The New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society (Inc) since 1968
Official Breed Society of Charolais International
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About UsCharolais Is The Future Of The New Zealand Cattle Industry ...For more than a decade, the New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society (NZCCS) has focused on collecting complete animal performance data. They have implemented the most advanced genetic evaluation procedures available to produce accurate, reliable EBVs for their breeders and for their commercial customers. The NZCCS is performance focused; they constantly evaluate new research developments against economic changes to determine if new traits, such as stayability (a measure of a cow's productive lifetime), have the potential to improve profitability. Their goal is to create and record EBVs that will help breeders and their customers make more profitable breeding decisions. These research activities have positioned Charolais as the 'Breed of Technology', with the NZCCS dedicated to ensuring that farmers throughout New Zealand have access to valuable technological information. Performance RecordingSince 1995 the NZCCS has had all performance data processed by Colorado State University (CSU) and has received two complete runs of EBVs and ERTs per year. This initiative, driven by the NZCCS ensures that breeders have access to the best possible genetic information, designed to assist in the selection of top young animals for mating (November analysis) and inferior animals for culling (May analysis).
Strong Connections With Colorado State UniversityDr Bruce Golden and Dr Mark Enns from CSU have visited New Zealand many times as a result of the relationship they enjoy with the NZCCS. During their visits they have hosted several field days to help breeders and farmers understand how to maximise the value of the genetic data supplied. Both Golden and Enns also took part in the groundbreaking International Beef Breeding Conference at Palmerston North in 1999, where the concept of Economically Relevant Traits (ERTs) was developed.NZCCS were the first cattle society in the world to adopt this new technology and they continue to be leaders in the field of the use of this information. The stength of this relationship with CSU enables the NZCCS to make requests for genetic developments with a focus on the NZ environment and what is important to NZ commercial cattle farmers. |