The Australian Wagyu Association has implemented four world-leading BreedObject $Indexes - a significant step forward for Wagyu breeders to achieve faster rates of genetic gain and selection for profitability in Wagyu.
Following implementation of Single-Step Wagyu BREEDPLAN in April 2018, the AWA has worked intensively with the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) to develop and deliver the new Wagyu BreedObject $Indexes.
The four profitability $Indexes are designed to optimise profit outcomes from commercial breeder, self-replacing, Fullblood terminal and F1 terminal production systems. The indexes are:
- Wagyu Breeder $Index (WBI)
- Self-replacing Breeding $Index (SRI)
- Wagyu Fullblood Terminal $Index (FTI)
- Wagyu F1 Terminal $Index (F1 Index)
Each of the new $Indexes are targeted specifically for a defined production and market scenario and that members can identify and use the index that best suits their purpose.
Each Index is based on specific production models and the index values for different animals are only comparable within the same Index
The Wagyu Breeder Index aims to select bulls to produce profitable females for the production of steer progeny, while the Self-replacing Breeding Index can be used to select bulls that will produce more profitable females for retention in Fullblood or Purebred herds. The Fullblood Terminal and F1 Terminal Indexes can be used to select bulls that will produce more profitable slaughter progeny
Dr Brad Walmsley of the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit commented that “the $Indexes that Wagyu are implementing are the first publicly available indexes of their kind within Australia and the world for that matter. Wagyu are at the cutting edge of genetic evaluation, having implemented Single-step BREEDPLAN that uses genomic information and now being the first Breed Association to implement the new generation of BreedObject $Indexes.”
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