Executive Summary
than we’d expect given their genetics
for growth, it’s probably due to a better
than average maternal environment
and vice-versa. More simply, how
well do bull’s daughters milk?
Carcass Traits - Major updates
to the carcass traits include:
1. True Multi-trait evaluation:
Currently, carcass EPDs are simply
an index of the carcass trait and
its corresponding ultrasound
trait. Going forward, a true
multi-trait evaluation with all
carcass and ultrasound traits
plus weaning weight and post-
weaning gain will be used.
2. Updated correlations between
carcass and ultrasound traits:
It had been many years since
these relationships had been
evaluated. For most traits, the
correlation between the carcass
trait of interest and its underlying
ultrasound indicator are lower.
Although Limousin gains ground
in the ribeye, backfat and yield
grade EPDs, the new method of
calculation causes a downward
base shift on CW and marbling.
Corrections and Adjustments to be
Made - While the August 27 release
was made available to membership
online via DigitalBeef, there will be
some corrections and adjustments
made as we move forward over the
next month. Some External Angus
EPDs were actually truncated on some
individuals. Although they were correct
in the Limousin EPD data and updated
in our system, the initial BOLT evaluation
had some cattle deleted and reverted
back to breed averages which will be
corrected soon to better represent
the external EPDs utilized amongst
our breeders. Cattle that have been
gnomically enhanced in the past were
highlighted in yellow and this will return
10 | OCTOBER 2018
as well once a few ID issues are cleaned
up, so all the genomic information is
incorporated into the weekly runs.
Just as important to observe in the new
EPD release is the percentile rankings
on individuals. Although you may be
getting used to new base line figures in
the BOLT cattle evaluation it is important
to not only look at the EPD, but the
new percentile rank given some of
the rather large shifts seen. While you
may be having a hard time looking at
the base shifts, in many cases you will
find that the percentile rank remained
the same within the breed on many
traits. Although this is not the case on
all cattle, the new evaluation system
is more reflective of an animal’s actual
accuracy given the whole package of
genomics, pedigree & performance data
when used in future mating selections.
Now that the BOLT system is released
and available for usage by breeders
and commercial cattlemen, we should
evaluate and address areas that could
use improvement to increase the usage
of Limousin genetics by commercial
cattlemen throughout the United
States. Across the board on across
breed comparisons Limousin ranks
extremely high almost all of the 17 EPD
traits with the exception of needed
improvement of the marbling trait that
will improve our commercial demand.
Limousin does not need to be “Angus”
and our cattle need to continue to excel
in terms of feed efficiency, cutability
advantages that come with increased
muscle and superior YG along with
producing females that have stayability,
fertility and calving ease advantages
which are all traits that the Limousin
breed excels in. Yet, if we can raise the
bar on marbling for the breed as a
whole, in a market that is demanding
and paying for superior quality grade
in cattle, you will have a breed that hits
on all cylinders for usage in today’s
commercial cattle market. I