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EPDS AS A TOOL
$W VS. $B
What are EPDs?
An expected Progeny Difference (EPD) is a prediction of
how future progeny of a sire or dam are expected to
perform in various production and carcass traits which
are measurable. EPDs are expressed in actual pounds,
square inches, or centimeters, (depending on the trait),
plus or minus what you can expect in the weights or
measurements of progeny sired by a particular animal as
compared with another animal. The EPDs of the animals
listed in this sale book can be compared to other
animals of the same breed – You can’t compare across
breeds, so always compare apples to apples!
The EPDs listed are current as of January 29, 2016.
Updated EPDs can be viewed at
.
Each EPD has an accuracy value (Acc), which measures
the reliability of the EPD. The higher the accuracy, the
greater the reliability of the EPD and the less it would be
expected to change.
Calving Ease Direct (CED)
– is expressed as a difference
in percentage of unassisted births, with a higher value
indicating greater calving ease in first-calf heifers. It
predicts the average difference in ease with which a
sire’s calves will be born when he is bred to first-calf
heifers.
Birth Weight EPD (BW)
– gives an indication of calving-
ease. Birth Weight EPD predicts the birth weight
difference one can expect from any two sires. When
bred to genetically similar groups of cows, a bull with
a Birth EPD of +5.0 should sire calves with an average
birth weight 2 pounds heavier than a bull with a Birth
Weight EPD of +3.0.
*We believe that an Angus bull with a CED EPD of +7 or
higher and a BW EPD of +2.5 or less can be used on
large frame heifers with a minimal number of calving
problems.
If you do not have heifers to breed and just need a bull
for cows then most Angus bulls are acceptable for use
on mature cows from a birth weight standpoint.
Weaning Weight EPD (WW)
– is a prediction of a bull’s
ability to transmit weaning growth to his progeny. For
example, Bull A has a Weaning Weight EPD of +60
pounds and Bull B has a Weaning Weight EPD of +40
pounds. At weaning, Bull A’s calves will average 20
pounds heavier.
Yearling EPD (YW)
– Yearling Weight EPD takes into
account both pre-weaning and post weaning growth.
Yearling weight is the most heritable of all growth traits.
You can expect bulls with high yearling EPDs to produce
fast gaining calves. If Bull A has a Yearling EPD of +90
and Bull B has a Yearling Weight EPD of +60, Bull A’s
calves will average 30 pounds heavier than Bull B’s at
one year of age.
Milk EPD
– Expressed in pounds of weaning weight that
result from the amount of milk produced by daughters
of a particular bull, as compared to the daughters of
other bulls. If Bull A is +25 for Milk, and Bull B is +15,
bull A’s daughters’ calves will weigh 10 pounds heavier
at weaning due to her superior milking ability.
Carcass Weight EPD (CW)
– Expressed in pounds is a
predictor of the differences in hot carcass weight of a
sire’s progeny compared to progeny of other sires.
Marbling EPD (MB)
– Expressed as a fraction of the
difference in USDA marbling score of a sire’s progeny
compared to progeny of to her sires. The higher the
value, the higher the amount of intramuscular fat (taste
fat) in the ribeye, which positively affects quality grade.
Ribeye Area EPD (RE) – Expressed in square inches, is
a predictor of the difference in ribeye area of a sire’s
progeny compared to progeny of other sires.
Performance Information
ADJ 205
– Weaning weights adjusted to 205 days of
age and for age of dam. Our calves are not creep fed
and were weaned on forages with no grain. (Quality of
recipient dams will affect weights of ET calves.)
ADJ 365
– Weight, scrotal circumference adjusted to 365
days of age.
$W
- Maternal Index. If you sell your
calves at weaning and retain replace-
ments, select for higher $W values.
It takes in account calving ease, milk,
revenue from weaning weight and
expenses due to mature cow size.
$B
- Terminal index. If you retain
ownership through the feedlot and
market on a value based grid select
higher $B values. Even if you sell your
calves at weaning still pay attention
to this index because establishing a
reputation for calves that gain and
grade well will earn you additional
premiums in the marketplace. $B
takes in account post weaning growth
and feed efficiency as well as carcass
quality and yield.
