Agricultural News
Jarold Callahan Offers an EPD Tutorial Ahead of the Express Ranch Spring Bull Sale March Fourth
Wed, 24 Feb 2016 05:52:00 CST
It's spring bull sale season. One of the larger sales in the region held annually is the big sale at Express Ranches in Yukon, Oklahoma. Express Ranches President Jarold Callahan said this year they will offer over 500 bulls, mostly Angus. The bulls will be sold in person at the ranch, as well as on the internet. Callahan said they are excited for the offering as they continue to invest and reinvest in the best cattle genetics.
Callahan said the bulls that are marketing have the most complete dataset available. The data can be accessed through the Express Ranches website. There buyers can sort the bulls based on certain criteria. All bulls have been genomically tested, which is the DNA profile for each specially trait. Callahan said even though these are yearling to 20 month old bulls, he said it gives buyers the same confidence in those cattle as if they sired seven to 20 calves depending on the particular trait.
"We do this for our bull customers, so they can buy with a greater degree of confidence that the EPD's are accurate and correct," Callahan said.
EPD's have been around long enough that a lot of producers are comfortable with the data information and making decisions off of them. With today's EPD's using genomics, Callahan said producers have to realize that are much more accurate and better than ever before. He said both commercial and purebred producers need to concentrate on the EPD's and on the bio-economic indexes, the dollar values, to make their selection. In looking for a bull for heifers, Callahan said producers need to focus on calving ease direct (CED), the birthweight EPD as well as the growth and carcass traits.
For mature cows, he recommends looking at the Weaning Weight EPD (WW) and Weaned Calf Value EPD ($W). In retaining replacement females, he said producers will want a moderate birth weight, good growth and a milk EPD that fits the environment.
Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays featured Callahan on the Beef Buzz feature. Click or tap on the LISTEN BAR below to listen to today's Beef Buzz.
The Express Ranches Spring Bull Sale will be held on Friday, March 4, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Ranch, Yukon, Oklahoma
Read more about the great set of bulls to be offered on March 4th- click here for the Sale Book or call Express Ranches for more information- at 1-800-664-3977.
You can go to the main website for Express Ranches by clicking here.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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