Frequently Asked Questions

Current FAQs:

• What performance information enrolls animals in BBU Weights and Measures?
• What criteria is needed to form a contemporary group?
• What does EPD stand for and how do you explain it to a breeder?

FAQs, and Answers

• What performance information enrolls animals in BBU Weights and Measures?

  A weaning weight taken on a calf between 160-250 days of age qualifies that calf into BBU's Weights and Measures.

• What criteria is needed to form a contemporary group?

  A contemporary group includes cattle of the same relative age, same management group, and same sex, with weight dates within 7 days of each other. The age ranges for cattle to be considered the "same relative age" are 160-250 days for weaning and 320-410 days for yearling weight, at least 5 animals meeting these criteria out of at least 2 bulls for EPD calculation.

• What does EPD stand for and how do you explain it to a breeder?

  Expected Progeny Differences. An EPD is a prediction of future progeny performance for an animal when randomly mated to an infinite number of cattle. They are reported in terms of the trait they represent(pounds, cm, etc) and should be used to compare two or more animals. EPDs are objective measures of genetic prediction that truly harness the power of performance records.