1. Understanding Cattle Data Professor N. Nelson Blue Mountain Agriculture College

2. Data Used in Cattle Selection  Actual Performance Data  Herd Ratios  Contemporary Ratios  Expected Progeny Differences  Indexes  Cross Breed EPD’s

3. Actual Performance  Birth Weight  Weaning Weight  Adj. 205 day weight  Yearling Weight  Adj. 365 day weight  Average Daily Gain  Based on test  Weight per day of Age  From birth to current date  Frame Score  Scrotal Measurement

4. Comparison of two bull calves Calf 1101 Calf 1163  Wean Wt.= 678lb  BW= 78lb  Mother is 6yrs  Age = 210days  Wean Wt.= 515lb  BW= 66lb  Mother is 3yrs  Age= 170days

5. Herd Ratios  Birth Weight  Milk  Frame  Growth  Udder Score  Body Condition Score  Frame Score  MPPA

7. MPPA (Most Probable Producing Ability)

8. Herd Ratio Comparison (What is each cows MPPA?) Black Baldy 98 (4calves) Red Baldy 102 (2calves)  Frame5  Udder7  Milk7  BCS5  BW95  WW95  YW100  Frame6.5  Udder5  Milk6  BCS6  BW100  WW110  YW108 108

9. Contemporary Ratios  Only measured in a contemporary group  Same Sex, Sire, Environment  Base score is 100  Below 100 is lower performing or weight (BW)  Above 100 is high performing  Can be used on every EPD trait (Typically Growth)

10. Ratios for two Simmental Bull Calves What is the WW ratio for each bull? Bull 123 Bull 124  BW78lb  WWt715lb  W.age211day  Dam Age7yrs  Group Avg Wt680lb  BW75lb  WWt723lb  W.age203day  Dam Age11yrs  Group Avg Wt680lb 102110

11. EPD’s  Most accurate genetic predictor to date  Base upon the 3 P’s  Pedigree’s data (parents, grand parents, etc.)  Performance (individuals data)  Progeny (offspring's data)  Can only be measured between animals in the same breed

12. Comparison of Two Brangus Bulls

13. Across-Breed EPD Adjustments  Calculate data Breeding Red Angus to Black Angus  RA 0.2, 45, 84, 18  BA 1.2, 54, 98, 36  Offspring=  2.1, 46.9, 91.4, 25