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What To Look For
ELDON COLE
MT. VERNON, MO.
If you plan to do bull shopping this spring, keep in mind that expected progeny difference (EPD) is the most important objective number to utilize when making a bull choice. If you plan to use him on heifers, look at calving ease direct (CED) instead of just birth weight (BW) EPD. The CED includes BW in its calculation. The calf’s actual birth weight should not be a major concern if the CED is favorable for calving ease. Remember a beef cow normally should be able to deliver a calf that’s 7 percent of her weight which is a 98 lb. calf for a 1400 lb. cow. Pelvic measuring of virgin heifers also helps.
Growth is still a popular trait to select for. The objective EPD’s for it are weaning weight (WW), yearling weight (YW) and carcass weight (CW). EPDs for growth are 7 to 9 times better at predicting future progeny performance than the adjusted weaning or yearling weights. However, some of you may still focus on the adjusted yearling weight alone, but more progress can be made considering the YW EPD.
Little-by-little, EPDs are becoming more useful as genomic-enhancement of a bull’s EPD’s is coming of age. The use of DNA testing improves the accuracy of the EPD, when it’s combined with the bull’s own performance and that of his sire, dam, siblings and other ancestors. In fact, the genomically enhanced EPDs improve an animal’s accuracy (ACC) as if it had produced anywhere from 6 to 23 calves. Utilize this technology in your bull shopping.
Bull buyers love to look at bulls and size them up before pulling out their checkbook or nodding their head at an auction. I encourage you to look at the catalog or data sheet first to see if the prospects “work on paper” to improve the traits you wish to focus on. If they don’t work on paper, you might be disappointed.
When you look at the bulls meeting your specs on paper, I suggest starting from the ground up. What are their hooves and legs like? Will the hooves need periodic trimming? Are they post-legged behind and have a short, choppy stride? Do they have thickness, muscle expression when viewed from behind? They should have depth of body, but not so much as to appear fat, sloppy and likely to sire a lot of Yield Grade 4 calves.
What’s their temperament like? Life’s too short to put up with high-headed, snorty cattle. Some breeds have temperament/docility EPDs. Docility is a heritable trait so use it accordingly. Not all sales include it as a published value, but if you have bull’s registration number you can find it at the breed’s sire summary.
Finally, don’t split hairs when using EPD values. A yearling weight of two bulls that’s only a couple of pounds apart is not worth worrying about. I prefer to set acceptable percentile rankings for your possible purchase. For instance you may plan to use the bull on virgin heifers so our Missouri Show-Me-Select standard is bulls in the top 30 percentile should be acceptable if they’re British breeds.
Angus is considered calving ease if their CED is 7.0 or higher. The Continental and Hybrid bulls must be in the top 15 percent for CED in the SMS program.
When you think “percentile” you don’t’ have to know what the exact EPD is in most cases. Remember the 50% rank indicates the animal is average for that trait in his or her breed. A 10 percent rank means it’s at the top of the breed while a 90 percent rank indicates more difficult delivery, slower growth, lower milk production, smaller ribeye area, less marbling, poorer temperament and so on.
I’m glad to walk through examples if you’re still not comfortable looking at the numbers. I’ve done that over the phone several times. Not everyone needs the same package of genes so do your homework and prioritize your needs and wants. The more you know from your records about the genes in your cow herd from calving to carcass, the easier it is to buy a bull.
A few years ago I played with a commercial herd that had bought a lot of bulls that had EPDs on them. The herd kept heifers from those bulls. I looked up the EPDs and their percentile rank over several years. By averaging their percent rank you can come up with a rating for the traits the owner was interested in when he bought bulls. This method has holes in it but it’s better than just looking at the calves and guessing what genetics you need in your next bull. ∆
ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri
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