Page 5 - DVAuction Online Catalogs

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Rancher’s Guide
to EPDs
Courtesy of the Red Angus Assn. of America
For more information on EPDs, visit redangus.org.
CED...... Calving Ease Direct – predicts the probability of
calves being born unassisted out of 2-year-old heifers.
HPG...... Heifer Pregnancy – predicts the probability of heifers
conceiving to calve at two years of age.
CEM ..... Calving Ease Maternal – predicts the probability of
a given animal’s daughters calving unassisted at two
years of age.
STAY..... Stayability – predicts the probability that a bull’s
daughters will remain in the herd until at least six years
of age.
BW....... Birth Weight – predicts the difference, in pounds, for
birth weight, and is also used in the calculation of Red
Angus’ Calving Ease Direct (CED) EPD.
WW...... Weaning Weight – predicts the difference, in pounds,
for weaning weight (adjusted to age of dam and a
standard 205 days of age).
YW....... Yearling Weight – predicts the expected difference, in
pounds, for yearling weight (adjusted to a standard 365
days of age).
Milk ..... Milk – predicts the difference in maternal production
of an individual animal’s daughters as expressed by the
weaning weight of their calves.
TM....... Total Maternal – predicts the rancher’s actual
observation of weaning weights of calves raised by an
animal’s daughters. TM EPD = Milk EPD + 1/2 (WW
EPD)
MARB ... Marbling Score – predicts differences for carcass
marbling score as expressed in marbling score units.
Higher marbling scores are positively correlated with
higher carcass quality grades.
YG ....... Yield Grade – predicts differences in USDA Yield
Grade score, and is expressed in USDA Yield Grade
units.
CW....... Carcasss Weight – predicts differences in hot carcass
weight and is expressed in pounds. Because Red
Angus’ CW EPD is a multi-trait.
REA...... Rib Eye Area – predicts differences of carcass Rib Eye
Area between the 12th and 13th rib.
FAT ...... 12th Rib Fat Thickness – predicts differences for car-
cass fat depth over the 12th rib, as expressed in inches.