Genomic Testing \ Igenity Test

Any one using the Igentity test for marketing livestock or replacement heifer selection purposes? Has it changed your pre-conceived ideas of who your best cows are? How has it matched up against your breed EPDs?

I used the Pfizer HD50K test this year on my top bull calves and some heifers and a few cows. With a small herd I found it a good tool to increase accuracy in my EBV 's (different to your EPD's) and to get a full set of carcase EBV's not usually available till cattle are scanned or a high accuracy bull was used of AI. I did not find to many surprises in the tests after talking to the people at Pfizer they told me if using a real out cross bull with no MVP links in the pedigree results would be disappointing.
So to sum up my experiences

• Great for increasing accuracy in EVB's with out animal having calves on the ground
• Good of gaining early carcase data

• Not so good for true out cross pedigrees
• Expensive

I have been using it past couple years on commercial heifers so I can't say for sure how their EPD's would match up. I have been shocked to see how much positive carcass traits I have built into my herd without being the main focus. Just had 2 angus heifers rank in the top15% of all tested animals at Igenity for % choice and tenderness. Also my stayability was very good on them with one being top 2% and another top 15%. These 2 heifers were 3rd generation heifers out of heifers.

A PB Simmental bull I just checked was also great in his carcass traits and really reinforced his EPD's so I am really confident in his numbers. We will see what buyers think of it.

All in all I think it is a great tool and if I had more heifers to select from I would for sure use Igenity to cull some out.

It also is not very expensive I don't think for the information you get on some of these commercial kind of cattle.

Till-Hill said:

A PB Simmental bull I just checked was also great in his carcass traits and really reinforced his EPD's so I am really confident in his numbers. We will see what buyers think of it.

All in all I think it is a great tool and if I had more heifers to select from I would for sure use Igenity to cull some out.

It also is not very expensive I don't think for the information you get on some of these commercial kind of cattle.

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Agree a great tool to get carcase data quickly I scan all of my bulls and heifers at 15 months for Rib eye and IMF and the DNA can give you that info at 6 months. But scanning cost $15 a head and the HD50K costs $150 here so in Australia at least it is expensive. Just thought I would let you know why I said it is expensive.

I agree with you Aussie! That test you are talking about is very expensive. I just used the commercial profile for my bulls $26 I think? I'll spend that anytime. I will defiantly use it for bulls thought to be replacement quality.

Aussie said:

Till-Hill said:

A PB Simmental bull I just checked was also great in his carcass traits and really reinforced his EPD's so I am really confident in his numbers. We will see what buyers think of it.

All in all I think it is a great tool and if I had more heifers to select from I would for sure use Igenity to cull some out.

It also is not very expensive I don't think for the information you get on some of these commercial kind of cattle.

Click to expand...

Agree a great tool to get carcase data quickly I scan all of my bulls and heifers at 15 months for Rib eye and IMF and the DNA can give you that info at 6 months. But scanning cost $15 a head and the HD50K costs $150 here so in Australia at least it is expensive. Just thought I would let you know why I said it is expensive.

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is it cheaper to feed a whole group of calves to 15 months to be able to scan---or invest in some of them at 6 and figure it out genetically..

Well my only experience with scanning cattle put a bad taste in my mouth so I will stick with Igenity and actual kill data to base my thoughts on.  We had scanned 4-H steers at our local county fair with the scan guy that does all the local bulls. A local cattle buyer bought them 3 days later at the auction and there was no consistency in the group. Small scan was big actual, big scan was little actual and the middle ones were all over the board at least for ribeye size.  Anybody else have that problem?

i have seen it many times with 'non' certified scanners.  it's also gone as far as the actual angle of the shot.. one angle looks big ole REa- the next looks long and skinny.

the other thing is shape of REA.  long and skinny, or short and fat...  I have heard people have begun using a different system= it's something towards the effect of using the whole loin, instead of just the part at the 12th rib...

Cut the BS said:

is it cheaper to feed a whole group of calves to 15 months to be able to scan---or invest in some of them at 6 and figure it out genetically..

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With the females probably scan with the top bulls test to help make some of the feed, management and marketing decisions. JMO
90% of Angus seedstock operators would scan. With most bigger studs of other breeds scanning as well.

I'm just going to stay away from it. Guy that does it around here makes me scared with some of the bulls he does and how great they always are. I'm not so sure they really are. I'll just look at it on my plate and decide how big and great it is.