simmental breed was among the breeds that lead the way in improving those qualities.

“Calving ease, carcass traits and fertility in a balanced performance package became the focus and Simmental has since grown in popularity to where we have become the continental breed of choice…”

How did Simmental make those changes quicker than some other breeds? It began with the recognition of the need for change. As a breed we were very fortunate that there were breeders that had not followed the path that many chose and quietly kept doing what they believed in; producing the type of cattle that made them money and were sought after by their commercial customers. The cattle they produced became the genetics that put us back on track.

The American and Canadian Simmental Associations also had boards of directors that focused on the implementation of programming and data collection programs which provided the data base for development of the genetic improvement tools for their members to use, and then worked diligently in promoting and educating those members on their use. Calving ease, carcass traits and fertility in a balanced performance package became the focus and Simmental has since grown in popularity to where we have become the continental breed of choice and is solidly number the number two breed in Canada based on registrations behind Angus. The elimination of the diluter gene through genetic selection also played an important role in making Simmental more acceptable in Angus commercial herds.

Some figures pertaining to the Canadian Simmental Association:

  • Simmental is the second most popular beef breed in Canada registering approximately 23,000 animals each year from a cowherd of approximately 40,000 Simmental females
  • Simmental is very complimentary to both Angus and Hereford cattle in cross-breeding programs which has driven much of the Simmental breed’s success
  • There are 1880 active members of the Canadian Simmental Association which includes 350 Junior members in our Young Canadian Simmental program aged 6-25 years old 
  • The CSA registry system incorporates phenotypes, pedigree and performance data along with genomic data into genomically enhanced EPDs as part of our relationship with International Genetic Solutions (IGS) https://www.internationalgeneticsolutions.com/
  • The CSA and American Simmental Association work together on a combined North American genetic evaluation.
  • The CSA registry system is comprised of Fullblood, Purebred and Percentage animals. At the present time our registrations are approximately 71% Purebred (red and black), 20% Fullblood (traditional), and 9% Percentage (3/4 Simmental blood or less)

A large part of the success and growth of Simmental in Canada can be attributed to the breeders and the CSA understanding that the Association must serve its membership and more importantly their customers in a practical and efficient manner. This has been accomplished by remaining committed to genetic improvement for the beef industry, combined with breed promotion, along with a strong focus on youth development. We invite you to learn more about Simmental in Canada by viewing our magazine online at www.simmentalcountry.com, and CSA programming through our website www.simmental.com

Congratulations to the British Simmental Cattle Society on your 50th Anniversary and wishing you much success as you continue to work towards the expansion and improvement of the Simmental breed around the world!

Snapshot Profile of Dansk Simmental and the Breed in Denmark

Snapshot Profile of Dansk Simmental and the Breed in Denmark

by | Jul 1, 2021

SNAPSHOT PROFILE OF

DANSK SIMMENTAL
AND THE BREED IN
DENMARK

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Thank you very much to Simmental breeder, and Dansk Simmental Board Member, Henning Hansen who has kindly supplied the following overview of the breed and Society in Denmark. Henning is a well-known breeder to British Simmental visitors to Denmark and earlier this year also acted as a judge for one of the BSCS’s Virtual Show classes.

In Denmark we have just about 3500 pedigree Simmental cows. This makes Simmental the second beef breed in the country closely followed by Hereford, and quite a bit behind the largest breed which is Limousine with about 7500 cows.

Simmental is very popular for crossbreeding, so if we count the cows with minimum 50 % Simmental blood, we are about 7500. The pedigree cows are spread in about 900 herds, meaning an average number of cows as small as 3.9 per herd. In many herds you would see a few pedigree animals and the rest would be crossbred.

The total number of suckler cows in Denmark is close to 90,000, averaging to just about 15 cows per herd. There are very few farms where sucklers would be the main income.  This is due to the fact that most of our country is arable land, and grass land is only existing

in small spots.  In full time farming, the sucklers would normally be second or third, to milk or pork production, or to arable crops.

A big part of our sucklers stand in part-time, or hobby farms, where the main income is brought home from outside jobs. That is why many of our breeders are known as the dentist, the baker, the vicar etc.  This structure, which I believe is unlike most other countries, also has a large impact on the strategy for breeding and keeping cattle.

