EPD Tidbits…
Many of the promoters of bigger and
bigger EPD numbers seem to believe you can get
extra pounds of beef simply by using bulls with
bigger EPD numbers. Cowboy logic, however,
plainly tells me you can't get something for
nothing. Extra pounds of beef require an energy
input, and energy is NOT free. Your ranch and
your environment can only support so much milk,
growth and size without reducing stocking rates
and/or increasing feed expenses.
Many PCC customers are telling us they
get as much or more growth from our bulls as
they did from the high-growth bulls they used to
use. How can that be? Their environment could
not support the high-growth genetics they used to
use. It's like trying to shoot a 30 caliber bullet
out of a 22 caliber rifle. It ain't gonna work!
James Kinnear, from Texas, sent me an
email that said, "I thought your last newsletter
with the EPD articles was one of your best." He
went on to say, "Records are only meant to be
broken in sports." That is a very profound
statement — and observation. Breaking EPD
records is precisely what the mainstream beef
industry has been trying to do for decades. We
all know that bigger is not always better, and yet
there continues to be a mad push to produce
animals with more and more extreme EPDs.
Don't allow yourself to get caught up in
this mindless pursuit of extreme EPDs. If you
have already been pulled into the race, get out
and readjust your course. There is an optimum
level for every trait we select for in beef
production, and it will seldom, if ever, be found
near the extremes. There are antagonisms
between many traits that make it impossible for
animals with extreme EPDs to function long-term
in a real-world, ranch environment.
What are the best EPDs? As I said in
our last newsletter, the answer to this question can
usually be found in a set of old, unpampered cows
that reside in your area. I'm referring to cows
that have done everything right, without missing,
for 10 or more years. When you find those good
old grandma cows, check out their pedigrees and
see what kind of EPDs they have. I'll guarantee
their EPDs won't be very impressive — but they
have exactly what works best for their environment.
Breeding the right kind of cattle is easy
once you know what to select for.
THE
PHARO CATTLE COMPANY
Many of the promoters of bigger and
bigger EPD numbers seem to believe you can get
extra pounds of beef simply by using bulls with
bigger EPD numbers. Cowboy logic, however,
plainly tells me you can't get something for
nothing. Extra pounds of beef require an energy
input, and energy is NOT free. Your ranch and
your environment can only support so much milk,
growth and size without reducing stocking rates
and/or increasing feed expenses.
Many PCC customers are telling us they
get as much or more growth from our bulls as
they did from the high-growth bulls they used to
use. How can that be? Their environment could
not support the high-growth genetics they used to
use. It's like trying to shoot a 30 caliber bullet
out of a 22 caliber rifle. It ain't gonna work!
James Kinnear, from Texas, sent me an
email that said, "I thought your last newsletter
with the EPD articles was one of your best." He
went on to say, "Records are only meant to be
broken in sports." That is a very profound
statement — and observation. Breaking EPD
records is precisely what the mainstream beef
industry has been trying to do for decades. We
all know that bigger is not always better, and yet
there continues to be a mad push to produce
animals with more and more extreme EPDs.
Don't allow yourself to get caught up in
this mindless pursuit of extreme EPDs. If you
have already been pulled into the race, get out
and readjust your course. There is an optimum
level for every trait we select for in beef
production, and it will seldom, if ever, be found
near the extremes. There are antagonisms
between many traits that make it impossible for
animals with extreme EPDs to function long-term
in a real-world, ranch environment.
What are the best EPDs? As I said in
our last newsletter, the answer to this question can
usually be found in a set of old, unpampered cows
that reside in your area. I'm referring to cows
that have done everything right, without missing,
for 10 or more years. When you find those good
old grandma cows, check out their pedigrees and
see what kind of EPDs they have. I'll guarantee
their EPDs won't be very impressive — but they
have exactly what works best for their environment.
Breeding the right kind of cattle is easy
once you know what to select for.
THE
PHARO CATTLE COMPANY
