IN current years, the Australian beef trade has skilled a notable shift in direction of the adoption of, and curiosity in polled cattle. This transition is pushed by a mixture of welfare considerations, sustainability and productiveness objectives, office security for employees and financial efficiencies.
Dehorning, a standard apply to forestall accidents amongst cattle and people, has lengthy been related to important animal stress, manufacturing affect and administration prices.
Consequently, cattle breeders and trade our bodies have more and more targeted on the necessity to breed polled animals to eradicate the necessity for this painful process.
Business and authorities assist
The momentum in direction of breeding polled cattle in Australia is supported by each authorities and trade networks. The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has performed a pivotal function selling animal welfare and sustainability as core values throughout the beef provide chain.
Aligning with international requirements, together with the United Nations’ Sustainable Improvement Objectives (SDGs), the ABSF tracks animal welfare metrics, together with the adoption of polled genetics.
Polled cattle not solely align with welfare aims by decreasing reliance on dehorning but in addition lower monetary burdens related to labour and damage dangers. Rising client expectations for humane livestock administration have additional fuelled this pattern. Consequently, the trade continues to boost breeding applications targeted on polled cattle.
The Influence of dehorning on calf survival
Whereas the concentrate on polledness primarily centres round decreasing bruising and labour prices, proof means that dehorning considerably impacts calf survival, notably in in depth farming areas.
A 2014 research by Kim Bunter, David Johnston, Matt Wolcott, and Geoffry Fordyce, titled “Components related to calf mortality in tropically tailored beef breeds managed in in depth Australian manufacturing programs,” discovered that the majority post-branding calf deaths occurred in dehorned calves, with a 2.1pc mortality fee, which accounted for 15.9pc of all calf deaths within the research.
This underscores the potential hyperlink between dehorning and better mortality charges.
Traits in polled cattle adoption
In 2019, ABSF revealed information primarily based on seedstock herd recording, estimating that 86 p.c of Australia’s cattle herd carried the polled genetic trait. Nevertheless, up to date information from Meat & Livestock Australia later revised this determine to 73pc.
The BreedPlan-based calf information used to determine the ABSF estimates acknowledged that business beef herds had been not less than a technology behind seedstock producers within the development in direction of polledness.
After all, one of many main genetic contributors to beef herds in southern Australia – Angus – are naturally polled, including momentum to the nationwide cattle inhabitants now unaffected by horns.
The newer rise in polled cattle has been supported by developments in genetic testing, which give producers with higher confidence in choosing polled sires.
As famous by Hamish Chandler, RD & E Specialist with Herefords Australia, “Genomic exams now give bull consumers the arrogance that the bulls they’re buying will produce polled calves with an accuracy higher than 99pc.”
Firms like Zoetis Genetics and Neogen Australasia provide commercially out there genetic testing, making it simpler for producers to pick out polled cattle. The accuracy of the test has improved over time, and customers usually bundle the ballot take a look at into broader DNA exams for different traits and ailments, to save cash.
The shift in direction of polledness is clear throughout numerous important beef breeds in Australia (see graphs beneath, and reproduced individually at base of web page for these utilizing smartphones) although the extent of adoption varies from breed to breed.
Click on twice on picture for a bigger view, or see particular person breed graphs at base of web page
Information supplied beneath from six massive breed societies and thru evaluation of Breedplan information on-line permits a comparability of registrations for polled, horned and scurred cattle. Beneath is an outline of how this pattern has performed out throughout a number of main breeds, evaluating calves registered in 2023 with these 5 years earlier in 2018:
Hereford: The Hereford breed has seen a significant shift in direction of polled genetics over the previous twenty years. In 2000, round 50pc of Hereford registrations had been horned, however this has steadily declined, being solely about 10-15pc by 2023. Polled Herefords, however, have elevated sharply from 40-50pc in 2000 to dominate at 85-90pc lately. The proportion of scurred Herefords has remained low and steady, fluctuating round 2-5pc through the years. Regardless of the rising reputation of polled genetics, the scurred inhabitants has not been a significant focus for breeders. General, the Hereford breed has moved decisively in direction of polled cattle, reflecting a broader trade pattern.
Charolais: For the Charolais breed, polled genetics have develop into more and more dominant. In 2000, solely 32pc of Charolais had been polled, however by 2023, that determine has climbed dramatically to 86pc. Concurrently, horned cattle registrations have plummeted from 65pc in 2000 to simply 12pc by 2023. This displays a transparent desire for polled animals in current breeding methods. Scurred Charolais registrations have remained minimal, persistently from 2-4pc, displaying little fluctuation over time. This regular rise in polled registrations demonstrates a powerful trade dedication to decreasing horned cattle in Charolais herds.
Droughtmaster: Droughtmaster cattle have maintained a steady polled inhabitants through the years. From 2018 to 2022, the variety of homozygous polled (PP) animals registered has persistently been round 2000, whereas heterozygous polled (HP) animals have fluctuated barely, reaching 483 head in 2022. In distinction, the variety of horned Droughtmaster cattle has decreased, dropping from 472 in 2018 to 324 in 2022. The scurred inhabitants in Droughtmaster herds has remained comparatively low and steady. The info suggests a gentle however deliberate effort to progress a predominantly polled inhabitants, contributing to improved welfare and administration in Droughtmaster breeding applications.
Santa Gertrudis: The Santa Gertrudis breed has adopted the same trajectory towards polled genetics. Homozygous polled animals have remained steady from 2018 to 2022, whereas the heterozygous polled inhabitants has grown, rising from 462 calves registered in 2018 to 616 in 2022. The variety of horned cattle registered has decreased regularly, from 1070 to 981 in the identical timeframe. As with different breeds, the proportion of scurred Santas has remained low and steady. The continuing pattern towards polled animals is clear on this breed, reflecting broader trade objectives for higher welfare practices and cattle administration.
