Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Genetics and Animal Breeding » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #148861
Title: ACROSS-BREED EPD TABLES FOR THE YEAR 2003 ADJUSTED TO BREED DIFFERENCES FOR BIRTH YEAR OF 2001

Author
item Van Vleck, Lloyd
item Cundiff, Larry

Submitted to: Beef Improvement Federation Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2003
Publication Date: 7/1/2003
Citation: Van Vleck, L.D., Cundiff, L.V. 2003. Across-breed epd tables for the year 2003 adjusted to breed differences for birth year of 2001. Beef Improvement Federation Proceedings. Lexington, Kentucky, May 28-31, 2003. p. 55-63.

Interpretive Summary: Beginning in 1989, records from the Germplasm Utilization project at the USDA Meat Animal Research Center have provided the basis for factors which now allow comparison of pairs of bulls of 17 different breeds. The factors are added to the expected progeny differences calculated by the breed associations. For example, a Red Angus bull can be compared with a Simmental bull (or any pair of bulls of the 15 breeds) for calf birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, and milking ability. Thus, herd owners are not limited to comparisons among bulls of a single breed. This report to the annual meeting of the Beef Improvement Federation updates the adjustment factors to a base year of 2001 for 17 breeds (Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn, Brahman, Simmental, Limousin, Charolais, South Devon, Maine-Anjou, Gelbvieh, Pinzgauer, Tarentaise, Salers, Red Angus, Braunvieh, and this year, Brangus, and Beefmaster) as has been done annually since 1991. As part of this project, the results shown in this paper are the basis for a press release with the across-breed adjustment factors and with instructions on how to use those factors. The press release is distributed to producers, farm magazines, the artificial insemination industry and the breed associations.

Technical Abstract: Records of F1 and 3-way cross progeny of 17 breeds of sire and 15 breeds of maternal grand sire were used to estimate differences among the breeds for birth, weaning and yearling weight, and maternal ability. The same records were used to estimate coefficients of regression for progeny performance at MARC on breed association EPDs. These regression coefficients are used to adjust the estimates of breed differences for the differences between breed average EPD for animals born in 2001 and the average EPD of bulls used at MARC that contribute to estimates of breed differences. The regression coefficients show the proportion of differences in EPD that was exhibited in their calves at MARC. From these adjusted breed differences, factors were calculated that can be added to breed association EPD to allow comparison of bulls of 17 different breeds (Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn, Brahman, Simmental, Limousin, Charolais, South Devon, Maine-Anjou, Gelbvieh, Pinzgauer, Tarentaise, Salers, Red Angus, Braunvieh, Brangus and Beefmaster). This report details the calculations used for this annual update of the procedure first formalized in 1991. Changes for 2003 included the addition of weights of progeny of many new Hereford and Angus bulls and weaning weights of grandprogeny of about 90 new Angus, Hereford, Simmental, Limousin, Charolais, and Gelbvieh sires. Brangus and Beefmaster were included for the first time.