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Making Sire Evaluation Programs Work¹

St. Joseph, Missouri 64501

Abstract

It is an honor to be invited to make a presentation at the Beef Symposium at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science. I am going to discuss the challenges of making designed sire evaluation programs work. Designed sire evaluation programs are conducted with more control than nondesigned programs and involve random mating, equal opportunity progeny groups and assigned reference sires. In contrast, nondesigned programs involve analysis of large numbers of field records within contemporary groups and compared to sires that are used widely. The Angus, Charolais, Hereford and Polled Hereford Associations all have designed sire evaluation programs.

I am going to divide my presentation into two areas: challenges involving the mechanics of testing, and challenges involving communication. The mechanics of sire evaluation programs involve the test herd management, artificial insemination problems, randomization procedures, identification and difficulties in evaluating the traits that are measured.

The most important factor in successful designed sire evaluation programs is the test herd.

¹ Presented at Symposium on Beef Cattle: National Sire Evaluation Programs at the 1978 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science and American Dairy Science Association, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, July 9 to 13, 1978.