AI is very popular in Denmark, and more than half of the Simmental calves born are results of AI. We have a long tradition for using AI on dairy cattle and when the beef breeds arrived to Denmark in the 1960 -70 years, most of them were settled in with people who were used to the AI concept. So it was an easy way to go and it actually made a lot of sense as, in our small herds, the costs of buying and keeping a high quality bull will exceed the value he adds to the herd. Using AI gives access for everybody to use national and international top genetics. A slogan for one of our AI cooperatives was: “The best bulls you find in the deep freeze”!

Fifty years ago we had numerous of these cattle breeding associations, but now they have all merged into one members owned company covering the whole country: VikingDenmark. Together with similar organisations in Sweden and Finland, VikingDenmark owns and runs VikingGenetics. The task of VikingGenetics is general development of everything related to reproduction, and to select bulls and produce semen doses.  VikingDenmark takes care of the practical AI service and the close contact of the customers – who are also the owners. Denmark is a small country, so the distances between our 200 AI technicians are not long. Traditionally the Viking system and the Beef breeding societies have been able to cooperate in a very good way. This means that the selection of AI bulls for pure breeding is handled by the respective breeding society.

As a result of this structure we produce a lot more good bull calves than we need for reproduction, and therefore the price for young bulls is probably the lowest in Europe. We do not have auction sales of breeding cattle at all, with everything being sold directly from farm to farm.

Unfortunately we also have low prices when it comes to selling our beef. A year ago there was a positive trend in prices, so we thought they would rise to a decent level. But then came Covid 19 and stopped all the celebrations and parties where you would normally serve a good beef roast, and restaurants, where a lot of beef steaks would normally have been consumed, were closed down.  Actual carcass price medio November is £2,89 for top quality young bull or heifer and £2,65 for top quality cow. Almost all animals for slaughter are paid for according to weight and EUROP classification of carcass. The prices I mention here are for best weight group and carcass class 12.

This low price, which we have had for too long now, combined with the fact that average age of beef farmers is quite high, will probably cause a major decrease in the number of suckler cows over the next few years. For many of us it’s a hobby, but even beloved hobbies can become too expensive.

The Danish Simmental Society – Dansk Simmental – already registers the decreasing number of breeders, as our members list now holds only 170 names. When it peaked, we came close to 400. The problem is not only that people grow older – we expected that – but after the worldwide financial crisis it has been very difficult for young people to finance the purchase of a small farm and establish their own herds. I do believe that if that were easier, we would still have enough new members coming in to replace the elderly going out.

One of our Society’s main tasks has always been to make sure that there is sufficient high-quality semen available to our members. To take care of that we have a four-person committee, which keeps an eye on figures and animals and come up with suggestions to the main board of the Society, as to which bull to take for AI or which semen to import. As a Society we act with quite a conservative attitude and take in only well proven genetics.  Our philosophy is to not gamble with other people’s (our members’ ) money.  Until a few years ago our performance test station was the key thing in the selection of new bulls. But the running of this became too expensive, so now we look at the figures of working herd bulls. When we find one with good figures, we go out and look at the bull and progeny. This means that nowadays we actually select one proven bull for AI instead of five or six young bulls for test inseminations.

“Temperament, easy calving, polled, growth, and carcase classification – the most important traits for Danish Simmental breeders..”

The things we look for in our next AI bulls are easy calving, growth, good legs and feet and good carcass classification. When we ask our breeders what they find most important, we mostly hear – and  mostly in this ranking: Temperament, easy calving, polled, good growth, and good classification of carcass. Only very few talk about leg quality, but I take it that good legs is seen as a presumption. One thing that is often discussed among breeders is the size of our animals. When we have foreign guests coming to buy animals, they often say that our animals are too big – and then they buy the biggest one they can find.

Showing is to many of our members a big part of having Simmentals. We have quite a few local shows, but the most interesting one is absolutely The National Show in Herning at the beginning of July. Here we have normally 60-70 animals in the ring, and in special years we have had more than 100.  In any case it is worth a visit, when and if the world comes back to normal!

I would like to offer my best congratulations on your Society’s anniversary in 2020!

In Denmark we highly respect the way you have developed the breed since your first imports, and some of your breeding has had a large and persistent impact on ours.

I hope you will be able to celebrate in a proper way in 2021, and if the world is free – and the borders are still open for EU citizens – I hope to join your celebrations with a contingent of Danish breeders