Publish date: 11.11.24
The American Angus Association launched two new maternally focused selection tools earlier this summer. Teat and Udder Structure and Functional Longevity have been released as regular production EPDs. We want to take a moment to describe these traits and how you can use them to achieve your goals. You can read more about the traits with the American Angus Association. You can read more about the traits with the American Angus Association.
Now, on to the traits…
Teat and Udder Structure EPDs
There are two individual traits provided related to udder quality. Both traits are based on a quantitative score, recorded within 24 hours of calving.
- Teat Size is scored on a 1-9 scale with 1 being the largest and most bulbous and 9 being the smallest.
- Udder Suspension is also scored on a 1-9 scale, with 1 indicating the deepest most pendulous udder structure and 9 representing the tightest attachment.
A higher EPD value for either trait is theoretically better, but as with all EPDs, chasing extremes could have negative consequences. For example, higher Teat Size and Udder Suspension EPDs—predicting shallower, tighter udders and smaller teats—are slightly negatively correlated with Weaning Weight. Ultimately, most bulls fall into a window of two standard deviations from the average and should produce very functional udders.
Functional Longevity EPD
The length of time a cow remains a productive contributor in your herd is one of the most important factors to cow-calf profitability. The Functional Longevity Research EPD characterizes the genetic contribution of a bull to his daughter’s longevity as a productive cow and is expressed as the difference in the number of calves produced to six years of age. While environmental and management factors highly influence the trait, and heritability is low, its economic impact dictates that it should be considered in maternal breeding decisions.
$Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M)
Simultaneous to the release of these new EPDs, the $Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) economic index was updated to reflect their impact. Because these EPDs were added to an already robust economic model accounting for multiple other traits, there was minimal re-ranking among most of the population for the index. That said, some individuals experienced significant improvement as a result of these updates.
We strive to keep you informed of industry changes that affect you, and we will continue to provide you with more information about new selection tools. For now, watch for our sire publications to have more data about a set of our bulls that perform well for each of these selection tool. Remember, if you are looking for genetics that fit your specific selection criteria, you can sort and filter our entire lineup regardless of breed by using Bull Search—the industry’s most comprehensive selection tool.
Looking to focus more on maternal in your herd? Contact your local ABS Representative or complete the form below, and we will help you develop a breeding strategy that meets your goals.
