August 2015

Family Traditions and Genomic Technology
Accelerate Production of Better Beef Cattle
Sandhill Farms uses Illumina technology to propel genetic gain for traits in Hereford cattle,
ultimately providing their customers with a more accurate, predictable seed stock product.
Introduction
The Hereford breed of cattle originated nearly 300 years ago
in Herefordshire, England. Known for their hardiness, low feed
requirements, and high maternal ability, they were attractive tofarmers trying to meet the increased demands for food production
during the Industrial Revolution. Henry Clay brought the breed to theUnited States in 1817 to improve beef quality in grassland cattle.1 Inaddition to their distinguishable white faces, Hereford cattle possess
gentle dispositions, efficient feeding patterns, and extreme hardinessin range conditions, making them valuable to extensively managed
beef production systems.
Located in south central Kansas, Sandhill Farms is a family-owned
and operated Hereford seed stock business managed by Kevin
Schultz and his wife, Vera. Kevin and Vera; their children Brooke,Tyler, and Courtney; and Kevin’s parents Ron and Arnita makeup the 3 generations working the farm today. The land has been
passed down through the family since 1867. “I have the original
Homestead Act document signed by former President Grover
Cleveland from when my ancestors homesteaded the land,” KevinSchultz said. “Our son Tyler just graduated from Kansas State
University and is back on the farm learning the trade. He will bepart of the seventh generation of the Schultz family to operate on
Sandhill Farms.”
In addition to growing corn, soybeans, and wheat for cash and feedcrops, Sandhill Farms has registered and commercial herds consistingof approximately 350 cows. The commercial herd has been using
registered bulls since the mid-1940s. Kevin and Vera added theregistered Hereford cow herd in the mid-1980s, soon after they weremarried. Largely a result of Kevin’s passion and vision, Sandhill Farms
has evolved into a renowned seed stock operation incorporating andadvocating for the use of genomic technologies to accelerate genetic
gain for economically important traits in their beef cattle.

Kevin Schultz is the owner of Sandhill Farms in Haviland, Kansas.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Through the American Hereford Association, Sandhill Farms uses theGeneSeek Genomic Profiler, which uses the Illumina BovineSNP50
BeadChip powered by the Infinium® assay, to select young sires
and females for their breeding program. Their goal is to improve thepredictability of Hereford genetics and provide their customers withaccurate estimates for future performance of seed stock.
iCommunity spoke with Kevin Schultz to learn about the philosophiesand practices of Sandhill Farms, how he incorporates genomics intothe trait selection process, and what he envisions for the future ofbeef cattle breeding.
Q: Why did your family decide to focus on the Hereford breed?
Kevin Schultz (KS): Hereford cattle are known for their hardinessand feed efficiency. Data have shown that Hereford cattle can help
maximize heterosis in a crossbreeding program, increasing growthand fertility. They can forage, survive, and maintain fertility withless food and labor. The Hereford breed also has a naturally docile
attitude, which has been a popular trait for selection in recent years.
Q: Before genomics, what methods did breeders use to maintainand improve their herds?
KS: Maintaining and improving a herd has required a lot of patience.
With earlier approaches, it took several years to prove a sire. Hewould be 5–7 years old before he had enough progeny to determine
if he had desirable traits, based on weight, carcass merit, andhow his daughters performed. Following older methods, we took
various physical measurements and put them into ratio form. In thelate 1980s, we could translate those ratios into expected progeny
differences (EPD). It was more accurate than what we had before,
but it still wasn’t ideal.

Genomic technology and sound breeding practices have led the Hereford herd
at Sandhill Farms to achieve Gold Total Performance Records (TPR) status, adistinction that recognizes dedicated Hereford breeders.

