EBV reading

[lithuanian farmer]

Wanted to ask if anybody could explain how to read EBV charts. I understand the "linear type", but I don't really understand that table with all the %, kg and accuracy. What means all those + and -. How low or high should each number should be for better performance, what calving ease would be considered perfect for heifers, cows?
Here's an example of one bull. Would like to be able to read all his info freely. And your thoughts about him are welcome.
http://abri.une.edu.au/online/cgi-b...AE2E3E6E5EEE4E2EBECF7E61EC0FACEEAE9F2F0F5FFF1
I've never dealt with it before, so just trying to learn something new.

 

[wbvs58]

EBV's are the Australian version of EPD's. They are done by the University of New England and they have been performance recording since the beginning and are very good with what they do.

It is like any other performance recording you have to be familiar with a breeds numbers to know what is good and bad. For a quick look at it the bar graph gives you a pretty good feel for where that particular bull stands with respect to breed average for each parameter ie to the right or left of the line. The %age is just the accuracy of each parameter which increases as more data of offspring is collected. The +/- is just where he stands above or below the original data base way back, you really only need to concern yourself with where he stands with respect to breed average for 2017 born calves which is tabulated. A lot of people are looking for +ve fats for easy doing where he is -ve, not a deal breaker. Of course all measurements are in metric hence the kg and cm for scrotal.

Ken

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Being -8.8 on calving ease would mean that he's only for mature cows?

 

[wbvs58]

I am not familiar with Charolais numbers but it is very unusual for a very low BW yet so low on CE. CE daughters is on the opposite side of breed average line also. I would suspect it is because only a small number of progeny have been recorded and things will sort themselves out as more show up. It does not say that genomics have been done, that is usually listed on the line as "traits observed" and will say genomics single step.

Ken

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I am not familiar with Charolais numbers but it is very unusual for a very low BW yet so low on CE. CE daughters is on the opposite side of breed average line also. I would suspect it is because only a small number of progeny have been recorded and things will sort themselves out as more show up. It does not say that genomics have been done, that is usually listed on the line as "traits observed" and will say genomics single step.

Ken

Thanks. At first he was in top 10% of CE, once he just appeared for AI. Not many progeny yet. He is a double muscled bull, so that affects his calving ease. At least here, I've noticed that harder calved bulls produce easier calving daughters.
We do have a couple calves from him and will have more. He definitely isn't an easy calving bull, but can't say that he throws extremely huge calves, at least for what's a standart for the breed.