We would like to welcome you to the Fourth Annual Bluegrass Gelbvieh Alliance Production Sale. We feel this sale will be a great opportunity to add elite Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics to your program. As many producers are aware, the Gelbvieh breed is one of the most profitable in the beef industry. Gelbvieh’s popularity continues to grow due to the breed strengths: modest birth, excellent growth, maternal and reproductive strength, quiet disposition and feed efficiency. Please take time to notice the reproductive and maternal EPDs in the catalog. Namely, HP, PG30, STAY and $Cow. These will be helpful for breeders who retain their heifers as replacements. We recognize that Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics are an important part of the beef producer’s cow herd. Pregnancy and longevity are two very important components of a profitable herd. We hope these tools will help you in your selection efforts.
We have strived to offer a group of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics that are superior phenotypically and genetically. Birth weights on the bulls are mostly in the 70s and 80s. Several of the bulls are considered heifer acceptable since they were born unassisted from a heifer and had a modest birth weight. Growth and maternal traits for the sale bulls are very impressive. All the bulls were selected with the commercial producer in mind. They are ready for turn out and most are mature enough to service several head. They express their muscle pattern and are not covered in extra fat. These bulls have been fed a forage-based diet that will allow them to go straight to work.
The females are an outstanding set of young, quality individuals. The females are a result of AI and ET matings. These females can make a positive impact for your program. There are several young females that have donor potential. These females will be impacting your program and the breed for years to come!
There’s a few changes I would like to point out for this year’s sale. The sale location has moved to Fredonia, KY (West KY) and will take place on the farm at S & S Gelbvieh. Please see directions listed in the catalog. Also, we will be using CCI this year for internet bidding. Don’t let this opportunity slip by. Be sure to check CCI for the videos on the sale lots. We will be glad to discuss the sale lots to provide you with any information that will help in your seedstock selection. If you are unable to attend the sale and are interested in bidding, please contact us prior to the sale. We will attempt to provide the best means for your participation.
Sincerely,
PARTNERS
CAVE CREEK CATTLE (Jeff Proctor) 1200 Jones Road Charlotte, TN 37036 • 931-801-5787
MCINTOSH BROTHERS (William & Steve McIntosh) 285 Soards Road Georgetown, KY 40324 • 502-867-3132
R & D OWEN FARMS (Brian Owen) 1410 Old Fredonia Road Princeton, KY 42445 • 270-601-6830
S & S GELBVIEH (David & Arthur Slaughter) 162 Hastings Lane Fredonia, KY 42411 • 270-556-4259
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Friday, March 7 2:00 pm to Dark - View Cattle Saturday, March 8 8:00 am to 12:55 pm - View Cattle 11:45 am - Lunch is served 1:00 pm CT
Bluegrass Gelbvieh AllianceProduction Sale
DIRECTIONS:
S & S Gelbvieh 19284 Marion Road • Fredonia, KY 42411
From 1-69 - Take Exit 79 at Princeton. Proceed on 91 North for 10 miles towards Fredonia. Sale facility is on the left.
From 1-24 - Take Exit 40 to Eddyville. Proceed to Fredonia (approximately 13 miles from Interstate 24). Take a right at the stop sign in Fredonia onto 91 South. Sale facility is about 2 miles on the right.
ACCOMODATIONS:
Load Out
After settlement the animals purchased will need to be removed from the facility on Saturday, March 8 by dark unless arrangements are made with sale management prior to the sale. Please let us know if delivery is needed or if a later pick up date is required when settlement is made immediately after the sale.
Health
All cattle will be accompanied with health papers for shipment anywhere in the continental U.S.
Supplement Sheet
The supplement sheet and announcements from the auction block take precedence over the catalog.
Liability
All persons attending the sale do so at their own risk. The sellers assume no liability, legal or otherwise, for any accidents, theft or damages occurring on or about the premises (sale facility).
Trucking
Transportation for the cattle can be arranged after the sale.
* We will do our absolute best to meet your transportation needs in a cost effective manner.
