From the farm
Articles.
Farm updates and plain-language notes on Angus genetics and herd management.
-
What Is Inside a $Value
You have seen these in a sale catalog. A dollar sign, a couple of letters, and a number. $M 72. $W 58.…
-
The Milk Number on a Bull That Will Never Give Milk
You are standing at the sale looking at a bull. His page has a row of numbers, and one of them is…
-
Why You Cannot Push One Number Without Moving Another
Say you decide growth is what you want. Bigger calves, more pounds to sell. So you go through the sale book and…
-
Where These Numbers Live
You know what an EPD is now. You can read a +25 next to a +15 and say which bull should throw…
-
Understanding Angus Genetic Selection: How the Numbers Are Built and How to Read Them
Most people who buy a registered Angus bull look at a row of EPDs and a handful of dollar figures and make…
-
The Bull That Looked Great on Paper
You have seen it happen, maybe to you. A young bull comes up for sale with a set of numbers that stop…
-
The Coffee-Counter Complaints About EPDs, Answered
Stand at the sale barn coffee counter long enough and you will hear every complaint there is about EPDs. Some are sharp…
-
Every Number on the Bull Page
You are leaning on the fence with a sale book open, staring at a wall of columns: CED, BW, WW, Marb, $M.…
-
What Counts as a Good Number
You are standing at the sale barn counter with a bull’s page in your hand. His weaning weight EPD reads +80. Somebody…
-
What an EPD Is, in Plain English
You already do the thing an EPD does. You just do it with two animals at a time. Stand two bulls side…