EPD's

[VanC]

Wasn't it 1680's outstanding carcass EPDs that made him so popular?

 

[Brandonm22]

He was good in the 90s when he was uber popular. His carcass EPDs are what really helped vaulted him into the spotlight +.42 REA and +.4 IMF are still really nice numbers today. +9.32 $EN is also a very nice number for a bull with decent growth and good carcass EPDs. 17 years after his birth that is still pretty good.

 

[Aero]

I think if you make common sense breeding decisions you can have both quality animals and a strong EPD package.

Circle H Ranch

"strong" is a lot different from "extreme". top 5% is extreme by almost any valid definition.

 

[Aero]

Linebreeding (or inbreeding), leading to increased prevalence of genetic defects has nothing to do with the EPD's.

have you lost your mind? linebreeding (using inbreeding) helps decrease the prevalence of genetic defects.

 

[bigag03]

have you lost your mind? linebreeding (using inbreeding) helps decrease the prevalence of genetic defects.

No! Linebreeding increases the degree of homozygosity. This will INCREASE the probability that a genetic defect, if present, is found. If done correctly, over time, will decrease the prevalence of genetic defects in a particular line of cattle, but as soon as outside genes are introduced to that line, inbreeding will again increase the probability of discovering a genetic defect.

I believe linebreeding is a great breeding tool in the hands of qualified breeders, but back to the subject of the post...inbreeding (planned or not) led to the discovery of the currently defined genetic defects.

 

[cypressfarms]

"Breeding for EPDs instead of using common sense results in genetic defects coming to the forefront in many breeds. When developing your cattle program -think QUALITY, think....Breeder's name".

I don't like this type of ad. It's almost discounting EPD's as a tool for selection. As my daughter would say - DUH - Why can't you use EPD's as well as the many other tools (phenotype, disposition, etc. etc. etc.) together to make an informed decision. This quote implies that anyone looking at EPD's isn't comcerned about quality.

The first thing I do before buying any bull is look at him. I take pics and study them for several days at least. Once I have a bull (or several) that I like, then I look at the EPD's to make a more informed decision. Maybe I'm misreading the quote or taking it out of the context it was intended, but how can someone say use common sense instead of EPD's and be taken seriously. Common sense is using every tool you have to make an informed decision.

 

[dun]

"Breeding for EPDs instead of using common sense results in genetic defects coming to the forefront in many breeds. When developing your cattle program -think QUALITY, think....Breeder's name".

I don't like this type of ad. It's almost discounting EPD's as a tool for selection. As my daughter would say - DUH - Why can't you use EPD's as well as the many other tools (phenotype, disposition, etc. etc. etc.) together to make an informed decision. This quote implies that anyone looking at EPD's isn't comcerned about quality.

The first thing I do before buying any bull is look at him. I take pics and study them for several days at least. Once I have a bull (or several) that I like, then I look at the EPD's to make a more informed decision. Maybe I'm misreading the quote or taking it out of the context it was intended, but how can someone say use common sense instead of EPD's and be taken seriously. Common sense is using every tool you have to make an informed decision.

Well said!

 

[smnherf]

"Breeding for EPDs instead of using common sense results in genetic defects coming to the forefront in many breeds. When developing your cattle program -think QUALITY, think....Breeder's name".

I don't like this type of ad. It's almost discounting EPD's as a tool for selection. As my daughter would say - DUH - Why can't you use EPD's as well as the many other tools (phenotype, disposition, etc. etc. etc.) together to make an informed decision. This quote implies that anyone looking at EPD's isn't comcerned about quality.

The first thing I do before buying any bull is look at him. I take pics and study them for several days at least. Once I have a bull (or several) that I like, then I look at the EPD's to make a more informed decision. Maybe I'm misreading the quote or taking it out of the context it was intended, but how can someone say use common sense instead of EPD's and be taken seriously. Common sense is using every tool you have to make an informed decision.

I agree too. Herefords had the problem with dwarfism long before EPDs came around. If you ever get a chance to read Battle of the Bull Runts, one thing that was found to be a determining factor in these genetics being propagated within the breed without anyone knowing it was the breeders past experiences in Holstein cattle. In a previous enterprise he owned a bull that was outproducing everything with lots of documentation to back him up but once they found him to sire a few red ones, nobody would buy the bulls offspring. He then vowed to never breed anything back to anything that was related. He used the same philosophy in Hereford cattle and it just so happened to be that the bull that was most poplular also contained the dwarfism gene.

The epd chasers arent any different than those that chase the show ring or those that chased the frame race or the carcass race or even the performance race. I find those that tend to be on the breed leading cutting edge, no matter the trait, have the tendency to overlook other things in order to get there. We have to focus on the entire package rather than just chase single traits.

 

[xbred]

as far as chasing EPD's...and single traits....how about chasing multiple trait leaders? and if a bull or cow has high EPD's in weaning weight and yearling weight, ect., and good low birth weight #'s...along with a high accuracy rating, isn't this cow or bull worth chasing? Why have EPD's...they are suppose to be a tool for improving your herd...if a breeder discounts them then i'm totally lost...unless the breeder has a particular super good looking bull with not so good epd's that he is trying to promote....

 

[smnherf]

as far as chasing EPD's...and single traits....how about chasing multiple trait leaders? and if a bull or cow has high EPD's in weaning weight and yearling weight, ect., and good low birth weight #'s...along with a high accuracy rating, isn't this cow or bull worth chasing? Why have EPD's...they are suppose to be a tool for improving your herd...if a breeder discounts them then i'm totally lost...unless the breeder has a particular super good looking bull with not so good epd's that he is trying to promote....

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying not to use epds. I have used themn in the past to improve my herd in lots of ways. But epds don't tell a lot about what I need to continue improving my cowherd. They say nothing about mature cow weight, fertility, soundness, fleshing ability, mothering ability, efficiency or udder quality, in fact many of these traits are atagonistic to many of the high epd numbers that are currently being promoted. Having great EPDs is a great marketig tool, but I need more than just having a high epd number.

Brian

 

[Australian]

Going to a sale tomorrow that has two Angus bulls with 600 day weights of +100 and +104. They should be about frame score twenty. I'll give you a report on what they look like. I'll be very surprised if they have much beef on them and much structure about them.