Heifer Pregnancy (HPG) - Heifer Pregnancy predicts differences in the percent of daughters who are able to conceive and calve at 2 years of age following exposure to breeding. (Percent/High Value) Profitability and Sustainability (ProS) - An index expressed in dollars per head born. ProS is an all-purpose Index that predicts the average economic differences in all segments in the beef supply chain. A combination of the breeding objectives modeled in the HerdBuilder and GridMaster selection indexes. In this index it is assumed that replacement heifers are retained from within the herd and all remaining progeny are fed out to slaughter and sold on a quality- based grid. Traits included are: calving ease, growth, HP, STAY, MW, DMI, and carcass traits. HerdBuilder (HB) - Index expressed in dollars per head born. HB is a maternal selection index that predicts the economic differences of animals for traits that are important from conception through weaning. It is calculated based on the scenario that bulls are mated to heifers and cows, replacement females are retained and all remaining progeny are marketed at weaning. Traits included are: CED, CEM, WW, Milk, MW, HP , and STAY. Charolais: Total Maternal EPD (MTL) - A value to predict the weaning weight performance of calves from an animal’s daughters due to genetics for growth and maternal ability. Total Maternal is calculated by adding ½ the WW EPD to the Maternal Milk EPD. Calving Ease Maternal (MCE) - Expressed as a difference in percentage of unassisted births in first calf daughters. 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 EPD (CW) - Expected progeny differences for Carcass Weight is a predictor of pounds of retail product at a constant age endpoint. Selection for increased values should result in heavier carcasses, while selection for decreased values should result in lighter carcass weights at the same age endpoint. Carcass Weight EPD are expressed in pounds and is a predictor of the differences in hot carcass weight between parents progeny at an age constant endpoint. Terminal Sire Index (TSI) - The AICA Terminal Sire Index (TSI) is a formal method of combing Expected Progeny Differences (EPD) – BW, WW, YW, REA, CW, MARB and FAT – into one single value on which to base selection decisions. The TSI uses estimates of the genetic relationships between traits with an economic default value based on three year rolling USDA data. The TSI represents a dollar index per terminal progeny produced for a bull in the AICA database, ranking them for profit potential. Hereford: Udder suspension (UDDR) - UDDR EPDs are reported on a 9 (very tight) to 1 (very pendulous) scoring scale. Differences in sire EPDs predict the difference expected in the sires’ daughters’ udder characteristics when managed in the same environment. For example, if sire A has a UDDR EPD of 0.4, and sire B has a UDDR EPD
environment, you would expect half a score better udder suspension in daughters of sire A, compared to sire B. Teat Size (TEAT) - TEAT EPDs are reported on a 9 (very small) to 1 (very large, balloon shaped) scoring scale. Differences in sire EPDs predict the difference expected in the sires’ daughters’ udder characteristics when managed in the same environment. For example, if sire A has a teat size EPD of 0.4, and sire B has a teat size EPD of -0.1, the difference in the 86 values is 0.5, or one-half of a score. If daughters of sires A and B are raised and managed in the same environment, you would expect half a score smaller teat size in daughters of sire A, compared to sire B. Baldy Maternal Index ($BMI) - BMI$ is a maternally focused index that has a production system based on 1,000-Hereford x Angus females with a progeny harvest endpoint directed toward Certified Hereford Beef (CHB®). This index is more critical of CE than the Brahman Influence Index (BII$) and also has significant weight on fertility. There is positive weight on WW and a slightly negative weight on YW, which promotes early growth and then a slow down on growth to keep mature size manageable. The emphasis of IMF is greater than the emphasis of REA. This is true because of the price difference of the Choice-Select spread and the fact that there is very little incentive to produce cattle better than a Yield Grade 3. This index is geared to service any commercial program that has British- cross cows. Certifed Hereford Beef Index ($CHB) - This is a terminal sire index that is built on a production system where Hereford bulls sire calves for the CHB market. There is some pressure put on CE and then positive weight on both WW and YW. Of course, we have much more emphasis on fat in this index, as we want the cattle to stay lean. There is also a significant weight on both REA and IMF with more emphasis again on IMF. This index would be used by producers who have a target of producing bulls for a terminal breeding program. It could be used heavily in the Midwest where bulls are used in rotational breeding programs to produce cattle in a retained ownership program or are simply sold to backgrounders. This is the only index that has no emphasis on fertility. Remember that nothing is retained in the herd. Wagyu: Intermuscular Fat (IMF) - An animal’s expression of fat in the muscle, also known as marbling, measured within the ribeye at the 12th and 13th rib interface. Fat Thickness (FAT) - Rib Fat expressed in inches and measured at the 12th and 13th rib interface, is a predictor of the differences in external fat thickness that is traditionally discarded. FB Terminal Index ($FB) - characterizes Wagyu progeny from Fullblood and Purebred mating programs F1 Terminal Index ($F1) - Applies to Wagyu progeny from crossbreeding programs. The AWA EPDs that are used in the calculation of $FB and $F1 are Carcass Weight, Rib Eye Area, Percent IMF, Fat, and postweaning gain (also known as Yearling Weight)
Breed Averages
Breed Angus 1
CE +6
BW +1.2 -1.86
WW YW
SC
MILK
REA MARB
+68 +67
+120 +106
+0.89
+27 +26
+0.71 +0.13 +0.73
+0.78 +0.47 +0.15 +0.18 +0.15
Red Angus 1 Charolais 1 Simmental Hereford
+13
-
+11.2 +9.90
-1.3
+63.7 +115.5
+1.1
+24.7
+1.30 +79.50 +118.50
-
+23.20 +0.88
+3.8
+2.5
+56
+90
+1.1
+27
+0.47
1 Non-Parent Averages
Top 20% EPD’s that rank in the top 20% or higher will be highlighted in grey
7 MARCH 28, 2026 IN LARAMIE, WY
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online