• Free delivery in the state of Kentucky, West and Central Tennessee on purchases of $11,000 or more.
• Purchases of $15,000 or more - first 300 miles from Fredonia are free. If possible, please contact sale management before the sale if you plan to have your purchases delivered. We will have trucks going to Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, West Tennessee, East Missouri, and Northeast Arkansas
Terms & Conditions
All cattle will be sold at auction under the standard terms and conditions recommended by the American Gelbvieh Association. Terms of the sale are cash or check at the conclusion of the sale unless prior arrangements are made.
Bull Guarantee
* Insurance on the sale bulls may be purchased by the new owners on sale day. If you would like insurance on a bull you purchased at the BGA sale, please let the seller know. We will help direct you to the insurance agent so you can insure your new bull purchase. If a bull develops a problem in the first 4 months after purchase that is not covered by insurance, please contact the seller as soon as possible to discuss the issue. If it is agreed that a replacement bull is warranted, then a replacement bull of equal or greater value (if available) will be provided. If a replacement bull is not available, then credit toward one bull will be given in the following year’s sale, less salvage value of the bull to be replaced.
* Replacement bulls are not covered by this guarantee.
Sight Unseen Guarantee
All purchases made by internet bidding or on order with the Bluegrass Gelbvieh Alliance are 100% satisfaction guaranteed upon delivery. This determination must be made at the time of delivery.
How to Bid Online...
- As a buyer, you do not need an account or to login to watch the sale but you must have a validated account to bid.
- After you are logged in, you must proceed to the sale page for any and every auction and click “Get Buyer Number.” Some auctions require a pass-code to obtain a buyer number even after you are approved by CCI.live. Pass codes generally come from the sale manager or ranch for that particular sale.
- CCI.live will operate with ease on a cellular device, laptop, desktop or tablet
- A modern or current browser is important and will make your experience better. You do not need to install the app on cellular devices to watch a sale. CCI.live is a browser-based application meaning it will play on most new browsers, but you can also download the CCI.live app at the Apple App Store or through Google Play.
- For successful bidding you must have good Internet service! It is very important to be stationary. If you are driving and bidding, expect to have some service issues. If you are stationary on a good device, with healthy Internet, expect a very successful bidding environment. If you have slow Internet watch the “asking price” on the screen - it is real time and refresh your browser if you feel like you have some lag.
- Support line open during all sales. 405-400-9505 - Please contact the ranches for invoices and trucking.
Big, growthy bull with huge feet and legs. Tons of muscle here with good material if you need to keep his heifers. This guy has been the group leader in his growth since birth with a 1300# yearly weight. Check him out if you need to add pounds to your calves.
This smooth made Gladiator
Mr. Dalhart 12L
Mr. Gladiator 19L
DLW TPG FRONTRUNNER 2510F
CCRO C-CROSS MANIFESTO J104
CCRO CAROLINA 6311D
Mr CCRC Manifesto 630L is a homozygous black, homozygous polled Purebred son of the 2022 Breeder’s Choice Gelbvieh Bull Futurity Champion, Manifesto J104. This young bull comes out of another cow family that has been good for the Cave Creek Cattle program, Godfather. His dam is a moderate unassuming female Dam of Merit that AI breeds every year, calves unassisted every year, and raises moderate long bodied bulls that perform well. Her lifetime average weaning weight ratio is 103. This bull’s actual weaning weight at 211 days was 876 pounds. Note that his EPDs for Weaning Weight and Yearling Weight are ranked in the top 1% for the breed. We believe he is going to make an excellent addition to someone’s program.
