Association Perspective
Low-birth-weight EPDs
Looking at a single trait on EPDs costs
performance and money.
by
David Gazda
regional manager,
American Angus Association
One of the most common concerns I hear
from commercial producers using Angus ge-
netics is the size of calves at birth. Instinctively, my first thought is
that the producers experienced calving problems due to the calves
being too large at birth. However, the problem generally tends to
be just the opposite, where the calves have been extremely small
and light at birth, struggled to nurse and never caught up with their
contemporaries from a growth standpoint.
Upon visiting with the producer and reviewing the bull’s registration
certificate and EPD profile, I usually discover a common theme
— the producer had been selecting primarily for calving-ease,
low-birth-weight-EPD bulls with no regard to any other traits. This
is certainly understandable if the producer is breeding heifers and
needs a certain level of calving ease delivered by low-birth-weight
Angus bulls. Furthermore, in the southeast, like many other areas of
the country where cow herds are relatively small, the herd bull may
have to be multipurpose, breeding both heifers and mature cows
with, again, emphasis being placed on calving ease.
At the risk of being controversial, many of these small calf scenar-
ios could be eliminated if the producers would simply be willing to
accept more birth weight, particularly when breeding mature cows.
One only has to attend a production or test station sale to wiTNess
firsthand how the heavier-birth-weight-EPD bulls are penalized and
therefore sell at a substantial discount. Have calving-ease and low-
birth-weight EPDs been overemphasized to commercial producers?
Maybe; maybe not.
Regardless, the commercial producer equates Angus genetics with
calving ease, fertility, maternal strength and carcass quality, and
as seedstock producers we are challenged daily to deliver those
genetics.
In closing, producers need to select bulls that allow them to reach
their production goals; however, single-trait selection based upon
an individual’s birth weight EPD may needlessly sacrifice additional
pounds at weaning. Next time you are in the market for a bull, don’t
discriminate against a little more birth weight EPD. You will still
receive the calving ease you have always expected from Angus and
a few extra dollars in your pocket at weaning!
9
New Haven Consensus B008 is a maternal brother to Lot
39 and was a featured bull of our 2015 sale.
Safe for heifers.
New Haven Right Answer Y044
NEW Haven Favon 7139
#Connealy Right Answer 746
#New Haven Jilt 9864
NEW Haven Focus 4164
NEW Haven Favon 5147
#SAV Final Answer 0035
[RDF]
Happy Dell of Conanga 262
#ONeills Duke
New Haven Jilt 9443
#SAF Focus of ER
New Haven Jilt 8415 0009
#+SAF 598 Bando 5175
#New Haven Favon 9719
CW
+23
MARB
+.58
RE
-.14
FAT
+.040
New Haven Answer Y044 C209
Birth Date: 10-5-2015
Bull 18501396
Tattoo: C209
37
$W $F
$G $B
+40.42 +10.11 +24.98 +77.59
Act. BW Adj. SC
70 34.52
CED BEPD WEPD YEPD MILK
+11
+.6
+40
+66
+25
Act. IMF Act. RE Act. Rib Fat
3.77
10.6
.27
Safe for heifers.
+KSU JFA Stout 2205
New Haven Princess A130
#+SAV Bismarck 5682
[RDF]
KSU Miss Direction 7109
#Connealy Consensus 7229
New Haven Princess 9040
#+GAR Grid Maker
SAV Abigale 0451
#Morgans Direction 111 9901
[RDF]
#KSU Miss T510 5104
#Connealy Consensus
Blue Lilly of Conanga 16
#Connealy Thunder
[RDF]
NEW Haven Princess 2160
CW
+20
MARB
+.62
RE
+.72
FAT
+.032
New Haven Stout C159
Birth Date: 9-7-2015
Bull 18496141
Tattoo: C159
38
$W $F
$G $B
+47.85 +27.64 +39.80 +87.78
Act. BW Adj. SC
79 34.15
CED BEPD WEPD YEPD MILK
+8
+1.3
+50
+80
+24
Act. IMF Act. RE Act. Rib Fat
2.28
9.8
.13
Safe for heifers, his donor dam is one of my
favorites, he is a maternal brother to Lot 56.
Bushs Sure Deal 33
#New Haven Rita 9016
#Vin-Mar O’Reilly Factor
Bushs Lady Line 451
#Connealy Thunder
[RDF]
NEW Haven Rita 5100
#SAV Final Answer 0035
[RDF]
#Vin-Mar Edella 2827
#Vermilion Dateline 7078
#Bushs Lady Fame 876
#Baldridge Kaboom K243 KCF
#Parka of Conanga 241
NEW Haven Right Time 2180
NEW Haven Rita 3004
CW
+26
MARB
+.35
RE
+.48
FAT
+.024
New Haven Sure Deal C095
Birth Date: 8-24-2015
Bull +18498019
Tattoo: C095
39
$W $F
$G $B
+41.48 +28.70 +26.72 +86.43
Act. BW Adj. SC
82 33.18
CED BEPD WEPD YEPD MILK
I+7
+.9
+44
+79
+25
Act. IMF Act. RE Act. Rib Fat
2.68
10.5
.11
