Association Commentary EPD Fatigue –Don’t Let It Slow Your Progress

by Tom Brink, RAAA Chief Executive Officer

Are you growing tired of EPDs? Some commercial producers experience that worn-out feeling about right now during the bull-buying season. Maybe it’s because all those numbers can be overwhelming and it seems like there’s always more to learn.

Many important traits must be considered, even juggled. Bull selection often requires tradeoffs in which the buyer must accept lower rankings in some traits to obtain superiority in others. How can a conscientious rancher sort these things out without going cross-eyed at midnight in front of a computer spreadsheet?

If you’re feeling a little exhausted and thinking about EPDs makes you rub your eyes, here is some good news to consider. EPD fatigue is not terminal! It is found most often in producers that genuinely care about the genetics in their herds and are trying to make real progress with each successive generation.

1. Consider Your Breeding Goals

Every commercial cow-calf producer should have a good idea about the specific traits they are trying to improve in their herds. Reminding yourself of longer-term genetic goals will help you sort wheat from chaff as EPDs on various bulls are evaluated for purchase. For example, if calving ease is not a top priority, decide on your minimum acceptability threshold for Calving Ease Direct EPD and move on to evaluating other traits.

2. Rely on Indexes

RAAA publishes three bio-economic indexes: HerdBuilder, GridMaster and Profitability and Sustainability, abbreviated ProS. These three indexes are tremendous tools for making multi-trait progress. Selecting bulls with higher index values is the same thing as selecting bulls with greater genetic merit across multiple EPD traits. That makes indexes especially useful in understanding the financial impact of choosing a bull with one genetic package, having its own strengths and weaknesses, versus a different bull with a differing set of EPDs.

Note: All RAAA indexes are published on a $-per-head basis. ProS aggregates calving-ease, maternal and terminal traits into a single value and is the best index to use for improving all aspects of ranch-to-rail profitability.