August 2015
Q: What are EPDs and how does knowing the EPD value enable
you to enhance the quality of your herd?
KS: EPDs can be calculated on measured traits, including birth weight,
weaning weight, calving ease, milk production, carcass traits, rib-eye size,and intramuscular fat, or marbling. Each breed has its own EPDs, andeach EPD value has an associated level of accuracy for each trait. Theaccuracy number ranges from 0.1 (lowest accuracy) to 0.99. Different
traits have different EPD values and accuracies. As a sire or cow has
more progeny records and becomes “proven,” the accuracy number
goes up. That accuracy addresses the variability you would expect fromthe bull, cow, or progeny and speaks to the reliability of the estimated
EPD for that trait.
Q: Why did you decide to start using genomics?
KS: Genomics increases the accuracy of herd sires faster than
traditional methods. If a bull has 10 progeny and they’re in large
contemporary groups, you might get a sizable contemporary group,
about 100 head. As a result, the accuracy of that bull’s EPD value will
go up. If a bull has a small contemporary group, its EPD accuracy
is limited. Traditional EPD accuracy depends on the size of thecontemporary group and the number of progeny.
In contrast, genomics allows you to evaluate bulls at birth and toachieve a higher accuracy even though they don’t have progeny yet.
For some traits, such as birth weight, it provides data equivalent tothe bull having already sired 10 calves. Genomic EPDs give us early
selection accuracy, reducing risk in the selection process.
Q: How has your use of genomic technology evolved over time?
KS: We first used genomic tools to verify parentage. We used to sendin a blood or hair sample to make sure that a calf was from a certain
sire and dam. When we began using the tools to identify genetic
defect carriers as well, we began to understand that the DNA gives
you a lot more information about the animal. As we moved forward,
we started identifying the economically important traits and the DNA
differences associated with them and applied that information to EPD
calculations. That’s how we’re making decisions now, using enhanced
EPD estimates.

Genomics helps you select thesire and dam with more accuracy.
Q: Which traits do you select for in Hereford cattle?
KS: We focus on different traits depending on customer needs.
Calving ease is important to our customers, as are carcass traits,
such as marbling and rib-eye size. Both are slow to get to withoutgenomics. We can’t identify carcass traits until later in the animal’s
production cycle.
Q: Can you use genomics to improve the nutritional valueof beef, such as the iron content?
KS: I know that in the future, we will use genomics to select fornutrition. Some of those traits are highly heritable. I’m sure that as
we learn more and there’s an economic incentive for it, someday
we’ll select for nutritional value, as much as we would calvingease or udder quality today.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Traditional EPDs vs Genomic EPDs
Traditional EPDs rely on the relationship between a given
calf and its contemporary group. They require pedigrees,ratios (comparison to the average in a contemporarygroup), and linkage (comparison to another herd). In
contrast, genomic EPDs do not require ratios or linkage
to other herds. Instead, genomic EPDs enhance
traditional EPDs with information about whether acalf has the DNA markers for the specific traits being
measured, adding accuracy to physical measurements.

Q: Does the level of heritability affect your ability to select for
certain traits effectively?
KS: We can select lowly heritable traits for years and only make small
increments of change. In contrast, we can change highly heritable traits
rapidly. They affect our selection process and how we determine what
to breed for in our cattle.

If you ask only for a car, you might
get a white car or a red car. If you
ask specifically for a red car, you
might get a bright red or a dark
red. Each time you make a moreaccurate description, you’ll get
closer to the color you want. It’s
the same with animal selection.
Q: How do you use genetic information in your selection process?
KS: Genomics helps you select the sire and dam with more accuracy.
Let’s say you’re buying a car. If you ask only for a car, you might geta white car or a red car. If you ask specifically for a red car, you might
get a bright red or a dark red. Each time you make a more accurate
description, you’ll get closer to the color you want. It’s the same withanimal selection.
As we make our accuracy numbers higher, we’re going to pinpoint thevalues that are closer to what we want. It eliminates the guesswork.
If our customers need calving ease or carcass traits and we use
genomics to select a bull accurately, we have a greater chance ofsupplying them with a predictable product. When we’re predictable,
we get repeat customers a lot faster because they trust that we’regoing to give them the product they request every time, not just halfthe time.

August 2015
Q: By employing genetic selection rather than phenotypicmeasures, are you able to optimize feeding approaches forbreeding animals?
KS: We’re now using genomics to inform feeding requirements. If thecattle going into the feedlot have a greater propensity for marbling
traits, back fat, or rib-eye size, we can use their genetics to determine
whether they need to be fed for longer or shorter periods of time. Thatway, we don’t have to put an extra 30 days of expensive feed on them
if they’ve already reached the optimal point.
Q: How does your partnership with the American Hereford
Association benefit Sandhill Farms?
KS: Being a member of the American Hereford Association has been
important for Sandhill Farms. We need volumes of data to distinguishbetween different blood lines, ultimately leading to pedigree accuracy.
Our partnership with the American Hereford Association speeds up
the decision-making process by enabling us to reach that level ofaccuracy much faster.

