Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs): Using Genetics to Improve Your Herd

Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) are powerful tools that predict how the offspring of an animal will perform for specific traits compared to the average of its breed. By using EPDs, you can make smarter breeding decisions, accelerating genetic progress in your herd, leading to more productive and profitable livestock. They help you select animals that pass on desired traits efficiently.

Are you looking to make your cattle herd more productive? Do you want healthier calves, faster growth, or better meat quality? Improving your herd’s genetics can feel like a complex puzzle. You might wonder how to choose the right bull or heifer to achieve your goals. Many producers face this challenge, often relying on guesswork or just what they see. But there’s a much more precise way! You’re in the right place to learn about Expected Progeny Differences, or EPDs. This guide will make understanding and using EPDs simple, helping you make informed choices that truly improve your herd’s future. Let’s walk through each step, from what EPDs are to how you can use them to boost your bottom line.

What Exactly Are Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs)?

Expected Progeny Differences, or EPDs, are essentially genetic predictions. Think of them as a report card for an animal’s genetic potential to pass on certain traits to its offspring. Unlike simply looking at an animal’s size or weight, which can be influenced by how it was fed or raised (its environment), EPDs estimate the genetic contribution alone. They predict how the future calves of a particular bull or cow will perform for specific traits, on average, compared to the progeny of other animals within the same breed.

EPDs are expressed in the units of the trait they measure. For example, a weaning weight EPD might be in pounds, while a calving ease EPD might be a percentage. A positive EPD indicates that an animal’s offspring are expected to be better than the breed average for that trait, while a negative EPD suggests they might be below average. The larger the absolute value of the EPD (whether positive or negative), the greater the predicted difference.

How Are EPDs Calculated?

EPDs are not just simple averages. They are calculated using sophisticated statistical methods, often referred to as Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) animal models. These models consider a vast amount of information, including:

Individual Performance: The animal’s own records (e.g., its birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight).
Pedigree Information: The performance of its ancestors (parents, grandparents) and relatives (siblings, half-siblings).
Progeny Performance: The performance of its offspring, if any. This is especially valuable as it directly shows what an animal passes on.
Contemporary Groups: Animals raised together under similar conditions are grouped. This helps to remove environmental effects, ensuring that differences seen are more likely genetic.
Genetic Relationships: The model accounts for the genetic ties between all animals in the population.

By combining all this data, the BLUP model can separate genetic effects from environmental effects, providing a much more accurate prediction of an animal’s breeding value than simply looking at its own performance or a simple average of its parents. This complex calculation is typically performed by breed associations, which maintain large databases of performance records for their registered animals.

Why Are EPDs So Important for Your Herd?

EPDs offer significant advantages over traditional selection methods. They move you from guesswork to data-driven decisions, leading to faster and more predictable genetic improvement in your herd. Here’s why they are crucial:

Accelerated Genetic Progress: Without EPDs, genetic improvement is slow and often based on trial and error. EPDs allow you to identify and select animals with superior genetics for desired traits, speeding up the rate at which those traits improve across generations. You can make decades of progress in just a few years.
Reduced Risk: Relying on visual appraisal or an animal’s own performance can be misleading. A large bull might be large due to excellent feeding, not superior genetics. EPDs reduce the risk of selecting an animal that doesn’t pass on the traits you expect, saving you time and money.
Economic Advantages: Improving traits like growth rate, feed efficiency, or carcass quality directly impacts your profitability. Faster-growing calves mean less time on feed. Better carcass traits lead to higher prices. Calving ease reduces veterinary costs and calf mortality. EPDs help you achieve these economic benefits.
Objective Comparison: EPDs allow you to compare animals from different herds, regions, or even different age groups on an “apples-to-apples” basis. Because environmental factors are removed, you can confidently compare a bull raised in a lush pasture to one raised in a drier climate.
Selection for Multiple Traits: Modern livestock production requires balancing many traits. EPDs allow you to select for a combination of traits (e.g., good growth AND calving ease AND marbling) rather than just focusing on one. This helps avoid unintended negative consequences of single-trait selection.
Predictability: While no prediction is 100% accurate, EPDs provide the best available estimate of an animal’s genetic worth. They give you a much higher degree of predictability regarding the performance of future progeny compared to other methods.

In essence, EPDs are your most powerful tool for making informed, strategic breeding decisions that build a more efficient, productive, and profitable herd for the long term.

