Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

See attachment.

Accomplishments: 1. Research efforts at Texas A&M have established a unique resource of Bos indicus-Bos taurus cattle to identify genomic influences on cattle health and beef cow productivity and includes genomic information, pedigrees, and detailed production phenotypes on approximately 450 breeding age females. This project complements efforts of other locations in this and other multistate projects and international efforts, and provides data that are desired by the U.S. beef cattle industry. 2. The first feed intake test at the new CSU Feed Intake Unit was completed in February 2010. The first test included approximately 85 Hereford and Angus bulls and heifers, 30 Angus and Hereford sired steers, and 70 composite breed heifers. This data will be used for further genetic evaluation and research into feedlot feed intake costs for ultimate use in the U.S. beef industry. 3. A prototype genetic evaluation for feed intake in developing yearling bulls and heifers was completed and included 3,000 individuals. This will serve as a prototype for the development of such predictions for selection purposes. 4. Genetic evaluations were performed for over 15 different beef breed associations. 5. The group continues to discuss better methods for the genetic improvement of reproductive traits in beef cattle. While historically difficult, the melding of quantitative and genomic techniques is consistently discussed as part of the WERA-1 group. 6. Identification of effective population size, level of inbreeding, and coefficients of relatedness for all animals registered in the American Wagyu Association. Information to be used by stakeholders for breeding decisions to minimize inbreeding within the breed. Data on association web site and presented at American Wagyu Association national meeting in Reno. 7. Results of BVD-PI study conducted on Washington cattle ranches were presented to stakeholders at the annual Washington Cattlemens Association meeting. 8. Collection and testing of tissues and feces from dairy cows at slaughter identified a 20% prevalence of bovine paratuberculosis in healthy animals and 85% prevalence in animals with health problems. Information provided back to stakeholders. 9. Identification of loci associated with bovine paratuberculosis, bovine respiratory disease and bovine viral diarrhea. 10. Worked with the National Animal Genome Research Program to establish a Brangus breed repository. Also to analyze the historic Brangus pedigree file to determine inbreeding rate and the number of families, which will help guide the development of the repository. 11. Plans are to use initial information to help build/further develop the Brangus repository. 12. First draft of WERA1 Phenomics/Genomics database is complete. Plan to expand for next year. 13. GrowSafe system at the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Extension Center (Wyoming) used to conduct bull tests for producers and the university. Plans to develop a Hereford bull test to start next year. Short-term Outcomes: 1. Increased knowledge of beef cattle feed intake and the underlying genetic variability contributing to differences in feed intake. 2. Continue improvements to a web-based decision support system for the beef cattle industry. The system is designed to be used by producers to evaluate sire selection decisions based on the entire suite of sire EPD and the resulting economic impact of those sires progeny on the enterprise. In the end, the system compares profit or loss of alternative selection and mating choices. 3. Begun migration of the current decision support system to a new server (and operating) system while simultaneously adding user accounts for storage of operation-specific information to increase use of the system. Development is ongoing based on input from WERA-1 participants and their constituency. 4. Elimination of 80 BVD-PI animals from Washington state cattle industry production chain through diagnostic testing resulting in a direct cost savings of $500,000 (without accounting for the loss of infection of other animals in the herd if these animals remained). 5. Elimination of BVD-PI problems from eight herds; on retest this year all animals in previously infected herds were negative. 6. Increased knowledge base on loci associated with susceptibility to disease in bovine paratuberculosis, bovine respiratory disease and bovine viral diarrhea. 7. Increased knowledge base on genes associated with feed efficiency in cattle. 8. Dissemination of feed intake and feed efficiency measures to producers through utilization of GrowSafe systems for bull tests and research purposes. Outputs: 1. Presentations were made to approximately 200 producers in 2009-2010 to disseminate information. 2. Two peer reviewed articles, six scientific abstracts and two proceedings papers were published from Texas A&M. 3. Talks (CSU and WY): Genetics of reproductive traits; and Current genetic evaluations for reproductive traits in the U.S. National Beef Cattle Evaluation Winter Workshop Series (Denver); CSU Beef Breeding and Genetics Activities, Extension Research Review and Beef Team Meeting (Fort Collins); New Tools for Genetic Improvement, Colorado Cattlemens Annual Convention (Colorado Springs). 4. Patent application has been filed for loci associated with susceptibility to bovine paratuberculosis at WSU. 5. Three peer-reviewed publications on loci associated with bovine paratuberculosis published from WSU. 6. Presentation of results from six abstracts at the American Association of Animal Science national meeting (Denver), three abstracts at the Plant and Animal Genome meeting (San Diego) (WSU; UW). 7. Invited presentations on bovine paratuberculosis and animal welfare in Oslo, Norway. 8. Awarded world patent on genetic markers of schizophrenia (WO 2006/072075 A2) at WSU. 9. Committee information posted on Facebook. Activities: 1. Calving data are recorded and compiled in February through May annually, and weaning data are recorded and compiled in October and November annually. 2. Yearling steers are vaccinated and challenged with BVD virus in April/May annually. 3. Presentations for Lamb 300 and Beef 300 to sheep and cattle producers. 4. Experiential labs for middle school science classes. 5. Presentation to Elite 4-H breeders course. 6. Bull tests. 7. Facebook. Milestones: 1. Annual Hatch reports posted in January; 78 steers were challenged with BVDV in 2010 with biological samples and health-related phenotypes collected. Blood collected for DNA extraction on approximately project 350 calves born in 2010, and multiple measures of performance were collected on approximately 395 cows (Texas A&M). 2. Completion of BVD-PI project on-time and data used to submit for USDA funding (WSU). 3. First draft of a database for phenomics and genomics is complete (WERA-1 committee). 4. Completion of bull tests for commercial producers using GrowSafe feed intake technology (UW; CSU).

D.W. Bailey, M.G. Thomas, J.W. Walker, B.K. Witmore, and D. Tolleson. 2009. Effect of previous grazing patterns and diet selection of Brangus cows in the Chihuahuan Desert. Range Ecol. Manage. 62:223-232. Burns, B.M., S. Hiendleder and A.D. Herring. 2009. Precision beef cattle production through an alternative genetic approach. The Australian Cattle Veterinarian, March, 2009, 50:14-16. Burns, B.M., A.D. Herring, and S. Hiendleder. 2010. Precision beef cattle production through an alternative genetic approach. Pan Pacific Veterinary Conference, Australian Veterinary Association and New Zealand Veterinary Association, Brisbane 23-28 May 2010. K.M. Cammack, M.G. Thomas, and R.M. Enns. 2009. Review: reproductive traits and their heritabilities in cattle. Prof. Anim. Sci. 25:517-528. Cammack, K.M., C.L. Wright, K.J. Austin, P.S. Johnson, R.R. Cockrum, K.L. Kessler and K.C. Olson. 2009. 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