OF COW FAMILIES EXPLANATION OF CODES
VGW • 15 EPD categories on each bull and 12 on each heifer are cataloged. Top 20% or better EPDs are listed with the percentiles, in bull footnotes. Heifer top 20% or better EPDs are listed in footnotes. • We did GGP-LD 50K genomic testing on our sale lots. See RAAA website for continually updated EPDs. A look at our information… BW – We take birth weights within 24 hours. Circumstances influencing birth include… • BW influences calving ease by 65%. • The dam has 60-70% influence on BW of calf. The bull has 30- 40% influence. • Pelvic measurement and angle, and shape of the calf, has 35-40% influence on calving ease. • Length of gestation greatly affects birth weight. • Temperature and weather the final 30 days of pregnancy affect gestation length. • Maturity and size of the dam influences calving ease, especially in heifers. All traits are relative. Increased growth and performance increase BW. If a calf has genetics for growth, this trait will present both pre and post birth. Continued selection for light BW will ultimately reduce the mature size and performance of cattle. A cow should easily give birth to a calf that weighs 8% of her body weight. 205 ADJUSTED WEANING WEIGHTS Weaning weights are adjusted to 205 days, and for the age of the dam. Weaning weights primarily provide a measurement of the dam’s milking ability, but also indicate differences in growth potential of a calf. PROJECTED SALE DAY WEIGHT The bulls were weighed in early February, and from the resulting yearling weights (adj) a projected sale day weight was calculated. They are projected for comparison use only. PERCENTAGE RED ANGUS 1A - 100% Pureblood Red Angus — registered. 1B - 87% to 99% Red Angus — registered. Cat II - Any animal that doesn’t fit 1A or 1B status Comm. - Commercial Red Angus - unregistered (no papers). EXPECTED PROGENY DIFFERENCES EPDs are a prediction of the difference between the average performance of future progeny of an individual, and the performance of progeny of a theoretical reference animal with an EPD of zero (0). EPDs are calculated from pedigree, individual performance and progeny. EPDs are the only measurement comparable across herds in the same breed. EPD abbreviations: ProS: Profitability & Sustainability; HB: Herdbuilder; GM: Gridmaster; CED: Calving Ease Direct; BW: Birth Weight; WW: Weaning Weight; YW: Yearling Weight; ADG: Average Daily Gain; DMI: Dry Matter Intake MK: Milk; ME: Maintenance Energy; HPG: Heifer Pregnancy; CEM: Calving Ease Maternal; ST: Stayability; MARB: Marbling; YG: Yield Grade; CW: Carcass Weight; REA: Rib Eye Area; FAT: Backfat. ProS EPD Explained: ProS EPD, stands for Profitability and Sustainability index. It is an all- purpose index that covers economically relevant traits across all aspects of the beef supply chain from conception to carcass. This index works as a combination of the existing HerdBuilder and GridMaster indexes, which include traits from conception to weaning, and post-weaning to harvest, respectively. The ProS index is expressed in dollars per head born. RAAA EPDs change weekly: EPDs and percentiles listed here were current on February 15, 2026 when we pulled our catalog information. Updated EPDs, percentiles and accuracies, as well as weights and MPPA values may be seen on any registered Red Angus at www.redangus.org. When the sale offering’s GGP-LD 50K information is finalized it is added to the Red Angus base, and EPDs will again update. Our Average EPDs are above breed average in most categories year after year. See the breed averages and Westphal Red Angus EPD comparison chart on Page 2. SCROTAL MEASUREMENTS Scrotal centimeter measurements on all bulls will be available on the sale day supplement. We provide extensive information on our sale cattle, including… • BW, dam age, Adj WW and projected sale day weights. • Dam MPPA is cataloged on each lot.
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RAISING REGISTERED RED ANGUS SINCE 1976
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