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Cattle Boards
Breeding / Calving Issues
Are we too dependent on EPD's?
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<blockquote data-quote="simme" data-source="post: 1727543" data-attributes="member: 40418"><p>I tend to think of EPD's as a prediction of genetic <strong>potential </strong>for a trait. Obviously not as a number to plug into a spreadsheet to calculate how many pounds will be on the truck. And there have to be outliers based on how the genetics combine. Otherwise every calf from the same mating would be identical. We know that is not the case - can easily see that in people. That bell shaped curve thing, maybe. So, EPD's have to be an averaged prediction based on all the data for all the calves submitted.</p><p></p><p>Some reasons that ww might not match the EPD prediction - EPD's are not good science, sire of calf is not correct, sickness of calf or dam, did not get enough colostrum, milk quantity and quality from the dam, another calf was stealing milk from the dam, gut development, some calves end up being poor doer's in spite of genetics, outlier genetics. </p><p></p><p>Phenotype, cow family history, ratios, EPD's, etc are all selection tools. Every one of those can help you. But every one can also fail you.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="simme, post: 1727543, member: 40418"] I tend to think of EPD's as a prediction of genetic [B]potential [/B]for a trait. Obviously not as a number to plug into a spreadsheet to calculate how many pounds will be on the truck. And there have to be outliers based on how the genetics combine. Otherwise every calf from the same mating would be identical. We know that is not the case - can easily see that in people. That bell shaped curve thing, maybe. So, EPD's have to be an averaged prediction based on all the data for all the calves submitted. Some reasons that ww might not match the EPD prediction - EPD's are not good science, sire of calf is not correct, sickness of calf or dam, did not get enough colostrum, milk quantity and quality from the dam, another calf was stealing milk from the dam, gut development, some calves end up being poor doer's in spite of genetics, outlier genetics. Phenotype, cow family history, ratios, EPD's, etc are all selection tools. Every one of those can help you. But every one can also fail you. [/QUOTE]
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Are we too dependent on EPD's?
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