RDBO MR O PRIMETIME 313L
Mr. O Primetime is a homozygous black, homozygous polled bull with exceptional performance, combining top-tier Gelbvieh genetics. His impressive growth, maternal traits, and carcass EPDs make him a standout. His sire, Rumfelt’s Prime Time (2022 National Balancer
CCRC MR CCRC MANIFESTO
DLW TPG JACKPOT 7551B ET
DLW TPG FRONTRUNNER 2510F
DLW MS WARDON 2510Z ET
Mr CCRC Frontrunner 639L is a homozygous black, homozygous polled Purebred bull that goes back to the Granite cow family on his dam’s pedigree. This young bull carries a lot of growth and performance and would be suitable for use on mature cows. His adjusted 205-day weight was 820-pounds. We don’t often talk a lot about Intake and Carcass traits, but you might note that his EPDs for ribeye area and marbling are in the top 15% and 25% of the breed, respectively.
Mr CCRC Black Baron 637L is a homozygous black, homozygous polled Balancer
that we used as a cleanup bull this past fall. Most of our cows are a little growthy and we think his Calving Ease Direct EPD of 17 and -1.9 Birthweight EPD
Mr CCRC Black Baron 637L
This growthy Rebel Yell son will add pounds and thickness to your calves. Top 30% growth and top 20% maternal makes him and easy choice. Big ribbed with great feet and a great disposition.
Homozygous black and Homozygous polled. WAM 325L is out of the Jenny cow family, the same cow family as the 2022 Gelbvieh
R & D Owen Farm
Mr. Rebel 40L
Homozygous black and Homozygous polled. WAM 323L is a Stand Up son that we have liked a lot from the beginning. He will add muscle and thickness to his calves and out of the Twila 107C cow family
Homozygous black Homozygous polled. WAM 338L is one of the first Go Time sons we have produced. He is a big-time calving ease bull with a CE of 16, ranking in the
REBEL YELL 804F ET
MR S & S REBEL YELL 155J
MS S & S FRANCES 184Y ET
Mr CCRC Rebel Yell 108L is a homozygous black, homozygous polled grandson of the 2022 People’s Choice Balancer Bull Futurity Champion (Rebel Yell 804F). On the maternal side he comes out of one of our favorite Leverage daughters. This is a growth and performance bull suitable for use with mature cows. He sports an 859-pound adjusted weaning weight and should add growth and performance to your program.
ALS MR S & S MANIFESTO 14L
Mr S & S Manifesto 14L is a homo black, homo polled Manifesto son out of one of our best 2 year old females. His length of spine, muscle shape and fleshing ability make it easy to understand his outstanding performance. He is structurally correct with smooth joints and a large, well-shaped foot. His EPD profile is hard to equal. This one has herd sire potential with 9 generations of our program’s breeding. His grand dam is a Dam of Distinction and a cornerstone female that has placed multiple daughters in our program. You should see increased performance from his calves and replacement heifers that you’ll want to grow the herd with.
MS IN FOCUS 114Y
Mr S & S Record Year 400M ET is an impressive homo polled red bull with exceptional muscle. His structural correctness is evident in how he travels effortlessly across the pasture. He is easy fleshing with a pedigree that suggests you’ll want to keep all his female offspring. His dam, Ms Astro 807A, is an outstanding donor who consistently produces top-quality progeny. We are retaining a full sister to 400M in our herd. 400M’s sire, Record Year 9190G, was crowned the 2022 National Champion Balancer Bull. Record Year progeny combine the eye appeal and performance that top producers seek for their programs. 400M’s EPDs are well balanced for growth and maternal.
Mr S & S Manifesto 3M is a high performance, homo black herd sire prospect that will add pounds to his calves and produced females that are the right kind for herd expansion. He is a moderate framed, heavier muscled bull that is easy fleshing. His growth EPDs are in the top 2% of the breed. His 205 adjusted weaning weight is 831 lbs. His dam has consistently produced some our top performing individuals. 3M represents 10 generations of our program’s breeding. He is easy going with a quite disposition. Manifesto sons have been very popular with the commercial cattlemen.
