As your calves are born, it is important to weigh within 24 hours of birth using a scale and record the birth weight information on
the Calving and Weaning Report. A calving ease score can be recorded on females calving. You will want to measure your calves'
weaning weights when a group of them is near an average age of 205 days old. Weaning weights must be taken when an individual calf
is between 120 and 280 days old. Once you have collected calving or weaning records, you will submit this information to the Association.
The Performance Programs department will process the calving and weaning information as part of the Association's database. The following items
are available based on the customer preferences you choose for reports and summaries: a Weaning Summary that lists calves both by sire group and
calf identification, a Yearling Report and an ultrasound barnsheet to record ultrasound information that is measured by a certified
Centralized Ultrasound Processing (CUP) technician.
Establishing proper contemporary groups is essential in providing accurate and predictable performance records necessary to generate
EPDs. A contemporary group is a set of two or more calves of the same sex and similar age that have been managed under similar practices.
Contemporary groups should include as many animals as can be accurately compared. For more information about contemporary groups,
access the Association Web site at legacy.angus.org, or contact
the Performance Programs department.
Cows should be measured for weight, hip height and body condition score within 45 days of weaning. Cows without body condition scores will not be used in calculating mature weight and height EPDs. Only cows that wean a calf will be included in the mature size database.
For more information about how to body condition score and a scoring table click here
Measurements on all animals should be taken between 320 and 440 days of age to be adjusted to 365 days. The group should average as close to
365 days as possible. Enter those weights and measures (scrotal circumference, temperament, yearling height) on the Yearling Report, and submit to the Association.
(Click here for Breeder Protocol)
These ultrasound images are collected by a UGC certified field technician between 320 and 440 days of age for bulls and 320 and 460 days for heifers.
Weaning weights submitted prior to the scanning date are required to process ultrasound data. The ultrasound field technician sends the images to
one of the American Angus Association's authorized ultrasound processing labs for interpretation by a UGC certified lab technician, along with the
barnsheet generated when weaning weights are submitted. If you do not have a barnsheet, contact the Performance Programs department. The interpreted
records from the scans are then sent to the Association for adjustments, EPD calculations and summaries that are provided to the breeders.
PAP Scoring
Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) EPD is a tool to increase the environmental adaptability of cattle living at elevations at
or above 5,500 feet. The EPD predicts the genetic differences in PAP score with lower EPDs being more favorable. PAP score
is an indicator to help identify cattle with lower risk of developing high altitude disease, which in most cases results in
right heart failure and eventual death. In order to collect viable PAP scores, cattle must be living at the test elevation
for a minimum of four weeks before the PAP test is administered. This warm-up period allows for the cattle to adjust to the
environmental settings, allowing accurate scoring. Moderate elevation is 4,000 – 5,499 ft and high elevation is ≥ 5,500 ft.
Cattle should be measured between 120 and 720 days of age. PAP EPD remains a tool to increase the environmental adaptability of cattle
living at altitude and is not considered a solution to avoid congestive heart failure deaths at lower altitudes (i.e. feedlots)
at this time. To learn more about how to support High Altitude Disease research,
click here.
Proper foot structure is essential to an animal’s longevity, and Angus is leading the U.S. cattle industry in assessing an issue pertinent to all
breeds — structural soundness. The American Angus Association accepts foot scores from its members through a simple system that uses two categories,
foot angle and claw set. Members can collect foot scores once animals reach the yearling age collection window, 320-440 days
of age. However, members are encouraged to score mature females. Multiple scores on the same animal can be used to predict both Claw Set and Foot
Angle EPDs. To check on availability of a college student for on-site foot score collection, please
click here
Download Foot Score Guidelines
For answers to frequently asked questions about Foot Angle and Claw Set EPDs
click here
Early hair shedding is an indicator trait for heat tolerance and tolerance to fescue toxicosis. The American Angus Association
accepts scores through the 1 to 5 scoring scale. Members can collect hair shed scores once animals reach the yearling age
collection window, 320-440 days of age. Animals can be scored annually and those scores submitted to the Association. Cattle should
be scored when there is the most variation in the herd for shedding of the winter hair coat. For scores to be included in
the evaluation, cattle must be scored between April and June.
Download Hair Shed Guidelines
For answers to frequently asked questions about Hair shed scoring
click here
Teat and udder conformation are traits essential to a productive cow. Poor teat or udder quality may lower herd productivity
and provides opportunity to cull females, and increase difficulty for a newborn calf to suckle. The American Angus Association
accepts udder scores from members through a simple two category system, teat size and udder suspension. The teat size and udder
suspension are scored on the same quarter but are scored independently on their respective 1 to 9 scales. Scores should be collected
within 24 hours of calving. Dams can be scored at each calving.
For more information on Teat and Udder Scoring
click here
The Functional Longevity research expected progeny difference (EPD) predicts the number of calves a sire’s daughter is expected to produce by 6
years of age compared to other sires in the population. The unit of the trait is number of calves produced by 6 years of age, with a higher EPD
meaning that on average sires’ daughters are predicted to produce more calves by 6 years of age, compared to a lower EPD. Despite being a
little counterintuitive to have the number of calves expressed with decimals and ranging from negative to positive numbers, breeders should
focus on differences among sires and the directional change of selection. To provide the most useful information for functional longevity,
participation in Inventory Reporting for calving and culling records is recommended.
To view the research report,
click here.
Functional Longevity Research Sire EPDs
Download a sortable list of research EPDs on AI sires click here.
For frequently asked questions about functional longevity,
click here.