what epd's do you pay attention too??

[BryanM]

What EPD's do you pay attention too the most when looking at replacement heifers?

 

[YoungAngusCattle]

If your aren't talking about angus disregard the rest of this post.

First thing I look at is some of the most inheritable EPDs, BW, WW, YW, SC, DOC. I generally don't want negative birth weight breeding stock, weaning weight is important if you are selling feeders, I think yearling weight would be used to make sure you don't get breeding stock that are too small or too big from this heifer, scrotal circumference is one I try to focus on because I think it points to generally more fertile breeding stock and I just make sure docility isn't crazy low.

I try to make sure that $E isn't terrible, like -$40, and if selling feeders and keeping replacements is something you do $W is supposed to be a measuring stick for that. I usually ignore $B in anything because I am not retaining ownership through a feedlot, but it can affect my decision if it is really low. There may be something too a cow with average or above average CED that has a CEM that is a couple points higher, but it's not something I spend too much time looking at in cows maybe more so in AI bulls.

I'm fairly new to the EPD thing, but that is what I have came up with through personal experience and talking with other cattlemen.

Also, don't get too caught up in numbers as heifers have low accuracy numbers anyway.

 

[CreekAngus]

None! When looking at replacements I look at the replacement. In today's day and age you can always adjust with breeding, but I've seen too many show me great EPD's but not a great heifer or cow. If she looks what I want in my herd, then we can deal with EPDs. Too much BW there's a bull for that, to little YW there's a bull for that. Not enough Milk, a bull for that too.

 

[CattleMan1920]

None! When looking at replacements I look at the replacement. In today's day and age you can always adjust with breeding, but I've seen too many show me great EPD's but not a great heifer or cow. If she looks what I want in my herd, then we can deal with EPDs. Too much BW there's a bull for that, to little YW there's a bull for that. Not enough Milk, a bull for that too.

That's why cattle breeding is such a rewarding endeavor. It's somewhat like new versions of software, you work on the bugs, and improve constantly.

I'm a firm believer that you can take a "good" quality Angus cow with an average pedigree and in 2-3 generations improve the progeny by leaps and bounds with AI.

Most people have no idea how fast genetics can evolve and with a helping hand via aggressive AI, those genetics can evolve rapidly. What once took 10 years to create can happen in half that time or even less than that using genomic EPD tests and AI.

I'm planning to breed most of my President and Raindance daughters to SAV Elation soon, that progeny will be a solid improvement on the grandparents, which are good but by no means a cross of the bulls above.

 

[Ebenezer]

Not sure that BW and CED or at least BW EPDs are worth much anymore if you look at sale catalogs and see the actual weights compared to EPDs in large contemporary groups of cattle.

 

[kentuckyguy]

So most of you aren't paying attention to RADG or DMI to produce low input heifers?

 

[76 Bar]

What EPD's do you pay attention too the most when looking at replacement heifers?

Zilch nada zip. My selection parameters are based on real world reality.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

If angus(in no particular order); doc, milk, mw, mh, en(want as close to positive as I can because of low inputs), $w, cem, hp, and of course most all the rest lol. I guess milk, doc, cem, $w, and en would be the most important for me. I set a threshold for those and don't stray far from it when searching the AAA website for sires. After all that, the parents still have to look good.

 

[CattleMan1920]

So most of you aren't paying attention to RADG or DMI to produce low input heifers?

I certainly am, and have the females to prove it.

 

[CattleMan1920]

Not sure that BW and CED or at least BW EPDs are worth much anymore if you look at sale catalogs and see the actual weights compared to EPDs in large contemporary groups of cattle.

I would have to say I somewhat agree with you. SHOCKER!

It's my belief that many people estimate the weight of a calf versus actually weigh them, then they submit that data, which is basically worthless.

GIGO, garbage in, garbage out.

I totally think the extreme emphasis on birthweight and CED are overblown. There could be any number of factors affecting the birthweight of a calf, many of which have nothing to do with genetic code.

Just my opinion.

 

[Allenw]

What EPD's do you pay attention too the most when looking at replacement heifers?

Zilch nada zip. My selection parameters are based on real world reality.

X2

 

[Bovine breeder]

Loosely in order for female selection, HPG, WW, DMI, Doc, CEM, SC. Also like to keep some Marbling in there and stay positive on backfat. I have optimums for milk and frame size, but they can be worked around if all the other pieces are there.

Simple enough right?

 

[hornedfrogbbq]

We look at combinations of traits...$W + $EN would be one of them and have a floor we try not to go under. I know they are related by inputs already (like milk) but we like to see what it "costs" us to get the $W numbers. It also really matters on where you sell them. Weaning? Do you retain through the feedlot? Do you further retain through to sell on a value-based grid? Depending on where you "tag out," you might emphasize one or two traits a bit more than the others.

We retain ALL of our early born heifers (fertility) and then AI them all and put them with the cover bulls. We retain as many of the earliest born and early pregnant that we need. We sell the rest...to some very lucky son of a gun.