The Hidden EPD

The new $ EN Value is actually a bioeconomic index that accesses differences in cow energy requirements as an expected dollar savings difference{$/cow/year} in daughters of a sire. From Angus Sire Evaluation we quote, “This energy cost index is derived from the cost of milk production  and  mature size differences. The $EN is an additional tool for breeders wanting to fine-tune cowherd maintenance attributes in their breeding programs.”

  It is going to be difficult to “fine-tune” cowherds using $EN because it will be missing from most sale catalogs and bull information sheets Why? Because it points out clearly what we have experienced and been saying all along; that the daughters of the most highly promoted and used Angus bulls of the past decade are having a devastating effect on cost of production and reproduction in real commercial grass environments. Not only do these daughters require more feed, they require higher quality feed. Even if the quality and quantity of the grass will support reproduction of these high maintenance types, their production increase per cow, is offset by fewer calves produced from a given farm…30 big cows producing 30 big calves, versus 40 medium cows producing 40 medium sized calves. And our experience points out vividly that fewer problems are involved when extremes are avoided.

    How important are feed costs in a commercial cow-calf operation?“Feed costs have the largest impact on profitability among cost factors in cow-calf operations, accounting for more than 50 percent of the variation in herd-to-herd profits. After feed cost, the next largest cost factor was depreciation. Operating costs ranked third and calf weight fourth as profit indicators.” {University of IL IRM}

Feed costs can be only be managed within the genetic ability and limitations of the cows we keep.  So…how do we use, or “fine tune” a cowherd using $ EN Values? Like any other EPD or index, an increase in one trait will create a decrease in another…all Epd`s must be kept in the context of how it affects the whole. Profit has always been derived from a balancing of costs versus benefits; only in the show and tell world of purebred cattle breeding are costs ignored.

  Our 30 years of cattle breeding; making mistakes, but learning from them, allows us to present the following “fine-tuning “ approach to cow herd development and calf production using $EN to fit the right cow to the environment she must produce…and reproduce in.

$EN  Values Angus Sire Summary values range from – 21.50 to + 41.99 , a difference of $63.49. Assuming feed quality is sufficient, this represents a carrying capacity difference of up to 30% fewer high input cows on the same feed assuming IRM established feed costs @ $200/cow/year. The average of the breed current sires is $9.06. Also we know that in most farm or ranch cow feed environments, high priced supplements must be purchased from off the farm to enhance feed quality for higher input cows.

  Plus $30 and higher…These bulls would sire the ultimate low input cow, and the output per cow would suffer accordingly, though the output of total lbs per farm could be maintained with greater numbers of smaller cattle.. To fit current packer specifications and feedlot growth demands, most of these type cows would necessitate being mated to terminal growth bulls to avoid dockage on price. The best use of these sires would be to attempt to cure the problems of daughters of sires below 0 $EN.

Plus $20 to plus $29…These bulls increase $EN Values dramatically over the Angus breed average. There exists in these bulls some with less mature size and growth with adequate milk that like the bulls above, might need terminal sires to uphold feedlot desirability; some with excellent growth, but less than desired milk for calf  rearing without creep feed; and a third category that offers a balance of growth and milk. The proper choice would involve looking at the components of the index to find the “type” of bull needed.

  The daughters of these bulls would fare well on lower input environments such as Kentucky 31 fescue without energy or protein supplement

Plus $10 to plus $19…    These bulls sire daughters that in most instances will thrive in grass environments and offer adequate feedlot performance. They strike  balances of growth, mature size, and milk production that would fit practical Ky. farms economically with limited need for energy or protein supplements except perhaps for the rebreeding of the two year old first calf heifer.

$0 to plus $9…Young daughters of these bulls will need high quality forages or grain supplementation to uphold reproduction.; likely even as three year olds. Their output will be higher but will be achieved through much higher cost of production with more problems.

Below $0…The daughters of these bulls are high maintenance animals unsuited for maternal units unless under feedlot conditions until they are mature as 4 to 5 year olds. Their milk is often excessive inducing poor udder and teat structure reducing longevity even if reproduction can be maintained with high levels of high quality feed. The management problems involved with these type daughters make these females best usage to be feedlot animals killed for meat as the female counterpart of the terminal sired steer.

So define your practical feed environment level…and then what? For the most profit results at weaning, we would then select for the highest $W within the parameters of the $EN level. Of course, science can never attribute a $Value to the convenience traits such as temperament, good udders, etc…and certainly conformation differences exist between sires with the same $EN and $W  numbers that would make certain bulls more useful than others.

  For practical application to our feed production at Keeney Angus, the best sires for female retention will be a minimum $EN of +15.{top 15% of the breed} These types are sustainable on poor quality hay or would thrive in year round grazing programs.

So where is the Angus breed headed?  The following are the 10 most heavily used and promoted bulls that sired the most registered calves in fiscal year 2004.

Bon View New Design 878     $EN +.25

Bon View New Design 1407   $EN –7.59

CA Future Direction 5321       $EN +4.37

Twin Valley Precision E161    $EN +.57

BCC Bushwacker 41-93          $EN  -2.00

Rito 6I6 of 4B20 6807             $EN  +14.35

SAF 598 Bando 5175              $EN   -10.00

Sitz Alliance 6595                   $EN   -3.37

Vermilion Dateline 7078         $EN   -3.79

B/R New Frontier 095             $EN   -9.42 ave $EN  -1.66                                    

From this data, one sees the terminal breeding course the vast majority of Angus breeders are on, and why if the goal is desirable maternally efficient cows, a commercial or registered breeder must look elsewhere from the mainstream direction of the Angus breed.