PAC – Evaluation Test under Grazing for Bulls
With the passage of time all and any project or program goes through a mandatory process of enhancement, complements and evaluations for its improvement and efficiency. The Prova de Avaliação a Campo de Reprodutores – PAC (Evaluation Test under Grazing for Bulls) created twenty years ago by the Associação Brasileira de Hereford e Braford – ABHB (Hereford and Braford Brazilian Association) always accomplished by important Brazilian researchers.
For the
Hereford
breed several experiments were performed over these twenty years. In the past 3 years was designed a new format for monitoring and tabulating data for the test. For Braford breed the test is in its 14th edition
They are guided by the core purpose of the project, which is to identify breeding stock of the
Hereford
and/or Braford breeds that are superior in the leading characteristics of economic importance to the meat productive chain, always with close monitoring and the support of important institutions in cattle ranching research.
Another PAC purposes are to provide breeders the access and use to this unique genetics, by using the semen of the three top rated animals among the test's participants, in programs and studies by Embrapa and the distribution of doses in genetic diffusion programs run by ABHB with small family-based farmers.
Furthermore, all the animals that participate in the test go on auction, allowing any farmer to purchase the animals. All animals participating in the test are chosen among the top 30% EPD, with the guarantee that they will have had their performance measured and evaluated. This allows the farmers to purchase a specific animal that will improve the specific characteristics lacking in their rearing facility.
The PAC for Hereford Bulls, in its 3rd edition, is performed through a solid partnership with Embrapa – Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (www.embrapa.br/english) through its
Embrapa
Cattle & Sheep
Center
, has been showing significant improvements in its evaluation format.
According to Ph.D. Fernando Cardoso (Animal Breeding and Genetics Reseacher from South -
Embrapa
Cattle & Sheep
Center
) “the challenge for the ABHB, through their partnership with Embrapa, is to select
Hereford
cattle with superior genetic potential, in order to produce meat with profitability, volume and quality meeting the demands of the industry and consumer. A number of strategies are being employed, the PampaPlus – ABHB EPD program, the Bifequali – Beef Quality Embrapa research program and the PAC for bulls. And so the test goes a lot further than simply evaluating the growth. The qualification of bulls involves aspects of growth (daily weight gain and final weight), carcass (REA and FAT), reproduction (scrotal perimeter), conformation, breed standard and secondary sexual characteristics. The evaluation of this set of characteristics allows the identification of bulls that stand out in particular aspects so they can be used in corrective mating and in commercial herds, along with those that show a complete package of characteristics and are candidates to be used in pure breeding stock and in artificial insemination".
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PAC:
By applying the PAC the ABHB works to spread the use of genetics from bulls that have been evaluated, and show proof of having been improved, among beef cattle farmers, thus contributing to an increase in cattle breeding productivity in Brazil, as well as the quality of the meat produced through the use of Hereford and Braford breed genetics.
The Field Evaluation Test under Grazing for Bulls are carried out in partnership with research entities and universities, which give credibility to the evaluated criteria and the applied methodology. The tests are also aimed evaluating the individual weight gain capacity, as well as the set of characteristics that directly affect the individual efficiency of
Hereford
and Braford breeding stock, which are of an economic interest in the production of meat and which, most of all, provide ranchers with greater cost benefit in the country's current diverse productive systems.
The test is carried out in stages organized in the following fashion:
REGISTRATION STAGE
-
Pre-selection of the animals by EPD top 30% index to Weaning
-
minimal weight (
240 kg
–
530 lbs
)
-
birth between august and October for season
EVALUATION STAGE
-
adaptations (maximum of 42 days) – starting in September (brazilian speing)
-
evaluations carried out in 196 days
-
grazing on ryegrass and white clover (spring) and sorghum, millet and natural pasture (summer / autumn)
-
weighed every 28 days
-
measures: phenotypics (visual and metric) , Rib Eye Area/Fat and performance.
-
bulls are sorted by index formulated by the research center
MARKETING PREPARATION STAGE
-
after 196 days until the auction (winter)
-
grazing on ryegrass and white clover plus concentrate with 16% protein (1% animal weigth)
-
weight average
700 kg
(
1550 lbs
)
MARKETING STAGE
-
auction in october
PAC IN THE VIEW OF TECHNICIANS:
ABHB’s Technical Committee, fully aware of the needs of cattle breeders, using information received by its associates, its technical body, and from the slaughter results of meatpacking companies in the Carne Pampa Brazilian Beef Quality Project, and breeders that use Hereford and Braford genetics, decide on the parameters to be evaluated in the PACs and permanently monitor each step of the Tests’ application. This is done in a way so that only animals with proven adaptation are produced and so that, through the range of presented information, ranchers are guided in their choices of breeding stock so as to select those most suitable to their production environment.
Dr. Pedro Gonzalez Brasil, medical veterinary and leading ABHB technical inspector, talks a little about the “technical view” of
3rd
PAC for Hereford Bulls.
-
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BREED?
I feel that PAC, more than for the development of the Hereford breed, should represent the zootechnic and productive improvement of the breed, as on being tested in the field in conditions equal to animals from different genetics and ranches, we have the opportunity to select superior animals to be used in both artificial insemination and natural mating.
-
CAN PAC ALSO BE A SELECTION TOOL OR ONE FOR ASSISTING IN OTHER TECHNIQUES?
