Genomics testing helps double demand at Bowman Performance Genetics

Gippsland stud breeder Glen Bowman has more than doubled demand for his bulls in the last five years. Read his story.

Gippsland stud breeder Glenn Bowman’s goal is to have the most profitable clients in the cattle supply chain.

The seventh generation cattleman has been breeding purebred and commercial cattle for 30 years as part of his family operation at The Ridge, Rosedale, but has recently expanded the bull unit of his Bowman Performance Genetics stud operation on his Crystal Brook property at Neerim South.

Glenn Bowman, of Bowman Performance Genetics, tagging calves at Rosedale.

Five years ago Glenn initiated a more science-based approach to breeding and management by genomics testing the entire herd, which he described as ‘a game-changer’.

The intel genomics testing has provided, combined with selecting genetics based on Breedplan, MSA performance and commercial feedback, has seen demand for Bowman bulls more than double in the past five years.

“We started with 50 bulls a year and now we are selling in excess of 120,” Glenn said.

“It has grown at a substantial rate.”

Genomics testing involves taking an ear notch sample, which provides full parent verification details on every animal, enabling farmers to determine the potential breeding of an animal from a very early age.

Glenn said genomics testing helped the integrity of seedstock businesses – clients knew exactly what they were buying.

“It was a significant investment to set it up but it enhances every aspect of an animal’s breeding from calving traits to growth and carcass quality,” he said.

“We can have half a dozen embryo transfer brothers and we can send the data off on them and genomics will split them apart. You wouldn’t think there was that much variation but there is and this all follows through to the end product. We are not doing it for fun – it is exacting the science.”

More clients were recognising the value of the tool.

Bowman Performance Genetics hold an on-property sale each year at Neerim South.

“Genomics helps improve the accuracy of information we can provide clients, which in turn gives them a consistent outcome at their end and follows right down the supply chain,” Glenn said.

“That’s what I’m trying to do in this business is follow every aspect of that supply chain and make sure my product is working to its full potential.”

The Angus herd is based on Millah Murrah foundation genetics and Glenn heavily researches any new bloodlines, selecting based on strict criteria.

“The foundation females I’ve sourced have given me a great platform to build from. We’ve put in hundreds of hours researching pedigrees, travelling overseas, studying bulls and their progeny and making sure that they work,” Glenn said.

“I try and bring in new bloodlines every year to stay at the forefront of the industry.

“If you are breeding the same thing year after year, the clients will look elsewhere to get something new so by bringing in a third of new content – that keeps people in my system who have been there for years.”

Bowman Genetics include Millah Murrah, Banquet, Murdeduke, Baldridge and Landfall Angus bloodlines and more recently Sitz Angus, Montana, US.

“I look at calving ease and then I work down the page – docility, foot scoring and structure, eye muscle, intramuscular fat, and above average growth rates,” Glenn said.

“Physically I make sure they have the nice smooth shoulder and thickness, good butt shape and strong head on them. I also like to get out there and see progeny of those animals to make sure it is breeding that way.”

The Bowman family runs 1000 stud and commercial breeders on 1700ha at Rosedale.

Heifers are AI’d at the end of October, natural joining with bulls begins early November and the ET program is conducted at the end of November.

There are two groups of 80 recipient cows and about 100 embryos are implanted every year.

“We are trying to increase the rate of gain by using the best of the best genetics,” Glenn said.

“We are finding when we put the bull sale catalogues together, most of those calves end up in the front end of it so they are proving they are the elite of the genetics.”

Calving is at the end of July and weaning conducted at five to six months. The entire male drop is moved to Neerim South in March for 12 months before the sale group selection begins.

Glenn Bowman with the purebred herd at Rosedale.

The top yearling bulls are taken back to Rosedale for the natural joining program for two months and then return to Neerim South to be sold in lead pens in the annual autumn sale at 18 months.

“This way I’m getting the latest bloodlines back through my herd at an early age,” Glenn said.

Consistency of the breeding herd was key to the entire program and the Bowmans’ Rosedale operation was a beneficial large scale commercial testing ground using their own genetics to get direct and immediate feedback.

“The ratio of bull calves kept to what is culled is important,” Glenn said.

“If you are keeping 80-plus per cent of bull calves then you are on the right track I believe. If you are cutting 50 per cent then you are doing something wrong. We are well over 80 per cent of our male progeny out there working.”

Glenn said there was much more involved in the breeding of quality cattle than ever before and it was for the better to help iron out defects.

“When I first started it was all a raw data thing – other than visual, there was a weight sheet for the bulls and that was the only information you had, which could all be doctored through feeding,” Glenn said.

“What genomics does, it exposes the raw genes of the animal.

“If you are not buying something that is genomic tested, how do you know what you are buying? It’s like a pig in a poke if you don’t have the DNA extraction from them.”