Brahman: Brahman cattle have seen a lower within the proportion of horned animals, particularly inside gray animals. Between 2021 and 2023, the horned inhabitants dropped from 3897 to 2791, whereas polled/scurred registrations elevated from 1849 to 2008. Regardless of this shift, as could be seen within the graphs, Brahman breeders proceed to face challenges in totally adopting polled genetics, partly as a result of considerations over efficiency traits in polled animals. The scurred inhabitants has remained a minor and steady part of Brahman registrations. General, the breed is transferring towards extra polled animals, though at a slower tempo in comparison with others.
Wagyu: Wagyu cattle have seen substantial development in polled breeding, ranging from low numbers round 2017. To be clear, Fullblood (ie 100pc Japanese bloodline Wagyu) are all horned cattle. The rising subset of polled Wagyu are in truth purebreds, ranging in content material from 93.75pc to +99pc Japanese Wagyu genetics. Over time, that proportion of Japanese Wagyu content material will proceed to method 100pc, however in truth won’t ever attain it.
The variety of homozygous polled purebred Wagyu registered between 2018 and 2022 elevated from 22 to 72, whereas heterozygous polled animals rose from 31 to 487. It must also be famous that AA Co, one of many largest Wagyu breeders within the nation, now breeds very massive numbers of purebred polled Wagyu, which aren’t recorded as a part of the AWA database.
On the similar time Fullblood Wagyu registrations generally have grown dramatically over the previous 5 years, making direct progress comparisons between horned and polled cattle pointless. Nevertheless the important thing level is that polled Wagyu are a rising sub-set of the Australian Wagyu trade, doubtless pushed by rising demand for higher animal welfare practices with out compromising the breed’s premium meat high quality traits.
As famous by Wagyu CEO Matt McDonagh, an additional consideration in Wagyu genetics progress in polledness considerations the usage of Wagyu bulls in F1 crossbreeding with cows of different breeds that are already polled.
“An F1 calf breeder can put a Fullblood Wagyu bull over polled other-breed females (ie Angus) and find yourself with 100pc polled progeny. An F1 breeder doesn’t want polledness from Wagyu in F1 applications if the females are already polled,” Dr McDonagh stated.
Debunking Myths: Do polled cattle carry out worse?
Traditionally, business breeders have typically perceived polled cattle as inferior to horned animals, notably by way of development, bone and meat high quality traits. This perception has impeded the broader adoption of polled genetics, particularly in breeds the place horned animals have historically dominated. Nevertheless, current analysis has challenged and debunked many of those considerations.
A 2021 research by Randhawa et al., titled “Comparability of Genetic Advantage for Weight and Meat Traits between the Polled and Horned Cattle in A number of Beef Breeds,” examined greater than 2.4 million animals throughout eight beef breeds in Australia. The findings revealed that since 2000, polled cattle have made notable genetic beneficial properties, usually matching and even surpassing their horned counterparts in a number of traits.
Weight and development traits
In sure breeds like Charolais, Limousin and Hereford, polled variants displayed beneficial estimated breeding values (EBVs) for key weight traits, together with 200-day, 400-day, and carcase weights.
Brahman cattle had been an exception, the place horned animals initially outperformed their polled counterparts in weight traits. Nonetheless, even throughout the Brahman breed, the efficiency hole between horned and polled animals has been narrowing as breeders refine polled genetics.
Muscle and fats traits
Polled cattle carried out comparably and even higher than horned cattle in a number of necessary meat high quality traits, comparable to eye muscle space and intramuscular fats – each of that are important for figuring out meat high quality. Whereas horned animals maintained a slight benefit in traits like beginning weight and retail beef yield in some breeds, these variations had been minimal and never ample to discourage breeders from choosing polled genetics. The welfare and price advantages of breeding polled cattle additional justify their continued adoption.
Hamish Chandler, RD & E Specialist with Herefords Australia, said, “From the information that we’ve got, there doesn’t appear to be any motive to imagine that transferring to polled is related to a discount in productiveness within the Hereford breed. The info out there within the Hereford revealed sires listing reveals important variation in efficiency for each horned and polled bulls, which simply reinforces the necessity to choose bulls primarily based on their very own genetic advantage.”
Inbreeding threat
Whereas the transition in direction of polled breeding is extremely useful, Randhawa et al. cautioned that breeders should keep away from inbreeding melancholy, particularly in breeds like Brahman the place the frequency of the polled gene continues to be comparatively low, particularly in purple cattle. Guaranteeing cautious administration of genetic range is essential for sustaining the long-term well being and productiveness of polled populations.
The pattern in direction of polled cattle within the Australian beef trade displays each altering client expectations and the trade’s dedication to enhancing animal welfare. Information from current breeding applications reveals important progress in rising the prevalence of polled genetics, with a notable discount in horned cattle populations throughout a number of breeds.
The long-standing notion that polled cattle carry out worse than their horned counterparts has been largely disproven by current analysis, which demonstrates that polled animals can meet or exceed the genetic advantage of horned animals in lots of key traits.
Because the trade continues to prioritise sustainability and animal welfare, the rise of polled cattle is more likely to stay a central part of recent beef manufacturing methods.
Additional studying on this subject:
Breeding for polledness brings challenges, in AA Co’s experience
Strong, and growing demand for polled bulls in the north
Improving the Australian poll gene DNA marker test
Alastair Rayner is the Common Supervisor of Extension & Operations with Cibo Labs and Principal of RaynerAg. Alastair has over 28 years’ expertise advising beef producers & graziers throughout Australia. He could be contacted right here or by his web site www.raynerag.com.au
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