Jogeephus
Well-known member
I looked at this same type thing a few years ago and here is how I addressed it. My first priority was conception after breeding. I wanted the ones that would take within the first 45 days of breeding. This seemed important to me. Secondly, when I last worked my calves I weighed them and entered them in my computer and looked at the % weight of calf to the dam in addition to their ADG. I thought this was useful. I also found it quite interesting that the numbers on the printout differed from what my eye would tell me but I culled based on the printout. On a side note, I sold all my heifers to my cousin who runs stockers. There was one particular calf that really was bad on the numbers. I told him he didn't want this calf but he bought her anyway. Several months later I was picking through several hundred heifers he had looking for replacements and found the one I told him not to buy. She was beautiful! I bought her back along with some others. Once she got back to my place she showed her true colors and she was a dud. I ended up culling her a second time. This was a good lesson for me. I will put actual numbers over anything else now. Its valuable. You are doing right by looking at these closely and basing your decisons on them.