In the case of IBBA, once a registered Brangus bull
is purchased and the seller has transferred ownership to the buyer, the buyer receives the registration paper. At the bottom of the paper is where the buyer will fi nd that animal’s EPDs. This might be the fi rst time some buyers take a close look at the EPDs of the bull he or she just purchased. However, EPDs are where buying decisions start, not end. There are thousands of regis- tered herd bull choices out there, and EPDs can help pare down the selection pool.
Defi ne EPD By defi nition, EPDs are predictions of how future
progeny of each animal are expected to perform. The traits highlighted in EPDs can be categorized by pro- duction EPDs, maternal EPDs, and carcass EPDs. Production EPDs include birth weight, weaning
weight and yearling weight, as well as other important production traits. Calving ease and milk, along with other maternal traits, are considered maternal EPDs. Carcass EPDs are traits related to the animal’s carcass, such as intramuscular fat and ribeye area. Each EPD is a unit of measurement for that trait,
Perkins explains, that is plus or minus a value to the overall breed average for the given trait. For example, a +1 birth weight means that on average, that animal will produce calves that weigh 1 pound more at birth than the average of the breed population. If it is a -1, Perkins says it would go the other direction and that animal will produce calves that weigh 1 pound less at birth. The process of calculating EPDs has become even
more advanced in recent years, Perkins says, with the use of genomics. For years, only pedigree information was used. Today, genetic samples can also be taken to add value to EPDs. When analyzing EPDs on registration papers and sale catalogs look for a notation or symbol that will denote whether it is a genomic-enhanced EPD.
EPDs take the “love factor” out of bull selection.
Genomic-enhanced EPDs will have noticeably higher
accuracy values attached to each trait on young un- proven animals. EPDs are not static and will change over time, as more pedigree or genomic information is included for an animal with each genetic evaluation.
122 The Cattleman October 2016
Using EPDs Being able to read EPDs is only the start to decoding
them. Understanding how to use them in buying deci- sions is where a producer’s operation can really benefi t. “EPDs take out what I call the ‘love factor,’ where
everybody falls in love with a phenotype,” Perkins says. “It takes all of that out of the equation and puts it back to the science of selecting animals to genetically move your operation forward.” The number of EPDs available can be overwhelm-
ing to the point where using them gets thrown out altogether. Perkins even says it could easily be data overload for a producer. To make it simpler, Perkins advises ranchers to pay particular attention to 2 traits — weaning weight and calving ease direct. “The most important thing you have to have is a
live calf,” Perkins says. “So everyone needs to make sure to look at calving ease direct or birth weight to improve the odds of a live calf. We all sell calves at weaning, whether it’s a cull calf or if that’s when you market your crop. So weaning weight is going to be very important as well.” Perkins advises bull buyers to consider scrotal cir-
cumference and, if available, mature weight (mature cow size). Scrotal circumference, Perkins explains, is an easy way to help build fertility in replacement heifers. A large scrotal circumference usually indicates earlier puberty in females, which equates to higher fertility. “Not all breeds have a mature weight EPD, but it
is a good one to factor in to prevent making cows too big for the environment,” Perkins says. “Evaluating mature weight determines whether or not the cattle will plateau once they reach yearling weight in order to keep them at a desirable mature-cow size.” Minimizing the number of EPDs used to make buy-
ing decisions is best, Perkins says. He recommends starting with 1 breed and then selecting 4 or 5 EPDs that impact a producer’s most important traits or pro- gram objectives. EPDs are best used within a breed, not between
breeds, Perkins says. However, it is possible to compare them among other breeds using adjustment values to the EPD measurements. Across breeds, EPDs are determined by the United States Meat Animal Research Center (US- MARC) and can be found online at beefi
mprovement.org. “Your production goals plus your environment will
help you decide which EPDs are most important to meet your breeding objectives,” Perkins says. If a producer is selling calves at weaning, intra- muscular fat may not be a trait that would be concen-
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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