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New Multi-Breed Evaluation Debuts

 

  The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has made significant genetic

evaluation advancements during the past year. Thanks to the efforts of the University of

Georgia, the AGA has the most advanced genetic evaluation system in the nation

beginning with the January, 2003 analysis. This new analysis dubbed the multi-breed

evaluation (MBE) successfully takes into account hybrid vigor and the genetic

contributions of all breeds represented in the pedigree when calculating EP Ds. This is a

monumental advancement for the calculation of both hybrid animals and purebred

animals raised in the same contemporary group as hybrid animals.

 

Improved Across Breed conversions

  The new MBE methodology allowed AGA to compare EPD differences among

Gelbvieh animals, Angus animals and Red Angus animals within the analysis.

Historically, the AGA and the beef industry was forced to rely on data from the Meat

Animal Research Center (MARC) in order to convert EPDs from Gelbvieh to either

Angus or Red Angus or vice versa. While the MARC data was the best information

available at the time, the data was developed using very small sample sizes at a single

location.

 

  The AGA across breed conversions were developed using literally thousands of

high accuracy Angus and Red Angus sires compared against tens of thousands of

Gelbvieh sires in hundreds of contemporary groups across the entire United States. We

recommend that you use the following across breed conversion table when converting

Gelbvieh EPDs to Angus or Red Angus equivalents:

 


 Across Breed Conversion Tables
Add to convert to an Angus EPD base
December, 2002 Across Breed Conversion to Angus Base
Breed BW WW YW Milk
Gelbvieh 4.6 6.8 -2.7 4.7
Angus 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Red Angus 1.8 0.9 2.4 -1.1

 Add to convert to Gelbvieh EPD base

December, 2002 Across Breed Conversion to Gelbvieh Base
Breed BW WW YW Milk
Gelbvieh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Angus -4.6 -6.8 2.7 -4.7
Red Angus -2.8

-5.4

 5.1 -5.8

(Taken from the AGA website and used with permission)

WHAT ARE EPD'S?
 

Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) may be used to estimate how future progeny of the subject animal will compare to progeny of other animals within the breed. The key words are estimate, future, compare and within breed. EPDs are not designed to predict the performance of one or two progeny of a sire, but rather should be used to compare bulls based on estimated progeny performance. EPDs predict differences, not absolutes. They describe the genetic value of an animal much like a feed tag describes the content of a feed sack.
 
EPDs are reported in pounds for all traits except calving ease, which is given as a ration (100=average), gestation length reported in days, scrotal circumference in centimeters, ribeye area in square inches, marbling in degrees of marbling score, and fat thickness in inches. Higher calving ease EPDs correspond to less calving difficulty. Maternal calving ease relates to the ability of daughters to calve. Larger gestation length EPDs equal longer gestation of progeny sired by the subject bull. Milk EPD reflects differences in the weaning weights of progeny of daughters as affected by milk production of the daughters. 
 


 

GELBVIEH EPDs
  

American Gelbvieh Association  

Spring 2004 International Cattle Evaluation--Gelbvieh Blended Breed Base

2002 - 2003 Born Non-Parent Percentile Breakdown

CE BW WW YW Milk TM GEST CE Daughters
104 1.2 37 68 17 36 -1.2 103

 

 

(This information is taken from the 2002 Gelbvieh Sire Summary with permission).

                                                        

  ANGUS EPDs

   

Average Angus EPDs for non-parent bulls:

BW WW YW Milk
2.6  36 67 1 8

  


                                            

Example 1:

 Using a Gelbvieh bull’s EPD’s and comparing them to an Angus bulls EPD ’s...

CE BW WW YW Milk TM GL CED
111 -2.3 29 64  20 35 -3.9 1 03

 

  BW WW YW Milk
compute +4.6 +6.8 -2.7 +4.7
Angus +2.3 35.8 61.3 24.7

Using an Angus bull’s EPD’s and comparing them to a Gelbvieh bull’s EPD’s..... 

CE BW WW YW Milk TM GL CED
+2.0 40 68 16        

 

  BW WW YW Milk
compute -4.6 -6.8 +2.7 -4.7
Gelbvieh -2.6 33.2 70.7 11.3

                                      

Both of these bulls would likely work on heifers without sacrificing much growth.

 

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