Ty Groshans
Association Perspective
What's a bull worth?
Selecting bulls for a breeding season can be both exciting and stressful. While looking through sale books at various pedigrees, performance records and photographs, cattlemen begin to analyze which bulls will work in their operation and which bulls will meet their goals relative to positive directional change. When evaluating bulls for traits other than phenotype, the expected progeny differences (EPDs) become the valuable asset in selecting bulls. Decisions must now be made in regard to EPDs and comparisons to the traits of the bulls. The way a producer markets calves in terms of selling calves at weaning vs. retaining ownership will make a big impact on the traits that should have the most emphasis. After evaluating various traits of a bull one can then begin to formulate the value of a bull.
Matching EPDs to cow herd
When selecting bulls for first-calf heifer matings rather than cows, emphasize birth weight (BW) and calving ease direct (CED). CED is expressed as a difference in percentage of unassisted births, with a higher value indicating greater calving ease in first-calf heifers. It predicts the average difference in ease with which a sire’s calves will be born when he is bred to first-calf heifers. This allows producers to avoid high birth weights and assisted births of calves.
For the mature cow herd, your emphases should reflect the marketing goals of your operation and any genetic trends that you want to initiate.
An operation that will market calves at weaning will use EPDs that focus on growth. For example, weaning weight (WW) EPD would be important during sire selection for this operation. For more emphasis on preweaning performance traits, the Weaned Calf Value ($W) can be used. $W incorporates EPDs and economic assumptions for weaning growth, calving ease, maternal milk and mature size.
When making genetic selection decisions for an operation that may be retaining ownership, dollar value ($Value) indexes, including Feedlot Value ($F), Grid Value ($G) and Beef Value ($B) are helpful resources. These indexes are multi-trait selection indexes, expressed in dollars per head, to assist beef producers by simplifying selection for and prioritization of multiple traits. Using these $Value indexes can allow a producer to take into consideration multiple postweaning and carcass values. For terminal selection, no maternal traits are considered, as if all calves are marketed and female replacements are not retained.
In regard to additional profitability outside EPDs, a producer could focus on feedlot/carcass performance history, health program, age and source verification, or natural programs.