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West Central Iowa | There are about three approaches to putting weight on cattle. Cheap gain, optimum gain, and maximum gain.
Cheap gain typically takes longer, is forage based and usually little or no grains are included.
Optimum gain is typically the best approach for breeding stock like bulls and replacement heifers. This allows them to express their genetic potential and "sort" the contemporaries while allowing them to be mature enough at around 13-14 months to be used for breeding. Under this system the goal is to prevent the animals from getting overly fat and depositing fat around the testicles or in the udder. Grains are included.
Maximum gain is more of a terminal approach used for feedlot cattle where maximum levels of grain are fed to minimize time in the feedlot.
When submitting data to the Angus Association for WW or YW they never ask if they were creep fed or what type of ration they were on (high energy, low energy, how many Mcals, etc.) Lets say it is possible to feed the same contemporary group under the three scenarios......cheap gain, optimum gain, and maximum gain and their respective YWs are 950, 1150, and 1350 lbs. There will still be a distribution that identifies the better performers no matter which system you use, but the 950lb YW group will be assigned a lower YW EPD than the 1350 lb YW group because there were less lbs.......and performance EPDs are based on lbs. From first hand experience I can guarantee you that a contemporary group that is not pushed hard, therefore reporting lower average weights will have EPDs that suck. That means that pushing breeding stock too hard, getting them too fat, and turning in the highest weights does help their EPD profile more than if they were fed for optimum gain. Unfortunately that is not what is best for the longevity of the animal or the customer buying it.
So to answer your question........ excess feed (which is often delivered in a feed wagon), increases the animals nutritional intake, which increases gain, which increases (spikes) EPDs.
P.S. - My reference to the "feed wagon" was not to put people down who use one but rather a slang term to represent the approach of some that believe the "feed wagon" will solve all their problems. | |
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Bull EPD Question
