CALVING EASE MATERNAL How daughters of sire will calve. Larger numbers = easier calving.
YEARLING WEIGHT
MILK Expressed in pounds of weaning weight.
WEANING WEIGHT
ADJUSTED WEANING WEIGHT Discussed on inside of front cover MARBLING Larger numbers desirable. BIRTH DATE BIRTH WEIGHT REGISTRATION NUMBER PERCENTAGE OF GELBVIEH Examples: 25% = 25% GV and (75% AN and/or 75% AR) 50% = 50% GV and (50% AN and/or 50% AR) 75% = 75% GV and (25% AN and/or 25% AR) RIBEYE AREA Larger numbers desirable. FEEDER PROFIT INDEX Larger desirable.
BULL ’ S NAME
Lot #
BIRTH WEIGHT
CALVING EASE DIRECT How easy a bull ’ s calves will come when he is bred to heifers. The breed abbreviation in ( ) shows the sire and dam ’ s breed make-up. (GV) = Gelbvieh (AN) = Black Angus (AR) = Red Angus (SA) = Saler (XX) = Unknown GEN = Genomic Enhanced Y = Enhanced N = Not enhanced
EPDs CED: BW: WW: YW: Milk: ST: TM: CEM: RE: MB: FPI:
GEN
Paternal Grandsire
AGA# B.D.: BW: 205WT
Bull ’ s Sire
Paternal Granddam
#
Maternal Grandsire
#
Bull ’ s Dam
Maternal Granddam
PAP:
Description and information related to the bull.
PULMONARY ARTERY PRESSURE Discussed on inside of front cover
TOTAL MATERNAL Combines growth and milk information to predict the weaning weight performance of calves from a sire ’ s daughters.
STAYABILITY Higher numbers means daughters should stay in herd longer.
How To Use EPDs EPDs are used to compare sires within a breed. Environment is removed so bulls that were raised differently can still be compared. BW, WW, YW, Milk, and TM are all expressed in pounds. The bigger the number, the more pounds you can expect. Example: Bull A = BW of 3.2, WW of 68 Bull B = BW of -0.4, WW of 56 Bull A ’ s calves would be expected (on average) to weigh 3.6 pounds more than bull B ’ s calves at birth. Bull A ’ s calves would be expected (on average) to weigh 12 pounds more than Bull B ’ s calves at weaning. If a bull had 100 calves born to him the average performance of those calves would equal his EPDs. ST = stayability TM = Combines growth and milk info. to predict the weaning weight performance of calves from a sire ’ s daughters Smaller numbers = fewer days from breeding to calving CED = calving ease, how sire ’ s calves will calve larger numbers = easier calving CEM = how daughters of sire will calve larger numbers = easier calving For more information: www.gelbviehbulls.net Click on BREED INFO then to “ Understanding EPD ’ s and How to Use Them ”. EPDs Abbreviations & Explanations EPD Definitions Calving ease direct (CED) : Percent of unassisted births of a bull’s calves when he is used on heifers. A higher number is favorable, meaning better calving ease. This EPD can be vital to a rancher looking to decrease the amount of calves pulled in his herd. Milk (Milk): The genetic ability of a sire’s daughters to produce milk expressed in pounds of weaning weight. Calving ease maternal (CEM): Represented as percent of unassisted births in a sire’s first-calving daughters. A higher number represents more favorable calving ease. This EPD is important to a rancher’s bottom line because it predicts which animals produce daughters with a genetic pre-disposition to calve unassisted as heifers. CED = calving ease direct TM = total maternal BW = birth weight CEM = daughters calving ease MILK = milk Stayability (ST): Predicts the genetic difference, in terms of percent probability, that a bull’s daughters will stay productive within a herd to at least six year of age. The stayability EPD is one of the best measures currently available to compare a bull’s ability to produce females with reproductive longevity. Birth weight (BW): Predicts the difference, in pounds, for birth weight of the calf. Weaning weight (WW): Predicts the difference, in pounds, for weaning weight (adjusted to age of dam and a standard 205 days of age). This is an indicator of growth from birth to weaning. Yearling weight (YW) : Predicts the expected difference, in pounds, for yearling weight (adjusted to a standard 365 days of age). This is an indicator of growth from birth to yearling. Ribeye area (REA): Differences in ribeye area in inches between the 12th and 13th rib. Greater ribeye areas are preferable. Marbling (MB): Predicts the differences in the degree of marbling within the ribeye as expressed in marbling score units. Greater marbling numbers are preferable and are an indicator of higher carcass quality grades. WW = weaning weight YW = yearling weight RE = ribeye area MB = marbling FPI = feeder profit index If you are interested in “Pot of Gold” *HOEYLHKDQG%DODQFHUဍ)HPDOHV &RQWDFW'DYH RU0DUN With stayability and cow productivity being important factors in cow- calf profitability, adding Gelbvieh and Balancer maternal influence through a crossbreeding program is a great option for commercial producers. 