BxD: TRAITS THAT MATTER MOST

Dairy farmers are most familiar with the traits and indexes for dairy sires. As more dairies invest in the beef x dairy (BxD) market and begin to tailor their programs to create the best calves for the market, understanding beef genetics, and how they meet the unique needs of your aligned buyers, is important. Expected Progeny Difference, more commonly referred to as EPDs, are equivalent to Predicted Transmitting Ability, or PTAs, in the dairy sire world. While some traits may appear to be similar in the way they are named, EPDs can be presented much differently for beef cattle, plus there are various considerations throughout the beef calf’s life that affect your breeding decisions.