A NEW genetic evaluation tool called UltraSelect is set to benefit Ultrablack and Brangus bull breeders.

Angus Australia has partnered with the International Brangus Breeders Association to provide the new collaborative genetic evaluation.

It will utilise data from Australia and the United States, producing Estimated Breeding Values for the global benchmarking of Ultrablack and Brangus animals registered in the Multibreed Register (MBR) with Angus Australia.

Launched during Beef 2024 last month, UltraSelect will run alongside the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation.

A number of prominent Australian bull breeders with their origins in Angus, Charolais, Brangus and other breeds have in recent years launched Ultrablack bull breeding programs. Carrying three-sixtheenths Bos Indicus content, Ultrablack bulls are seen as having a moderately higher level of tropical adaptation for northern Australian conditions than straight British cattle.

Key benefits for Brangus and UltraBlack breeders will include:

• Improved selection decisions through the ability to better describe an animal’s genetic merit through more accurate EBVs as a result of utilising the larger IBBA reference population, which provides significant genetic influence on Australian Ultrablack herds.
• Increased international trade capabilities as Australian genetics can be compared against animals in the wider IBBA genetic evaluation.
• Increased collaboration, with breeders across the globe able to work together on common initiatives that will benefit Ultrablack and Brangus breeders globally.
• Achieving strategic goals, by enabling Angus Australia UltraBlack and Brangus breeding members to genetically benchmark their animals with other major Angus influenced populations around the world.

Details

Animals recorded in the MBR that have a listed breed composition of Brahman and Angus (predominantly Ultrablacks, but including Brangus animals) are automatically included in the evaluation.

The recorded performance data and genotypes for eligible animals and that of their pedigree are analysed, providing that it meets the IBBA parameters. The majority of data submitted to the TACE evaluation is suitable to be included in the UltraSelect evaluation.

Sires can be expected to rank similarly, but not exactly the same when comparing rankings of UltraSelect EBVs to TACE EBVs, for the same trait. This is a result of it being tailored specifically to Ultrablack animals, rather than the Australian & New Zealand Angus population.

UltraSelect includes significantly more data from North America and there are also some differences in the analysis model and trait definitions.

As UltraSelect results are published as EBVs, the breeding values for animals in the evaluation are not directly comparable to International Brangus Breeders’ (US) EPDs. However, due to being a joint evaluation, with the correct conversion factors applied UltraSelect EBVs can be converted to EPDs with BIF accuracies and directly compared to those reported by IBBA for North American registered animals.

The percentiles reported in UltraSelect are calculated specifically for animals registered with Angus Australia and therefore, animals cannot be compared on a percentile basis between UltraSelect and IBBA.

Angus Australia is able to provide EPDs and BIF accuracies for those members who wish to compare animals from the different associations.

UltraSelect  EBVs will be available as a search function through Angus.Tech online. This search tool allows users to set EBV thresholds and other search criteria to directly compare UltraBlack and Brangus sires from across the globe, that are registered in the Angus Australia MBR.

UltraSelect  EBVs will be updated at the start of every month.