Guide to Data and EPDs
Individual performance: 1. Actual birth weight on a scale
ideal foot shape. The ideal claw set is toes that are symmetrical, even and appropriately spaced. 20. Angle – Foot Angle EPD is a predictor of foot angle and toe length, with a lower EPD being more favorable, indicating an animal will produce progeny with more ideal foot angles. The ideal is a 45-degree angle at the pastern joint with appropriate toe length and heel depth. 21. MB – Marbling EPD expressed as a fraction of the difference in USDA marbling score of an animal’s progeny compared to progeny of other animals. 22. RE – Ribeye Area EPD , expressed in square inches, is a predictor of the difference in ribeye area of an animal’s progeny compared to progeny of other animals. 23. Fat – Fat Thickness EPD , expressed in inches, is a predictor of the differences in external fat thickness at the 12th rib (as measured between the 12th and 13th ribs) of an animal’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires. This EPD is a carcass trait, and not a measure of maternal fleshing ability. 24. $M – Maternal Weaned Calf Value , an index, expressed in dollars per head, predicts profitability differences from conception to weaning with the underlying breeding objective assuming that individuals retain their own replacement females within herd and sell the rest of the cull female and all male progeny as feeder calves. The model assumes commercial producers will replace 25% of their breeding females in the first generation and 20% of their breeding females in each subsequent generation. Traits included are as follows: calving ease direct, calving ease maternal, weaning weight, milk, heifer pregnancy, docility, mature cow weight, claw set and foot angle. Landi recommends this index for most Hoover Angus customers who retain replacement daughters and sell feeder calves, as it is the most applicable index for such scenarios. 25. $F – Feedlot Value , an index, expressed in dollars per head, predicts profitability differences in progeny due to genetics for postweaning feedlot merit compared to the progeny of others. The underlying objective assumes producers will retain ownership of cattle through the feedlot phase and sell fed cattle on a carcass weight basis, but with no consideration of premiums or discounts for quality and yield grade. Traits contributing directly to the index are as follows: yearling weight (gain), carcass weight and dry-matter intake. 26. $B – Beef Value , a terminal index, expressed in dollars per carcass, predicts profitability differences in progeny due to genetics for postweaning and carcass traits. This index assumes commercial producers retain ownership of all male and female progeny through the feedlot phase and market these animals on a carcass grid. Traits included in the index are as follows: yearling weight, dry-matter intake, marbling, carcass weight, ribeye area and fat. No maternal traits are included in this index. 27. $C – Combined Value , an index, expressed in dollars per head, includes all traits that make up both Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) and Beef Value ($B) with the objective that commercial producers will replace 20% of their breeding females per year with replacement heifers retained within their own herd. The remaining cull heifer and steer progeny are then assumed to be sent to the feedlot where the producers retain ownership of those cattle and sell them on a quality-based carcass merit grid. $C is heavily weighted towards the “terminal” traits found in $B, and $C has a .95 correlation to $B.
BW 1 ADJ. 205/WR 2 ADJ. 365/YR 3 %IMF/RATIO 4 RE/RATIO 5 SCROTAL 6
2. Weaning Weight adjusted to 205 days/Wean Ratio. A ratio expresses how the animal compared to herd mates in the same contemporary group. 3. Yearling Weight adjusted to 365 days/Yearling Ratio
4. IMF score adjusted to a year/IMF Ratio 5. Ribeye adjusted to a year/Ribeye Ratio
6. Scrotal – for yearling bulls, this measurement will be available sale day and will be their scrotal measurement adjusted to a year of age. For fall bulls, this measurement was taken in December.
CED
BW
WW
YW
RADG
YH
SC
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
HP
CEM
Milk
Doc
HS 18 $F 25
Claw
Angle
14
15
16
17
19 $B 26
20 $C 27
MB
RE
Fat
$M
21
22
23
24
EPD and $Value Definitions As a reminder, EPD stands for “Expected Progeny Difference”, and predicts not the animal’s own performance, but how future progeny of said animal are expected to perform relative to the progeny of others. An Index is similar to an EPD, but combines several traits into one economic selection index. 7. CED – Calving Ease Direct EPD is expressed as a difference in percentage of unassisted births, with a higher value indicating greater calving ease in first- calf heifers. It predicts the average difference in ease with which a sire’s calves will be born when he is bred to first-calf heifers. 8. BW – Birth Weight EPD , expressed in pounds, is a predictor of an animal’s ability to transmit birth weight to their progeny compared to that of other animals. As the BW EPD gets larger, so do the expected birth weights of the progeny. 9. WW – Weaning Weight EPD , expressed in pounds, is the ability of an animal to transmit weaning growth to their progeny compared to that of other animals. As the WW EPD gets larger, so do the expected weaning weights of the progeny. 10. YW – Yearling Weight EPD , expressed in pounds, is a predictor of an animal’s ability to transmit yearling growth to progeny compared to that of other animals. 11. RADG – Residual Average Daily Gain EPD expressed in pounds per day, is a predictor of an animal’s genetic ability for postweaning gain in progeny compared to that of other animals, given a constant amount of feed consumed. 12. YH – Yearling Height EPD is a predictor of an animal’s ability to transmit yearling height, expressed in inches, compared to that of other animals. Larger values indicate larger frame. 13. SC – Scrotal Circumference EPD , expressed in centimeters, is a predictor of the difference in transmitting ability for scrotal size compared to that of other animals. 14. HP – Heifer Pregnancy EPD is a selection tool to increase the probability of a sire’s daughters becoming pregnant as first-calf heifers during a normal breeding season. A higher EPD is more favorable and the EPD is reported in percentage units. 15. CEM – Calving Ease Maternal EPD is expressed as a difference in percentage of unassisted births with a higher value indicating greater calving ease in first-calf daughters. It predicts the average ease with which a sire’s daughters will calve as first-calf heifers when compared to daughters of other sires. 16. Milk – Maternal Milk EPD is a predictor of an animal’s genetic merit for milk and mothering ability in their daughters. In other words, it is that part of a calf’s weaning weight attributed to milk and mothering ability. 17. Doc – Docility EPD is expressed as a difference in yearling cattle temperament, with a higher value indicating more favorable docility. 18. HS – Hair Shed EPD is a predictor of an animal’s genetic merit to shed their winter coat earlier in the spring. Lower EPDs are more favorable, and increase the environmental adaptability of cattle living in heat stressed or endophyte-infected (hot) fescue areas. 19. Claw – Claw Set EPD is a predictor of foot (claw) shape, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating an animal will produce progeny with more
Dam
BWR
WWR
YWR
Sons @ Auction
Daughters @ Auction
Daughters In Herd
28
29
30
31
32
33
Grandam
BWR
WWR
YWR
Sons @ Auction
Daughters @ Auction
34
35
36
37
38
Dam and Grandam’s Production for cows active in the Hoover herd: 28. BWR – Dam’s birth weight ratio average on her progeny 29. WWR – Dam’s weaning weight ratio average on her progeny 30. YWR – Dam’s yearling weight ratio average on her progeny 31-32. Sons/Daughters @ Auction – Dam’s number of sons and daughters sold in past Hoover Angus production sales and their average selling price. 33. Daughters in herd – Dam’s number of daughters working in the herd and the average wean ratio of their calves. Ex: 2-102 means 2 daughters have an average 102 wean ratio on their progeny. 34-38. Grandam’s production – same explanation as 28-32. Continued on the bottom of page 3
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