Reproduction

As the end of summer approaches, most beef cattle producers are very busy. They are recovering from county fairs and state fairs, sending kids back to school, making third-cutting hay, watching the weather and crop development, beginning to think about chopping silage, and the list could go on.

On June 9, I posted an ad for a registered 20-month-old Angus bull on craigslist.org and an online livestock forum with the keywords “high-performance genetics” along with an outstanding picture taken with a Nikon D800 and a 24-120mm F/4 lens.

Buying a bull in today’s cattle market doesn’t just come down to genotypic data, even if that information makes your investment more valuable.

In January, Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) launched two foot score research expected progeny differences (EPDs):

To have easy-to-handle cows, set the stage with proper training when they are young. Working with heifers is similar to training a young horse; you want their first experiences with people to be good and not give them any reason to fear or mistrust people.

What exactly are expected progeny differences (EPDs) and what information do they really offer producers? Genetic specialists Alison Van Eenennam from the University of California – Davis and Matt Spangler from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln teamed up for the first of four webinars focused on beef genetics that were sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and eBEEF team.