We have to know what ourcustomers want 5 years before
they know it. Otherwise, when
they need it, we won’t have it.
You adapt or you get left behind.
Q: What makes All Star and your other major contributing sires
the ideal candidates for genomic selection?
KS: I don’t think we will ever achieve the perfect bull, but genomic
tools are helping us get closer to that ideal. All our bulls have theirstrengths and weaknesses, and genomic testing helps us identify
them. Our job as animal breeders is to identify the strengths of theparents and mate them, or use the strengths to fix the weaknessesof our cattle. Our goal is to make them all better. As soon as we think
we’ve gotten where we need to go, another customer asks for adifferent trait. We’re always trying to improve our cattle based onwhat our customers need.
With our bulls, we try to make sure that they complement each otherso that we can maintain genetic diversity while keeping the traits
that we select for consistent. The more times we breed traits into
our animals, the more predictable they will be for those traits. That
increases our customer satisfaction. Our goal is for the sires to havethe same traits with slightly different genetic backgrounds so we canmake the progeny more accurate.
Q: What is more important, overall fertility or the quality ofthe offspring?
KS: Fertility is the number one driver for profitability in animal breeding.
If the animal is infertile, they have no value in the breeding herd. Afteryou get a live calf on the ground, it’s important to make the quality ofthe offspring better each time.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Q: How do you think genomics will influence the future ofcattle breeding?
KS: Genomics will play an important role as consumer needs change.
We’re always selecting for something new, something different. As aregistered breeder, we have to know what our customers want 5 years
before the customer knows it. Otherwise, when they need it, we won’t
have it. You adapt or you get left behind.
Q: What are the most important challenges the beef industry faces
today and in the future?
KS: Animal health and consumer satisfaction will be important forany breed. Calving ease is the most important trait that breeders buy
from us. Animal health is the next valued trait after calving ease. A
dead calf doesn’t grow, but if you get a live calf on the ground andhe dies 6 months later, it actually costs you more money. Any feedlot
manager will tell you that the number one profit driver for a feedlot isanimal health.
Currently, the catch phrase in the animal world is “no antibiotics.”
Everyone is talking about doing away with antibiotics in our feeding
cattle. In the cattle industry, we don’t use antibiotics because we want
to. We do it because it keeps the animals healthy. So if we can comeup with another way of keeping our cattle healthy, it will make theconsumers happier and increase profit for breeders. Someday, we’regoing to use genomics to select for animal health.

I think it’s like Star Trek in someways. What we can dream up andwhat we can do is quite amazing.
Q: What would your homesteading ancestors have thought ofusing genomic selection in cattle?
KS: My ancestors would be impressed by what we can achieve withgenomic tools. I think it’s like Star Trek in some ways. What we candream up and what we can do is quite amazing. Currently, the UnitedStates is producing more edible product than ever with the smallest
number of cows we’ve had in 40 or 50 years. Using genomics, we’reproviding a safe, wholesome product and more pounds of saleable
product per animal than ever. Before he passed away, my grandfather
was amazed by the things we had changed in his lifetime. I think ourancestors would be impressed with what we’ve been able to do andwhat we’ve built on the foundation they provided.

Learn More
Learn more about Sandhill Farms at www.sandhillfarms.com.

August 2015

Reference1.

History | American Hereford Association (hereford.org/node/47) Accessed
16 July 2015.

Learn more about the Illumina productmentioned in this article:•Infinium BovineSNP50 BeadChip, www.illumina.com/products/
bovine_snp50_whole-genome_genotyping_kits.html.
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Illumina • 1.800.809.4566 toll-free (US) • +1.858.202.4566 tel • techsupport@illumina.com • www.illumina.com
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© 2015 Illumina, Inc. All rights reserved. Illumina, Infinium, and the pumpkin orange color are trademarks of Illumina, Inc. and/or its affiliate(s)in the U.S. and/or other countries. Pub. No. 1370-2015-009 Current as of 26 August 2015