RDBO MR BLACK JACK 495M
DEER VALLEY GROWTH FUND
KARR RUMFELTS MR.BLACK JACK ET
KARR LONG HAUL PRINCESS E96A ET
4136
Mr. Black Jack 495M is an outstanding herd sire prospect with exceptional potential. He is heifersafe, displaying impressive size, thickness, and structural correctness. Be sure to review his EPD profile for detailed insights into his genetic strengths. His sire, Black Jack, is our new herd bull. He is a brother to Prime Time, the 2022 National Runner-up Balancer bull, and a direct son of the renowned Deer Valley Growth Fund. Don’t miss the opportunity to add this remarkable bull to your herd!
This set of full brothers have a lot to offer. Check out their EPD profiles. They rank toward the top of the breed for calving ease and performance traits. It is extremely hard to find bulls with this kind of birth to growth spread. Their sire, Deer Valley Growth Fund, has made his mark on the Angus breed and their dam LWHF Twila 107C is probably the top cow we own. We have only flushed a couple cows in the last 15 years and she is one of them. Expect these full brothers to add length and frame to their calves.
GGGE 3G AGUSTUS 317A
GGGE 3G FRONTIER JUSTICE 829F
GGGE 3G COWGIRL ADDIE 349A
Mr CCRC Frontier Justice 110M is a homozygous black, homozygous polled natural Balancer bull calf out of the EGL Lass E3200 donor cow we own jointly with R&D Owen Farms. This young bull has EPDs ranked in the top 15% and 10% of the breed for weaning-weight and yearling-weight, respectively. His actual weaning weight at 213 days was 753 pounds. This young bull is smaller than the other bulls in our offering because he is about five months younger than our other bulls. With just a little more time to mature, he should make an excellent addition to your program.
Mr. S & S Manifesto 407M is a homo black Manifesto son that nursed a two year old Lifeline daughter. Note his EPDs for WW, YW, TM, REA, and FPI are all in the top 5% or
of the breed. 407M arrived at just 78 pounds yet managed to record an 869 pound 205 adjusted weaning weight. He has exceptional length and muscle expression. He is easy going with a quite disposition. He should provide top end growth with replacement females that increase your herd’s performance. We plan to retain all our Manifesto
Don’t overlook this outstanding young herd sire prospect.
FLUSH OPPORTUNITY
Carolina 6311D - Dam of Manifesto J104
CCRO CAROLINA 6311D
BTI GRANITE 2135M
DCSF POST ROCK GRANITE 200P2
DCSF POST ROCK TWILA 223M2
LWHF INTIMIDATOR 617Z
CCRO CAROLINA 5171C
CCRO 6311D has left a mark on the breed. She is the dam of CCRO Manifesto J104, the 2022 Breeder’s Choice Gelbvieh Bull Futurity Champion. We have used Manifesto extensively in our program for the past couple years and are excited about the results. He adds big time performance and eye appeal. CCRO 6311D is a purebred and her pedigree offers a lot of exciting mating options. Guaranteeing but not limited to 5 embryos. She has averaged 9 embryos per flush to date.
FALL BRED HEIFERS
TJB REBEL YELL 804F ET ADS MS S & S FRANCES 184Y ET ADS MR S & S REBEL YELL 155J
Ms CCRC Rebel Yell 104L is a homozygous black/homozygous polled Purebred heifer out of an Equalizer cow. Her Equalizer dam just dropped her third calf last fall and should win Dam of Merit status by the end of 2025. Her dam’s average weaning ratio on her first two calves was 107.5. Confirmed bred, this young heifer was AI bred to EGL Lifeline B101 (AMGV1298079) on 12/02/2024 and has been pasture exposed to Mr CCRC Big Andy 636L (AMGV1580316) since 12/19/2024.
R&D Owen Farms proudly presents MS Alexa 392L—a true standout in every sense. She is homozygous black, homozygous polled, and boasts exceptional thickness, structural soundness, and outstanding EPDs. Take a look at her impressive growth numbers and performance. With her potential as a donor cow, it’s easy to see why she’s such an extraordinary prospect.MS Alexa 392L was crowned Grand Champion at the 2024 Junior Kentucky State Fair. Her sire, Rumfelt’s Mr. Black Jack ET, is the full brother of Rumfelt’s Prime Time, the 2022 National Grand Champion Runner-Up and a son of the renowned Deer Valley Growth Fund. Her dam, Long Haul Jessie E96C, is a natural donor cow who consistently produces top-quality cattle, including Mr Road House ET, Ms Faye ET, and others.392L is truly one of a kind, brimming with potential for greatness. Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity. I am retaining ½ embryo interest. She was AI bred to Frontrunner 2510F on January 4, 2025.
