Press Release - Limousin Society to introduce Scrotal Circumference EBV

LIMOUSIN SOCIETY TO INTRODUCE A
SCROTAL CIRCUMFERENCE EBV

In a further extension to its breed improvement programme, the British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS) has commenced work on the introduction of a Scrotal Circumference EBV (Estimated Breeding Value). The BLCS and Egenes (Scottish Agricultural College) have recently secured funding from Genesis Faraday to evaluate scrotal circumference records collected in pedigree Limousin herds with a view to developing the new Estimated Breeding Value.

Using Limousin records only, this EBV will be completely specific to the Limousin breed and will form part of the current multi-trait Signet performance evaluation.  Its release is planned for the latter part of 2011.

Commenting on the introduction of this new EBV, BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said:  “This is another progressive step for the breed and an extension of the Society’s commitment to breed improvement in the traits of economic importance.  Ever improving reproductive efficiency and lifetime fertility is of the highest importance for the commercial beef producer,” he said.

Alison Glasgow the Signet Breeding Specialist, who will be co-ordinating the development work, highlighted two main reasons why scrotal circumference is important.  “Scrotal Circumference can be an indicator of male fertility and serving capacity and many formal wide-scale studies carried out in the world identify and confirm this,” she said. “The second is that scrotal size is also moderately correlated with early maturity in female offspring.  Selecting against small scrotal size will also select against daughters that take longer to reach sexual maturity.  Since this is a difficult trait to assess in a commercial situation, an indicator such as scrotal size, which is much easier to measure, is a valuable tool.”

Estimated Breeding Values are positive tools for selection as they take into account the animal’s own measurements, but also that of all their relatives in the herd and in other herds.  The calculation will also use what is known about the correlations between scrotal size and the other recorded traits and also the fact that the trait is moderately heritable.  This allows a prediction of the degree to which the trait will be passed on to the next generation and is a fundamental part of an EBV.  None of this is apparent from a single ‘raw’ measurement on the animal alone.

Over recent months and years, Limousin breeders have been collecting and submitting scrotal circumference records and it is these that will allow the development of this new EBV. 

Breeders submitting scrotal circumference measurements have been advised to wait until bulls are 400 days of age and then record a scrotal circumference measurement on their weighsheets. Measurements, in centimeters, are taken across the widest point of the scrotum.

The development work is scheduled to start in the spring of 2011 allowing time over the winter months for more data to accumulate.  

For further information please contact:

BLCS Chief Executive, Iain Kerr, on 02476 696500
email: [email protected]

or

Signet Breed Specialist, Alison Glasgow, on 0131 535 3237
Email: [email protected]