Expected progeny differences for an entire category of economically relative traits usher in a new age of genetic selection accuracy. Selecting genetics for economically relevant traits (ERTs) in the cattle business has typically been akin to driving cattle from Fort Worth to Dodge City, via Seattle. Rather than aim directly at the desired trait, producers often must settle for emphasizing presumably related traits. Instead of selecting for calving ease itself, as an example, producers have reliedon such calving ease indicators as birth weight and pelvic area. Until now. "I think these are some of the most valuable tools available to us as animal breeders. They give us information about economically relevant traits, selection tools that we've never had before," says Donnell Brown of the R.A. Brown Ranch, Throckmorton, TX. Specifically, Brown is describing the opportunity he sees in the industry's first Reproduction Sire Summary released by the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) in May. Besides the industry-standard fare of expected progeny differences (EPDs), mostly indicator traits, the new summary provides a suite of EPDs for reproductive ERTs, including heifer pregnancy, stayability, direct calving ease and total maternal calving ease.
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