Common EPD Traits Explained

Breed associations publish EPDs for a wide array of traits. The specific traits available will vary by breed, but here are some of the most common and important ones, categorized for clarity:

Growth Traits

Birth Weight (BW): Predicts the average birth weight of an animal’s calves. Lower BW EPDs are desirable for reducing calving difficulty, especially for first-calf heifers. Expressed in pounds (lbs).
Weaning Weight (WW): Predicts the average 205-day weaning weight of an animal’s calves. Higher WW EPDs indicate faster pre-weaning growth. Expressed in pounds (lbs).
Yearling Weight (YW): Predicts the average 365-day yearling weight of an animal’s calves. Higher YW EPDs indicate faster post-weaning growth and overall size. Expressed in pounds (lbs).
Average Daily Gain (ADG): Predicts the average daily gain from weaning to yearling. Similar to YW but focuses specifically on post-weaning growth rate. Expressed in pounds (lbs).

Maternal Traits

Milk (M): Predicts the milking ability of an animal’s daughters. A higher Milk EPD means daughters are expected to produce more milk, leading to heavier weaning weights in their calves. Expressed in pounds (lbs) of calf weight due to milk.
Calving Ease Direct (CED or CE): Predicts the percentage of unassisted births when the animal is used as a sire on first-calf heifers. A higher (more positive) CED EPD is desirable, indicating easier births. Expressed as a percentage or index.
Calving Ease Maternal (CEM): Predicts the percentage of unassisted births from an animal’s daughters when they calve as first-calf heifers. A higher (more positive) CEM EPD indicates daughters that are more likely to calve easily. Expressed as a percentage or index.
Scrotal Circumference (SC): Predicts the scrotal circumference of an animal’s male offspring at a yearling age. Higher SC EPDs are associated with earlier puberty in male offspring and earlier fertility in female offspring. Expressed in centimeters (cm).

Carcass Traits

These EPDs predict the genetic potential for traits related to meat quality and quantity.

Marbling (Marb or MB): Predicts the genetic tendency for intramuscular fat (marbling) in the carcass. Higher Marbling EPDs are desirable for achieving higher quality grades (e.g., Prime, Choice). Expressed as a marbling score or a unitless index.
Ribeye Area (REA): Predicts the genetic tendency for the size of the ribeye muscle in the carcass. Higher REA EPDs indicate larger muscle area, which often correlates with more red meat yield. Expressed in square inches (in²).
Backfat (BF or FAT): Predicts the genetic tendency for external fat thickness over the ribeye. Lower BF EPDs are generally desirable for leaner carcasses and higher yield grades. Expressed in inches (in).
Carcass Weight (CW): Predicts the genetic tendency for hot carcass weight. Higher CW EPDs indicate heavier carcasses. Expressed in pounds (lbs).
Yield Grade (YG): Predicts the genetic tendency for USDA Yield Grade, which estimates the percentage of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts. Lower (more desirable) YG EPDs indicate higher retail yield. Expressed as a unitless index.

Other Important EPDs (May Vary by Breed)

Stayability (STAY): Predicts the likelihood of daughters remaining in the herd until a certain age (e.g., 6 years old). Higher STAY EPDs indicate more durable, fertile cows.
Docility (DOC): Predicts the genetic tendency for temperament. Higher DOC EPDs indicate calmer, easier-to-handle animals.
Residual Feed Intake (RFI): Predicts differences in feed efficiency. Lower RFI EPDs indicate animals that eat less feed for the same amount of gain.

Here’s a table summarizing some common EPDs:

EPD Trait	Description	Desired Direction	Typical Unit
Birth Weight (BW)	Expected progeny birth weight	Lower (for calving ease)	lbs
Weaning Weight (WW)	Expected progeny 205-day weight	Higher	lbs
Yearling Weight (YW)	Expected progeny 365-day weight	Higher	lbs
Milk (M)	Expected milking ability of daughters	Higher (for heavier calves)	lbs
Calving Ease Direct (CED)	Expected unassisted births (sire)	Higher (more positive)	% or Index
Marbling (MB)	Expected intramuscular fat (quality)	Higher	Score/Index
Ribeye Area (REA)	Expected ribeye muscle size (yield)	Higher	in²
Scrotal Circumference (SC)	Expected yearling scrotal circumference	Higher	cm

How to Read and Interpret EPDs

Understanding the numbers is key to effectively using EPDs. When you look at an EPD report, you’ll see a value for each trait, often followed by an accuracy figure.

