EPDs

[Texas Ranch Man]

Considering a Bull, but do not know the slightest thing about these ratings. Here are some numbers from this Registered Angus Bull BW+6 WW+43 Milk+25 YW+74. I run F-1 Tigerstripe Cows and am still looking for a Black Bull. Do these numbers look good or not. This would strictly be a Commercial Bull application. I sell all of my calves each year at the Sale barn. Let me have your thoughts. Thanks TRM

 

[backhoeboogie]

That should be fine for F-1s. He'll shorten the ear a little and fetch you a few more nickels at the sale barn. Birthweight should be fine for F-1s. If all of the off spring are going to the sale barn I wouldn't be as concerned about milk and such.

 

[CowpokeJ]

Is he put together right? BW maybe a tick high, but maybe no problem. I wouldn't use heifers. You'll get a professional opinion, but I like the numbers.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

BW - way to high for heifers esp.
WW - slightly above average
YW - ditto
Milk - top 25%

 

[Aero]

one way to put this stuff into perspective is to look at percentiles.

BW - +6.0 : bottom 5% for low birth weight. this means that 95% of the registered Angus bulls in America have a lower birth weight. Using across breed adjustments, you can turn than Angus BW into the Brahman equivalent by subtracting 12.5 from the birth weight. so, this BW would be equivalent to a Brahman BW EPD of -6.5. what kind of bull shave ben using?

WW - +43 : top 35% for high weaning weight. a bit above average (+40)

YW - +73 : top 55% for high yearling weight. just below average (+74)

Milk - +25 : top 15% for high milk. quite a bit above average. if you are selling all of your calves (including heifers), Milk wont matter one bit.


references -
http://www.angus.org/sireeval/brekdown. ... arent_ct=4
http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Pl ... 06News.pdf