CCRC MS CCRC BLACK BARON 646L
Ms CCRC Rebel Yell 104L
Mrs Alexa 392L
DLW TPG FRONTRUNNER 2510F
CCRO C-CROSS MANIFESTO J104
CCRO CAROLINA 6311D
MS KO Manifesto 340L is an exceptional heifer that truly has it all. She’s a powerful female with impressive bone, body, muscle, and outstanding EPDs. With her potential as a donor cow, she could easily become the cornerstone of your breeding program. This purebred, homozygous black, homozygous polled heifer is sired by C-Cross Manifesto J104, the winner of the 2022 Breeder’s Choice Purebred Gelbvieh Bull Futurity. Her dam is one of the most consistent and reliable producers on the farm, earning the prestigious Dam of Merit title. I am retaining ½ embryo interest in 340L. She was AI bred to Ditka on December 5, 2024, and pasture exposed from December 23, 2024, to March 1, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to add her to your herd!
SPRING COW / CALF PAIRS
11B
Ms S & S Renegade 198E is difficult to let go of. She breeds easy each time and is the low maintenance type female that turns in a calf at the top of the crop. Her Post Rock Clock Work bull calf at side is exceptional. Smooth made with a clean, stylish look that should place him at the top of the bull pen at this time next year. 198E is already bred back for a mid-November calf. AIed to ALS Turbo 13H (AMGV1579846) on 1/29/2025. A - Homo black, homo polled bull, BD: 12/24, BW: 95 lbs, Sire: Post Rock
Tattoo: ALS 31M
PADO MS. REBEL 309L
with plenty of performance and style. We are very pleased with the Rebel Yell daughters in our herd. Should calve by sale time to WAM 135J (AMGV1539842) our Godfather sired, calving ease specialist.
PADO MS. IMPACT 892F ET
Nice cow here that goes back to our 185Y donor. Purebred Homo Black female that never disappoints. A - Black bull, BD:
BO TV Sam 099H is truly an impressive breeding piece. She thrives effortlessly, requiring no extra maintenance. Known for her ease of breeding and abundant milk production, she is a moderate-framed, well-structured female with an excellent udder.099H has a Frontier Justice heifer calf at her side, born January 16, 2025. She sells open, ready to complement any program. A – Heifer, BD: 1/16/2025, Sire: Frontier Justice
A fancy Rebel Yell female here with tons of power yet still feminine and clean fronted. Big topped and square hipped with a great udder. Donor quality here in a 3 in 1 package. Heifer calf by Kalijah, our Riptide herd sire that’s doing great things for us. Cow is AI’d to Frontrunner on 12/14/2024.
A – Heifer, BD: 9/20/24, PADO 432M
ALS MS S & S LEVERAGE 255H
X4 ET
Ms S & S Leverage 255H is a homo black Leverage daughter that traces maternally to the dam of the immortal JBOB 92C. She has a 372 day gestation length on 3 calves. Her first two daughters have been retained in our herd. 255H is a front pasture female in every aspect. Be sure to check out her herd sire prospect at side. He is genomically enhanced with several traits in the top 10% of the breed. He’ll definitely make the bull pen. AIed to Danell Napoleon 01E (AMGV1381787) on 11/25/24. Confirmed bred.
