Choosing the Right Bull Based on Your Selection Criteria  

Publish date: 4.8.25 

In the world of beef genetics, discussions around bull selection often drift toward “popular” bulls. We regularly get the following questions: 

• Who’s your most popular new bull this year? 
• Who’s the best bull to use on daughters of (insert name of your favorite bull)? 

While those are reasonable questions, the process of selecting the ideal bull is a bit more complex and unique to your individual operation. Why? The reason stems from the sheer volume of information available to help make these decisions today. 

In the Angus breed alone, there are 31 different EPDs and indexes and three more EPDs in the pipeline for release later this spring. EPDs and indexes are powerful selection tools that have played a significant role in the impeccable efficiency with which we produce quality beef in the U.S. today. Unfortunately, these tools are only effective when they are used in the right way.  

EPD = Expected Progeny Difference, a numeric predictor used to help select individual measurable traits important to beef production. 

Index = Applies the appropriate economic weighting to multiple EPDs at the same time, simplifying selection decisions requiring emphasis on multiple traits. Can be focused on Maternal, Terminal, or All-Purpose traits

Not every EPD is relevant to every breeding decision, and knowing what trait to focus on can be confusing. Whether you are selecting a new AI sire or simply in the market for a new bull, answering the following questions will guide you to the EPDs and indexes that are relevant to your needs. 

Will You Keep and Develop Your Own Replacement Heifers? 

If your answer to this is yes, then a great place to start is with a Maternal Index. Remember, indexes weigh the economic importance of multiple traits simultaneously. The most maternally focused indexes from multiple breeds are listed in Table 1.  

To further refine your maternal selection decision, the individual trait EPDs listed in Table 1a may be worth consideration. If your answer to this question is no, you can and should disregard the traits in these tables as you select your next bull. 

How Will You Market Your Calf Crop? 

If you sell your calves at weaning, the simplest solution  is to focus on beef bulls with higher Weaning Weight (WW) EPDs. However, if you sell at weaning and would like to build a reputable set of cattle with interest from repeat buyers, a better place to start is with a Terminal Index.  

These indexes ensure that the person who feeds and/or harvests your calves has a positive outcome by appropriately weighting the importance of post-weaning growth, efficiency, and carcass traits. Terminal traits are strongly correlated to weaning growth, so finding a sire that excels for both is not challenging. If you feed cattle to finish, sell cattle on the rail, or market directly to consumers, Terminal Indexes should unquestionably be part of your selection criteria (See Tables 2 and 2a). 

Are You Breeding Virgin Heifers? 

This question may have historically been the first to come to mind. Ultimately, this question is about the importance of Calving Ease Direct (CED) in your selection decision. CED is an indicator of the ease with which progeny of a bull will be born from virgin heifers. While CED is still of vital importance in breeding heifers, the availability of highly proven sires that suit this need today is much broader and more diverse than it has been historically.  

So, if breeding heifers is part of your operation, start with beef bulls that suit your needs identified above, then sort them for a CED EPD that fits your needs. A higher CED is better when it comes to heifers, and bulls with higher accuracy for this trait are your most reliable option. If you are only breeding mature cows, CED is a much less important selection criterion. 

Are There Issues in Your Cow Herd That You Would Like to Correct? 

Finally, let’s address any issues with what are commonly referred to as convenience or foundational traits. These are things like foot, udder, and temperament problems that can create management headaches and economic losses.  

The EPDs listed in Table 4 can help you address many of these problems. If you don’t have issues with these traits, beef bulls near breed average for these EPDs should keep you out of the ditches. On the other hand, if you already have a problem in one or more of these areas, find a breed leader for that trait and let him go to work fixing the problem in your next calf crop. 

Ultimately, with the diverse selection of beef bulls and the broad spectrum of EPDs and indexes at our disposal, you should find multiple bulls that fit nearly any operation’s unique answers to these questions. Bull Search is an excellent tool to help you filter and sort bulls. Otherwise, reach out to your local ABS Representative to help work through the process of finding the right bull for YOU! 

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