1. Sally L. Northcutt American Angus Association Selection Tools Beef Improvement Federation April 20, 2006

2. ...Decision Making Tools... American Angus Association 2006

3. Solutions for Commercial Bull Buyers Bridges for the “Information Gap” Selection Tools, Commercial Programs, Data Management...Decision Making Tools...

4. Outputs create Revenue EPDs Indexes Inputs generate Expense

5. $Values NM$ Why Indexes? Terminal (TSI) Sow Productivity (SPI) Simplicity Convenience Multi-Trait AHA $Profit AHA $Profit

6. What are Indexes? Simplicity Convenience Multi-Trait INDEX -- A combination and weighting of multiple traits and their relative economic impact into one value that can be used to rank animals. Challenging to Develop Simplistic to Use Directional Change in Multiple Traits Challenging to Develop Simplistic to Use Directional Change in Multiple Traits

7. $Value Indexes Weaned Calf $W Weaned Calf $W Postweaning $F $G $B Postweaning $F $G $B AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION Cow Energy $EN Cow Energy $EN

8. Feedlot Value ($F) WW and YW EPDs and their relationship Projected ADG Value Costs Feed Consumption and Cost Differences Key Components

9. Grid Value ($G) End Product Carcass EPDs Ultrasound EPDs Quality Grade Yield Grade Key Components American Angus Association 2005

10. Feedlot Value ($F) Beef Value ($B) $ per head difference Grid Value ($G) American Angus Association 2005

11. EPD/Pedigree Lookup Details

12. How to Find Them…

13. Economic Impact BirthBirth Weaning DirectWeaning Direct Maternal MilkMaternal Milk Mature Cow SizeMature Cow Size Weaned Calf Index ($W) …

14. $W: Weaned Calf Value Economic Impact: EPDs Birth weight, Weaning weight Maternal milk Mature weight / height Yearling weight / height

15. Research Sources: Cattle Fax National Research Council (NRC) US Meat Animal Research Center SPA and University Cow Calf Budgets AAA Database

16. Energy Savings Cow Energy Value ($EN) … Annual Savings $/Cow/Year Economic Impact Energy Requirements Lactation&Maintenance

17. Higher $Values are more favorable. Cow Maintenance Energy Requirements Mature Size & Milk EPDs Savings Impact $/Cow/Year

18. Using $W and $EN … Consider Feed Resources Limited Feed Higher $EN, then select for $W Abundant Feed Higher $W, with lower priority $EN

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27. Wean$W Feedlot $F Grid $G Beef $B Wean$W Feedlot $F Grid $G Beef $B $Values $EN American Angus Association 2005 ®