Ratios?

[ranchmom77]

I'm windowshopping through the AI sire catalogs and I've been coming across paragraphs discussing that particular bull's dam's ratios. Can someone please explain to me what they mean?
For example..

EZ Money's dam has an impressive record in the herd. She has recorded two calves with ratios of 85 BW, 109 WW, 103 YW, 107 %IMF and 102 REA.

How are those numbers figured and what exactly do they mean for a person looking to use that bull for their cows?
Thank you!

 

[kenny thomas]

Based on 100 so anything under 100 is better on birthweight and over 100 is better on the others. But remember that just compares them to their herdmates. They could all be real good or real bad. It does give you one more piece in the puzzle.

 

[ranchmom77]

When you say herdmates, do you mean the calf crop that they were raised with? Can more than one calf have the same number? For example, can 2 calves have a BW ratio of 85?

 

[plumber_greg]

Ratios are within the herd of calves they are compared to. Like KT said 100 is the average. A calf with a 105 weaning ratio weaned more pounds than one with a 100 ratio. The more calves in the group, the more accurate the ratios.
Take a cow with minus or very low milk epd. If her calf has a weaning ratio of 110, you can assume that her milk epd is probably off, as she had to be a good milker to raise a calf that much bigger than his herdmates. However, other factors could also be involved, it's just another tool to help pick an animal. That's the way I always used them, hope that's right.
When picking a bull, pick a bloodline you want based on epd's, pick a breeder with those bloodlines that raises them the way you want to raise cattle, look the ratios, pick some bulls to look at, then go look at the bulls themselves. That's the way I like to do it. gs

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Herdmates = contemporaries = same herd raised together.
I agree with both posts - except - it's a difference of percentage - not pounds. A 105 ww is 5% better ww than his contemporaries. And, contemporaries have to be within a certain number of days between birth dates (like 120 days - probably each breed may be a little different), have to be weighed the same day and all be raised in the same manor (dam only on pasture, dam w/ pasture and creep, etc).
Yes, two animals can have the same ratio. Both would have had the same BW.
If a herd's average (100%) is 80# BW, then an 85% ratio "might" be 75# actual BW.
If the herd's avg is 105#, then an 85% BW might be 97# actual BW.

 

[ranchmom77]

I appreciate all of your responses. Very helpful information!
So with the example I listed, with his ww ratio being at 109 does that mean that his weaning weight was 9% higher than his herdmates average? His bw ratio was 85%, so his actual birthweight was 15% lower than the herd's average birh weight?
Do they give the actual numbers for the herd's average when they tell you the ratios? Otherwise how could you tell what you are comparing to?
If there was only a herd of 30, the ratio information wouldn't be very helpful would it?
Thanks again! I just might get to understaning this yet! LOL

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

You got it!!!
I never understood anyone advertising herd ratios. It is a super tool for YOURSELF on your own cattle. Someone could advertise a 120 ww ratio and the ww was 450#. Someone else could advertise a 105 ww ration & the calf had a 720# ww.
If someone was familiar with your herd & you said this calf had a 110 ww ratio, you would have a good idea that the cow/calf was superior in his herd.
It strickly lets you know how the animal compares to herdmates - so you have to have a good idea what the herdmates were. I don't think I've ever seen anyone list their herd averages, so the ratio was meaningful.

 

[dun]

I don;t know if the other breed associaitons do it but I like the data that is available form the Red Angus Associaiton
http://search.redangus.org/animal/1317984