Oak Row Angus Cattle

EPD's :What I have learned

I have been a student of genetics for as long as I can remember.  After high school in 1977, I started working as an independent Artificial Inseminator for dairy and beef herds in about a 3 county area here in Michigan.  Working 3 jobs and not having a lot of time or extra money, I also attended Michigan State University part time for classes that could help me understand how to engineer cattle to perform more efficiently while still maintaining that eye appeal, maternal traits, etc. you know, all the stuff the cow people want for the perfect animal.  And as you may expect, I have not been alone in this quest.  Some 50,000 plus cows and almost 50 years later, I am wiser in a lot of things, but specifically genetics.  I have had an incredible platform to try hundreds of different bulls in a multitude of management scenarios few people would get to duplicate.  I have had, and am fortunate to continue to have, a most unique education.  So here are a few things I have learned. 

1.     There are no shortages of gorgeous looking bulls, wonderful pictures, (most retouched) with incredible EPD's and wonderful pedigrees of just about any breed.  Almost all of the EPD’s over time change dramatically once the progeny numbers come in.  Quite a few fall off the proverbial cliff.   The Association can even change the rules mid stream and your once pragmatic breeding decisions can become bad decisions.  Numbers can be manipulated.  That does not mean the cattle have changed.  Breeding good, quality livestock includes both art and science.

2.  EPD's are a wonderful tool for breeding selection.  They are based off of data sent in by the breeder and parameters set up from the Angus Association.   However, they are just a tool, not an end all.  They are just a piece of the puzzle.  I have learned not to breed strictly by numbers.  We are a program based herd and our breeding decisions are founded on a whole host of criteria.  EPD's are just one of those criteria.   Single trait selection for anything will get you into trouble eventually.   Selecting just on EPD's is single trait selection.

3.  Cattle do not read the manuals.   Just because it says this or that should happen on paper, does not mean that it is the way it will happen in real life.

4.  The bottom line for almost all producers is net income, not gross income.

5.  Uniformity may be the hardest trait to achieve.   If you can find a bull that makes them all the same and they are good, consider yourself very fortunate and use him a lot. 

Good luck.   

Amanda