Glossary for Sale Animal Data
We have developed a scoring system to help you successfully purchase bulls best suited for the needs of your herd. The EPD system is the most reliable format to help identify the genetic merit of beef animals. However, it can be somewhat overwhelming to fully understand. To aid in your bull selections, we designed a simple scoring system on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being undesirable and 10 being most desirable for a particular trait. We have detailed below the considerations for each trait and what impacts the final score a bull achieves for each of the four economically relevant traits. While we recommend the study of all the data we present on each bull, this scoring system is meant as an aid to confirm the best bulls to achieve your goals, with your herd, in the beef industry. CALVING EASE PERFORMANCE REPLACMENT FEMALES CARCASS TRAITS CALVING EASE Bulls with a score of 8-9 will be suitable for use on yearling heifers. These bulls have “Recommended for heifers” below the trait box. Considerations for this score include: Calving Ease Direct EPD, DNA profile scores for calving ease and birth weight, CED and BW EPDs from the sire and dam of the bull. This sys - tem has been used successfully by many customers achieving nearly 100% unassisted calving rates from large groups of heifers. Bulls with a score of 7 are fine to use on cows, but not initially recommended for use on heifers. In our breeding program, we avoid the use of higher birth weight EPD sires and dams to keep consistent calving ease and avoid the occasional extreme heavy birth weight calf. Herd management of the females in the weeks prior to calving can also play a significant role in the calving ability of a first calf heifer. PERFORMANCE Bulls with a score of 9 rank in the top 35% for yearling weight EPD in the National Cattle Evaluation database for non-parent Angus bulls. They will sire more pounds of beef whether selling at weaning or yearling. Bulls with a score of 8 rank in the top 50% for yearling weight EPD. These bulls also score well in genomic testing to help confirm their breeding value. Our goal is to use top performance bulls in the Angus breed, yet stay in the mid-range percentiles for frame size. This is important when retaining females that will peak at yearling and then maintain a moderate mature size with superior body capacity and fleshing ability. It’s not how big they get, it’s how quick they get big enough. REPLACEMENT FEMALES Bulls with a score of 9 have a $Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) in the top 35% of the NCE for non-parent Angus bulls. $Maternal combines the EPD traits of Calving Ease Direct, Weaning Weight, Calving Ease Maternal, Milk, Mature Weight, Docility, Heifer Pregnancy, and Foot quality into one selection tool. $Ma - ternal aims to decrease overall mature cow size and improve foot structure and fertility while maintaining weaning weights consistent in today’s production. The udder quality of the bull’s dam is also factored into our score. The dam must score an 8 or higher on teat size and udder suspension for the bull to score a 9 in our trait score system. Our goal is superb udder quality in your replacement females. CARCASS TRAITS Bulls with a score of 9 have a $Grid Value ranking in the top 35% of the database for non-parent Angus bulls. Bulls with a score of 8 must rank in the top 50% for $Grid Value. $Grid Value is expressed in dollars per carcass. It is the difference in future progeny performance for carcass grid merit, including quality and yield grade attributes, compared to progeny of other sires. Investing in superior carcass genetics pay the producer if you retain ownership and sell them on a quality grid. Bulls identified with the Certified Angus Beef Targeting the Brand logo also helps give cattlemen the genetic ability to strive to produce cattle which qualify and receive the carcass premium meeting CAB specifications.
Average EPD’s for all Non-Parent Angus Bulls (Spring 2026 National Cattle Evaluation)
CED BW WW MILK YW CW Marb RE Fat Scrotal
Doc
HP 11.7
$M 66
$W 65
$G
$B
$C 268
E P D
6
1.2
68 27 120 56 .78 .71 .020
.89
19
57 155
14
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online