A – Homo Black Bull, BD: 8/22/24, BW: 92 lbs, Sire: Manifesto J104, Tattoo: ALS 22M (AMGV1615079)
Ms. Rebel 166J
Ms S & S Franchise 251H is a homo black Franchise daughter with all the breed greats in her pedigree. She has been a consistent producing female and her Rebel Yell heifer calf at side is sure to catch your eye. Note that her calf has already been genomically enhanced and has an EPD profile that you’ll want to closely study. This is a great 3 in 1 pair for someone looking to expand their herd. We have been impressed with the Gladiator calves and have used him again. AIed to Gladiator J141ET (AMGV1524277) on 12/16/24. Confirmed bred.
A – Homo Black Heifer, BD: 11/10/24, BW: 84 lbs, Sire: Rebel Yell 804F, Tattoo: ALS 332M (AMGV1615082)
MS OK Thunder 009H has been one of the most dependable producers in our program. Her deep rib and easy-fleshing ability make her an exceptional female. She has consistently maintained a 368-day calving interval, a testament to her reliability and productivity. Her calves have consistently performed well, and she currently has a standout Grand Entry heifer calf at her side that is thriving. 009H is bred back to Black Jack and was pasture exposed from January 1, 2025, to March 1, 2025. A – Heifer, Sire: Grand Entry
ADS MS S & S LEVERAGE 955G
Ms S&S Leverage 955G is a homozygous black Purebred Gelbvieh cow coming to you once again as part of a three-in-one combination. This lady is out of two of our favorite cow families, Leverage and Blue’s Impact. For an idea of what she can produce, look at our bull offering; Mr CCRC Boxcar Willie 627L is her bull calf from 2023 or just take a look at the fine bull calf by her side. This cow has a very nice set of maternal EPDs and is a relatively young 5-year-old. Confirmed bred, she was AI bred to Deer Valley Growth Fund (AMAN18827828) on 12/02/2024 and has been pasture exposed to Mr CCRC Black Baron 637L (AMGV1580317) since 12/19/2024. She is accompanied by Mr CCRC Rebel Yell 140M (AMGV1611741), a homozygous black/homozygous polled Purebred Gelbvieh bull calf. A – Homozygous black, homozygous polled Purebred
Sire: Mr SS Rebel Yell 155J (AMGV1525439).
Ms S & S Leverage 955G
SANDPOINT BUTKUS X797
JKGF DITKA C85
JKGF LADYBUG A012
982G ET Ditka 6X is a homozygous black/homozygous polled five-year-old Balancer cow that comes to you as the centerpiece of another three-in-one package. She has a balanced EPD profile that tends towards the growth side of the equation. She is accompanied by Ms CCRC Rebel Yell 145M (AMGV1611748), a homozygous black/homozygous polled Balancer heifer calf. Confirmed bred, she was AI bred to CCRC Rip 754G (AMGV1461635) on 12/02/2024 and has been pasture exposed to Mr CCRC Black Baron 637L (AMGV1580317) since 12/19/2024. A – Homozygous black, homozygous polled Balancer heifer, BD: 10/15/2024, BW: 76 lbs, Sire: Mr S&S Rebel Yell 155J.
CIRS 416F
CLAYJOHNS Z615N
DECADE 278U2 CIRS 16B
A big, powerful red Traction female with tons of growth and maternal.
for
and YW and top 35% for milk. She’s been a great producer for us with many good years
Bull call sired by Just N Time born 9/11/2024 will be a great herd sire
Power Built on 11/25/2024
A – Bull, BD: 9/11/2024, PADO 10M
in her.
was
Ms Blue’s Impact 515E is a homozygous black Purebred two-time Dam of Merit cow that has been a farm favorite for several years. She was the dam of our high selling $15,000 bull from the inaugural Bluegrass Gelbvieh Alliance sale in 2022.
EPD DEFINITIONS
MATERNAL TRAITS
Calving ease direct (CED): Percent of unassisted births of a bull’s calves when he is used on heifers. A higher number is favorable, meaning better calving ease. This EPD can be vital to a rancher looking to decrease the amount of calves pulled in his herd.
Milk (Milk): The genetic ability of a sire’s daughters to produce milk expressed in pounds of weaning weight.
