5
Feb
21, 2014
• Kist Livestok, Mandan
$ Indexes:
Though EPDs allow for the comparison of genetic levels
for many economically important traits, they only provide a piece
of the economic puzzle. That’s where $ indexes come in. Through
well-conceived, rigorous mathematical computation, $ indexes blend
EPDs and economics to estimate an animal’s overall impact on your
bottom line. The same technology that led to the dramatic progress
in swine, poultry and dairy genetics over the last several decades
was used to develop the following $ indexes:
All-Purpose Index (API):
Evaluates sires for use on the entire cow
herd (bred to both Angus first-calf heifers and mature cows) with the
portion of their daughters required to maintain herd size retained
and the remaining heifers and steers put on feed and sold grade and
yield.
Terminal Index (TI):
Evaluates sire for use on mature Angus coWS
with all offspring put on feed and sold grade and yield.
Using API and TI:
First, determine which index to use; if you’re
keeping replacements use API, if not, TI. Then, just as with EPDs,
zero in on the unit difference between bulls. (As described above,
index units ARe in dollars per cow exposed.) The difference can be
used to determine how much a bull is worth compared to another.
Or, put another way, how much you can pay for one bull compared to
another. For example, when buying an all-purpose-type sire, you can
quickly figure a bull scoring +100 for API is worth an extra $6,000
over a $50 bull if both ARe exposed to 30 coWS over 4 years ($50
diff. x 30 hd. x 4 yr. = $6,000). A percentile-ranking chart is required
to determine where a bull’s index value ranks him relative to other
bulls in the breed. For percentile rankings or more detailed informa-
tion about EPDs and $ indexes visit
.
Birth, Growth, and Maternal Trait EPDs
• Birth Weight (BW):
Pounds of birth weight.
• Calving Ease (CE):
Percent of unassisted births when used
on heifers.
• Weaning Weight (WW):
Pounds of weaning weight.
• Yearling Weight (YW):
Pounds of yearling weight.
• Maternal Calving Ease (MCE):
Percent of unassisted births in
first-calving daughters.
• Milk (MLK):
Pounds of weaning weight due to milk.
• Maternal Weaning Weight (MWW):
Pounds of weaning
weight due to milk and growth.
• Stayability (STAY):
Percent of daughters remaining in the
cowherd at 6 years of age.
Carcass Trait EPDs
• Carcass Weight (CW):
Pounds of carcass weight.
• Yield Grade (YG):
Yield grade score.
• Marbling (MRB):
Marbling score.
• Back Fat (BF):
Inches of backfat.
• Ribeye ARea (REA):
Square inches of ribeye.
• Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF)
: Pounds of force
required to shear a steak.
$ Indexes
All-Purpose Index (API):
Dollars per cow exposed under an all-
purpose-sire scenario. (See above for more details.)
Terminal Index (TI):
Dollars per cow exposed under a terminal-sire
scenario. (See above for more details.)
Bull Buyer’s Guide on using the $ Indexes and EPDs
The Value of Nutrition and
the power of your next bull
purchase
To our valued customers and potential buyers:
The proper care, feeding and management of a young
sire will insure that you will be happy with the return on
investment. By managing yearling bulls properly, your
investment will return dividends for many years down the
road. Dakota Xpress takes pride in the development of
our bulls. Our bulls are feed a high roughage ration con-
sisting of corn silage, chopped hay, corn, corn distillers,
and a mineral and vitamin package. The TMR bull ration
is fed to develop frame, muscle, and scrotal development
without fattening the bulls. This ration has worked well
to alleviate problems with fertility, feet and leg problems,
and to ensure the longevity of the bulls.
At Dakota Xpress the fertility of the herd bull is even
more important than its growth performance. So in addi-
tion to protein and energy, we make sure that the rations
contain an adequate trace mineral package. Therefore
the mineral package contains chelated zinc, copper,
manganese, and organic selenium to enhance reproduc-
tive performance. The cow herd also receives a mineral
package to enhance their reproductive performance as
well.
Dakota Xpress understands the investment you are
making in these young herd sires. We would like to help
you develop the bulls after the sale through our feeding,
fertility testing and delivery program. Details are available
at the sale or any time prior to sale day by contacting
Wade, Dusty, or Kevin.
Peer into the future..
I’m just buying a bull….right?
Most of us don’t really believe that, yet the gravity of the deci-
sions associated with selecting the next generation of seed stock
may be greater than you first think. All of us consider the calves
these bulls might sire and the value they should return to the
ranch. Most consider pricing bulls based on a projection of years
of service hopefully 4-8 years barring injury. If you don’t keep your
own replacement heifers, this makes some sense. If you keep
replacement females, the long term effects of this year’s buying
decisions on ranch profitability may not be quite as obvious until
we break it down based on the long term maternal value traits we
are purchasing.
Let’s assume your operation purchases 4 bulls this coming
spring of 2014.
1. First calves born in spring of 2015
2. First daughters calving in spring of 2017 (First granddaugh-
ters calve in 2019)
3. With any luck, 2 or more of these bulls are still breeding at
age 7 (2020)
4. Last calves born sired by these bulls in 2021
5. Last calf crop females have their first calves in 2023 (Their first daughters calve in 2025)
6. In 2024 a substantial share of the 2-7 year old cows are daughters of the bulls purchased 10
years before.
7. In the year 2032 there are still a few 11 and 12 year old daughters in your herd sired by the
2014 purchased bulls.
8. In the year 2032 the granddaughters and great granddaughters of the bulls purchased 18
years ago still make up a substantial portion of the genetics of your herd.
If you would like to see a snap-shot of your cow herd 10-20 years from now in 2032, you need
only to spend some time with the seed stock herd you purchase bulls from. With the exception of a
few differences created by environment, what you see is where you are headed! The size, disposi-
tion, body condition, udders, feet, calving ease, fertility, longevity, etc. of your future cow herd is
right there to see. Not just the mature cows either, make sure you look at the 2 and 3 year olds
too and consider the direction your source is moving. That is why it is so crucial to choose a seed
stock source that is headed where you want and need to be.
