Page 7 - Leland & Koester Red Angus Annual Production Sale Bulls and Heifers – March 9, 2018

Red Angus Guide to EPDs

HB ...... HerdBuilder Index – Need bulls for developing a profi table cowherd and CEM .... Calving Ease Maternal – Another number to pay attention to if you are
maximizing the value of marketed progeny? Select a bull with a high HB value. retaining heifers. Selecting bulls with a high CEM will increase the probability of those
GM ...... GridMaster Index – If you market all of your calf crop and want to increase daughters calving unassisted.
the value of that calf crop, select a bull with a high GM value to maximize your profi t. STAY.... Stayability – The most important trait if your goal is developing cows that
CED ..... Calving Ease Direct – Breeding Heifers? Select bulls with a high CED to stay productive, thus increasing your profi tability. Bulls that have a high Stay EPD are
increase the probability that the heifers will calve unassisted. expected to sire daughters that remain productive in the herd until at least 6 years of
age.
BW...... Birth Weight – Predicts differences in birth weight. BW is included in the CED
EPD, so simplify your decisions by selecting bulls based on CED instead of BW. MARB .. Marbling Score – Select bulls with high MARB EPD to increase the number of
progeny that grade Choice or Prime.
WW ..... Weaning Weight and YW ....Yearling Weight – Predicts differences in weight
at weaning and yearling. While selection based on these growth measures can YG ...... Yield Grade – Marketing calves on a grid? Placing selection pressure on YG
increase your payweight, be cautious as to what the bull’s other EPDs are. EPD will decrease the number of YG discounts on grid-marketed progeny.
Milk .... Milk – Predicts differences in weaning weight of daughter’s progeny due to CW...... Carcasss Weight – Selecting bulls with a high CW EPD will increase the weight
milk production. of the hanging carcass, which directly impacts revenue.
ME ...... Maintenance Energy – Selecting bulls with a lower ME EPD will decrease the REA ..... Rib Eye Area – Need to add muscle? Select bulls with a high REA EPD to
amount of feed his daughters will require to maintain body weight. increase rib eye area, which favorably increases Yield Grade.
HPG..... Heifer Pregnancy – Retaining heifers? Select bulls with a high HPG to FAT ..... Backfat – Need to reduce waste in carcasses? Select bulls with a low FAT EPD
increase the percentage of exposures that result in a calving observation. to reduce backfat, which favorably increases Yield Grade.

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