Calving ease maternal (CEM): Represented as percent of unassisted births in a sire’s first-calving daughters. A higher number represents more favorable calving ease. This EPD is important to a rancher’s bottom line because it predicts which animals produce daughters with a genetic predisposition to calve unassisted as heifers.
Heifer pregnancy (HP): Predicts the probability that a bull’s daughters will become pregnant as first-calf heifers in a regular breeding season, expressed as a percent. A higher value of this EPD is favorable, meaning that a higher percentage of a sire’s daughters get pregnant as first calf heifers compared to other sires in his contemporary group.
30-month pregnancy (Pg30): Predicts the probability that a bull’s daughters will become pregnant and calve at three years of age, given that they calved as first-calf heifers. This EPD is expressed as a percent, again, with a higher number being more favorable meaning a higher percentage of a sire’s daughters will calve at three years of age, given they calved as first-calf heifers.
Stayability (ST): Predicts the genetic difference, in terms of percent probability, that a bull’s daughters will stay productive within a herd to at least six year of age. The stayability EPD is one of the best measures currently available to compare a bull’s ability to produce females with reproductive longevity.
GROWTH TRAITS
Birth weight (BW): Predicts the difference, in pounds, for birth weight of the calf.
Weaning weight (WW): Predicts the difference, in pounds, for weaning weight (adjusted to age of dam and a standard 205 days of age). This is an indicator of growth from birth to weaning.
Yearling weight (YW): Predicts the expected difference, in pounds, for yearling weight (adjusted to a standard 365 days of age). This is an indicator of growth from birth to yearling.
CARCASS TRAITS
Yield grade (YG): Differences in yield grade score, which is a predictor of percent retail product. Smaller values suggest that progeny will have a better lean to fat ratio.
Carcass weight (CW): Differences in pounds of hot carcass weight, adjusted to an industry standard age endpoint.
Ribeye area (REA): Differences in ribeye area in inches between the 12th and 13th rib. Greater ribeye areas are preferable.
Marbling (MB): Predicts the differences in the degree of marbling within the ribeye as expressed in marbling score units. Greater marbling numbers are preferable and are an indicator of higher carcass quality grades.
Fat (FT): Differences for fat thickness, in inches, for a carcass over the 12th rib, smaller numbers of fat thickness are preferable as excess fat can be detrimental to yield grade.
INDEXES
Indexes are tools that allow producers to select for several EPDs at once, making selections more efficient than selecting on one trait at a time. Indexes weigh traits based on their importance to a producer’s bottom line by using a trait’s economic and genetic value. Indexes are a good way to put selection emphasis on traits that are economically relevant.
Total maternal (TM): An index that combines growth and milk information as a prediction of the weaning weight performance of calves from a sire’s daughters. As an index, this value is not reported with an accompanying accuracy. A greater TM value means a mother that returns comparatively higher weaning weights on her calves. TM Index = MK EPD + ½ WW EPD.
$Cow: Represents the genetic value in dollars of profit of an animal when retained as a replacement female relative to other animals in the herd. A higher number represents more profitable genetics for maternal productivity. $Cow will serve producers in selecting bulls that will sire daughters with stayability and reproductive efficiency as well as other traits that lead to profitability in a production system, such as milk, calving ease, moderate mature weight and the ability of calves to gain. A female’s genetics also influence the performance of her calves in the feedlot and at slaughter, so traits such as feed efficiency and carcass value are also included in $Cow.
Efficiency profit index (EPI): An economic selection index developed to aid producers in selecting for more feed efficient cattle that still have acceptable amounts of gain. The EPI provides slight negative pressure on intake, while keeping gain at a constant value. By selecting on this index, producers will be able to find those animals that gain the same amount as their contemporaries while eating less.
FPI™ which stands for feeder profit index: An economic selection index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and are sold on a grade and yield standpoint. Well ranking sires for FPI have higher marbling and carcass weight than their contemporaries. As a terminal index, little emphasis is put on maternal traits such as stayability and calving ease.
