Better Breeding Decisions Through Data

Selecting breeding animals involves judgment. Structure, disposition, pedigree, fertility, and breed character all matter—but many important traits cannot be evaluated by appearance alone.

There is ongoing discussion within the Highland cattle community about whether too many bull calves are retained for breeding rather than being steered.

The concern is fair. Not every bull should become a herd sire. Bulls should be selected carefully for their ability to improve the next generation.

The harder question is how we define quality.

Highland cattle are often evaluated through visual appraisal, pedigree, breeder experience, and the show ring. These are important tools, but they do not measure everything.

A show judge can evaluate structure, movement, balance, and breed character. A show placing cannot directly measure tenderness, ribeye area, marbling, feed efficiency, maternal potential, or other performance traits.

At the same time, an animal with strong carcass or genomic results may not be the animal most likely to win in the show ring.

That does not make one animal better in every situation. It means breeders may have different goals. A show breeder, seedstock producer, and beef producer may each define quality differently. The important question is whether the animal fits the goals of the breeding program.

Adding Measurable Information

To guide our own breeding decisions, we developed a Highland cattle performance environment that connects animal records and analytical tools in one place. It is available to breeders with a similar interest in using measurable information to support selection decisions.

Depending on the animal, it may include:

• Registration and pedigree information
• Igenity genomic results
• Ultrasound carcass measurements
• Growth records
• Photographs
• Parent and progeny relationships
• Breeding comparison tools

The goal is not to replace visual evaluation, breeder judgment, or the show ring. It is to add measurable information to those decisions.

Igenity provides estimates of genetic potential for traits such as growth, maternal ability, feed efficiency, marbling, ribeye area, and tenderness.

Ultrasound records actual physical measurements, including ribeye area, intramuscular fat, backfat, and average daily gain.

These sources provide different but useful information. Igenity estimates genetic potential. Ultrasound records how an animal performed under its environment and management.

Breeding Analytics

The database also includes Breeding Analytics. The current tool allows a user to select a female, choose important traits, and compare potential sires.

Because Igenity and ultrasound use different scales, the information is normalized into a common within-database comparative index. This allows the program to estimate a midpoint between the sire and dam for selected traits.

The result is not an EPD and does not guarantee the performance of a calf. It is a decision-support tool designed to help answer a practical question:

Which sire appears most likely to complement this female for the traits that matter to the breeder?

Better Information, Better Decisions

There may be good reasons to steer more bull calves. There may also be useful breeding bulls whose strengths are not obvious from appearance or show results alone.

Careful selection requires both judgment and information.

The purpose of these tools is not to define one perfect Highland animal. It is to help breeders better understand the animals they are considering and make decisions that support the goals of their own herds.