Understanding the EPD Value

The EPD value itself is a prediction of how an animal’s offspring will perform, on average, compared to the breed average or to the offspring of another animal. The important thing is the *difference* between EPDs, not just the absolute value. For example:

If Bull A has a WW EPD of +60 lbs and Bull B has a WW EPD of +40 lbs, you would expect Bull A’s calves to weigh, on average, 20 lbs more at weaning than Bull B’s calves, assuming they are bred to similar cows and raised in similar environments.
If Cow X has a Milk EPD of +25 lbs and Cow Y has a Milk EPD of +10 lbs, you would expect Cow X’s daughters to produce enough milk to result in calves that are, on average, 15 lbs heavier at weaning due to milk production, compared to Cow Y’s daughters.

Accuracy (ACC)

Alongside each EPD value, you’ll find an accuracy figure, typically ranging from 0 to 1 (or 0% to 100%). This number indicates the reliability of the EPD. It tells you how much the EPD is likely to change as more information (e.g., more progeny data) becomes available.

Low Accuracy (e.g., 0.10 – 0.40): Common for young, unproven animals with few or no offspring. The EPD may change significantly as more data is collected. There’s more risk involved.
Medium Accuracy (e.g., 0.40 – 0.70): Indicates a moderate amount of information. The EPD is less likely to change dramatically.
High Accuracy (e.g., 0.70 – 0.99): Common for older, proven animals with many progeny records. The EPD is highly reliable and unlikely to change much. There’s less risk involved in selection.

While high accuracy is generally preferred, don’t shy away from using young animals with low accuracy EPDs, especially if they are genetically superior based on their pedigree. These animals represent the cutting edge of genetic progress. Just be aware that their EPDs might adjust more in the future.

Percentile Ranks

Breed associations often provide percentile ranks for EPDs. This helps you understand where an animal stands relative to the rest of the breed. For example, an animal in the “Top 1%” for Weaning Weight means its WW EPD is among the highest 1% in the entire breed. This is a quick way to gauge an animal’s genetic superiority for a given trait. A low percentile (e.g., 1%) indicates a very high-ranking animal for that trait, while a high percentile (e.g., 90%) indicates a lower-ranking animal.

Here’s an example of how you might interpret a sample EPD report:

Trait	EPD Value	Accuracy (ACC)	Percentile Rank (e.g., Top %)	Interpretation
BW	+1.5	0.85	50%	Calves expected to be slightly heavier than breed average at birth. High reliability. Average for the breed.
WW	+70	0.92	5%	Calves expected to be 70 lbs heavier than breed average at weaning. Very high reliability. Excellent growth potential.
YW	+125	0.90	3%	Calves expected to be 125 lbs heavier than breed average at yearling. Very high reliability. Outstanding post-weaning growth.
Milk	+28	0.78	10%	Daughters expected to produce enough milk for calves 28 lbs heavier at weaning. Good reliability. Very good maternal milk.
CED	+12	0.80	1%	Highly favorable for calving ease, very low chance of unassisted births from progeny. Very high reliability. Excellent for heifers.
Marb	+1.00	0.65	15%	Calves expected to have significantly more marbling than breed average. Moderate reliability. Good for carcass quality.

Using EPDs in Your Breeding Decisions

Now that you understand what EPDs are and how to read them, the next step is to apply them to your breeding program. This involves defining your goals, selecting animals, and balancing traits.

1. Define Your Breeding Goals

Before looking at any EPDs, clearly define what you want to achieve with your herd. Are you focused on:

Commercial Production: Maximize weaning weight, feed efficiency, and carcass yield for market animals?
Seedstock Production: Produce high-quality breeding stock with balanced traits, superior genetics, and strong maternal lines?
Specific Niche Market: Target specific carcass traits like high marbling for a premium beef program?
Pasture-Based System: Emphasize calving ease, maternal ability, and moderate mature size for efficiency on forage?

Your goals will dictate which EPDs are most important to you. For example, a producer focusing on selling feeder calves will prioritize WW and YW, while a producer raising replacement heifers will focus on Milk, CEM, and Stayability.

2. Identify Key EPDs for Your Goals

Once your goals are clear, identify the 3-5 EPDs that are most critical to achieving them. Trying to maximize every EPD is often counterproductive, as some traits have antagonistic relationships (e.g., extremely high growth can sometimes lead to lower calving ease or fertility issues if not managed). Focus on the traits that will have the biggest impact on your profitability and herd health.