2.59# per day x 205 days = 531# 531# + 80# (birth weight) = 661# An age of dam adjustment is added so that the older cows or heifers can be compared to the average cow. These 205 day weights are figured by the animal’s respective breed office. These adjusted numbers are useful for within herd comparison where environmental factors are the same. Gelbvieh and Balancer females also excel in stayability, which is the probability a bull ’ s daughters will remain in the cow herd until at least six years of age. With the high costs associated with the development or pur- chase of replacement females, sustained reproduction is essential in a herd. U.S. MARC data, along with American Gelbvieh Association genetic trends, prove that today ’ s Gelbvieh and Balancer cows are highly produc- tive, offering increased longevity, more manageable mature cow weights, early puberty, quiet disposition and have the ability to calve unassisted while delivering consistent growth. Feeder Profit Index (FPI): An economic selection index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and are sold on a grade and yield standpoint. Well ranking sires for FPI have higher marbling and carcass weight than their contemporaries. As a terminal index, little emphasis is put on maternal traits such as stayability and calving ease. Information Regarding DILUTER FREE : No gray calves when mating a diluter free bull to black or gray cows. All off spring will be black or red. 205 Wt. - This is the weaning weight adjusted to 205 days of age. For example: a bull weighs 650# at 220 days of age with an 80# BW 650# - 80# = 570# (weight gained in 220 days) 570# divided by 220 days = 2.59#/day Impacting Profit with Gelbvieh and Balancer® Females Gelbvieh and Balancer ® cattle offer maternal superiority through increased longevity, added fertility and more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. In addition, Gelbvieh and Balancer females offer a small mature cow size, more maternal milk and reach puberty at an earlier age. U.S. Meat Animal Research Center data shows Gelbvieh females have the smallest mature cow size of the four major Continental breeds. The Gelbvieh breed was the only breed in the study to reduce mature cow size- at an average of 1,382 pounds Gelbvieh-sired females had the lowest five- year-old cow weight. This reduced mature cow-size allows for puberty to be reached at an earlier age, which leads to calving earlier in the season and producing a calf at a younger age. These females are able to wean heavier calves while still maintaining low birth weights and a tight calving interval year after year. Scrotal Circumference is a measurement taken to help determine if a bull’s heifers calves will reach puberty earlier than any other bull’s and also sperm production is directly proportional to scrotal size. As of now there is no adjustment for age, but a 32 cm scrotal for a one year old and 36 cm for a two year old is a good standard. P.A.P. or Pulmonary Artery Pressure is an indication of a bull’s genetic ability to tolerate high altitudes. The higher the P.A.P score the lower the altitude the bull should be maintained at. Bulls that delvelop brisket may or may not have a genetic problem, but may be the result of an environmental influence such as sickness, feed, or stress. GENOMIC ENHANCED EPDs All bulls have been DNA tested and have Genomically Enhanced EPDs for the most accurate EPDs available! More Informed Genetic Selection Decisions: Purchasing bulls with genomic-enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs) allows commercial producers to make selection decisions with less risk due to an increase in the accuracy of a non-parent animal’s EPDs. The addition of genomic data to an EPD is comparable to adding another source of information, like progeny or pedigree records. Specifically on lowly heritable traits, such as reproductive traits, genomic data has the potential to greatly increase the accuracy of an EPD prediction and can be demonstrated. - 2 -
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