EPD Vocabulary Calving Ease Direct (CE) A higher value indicates greater calving ease. It predicts the average difference in unassisted births with which a sire’s calves will be born when bred to first-calf heifers. Birth Weight (BW) The expected difference in average birth weight (pounds) of progeny. Birth weight reflects prenatal growth. Weaning Weight (WW) The expected difference in average weaning weight of calves. The evalua- tion reflects the genetic influence on pre-weaning growth rate. Yearling Weight (YW) The expected difference in average yearling weight of progeny. The evaluation reflects genetic influence on both pre-weaning and post-weaning growth rate. Maternal Milk (Milk) The genetic ability of a sire’s or dam’s daughters to express in pounds of weaning weight in her calves due to her maternal ability through mothering instinct and milk. Calving Ease Maternal (MCE) A higher value indicates greater calving ease. It predicts the average difference in unassisted births with which a sire’s daughters will calve as first-calf heifers when compared to daughters of other sires. Carcass Weight (CW) Carcass Weight EPD are ex- pressed in pounds and is a predictor of the differences in hot carcass weight between parents progeny at an age constant endpoint. Ribeye Area (REA) Ribeye area is a major component of the USDA yield grade equation and selection for increased ribeye area should result in larger ribeyes and lower yield grades between animals with the same carcass weight. Ribeye Area EPD are expressed in square inches. Fat Thickness (FAT) Fat thickness is the primary component to the USDA Yield Grade equation. Fat thickness has a neg- ative relationship to cutability; therefore, selection base on decreased fat thickness should result in lower yield grades and leaner cattle given the same age endpoint. Fat Thick- ness EPD are expressed in inches. Marbling Score (MARB) Marbling is a subjective measure of the amount of intramuscular fat in the ribeye muscle. Marbling score is the primary component of USDA Quality grade and selection for increased Marbling Score EPD should result in cattle with higher quality grades at the same age endpoints. Terminal Sire Index (TSI) The AICA Terminal Sire Index (TSI) is a formal method of combing Expected Progeny Differenc- es (EPD) – BW, WW, YW, REA, CW, MARB and FAT – into one single value on which to base selection decisions. . The TSI represents a dollar index per terminal progeny produced for a bull in the AICA database, ranking them for profit potential. This dollar index is to be interpreted much like single trait EPD. For example, if Sire A’s index is $191.66 and Sire B’s index is $200.00, then we would
Dear Valued Customer
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 11th Cannon Charo- lais bull offering. Jen, and I are beyond excited to share the product of our work the last few years for your evaluation. We are honored by the interest over time and appreciate your consideration of the 2024 offering. My passion lies in developing elite Charolais beef cattle genetics and providing the customer support to ensure each and every customer has the best chance to be success- ful. I am blessed by a clientele of educated cattlemen that have placed confidence in our breeding program. As folks have leaned into genomics and the science of EPD’s more, I have worked to feed that need. A few years ago, I made a paradigm shift in our program by expanding our embryo transfer program. This has allowed us to create a dispropor- tionately larger subset of bulls that are in the upper echelon of terminal Charolais traits. This has to be in addition to the foundational traits of docility, soundness, eye appeal and so on. While It’s no different than your operation, there’s never enough “big steers”, and it never happens fast enough. I am working to move the curve. As the graph inside the back cover illustrates, our birth weight EPD’s are below breed average, while the growth, marbling and Terminal sire index (TSI) is substantially higher than breed average. As we retain the heifer mates to these bulls in tandem with the em- bryo program, we hope to continue to move the curve! This time of year, is a real highlight for my family and me. I sincerely enjoy the time spent visiting about your operation, and where you’re trying to go. As I have always said, I un- derstand there’s an unlimited number of places to buy a bull, I want to make sure you have a pleasurable experience and make sure your operation is better off. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Greg Hubert or myself if we can be of any help leading up to sale day. . Tom
expect Sire B’s offspring to average $8.34 more net return ($200.00 minus $191.66) than Sire A’s offspring.
Charolais Breed Average EPDs CE BW WW YW Milk MCE 10.8 -1.2 61 110 24 9.1
CW REA FAT MARB TSI 24 0.70 0.014 0.13 253.74
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