For Calving Ease: Focus on CED (and CEM for replacement heifers).
For Growth: Prioritize WW and YW.
For Maternal Traits: Look at Milk, CEM, and Stayability.
For Carcass Traits: Consider Marbling, REA, and Backfat.

3. Select Animals Based on EPDs and Accuracy

When evaluating potential breeding animals (bulls, donor cows, replacement heifers), compare their EPDs to the breed average and to each other. Use percentile ranks to quickly identify top-performing animals for your target traits. Consider accuracy: for a proven herd sire, high accuracy EPDs are valuable. For a young, unproven bull, consider his superior pedigree and the EPDs of his parents, understanding his own EPDs may adjust with more data.

4. Balance Traits and Avoid Single-Trait Selection

This is crucial. Selecting for only one trait, even a highly desirable one, can lead to unintended negative consequences in other areas. For example, constantly selecting for the highest YW can lead to excessively large cows that are harder to maintain, have calving difficulty, or reduced fertility. Strive for a balanced approach that improves your key traits without sacrificing others essential for your operation’s sustainability.

Example: If you want high growth (WW, YW) but also easy calving, look for animals with high growth EPDs AND favorable CED EPDs.
Example: If you want excellent carcass quality (Marbling, REA) but don’t want to sacrifice growth, find animals that excel in both areas.

5. Integrate EPDs with Visual Appraisal and Performance Records

EPDs are powerful, but they are not the only tool. Always combine EPD selection with:

Visual Appraisal: Does the animal have good conformation, structural soundness, and desirable phenotype for your environment? An animal with great EPDs but poor feet and legs won’t last long in your herd.
Individual Performance Records: How did the animal itself perform? While EPDs account for environment, seeing an animal perform well in your specific conditions is valuable.
Health and Disposition: Are they healthy? Do they have a good temperament? These are critical for herd management and safety.

EPDs tell you what an animal should do genetically. Visual appraisal and individual records tell you how it has performed and whether it can physically hold up to the demands of your system.

EPDs vs. Actual Performance: Why They Differ

It’s important to understand that an EPD is a prediction of an animal’s genetic contribution, not a guarantee of how every single calf will perform. You might select a bull with an excellent Weaning Weight EPD, but some of his calves might not be the heaviest at weaning. Why does this happen?

The key reason is that an animal’s actual performance (its phenotype) is a result of both its genetics (which EPDs predict) and its environment.

Phenotype = Genotype + Environment

Let’s break down the “Environment” part:

Nutrition: Calves on lush pasture with excellent supplement will generally outperform genetically similar calves on sparse forage.
Health: Illness, parasites, or stress can significantly impact growth and overall performance, regardless of genetic potential.
Management: Differences in vaccination programs, creep feeding, or handling can affect how animals express their genetic potential.
Mothering Ability: Even with a good Milk EPD on the sire, the dam’s actual milk production and mothering instincts will heavily influence her calf’s weaning weight.
Random Variation: Just like human siblings, even genetically superior animals will have individual variations in performance. EPDs predict the *average* difference across *many* progeny.

So, while EPDs are the best genetic predictors we have, they don’t account for the day-to-day realities of raising livestock. You could have two calves from the same high-EPD bull, but if one calf’s dam is a poor milker or if one calf gets sick, their actual weaning weights will differ. The EPD tells you the *genetic potential* that the bull passed on; it’s up to you to provide the environment that allows that potential to be fully expressed.

Limitations and Considerations of EPDs

While EPDs are incredibly valuable, it’s important to be aware of their limitations to use them most effectively:

Breed-Specific: EPDs are only comparable *within* a breed. You cannot directly compare an Angus bull’s WW EPD to a Hereford bull’s WW EPD. Each breed has its own genetic base and EPD calculations. Some multi-breed or composite EPDs are emerging, but generally, stick to within-breed comparisons.
Accuracy Varies: As discussed, EPDs for young animals with few progeny records will have lower accuracy and are more prone to change. Don’t treat a low-accuracy EPD as a definitive value.
Environmental Influence: EPDs predict genetic potential, but actual performance is always a combination of genetics and environment. Poor management or harsh conditions can mask excellent genetics.
Not a Silver Bullet: EPDs are a tool, not a complete solution. They should be used in conjunction with visual appraisal, health records, disposition, and an understanding of your specific production environment.
Data Quality: The accuracy of EPDs relies on accurate and complete data submitted by breeders. Inaccurate data entry can compromise the EPDs.
Focus on Relevant Traits: Don’t get overwhelmed by the sheer number of EPDs. Focus only on those that directly impact your breeding goals and profitability.

