Post by JoBulls Admin on Sept 9, 2013 13:43:30 GMT -7
What is a Contemporary Group?
A "Contemporary Group" is defined as a group of cattle of (1) the same breed, (2) the same sex, (3) same age (within limits, (4) raised in the same basic environment, (5) given the same opportunity to perform, and (6) data is submitted to the ABHA at the same time.
Why are Contemporary Groups important?
They allow calves to be compared equally with each other to measure differences in performance, and are the basis for the calculation of EPDs.
What does it mean "given the same opportunity to perform"?
If the breeder has given different attention to a set of animals such as creep feed or extra feed to young cows, then the breeder needs to mark them as being under a different management code. The calves should not be in the same contemporary group as the cows that did not receive the special attention.
Here is a quote from the American Angus Association that defines "Contemporary Groups" well.
"A contemporary group is a set of animals that have had an equal opportunity to perform: same sex, managed alike, and exposed to the same environmental conditions and feed resources. Contemporary groups are the cornerstone of genetic evaluation. They are the best way to account for environmental effects so that remaining differences among animals may be attributed to genetics, ultimately resulting in expected progeny differences (EPDs)."
www.angus.org/Performance/AHIR/PerfContempGrouping.aspx
Why does the data have to be submitted at the same time?
The Association will have to create the contemporary groups based upon the information provided at the time the data is submitted. For example, if a breeder has 15 calves in a contemporary group, and submits the weaning information for 10 of them to the ABHA. The ABHA will calculated the ratios based upon that contemporary group of 10. If later the data for the other 5 calves is submitted, they will be their own contemporary group, because the first group of 10 were already put in their contemporary group and the ratios were already calculated. If the ABHA allowed contemporary groups to change and expand, then the data would never become solidified.
A "Contemporary Group" is defined as a group of cattle of (1) the same breed, (2) the same sex, (3) same age (within limits, (4) raised in the same basic environment, (5) given the same opportunity to perform, and (6) data is submitted to the ABHA at the same time.
Why are Contemporary Groups important?
They allow calves to be compared equally with each other to measure differences in performance, and are the basis for the calculation of EPDs.
What does it mean "given the same opportunity to perform"?
If the breeder has given different attention to a set of animals such as creep feed or extra feed to young cows, then the breeder needs to mark them as being under a different management code. The calves should not be in the same contemporary group as the cows that did not receive the special attention.
Here is a quote from the American Angus Association that defines "Contemporary Groups" well.
"A contemporary group is a set of animals that have had an equal opportunity to perform: same sex, managed alike, and exposed to the same environmental conditions and feed resources. Contemporary groups are the cornerstone of genetic evaluation. They are the best way to account for environmental effects so that remaining differences among animals may be attributed to genetics, ultimately resulting in expected progeny differences (EPDs)."
www.angus.org/Performance/AHIR/PerfContempGrouping.aspx
Why does the data have to be submitted at the same time?
The Association will have to create the contemporary groups based upon the information provided at the time the data is submitted. For example, if a breeder has 15 calves in a contemporary group, and submits the weaning information for 10 of them to the ABHA. The ABHA will calculated the ratios based upon that contemporary group of 10. If later the data for the other 5 calves is submitted, they will be their own contemporary group, because the first group of 10 were already put in their contemporary group and the ratios were already calculated. If the ABHA allowed contemporary groups to change and expand, then the data would never become solidified.