How to determine if a bull qualifies for a category
1. All categories require that the bull meet a minimum Calving Ease or maximum Birth Weight EPD. If the breed you are using computes Calving Ease EPDs then that is the
EPD that must be used. The bulls EPD must be equal to or be greater than the value listed for that category. If the breed does not compute Calving Ease EPDs then Birth
Weight EPDs will be used. The breeds that use Birth Weight have parentheses around their values. The bulls Birth Weight EPD must be equal to or less than this value.
2. All categories have a requirement for growth, however, three have minimum values, one is a maximum value and for the other two there is an upper and lower limit. For
Heifer Acceptable, Terminal Sire and High Productivity categories the bull’s Weaning Weight OR Yearling Weight EPD must be equal to or greater than the value listed.
For the Low Maintenance category the bull’s Yearling Weight must be equal to or less than the value listed. For the Balanced Trait category the bull’s Weaning Weight
OR Yearling
Weight EPD must be equal to or in between the two values listed. For the Carcass Merit category the bulls Carcass Weight EPD must be equal to or in-between the two values
listed. In this category if the breed does not compute Carcass Weight EPDs then Yearling Weight EPDs are used and this is indicated by the values being in parentheses.
3. There are requirements for milking ability in three of the categories. Balanced Trait bulls must have an EPD that is equal to or in between the two values listed. For the
Low Maintenance Category the bull’s EPD must be equal to or less than the value listed. High Productivity bulls must have a value that is equal to or greater than the
EPD listed in the guidelines. The other three categories have no requirement for milk.
4. Carcass Merit bulls must also meet minimum standards carcass characteristics; one pertaining to improved Quality Grade and the other to improved Yield Grade. For
improved Quality Grade the bull’s EPD for Marbling or Intra-Muscular Fat (IMF) must be equal to or greater than the value listed (For Angus both Marbling and IMF
values are listed and the bull must meet one or the other). For improved Yield Grade the bulls EPD for Yield Grade (lower values means greater red meat yield) must be
equal to or less than the value listed. If the breed computes % Retail Product instead of Yield Grade EPDs then the bull’s EPD must be equal to or greater than the value
listed (For Angus either the Ultrasound %RP or the Carcass %RP may be used). If the breed does not compute Yield Grade or % Retail Product then the bull’s EPD for
Rib Eye Area (REA) must be equal to or greater than the value listed AND his EPD for Fat must be equal to or less than the value listed. Breeds that do not compute
carcass EPDs do not qualify under this category.
For more information there is a video available at your county Extension office or contact your county agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources or Darrh Bullock,
University of Kentucky Beef Extension Specialist - 859-257-7514 or
dbullock@uky.edu
EPD REQUIREMENTS
Heifer Acceptable Bulls
Calving ease
Weaning weight Not Below Yearling weight Not Below
Limousin
12.3
26
51
Terminal Bulls
Calving Ease
Weaning Weight Not Below
Yearling Weight Not Below
Limousin
0
39
72
Weaning Weight
Yearling Weight
Milk
Balanced Trait Bulls
Calving Ease
Not Below Not Above
Not Below Not Above
Not Below Not Above
Limousin
6.2
29 46
56 85
15 25
Low Maintenance Bulls
Calving Ease Not Above
Yearling Weight Not Above
Milk
Limousin
0.0
71
19
High Productivity Bulls
Calving Ease Not Below
Weaning Weight Not Below
Yearling Weight Not Below
Milk
Limousin
0.0
40
69
20
Carcass Merit Bulls
Calving Ease Not Below
Carcass Weight Not Below
Yield Grade Indicator
Quality Grade Indicator
Limousin
0.0
-5
34
.02 (A) -.03
1. AI and/or natural service bulls must meet or exceed the min. requirements for one of the following three bull
types - a. Balanced bulls; b. Terminal bulls; c. Heifer bulls
Each bull type (Balanced, Terminal or Heifer bull) has a different set of EPD requirements - The required set of EPD's must be met for each of the following three EPD
trait categories: • Calving ease (CE or BW); • Growth (WW or YW) ; • Maternal (Milk range)
EPD values must be current as of June 1, 2011 to be eligible for reimbursement
2. Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BSE) - a. Bulls must pass a BSE - certificate from a licensed veterinarian must be included with reimbursement request; b. BSE must be
dated within 90 days of purchase or reimbursement request
3. Electronic Identification (EID) - 15 digit number - a. Producer will identify bull with an electronic identification tag and provide number to TDA; b. Tags can be pur-
chased at most farm supply stores or local veterinarian
4. Artificial Insemination (AI) - a. Cost of AI technicians or Tennessee licensed veterinarian fees are eligible - AI technicians must be certified by an accredited AI company;
b. Producers certified to do AI through an accredited program (e.g., Genex, ABS or Select Sires, etc) can do their own AI work - Producer labor is not reimbursable
5. AI Certification - a. Training must be sponsored by an AI company that is a member of the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) and follows the recom-
mended guidelines - b. Min. of two days training required - part of which must be in a classroom environment
6. Testing - a. BSE & pregnancy testing - must be performed by a Tennessee licensed veterinarian; b. Animals must be officially identified in one of the following ways: EID,
840 or USDA metal tag, or a unique brand or tattoo; c. Veterinarian testing report with individual animal ID must be submitted for reimbursement
EPD REQUIREMENTS
Calving Ease (CE)/ Brith Weight (BW)
Growth
Maternal
Heifer Acceptable Bulls
Min. CE or Max. BW
Min. WW or Min YW Min. Milk or Max Milk
Limousin
12 or 0
30 or 60
17 or 35
Lim-Flex
10 or -1.2
35 or 71
22 or 37
Calving Ease (CE)/ Brith Weight (BW)
Growth
Maternal
Blanaced Bulls
Min. CE or Max. BW
Min. WW or Min YW Min. Milk or Max Milk
Limousin
7 or 1.6
38 or 73
17 or 35
Lim-Flex
7 or 0.6
41 or 80
22 or 37
Calving Ease (CE)/ Brith Weight (BW)
Growth
Terminal Bulls
Min. CE or Max. BW
Min. WW or Min YW
Limousin
3 or 3.8
44 or 82
Lim-Flex
4 or 2.2
46 or 89
Tennesee Genetic
EPD Standards
Kentucky Genetic EPD Standards
KENTUCKY & TENNESSEE COST SHARE GUIDELINES
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