Integrating EPDs with Other Tools for Holistic Selection

The most successful breeding programs use EPDs as a cornerstone but integrate them with other valuable selection tools. This holistic approach ensures you’re making well-rounded decisions.

1. Genomic Enhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs)

Genomic technology has revolutionized EPDs. GE-EPDs incorporate DNA marker information (genomic data) directly into the EPD calculation.

Increased Accuracy: For young, unproven animals, GE-EPDs significantly boost accuracy, sometimes to the level of a bull with 10-20 progeny. This allows for more confident early selection.
Earlier Selection: You can make more informed decisions on young animals before they have progeny, accelerating genetic progress.
Identification of Superior Genetics: GE-EPDs help identify truly superior individuals at a younger age, even if their phenotype isn’t outstanding due to environmental factors.

If available for your breed, GE-EPDs are a powerful upgrade to traditional EPDs.

2. Individual Performance Records

While EPDs adjust for environment, an animal’s own performance is still important.

Birth Weight: Is the calf’s actual birth weight within an acceptable range for your heifers?
Weaning/Yearling Weight: How did the animal itself grow under your specific management?
Feed Efficiency: If you collect individual feed intake data, this is invaluable.

Compare an animal’s individual performance to its EPDs. If an animal has excellent EPDs but consistently performs poorly in your environment, it might indicate a management issue or that the animal isn’t suited to your specific conditions.

3. Visual Appraisal and Structural Soundness

Never neglect looking at the animal!

Conformation: Does it have the desired body type for your production system (e.g., muscle, frame size)?
Structural Soundness: Are its feet, legs, and joints sound? A bull with great EPDs but bad feet won’t last long in a breeding pasture.
Udder Quality: For females, is the udder well-attached, with good teat size and placement?
Temperament: Is the animal calm and easy to handle? Docility is a highly heritable trait and crucial for safety and ease of management.

4. Pedigree Analysis

Understand the animal’s lineage. Are there consistent performers in its family tree? While EPDs summarize genetic potential, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of an animal’s ancestors can provide additional context, especially for young animals with low accuracy EPDs.

5. Reproductive Soundness Exams (BSE for Bulls)

For bulls, a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) is non-negotiable. EPDs tell you about genetic potential for fertility (e.g., Scrotal Circumference), but a BSE confirms the bull is physically capable of breeding. It checks semen quality, physical soundness, and overall reproductive health.

By combining these tools, you create a robust selection strategy that maximizes genetic improvement while ensuring the animals are practical, healthy, and suited to your specific operation.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using EPDs for Herd Improvement

Ready to put EPDs to work? Here’s a practical, step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Define Your Production System and Goals

What kind of operation do you have? (Cow-calf, feedlot, seedstock, mixed?)
What are your primary revenue streams? (Selling feeder calves, finished cattle, breeding stock, replacement heifers?)
What are your limiting factors? (Pasture quality, feed costs, labor, calving difficulty?)
Set 2-3 measurable goals: E.g., “Increase average weaning weight by 50 lbs,” “Reduce calving assistance to less than 2%,” “Improve carcass marbling scores.”

Step 2: Identify Your Target EPDs

Based on your goals, list the specific EPDs that will help you achieve them.
- Example for Feeder Calf Production: High WW, High YW, Moderate BW, Good Marbling, Good REA.
- Example for Replacement Heifer Production: Moderate BW, High Milk, High CEM, High Stayability, Moderate YW.
Determine the ideal range or percentile rank for each EPD. For instance, “Top 15% for WW, Top 25% for YW, Bottom 30% for BW.”

Step 3: Access EPD Information

Contact your breed association. Most maintain online databases where you can search for animals by name, registration number, or EPD criteria.
Attend bull sales or production sales. Catalogs will include EPDs.
Consult with experienced breeders, extension specialists (e.g., University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef Genetics), or genetic consultants.

