EPDs carry an accuracy value that gives the user an idea of how much information is infl uencing that number.
cattle also have to have performed well in both weaning weight and yearling weight.
E stands for expected, not guaranteed While the Angus Association
has a wealth of data, Satree urges caution in how that information is
used. “Remember,” he says, “the ‘E’ in EPD stands for ‘Expected,’ not guaranteed. That’s where the misnomer comes in a lot of times on EPDs. People that read those numbers on cattle think that that’s exactly what they’re going to get, and they become disinterested when they fi nd out that that’s not exactly how that’s going to be. “The Angus Association’s done
an excellent job in getting all kinds of information to people, but some- times we get an information over- load. We now have I don’t know how many boxes we can look at, with regards to facts and fi gures. “You have to decide where your
end target market is, focus on that and try to concentrate with a bal- anced set of traits to hit your target market.” For instance, Satree says his rela- tively small operation will have
outstanding individuals that will be born in the 70- to 80-pound birth weight range and wean at 700 to 800 pounds, and then become 1,400- to 1,600-pound yearling bulls. The females will correlate to that, but with female characteristics. He says, “It’s a combination, a blend, of what we’re looking for that we can focus on to get to our target market, and gives us the most upside potential in the end.” Satree also pays attention to car-
cass traits. While ultrasound scans show that many of his cattle pro- duce large ribeye sizes, marbling in their operation is close to the breed average, with some animals higher and others lower. “We just like to have a balanced
set of traits,” he says. “We don’t go single trait selection, like we’re only going to go on carcass traits like ribeye and marbling and forget
Successfully Wiped Smutgrass
Mfg. In U.S.A. 82 The Cattleman April 2014
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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