Growth, fat and frame

Are you saying a little mismanagement can eat up decades of genetic improvement?

Grassfarmer wrote:

You are right Bootheel, I know little of EPDs never having worked with them at all. But wouldn't the predicted difference in the progeny between a +20 and a +5 in fact be 7.5 rather than 15lbs? Don't you divide by two to account for the dilution of the bulls EPD by crossing it onto a female of unknown EPD?
Whats the relevence of it all anyway? I can get 7.5lbs extra weaning weight by having a calf born 3 days earlier - fertility and short gestation selection being way more important than growth in my opinion. I don't care much about weaning weight anyway as I don't sell fresh weaned calves. The guys that do wean into the auction around here probably lose 8% more to shrink than I do. A 550lb calf @ 8% more shrink costs them 44lbs which would take a lot of milk or growth EPD to make up. Then again the order buyers are said to be experts at guessing shrink - not in my experience, they seem easily distracted especially around meal times. Maybe its different if you are selling load lots with a pencil shrink but the weight that is lost to shrink in the auctions around here is unreal, the health damage of the weaning into the auction system is horrendous too. I'm getting off topic so I'm calling it quits for the night. Perhaps I'll dream about some triple Es

Bootheel wrote:

Here the smartest Scotsman I have ever met has all kinds of misconceptions.

Shucks, Bootheel you are too kind - but you may as well just admit I'm the only Scotsman you've ever met

Keystone wrote:

Are you saying a little mismanagement can eat up decades of genetic improvement?

Well the "genetic improvement" if it is that, and if you want to call it that doesn't go anywhere- it's still in the cattle. But as far as the bottom line on the ranch goes there are many ways to get more bang for your buck, quicker. Grass management is the obvious one in our situation.