Step 4: Evaluate Potential Animals

Filter by your target EPDs: Use the breed association’s search tools to find animals that meet your EPD criteria.
Consider Accuracy: For critical herd sires, prioritize higher accuracy EPDs. For younger animals, understand the EPDs might adjust.
Balance Traits: Don’t select solely on one EPD. Look for animals that are strong in multiple desired traits without being extreme in any undesirable ones.
Visual Appraisal: Always physically inspect the animal. Check for structural soundness, disposition, and overall health. Does it fit your environment?
Pedigree and Performance: Review the animal’s ancestry and its own performance records if available.

Step 5: Make Your Selection and Monitor Progress

Select the animals that best match your goals and criteria.
Keep detailed records: Track birth weights, weaning weights, calving ease, and any other relevant performance data for the offspring of your selected animals. This data contributes to future EPD calculations and helps you assess your own herd’s progress.
Evaluate annually: Re-evaluate your breeding goals and the performance of your herd each year. Adjust your selection criteria as needed based on your progress and market demands.

The Future of EPDs: Genomics and Beyond

The field of livestock genetics is constantly evolving. Genomic technologies are making EPDs even more powerful and precise. We are moving towards a future where:

Increased Accuracy at Birth: Genomic data allows for highly accurate EPDs on young calves, even before they have performance records or progeny. This dramatically speeds up the selection process.
New Traits: Genomics is enabling the development of EPDs for complex traits that were previously difficult to measure, such as feed efficiency (e.g., Residual Feed Intake), disease resistance, and even environmental adaptability.
Multi-Breed EPDs: Efforts are underway to create EPDs that allow for more direct comparisons across different breeds, which would be a game-changer for crossbreeding programs.
Predictive Analytics: Integration of EPDs with other data points (e.g., sensor data, health records) could lead to even more sophisticated predictive models for individual animal performance and herd profitability.

Staying informed about these advancements will ensure your breeding program remains at the cutting edge of genetic improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About EPDs

Q1: What is the main difference between an EPD and an actual performance record?

A: An EPD (Expected Progeny Difference) is a genetic prediction of how an animal’s offspring will perform, on average, for a specific trait, accounting only for genetics. An actual performance record (like an individual’s birth weight) is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors (like feed, health, and management). EPDs help you see past environmental influences to identify true genetic potential.

Q2: Can I compare EPDs between different cattle breeds?

A: Generally, no. EPDs are calculated within a specific breed and are based on the average of that breed’s population. Therefore, an Angus bull’s EPD cannot be directly compared to a Hereford bull’s EPD. Some multi-breed EPDs or adjustment factors exist for specific crossbreeding scenarios, but for most purposes, compare EPDs only within the same breed.

Q3: What does “accuracy” mean in EPDs, and why is it important?

A: Accuracy (ACC) is a reliability measure for an EPD, ranging from 0 to 1 (or 0% to 100%). It indicates how much an EPD is likely to change as more information (like progeny data) becomes available. Higher accuracy means the EPD is more reliable and less likely to change. It’s important because it helps you assess the risk associated with using a particular animal; low accuracy means more uncertainty.

Q4: Should I always choose the animal with the highest EPDs?

A: Not necessarily. While high EPDs for desirable traits are good, you should always select for a balance of traits that fit your specific breeding goals and production environment. Maximizing one trait (e.g., growth) can sometimes negatively impact others (e.g., calving ease or fertility). Also, consider the accuracy of the EPDs and the animal’s physical characteristics (visual appraisal, structural soundness).

Q5: How do genomic-enhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs) differ from traditional EPDs?

A: GE-EPDs incorporate DNA information (genomics) into the traditional EPD calculation. This significantly increases the accuracy of EPDs, especially for young animals that don’t yet have many progeny. It’s like giving a young animal the EPD accuracy of an older, proven animal, allowing for more confident selection decisions at an earlier age.

Q6: Where can I find EPDs for a specific animal?

A: You can find EPDs through the respective breed association’s website. Most breed associations (like the American Angus Association, American Hereford Association, etc.) have online databases where you can search for animals by name or registration number and view their current EPDs. Sale catalogs also typically list EPDs for the animals being offered.

Q7: Can EPDs help me predict how profitable my calves will be?

A: Yes, indirectly. By selecting animals with EPDs that align with economically important traits (like higher weaning weights, better feed efficiency, improved carcass quality, or easier calving), you are choosing genetics that are more likely to lead to increased profitability. EPDs help you make breeding decisions that improve the traits that drive your bottom line.