Dr Brad Crook, Manager Genetics Research and Development, has recently returned from a five week trip to the United Kingdom and Europe, where he met with both current and potential future BREEDPLAN clients. There were many opportunities throughout the trip for technical discussions with breed societies and technical committees. In addition, Brad appreciated the opportunity to visit genotyping labs, feed intake stations and a number of farms where he got to see how producers are utilising the BREEDPLAN technology to assist them in making informed breeding and selection decisions.

Brad’s first stop was the UK, where he had a number of very constructive discussions over several days with seven BREEDPLAN clients - the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society, Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society, British Blue Cattle Society, British Charolais Cattle Society, British Simmental Cattle Society, Hereford Cattle Society and the South Devon Herd Book Society. Brad also had the opportunity to attend the Harrison and Hetherington’s Carlisle Multi Breed Sale, and to meet on-farm with some Beef Shorthorn breeders to discuss performance recording.

Brad then travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, where he met with representatives from Aberdeen-Angus Portugal. After a day of informative technical discussions, Brad enjoyed a tour of the bull test station that is set up to capture feed efficiency information. He also visited two Aberdeen Angus herds to gain a better appreciation of the Association’s priorities for their BREEDPLAN evaluation and BreedObject selection indexes.

Brad then travelled to Bavaria, Germany, where he spent two days with the Delle family, who run an Aberdeen Angus stud alongside a butchery and restaurant. They are members of the European Angus BREEDPLAN evaluation, and are recording a full range of performance records, including full boned out meat yield in the abattoir. They are particularly focused on improving yield and marbling in their cattle and are keen to utilise camera technology in the abattoir in the future to assist with these goals.

The next stop was the Czech Republic, where Brad spent three days with the Czech Republic Aberdeen Angus society. Brad visited a domestic genotyping lab and the properties of three Aberdeen Angus breeders. He also gave a half-day BREEDPLAN workshop which was well attended by approximately 35 breeders. The group discussed setting breeding objectives for their herds and enjoyed a live demonstration of how to utilise Internet Solutions to identify animals with suitable genetics for given breeding goals. Brad also took the opportunity to visit the Gregor Mendel Museum in Brno; surely a compulsory stop for any geneticist visiting the Czech Republic!

Brad’s final stop was Hungary, where he spent his first three days with the National Association of Hungarian Charolais Cattle Breeders. During this time Brad had a number of meetings with association staff and visited three farms. He also gave a half-day BREEDPLAN workshop, similar to the one he gave in the Czech Republic, to a small group of Hungarian Charolais breeders. There was much discussion on the impact of genotype by environment (G x E), with the increasingly dry and grass based system being very different to the French regions where much of the Charolais genetics being utilised in Hungary are sourced. Brad’s final day in Hungary was spent with the Hungarian Association of British Breeds, who have a large proportion of Angus breeders who are part of the European Angus BREEDPLAN evaluation.

Overall, Brad had a very successful five weeks visiting BREEDPLAN clients across the UK and Europe. Brad says “This trip has been hugely positive – both in building stronger relationships with BREEDPLAN clients and in better understanding the technical needs of each. I look forward to continuing these discussions now that I have returned to Australia”