trated on as much as weaning weight. However, if the producer is retaining ownership and feeding the cattle out at the feedyard, intramuscular fat becomes more important because it is a major price determinant at the packing plant. The same consideration should also be taken with
the producer’s environment. Perkins warns produc- ers to know their environment and factor it in when selecting EPDs to utilize in their selection decisions. He explains that if a producer lives out in West
Texas where grass is scarce, selecting a lower value for maternal milk is more logical, but if the producer is in Missouri with abundant grass, they can select a higher value for maternal milk. “However, no matter what part of the country you
are in or what your production goals are, you still have to worry about a live calf being produced and then selling it at an effi ciently produced, heavy weaning weight. These 2 factors can never really be taken out of the equation.”
More to consider Once the EPDs are selected, the comparing starts and
buying decisions are made. When evaluating animals, Perkins cautions ranchers not to get hung up on the actual values. Instead, take a look at where the animal ranks within the breed by using percentile rankings from the breeds sire summary. Percentile rankings are listed as percentages so that
animals can be evaluated by where their individual EPDs rank in the breed. A 10 percentile ranking for weaning weight means the animal ranks in the top tenth percentile ranking of that breed, whereas a 90 percentile ranking means the animal ranks in the
bottom tenth percentile ranking for weaning weight. “Let’s say I want to simultaneously improve calv-
ing ease and increase weaning weight,” Perkins says. “Then I want the cattle to be in the top 25 percent for that percentile ranking for both EPDs. All of the other traits I want to keep in moderation, but the main traits being selected for should be in the upper percentile.” Perkins advises that being in the top 1 percent for
a trait is not always the most desirable. For example, maternal milk may be best at the fi ftieth percentile. It is important to keep all traits balanced and not to use extremes. Perkins warns that not d oing so is one of the biggest mistakes a cattleman can make. By concentrating solely on a single EPD, antagonis-
tic relationships between traits can quickly become a problem. For instance, stressing a high weaning weight may push the limit on birth weight for the cattle. “I always tell breeders pick 3 to 4 traits that you
are interested in, make them all meet a 25 percentile level, and then anything else above and beyond that is just icing on the cake.” Understanding EPDs and using them in buying
decisions takes time and education. There are many resources out there to further understand EPDs, such as the Beef Improvement Federation guidelines and
ebeef.org. Perkins says breed associations are willing and able to help all cattlemen understand, as well. So don’t be afraid to call. “EPDs are often underutilized because people get
overwhelmed with so many numbers, and they think it is diffi cult to understand,” Perkins explains. “Once they understand that it is comparing one number to another number, between 2 animals, it is so much simpler.”
tscra.org
October 2016 The Cattleman 123
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