We note the importance that PAC should represent for both
Hereford
and Braford breeders, as these animals are of superior EPD on their property, exposed to a joint evaluation, animals that stand out as ELITE and SUPERIOR. The moment breeders begin placing value on acquiring these animals, as is so in Uruguay, at the KIYU fair, PAC will be one of the most important selection techniques for objectively evaluating production data, as I previously mentioned, of the most diverse genetics, in the same natural conditions.
-
WHICH ANIMALS WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT AT THIS EDITION OF THE TEST?
Naturally the bulls rated as ELITE represent the most outstanding animals, but in the group rated as superior we find some bulls of equal level, hence the importance of the ranchers sending their best calves so as to create a concept that PAC could and should be the most important meeting of enhanced bulls for ranchers and commercial breeders.
As an ABHB Technician, I would like to congratulate all those who sent in their animals, for truly having come across animals of the highest standard within the current and constant concepts of the Hereford breed, and ask them to place increasing value on PAC, each year, by always sending in the best calves, and that in October 2009, at the time of sale, each animal can be appreciated and recognized individually, so that commercial bull purchasers will also feel privileged in competing for the purchase of these breeding stocks, in the certainty that they will be gaining unique genetics.
Results of the 3rd PAC (2008-2009)
26 animals evaluated
Top Five for index
|
Tattoo
|
Owner
|
Birth
|
Rank
|
AWG
Kg/day
|
REA
cm2
|
FAT
mm
|
Final weight
kg
|
Scrot. perim.
cm
|
Hip
height
cm
|
|
G206
|
Alfeu de M. Fleck
São Manoel Farm
|
08/19/2007
|
1
|
1.01
|
67.36
|
2.50
|
616
|
41
|
133
|
|
C672
|
Sucessão Dario Silva Azambuja
Santa Tereza Ranch
|
10/11/2007
|
2
|
1.11
|
61
|
1.50
|
598
|
35.5
|
136
|
|
G1086
|
Valter J. Potter
Guatambu Ranch
|
08/23/2007
|
3
|
0.94
|
67
|
2.50
|
588
|
39
|
134
|
|
860136
|
Alcibiades J. P.A.P
Santa Maria Ranch
|
08/22/2007
|
4
|
0.86
|
67.80
|
3.00
|
630
|
33
|
133.5
|
|
7033
|
Agropecuária São Pedro
São Pedro Ranch
|
08/13/2007
|
5
|
0.99
|
64.50
|
2.11
|
582
|
37.5
|
133
|
|
Highlighted Characteristics (adjusted at 550 days of age)
|
Tattoo
|
Owner
|
Amount / unit
|
|
AWG
|
7003
|
Agropecuária São Pedro
São Pedro Ranch
|
1.061 Kg/day
|
|
REA
|
377666
|
Willy Haas Filho
Irapuá Farm
|
68,33 cm2
|
|
VISUAL EVALUATION
|
860136
|
Alcibiades J. P.A.P
Santa Maria Ranch
|
|
|
FAT
|
G2038
|
Valter J. Potter
Guatambu
|
4.50mm
|
|
Scrotal Perimeter
|
G206
|
Alfeu de M. Fleck
São Manoel Farm
|
40.7 cm
|
|
Final weight
|
860018
|
Alcibiades J. P.A.P
Santa Maria Ranch
|
566.6
|
THE BREEDER'S VIEW
“As I believe in the validity and credibility of the Evaluation Test for Bulls of the
Hereford
Breed at Embrapa, I always participate. This year we won 1st place in the test with a bull calve of one of our bulls (Q 019) leader of EPD Conexão Delta G Catalogue. I urge breeders to send in their products so we can choose the best breeding stock to be used in our herds.”
Dr. Alfeu Fleck
São Manoel Farm owner
“The greatest attribute of this test is, without doubt, elimination of the “environmental effect”, allowing for more reliable comparisons between the genetic materials and their potentialities. This doesn’t always happen on the judging floors, when, quite often, animals both from certain locations and from very specific cattle ranching systems are evaluated. Thus, we at Santa Tereza Farm, consider PAC to be an important opportunity for evaluating our work and our actions, in this permanent challenge of working with the improvement of animal genetics."
Paulo Schermann Azambuja
Agricultural Engineer Msc. Technical Supervisor
Santa Tereza Farm
Guatambu has enthusiastically been participating in the PAC for a number of years. Each performance measure of the animals is scientifically validated as a manner of better enhancing the genetic value of the animals. The line of work, in terms of Guatambu Genetic Improvement, always prioritizes all and any effort in this sense; as, even with the advent of other advanced techniques, such as Genome Selection, there is always a need of validation through performance test such as this one, so as to ensure greater precision of the animals productive genetic potential.
It is also important to point out that institutions involved in the test, EMBRAPA and ABHB, provide excellent creditability and quality to the test, meeting the requirements for this consistent work of Regional Zootechnic Testing.
Valter José Pötter
Guatambu Ranch owner
ABHB -
Hereford
and Braford Brazilian Association
http://www.abhb.com.br/ / http://www.hereford.com.br/ / http://www.braford.com.br/
Head Office
Av.General Osório , 1094 - PO Box 483
Zip Code - 96400-100 - Bagé - Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil
Phone/ fax : + 55 53 32419164 / + 55 53 32421332
Brazilian
Hereford
& Braford
http://www.bhb.org.br/
Source: newsroom - meattradenewsdaily.co.uk
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