An essential program, a reference guides for the beef sector

The Programme d’analyse des troupeaux de boucherie du Québec (PATBQ) is a technical-economic and genetic evaluation tool that has been serving producers of purebred and commercial beef cattle for more than 25 years. It is an essential reference that guides farming operations through its database and analytical software to support selection and management decisions. By its judicious use, it helps to increase the profitability of the participating farms and provides valuable services to the industry. The program can also activate tags with Attestra, for calves born on the farm.

Analysis software and database

The PATBQ's analysis software and database provides, among other things, performance and pedigree data from nearly 700,000 purebred and cross-bred beef cattle.

In 2021-2022, 243 Quebec beef cattle producers, as well as around 30 stakeholders in contact with these producers (advisors from the Bovi-Expert Group and MAPAQ, supervisors and data entry agents), used the PATBQ software.

Purebred Breeders/Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs)

The program support purebred breeders in their efforts of genetic improvement. Herd performance is combined with pedigree information and translated into Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), which are updated 12 times a year. This data allows them to progress in terms of high economically important traits, such as:

• Calf growth

• Maternal ease

• Reproduction

• Carcass quality

• etc.

Names and abbreviations of EPDs frequently encountered in beef production are available here.

Commercial Producer/Across Breed Comparison (ABC)

Commercial producers also benefit from Across Breed Comparisons (ABC) data reference to support their selection decisions, such as replacement heifers choice. As with EPDs, this data can be expressed in percentile ranks. The producer can therefore easily, for example, classify his cows in decreasing order of calving ease genetic potential to guide his management decisions (e.g. culling).

Attestra electronic tag activation (formerly ATQ)

Another interesting feature of PATBQ is that it offers the option of automatically transferring the electronic tag activation and mortality information to Attestra. Then, the producer doesn't have to report the same information in two different places.

Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+)

The PATBQ is recognized by the Producteurs de bovins du Québec with Attestra to ensure that feeder calf producers remain eligible for the Cargill sustainable beef prime.

Summary of the main benefits for users

In addition to constituting an essential reference for the beef sector, the data and functionalities of the PATBQ allow users to :

• Achieve genetic progress in purebred and commercial herds for economically important traits,

• Compare herd performance with regional and provincial benchmarks in order to identify improvement priorities,

• Improve breeding practices and herds productivity and profitability,

• Simplify information exchanges between producers and provincial beef databases (Attestra, PBQ, FADQ, etc.),

• Deliver consulting services adapted to each farm's priorities.