5
Angus Source was developed for commercial cow-calf pro-
ducers wishing to increase the value of their Angus-sired
feeder cattle and replacement females by providing
source, group age and genetic information to potential
buyers.
The program provides seedstock producers the opportuni-
ty to get involved with their customers’ marketing pro-
grams by providing tag reimbursement or assisting with
enrollment. AngusSource provides feedyards with a source
for documented Angus-sired calves.
For more information contact:
The American Angus Association
3201 Frederick Blvd.
Saint Joseph, MO 64506
816-383-5100
“You’ve never seen a fat athlete, have you?”
A Discussion of Ultrasound Data
Backfat — Marbling — Ribeye
We hesitate to print this data every year because we know it gets compared be-
tween other purebred breeders’ sales and even within our own contemporary
groups. The best advice is use the EPDs first, then actual data provided second.
Why are Fink bulls different so that this data isn’t comparable to others?
Fink bulls are among, if not the leanest bulls, that sell in the U.S. We do this to
ensure soundness and fertility for you by not fattening the bulls.
Feeding can make impressive IMF and yearling weights, but EPDs are still the most reliable!
What does it do to the bulls’ data?
Ribeyes may appear lower, why? Because if the bulls weighed another 250-300 lbs. (which we could do) their ribeyes, in
all probability, would be another 2.5-3.5 square inches!
Marbling may not be fully expressed, because in general terms, the fatter an animal is, the higher the marbling score!
Look at any sale catalog, with few exceptions, the more backfat on an animal, the higher marbling score.
The scan weights on our bulls are lower because we don’t hard feed our bulls. This, in turn, relates to the data presented
due to size (weight) and condition.
Bottomline… We try to develop bulls that cover all the bases. We just bypass fat-filled scrotals, and keep our bulls as sound
and fertile as possible. Customers’ carcass data for over 25 years indicate that Fink-bred cattle will compete with anyone’s.
We take great pride in selling bulls that should last several years.
To borrow a quote from the late cattleman, Andy Olson, “You have never seen a fat athlete, have you?”
$B Value and CED.
The Single trait selection for Angus $B ($Beef) index ap-
pears to have run its course. $B is a terminal index made
up of feedlot and grid genetic predictions. Although a use-
ful index, too much emphasis on it takes the Angus breed
away from its strengths, which are maternal traits. I think
that people have come to realize that single trait selection
for $B can move cattle away from the reproductive excel-
lence and easy-keeping cattle Angus are noted for. Calving
ease direct EPD (CED) is finally catching on. Although CED
has been available to producers for many, many years,
producers up till now seem to have remained steadfast in
their use of birth weight EPD as a predictor of calving
ease. However, CED which is the probability of a sire’s
calves being born unassisted, has always been the trait of
economic importance. CED is based on calving ease
scores while also adding all the information from birth
weight EPDs as a correlated trait. This makes CED a tre-
mendously more powerful tool than birth weight, and since
birth weight is contained within CED for selection purpos-
es, the birth weight EPD should be ignored.
By Dr. Bob Hough
(Dr. Bob Hough has served as the executive vice president
of the Red Angus Association of American and more re-
cently as executive vice president of the North American
Limousin Foundation from 2009 to early 2011. He is now
a consultant, freelance writer, and semi-retired.)
