Multi-Breed Genetic Evaluation/EPDs
ASA’s multi-breed genetic evaluation system has the distinction of being the world’s first. While other organizations have only recently begun performing multi-breed evaluation, we have been running and refining our system since 1997.

Though important, multi-breed technology is only part of an effective genetic evaluation. To achieve highly accurate EPDs, large amounts of data are required. With a total of over nine million records from the American Simmental, Red Angus, Maine Anjou and Chianina Associations, as well as the Canadian Angus and Simmental Associations, we have amassed the largest multi-breed database in the industry by a long stretch.

To accelerate our advancement in the area of genetic evaluation, the ASA recently teamed with the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) on a joint venture to perform and improve multi-breed genetic evaluation.

Besides elevating overall EPD accuracy through the contribution of an additional three million animals to our database, the RAAA/ASA partnership essentially doubles the resources available for the advancement of genetic evaluation technology.
Economic Selection Indexes To ratchet up our genetic evaluation capability, the ASA has teamed with USDA geneticist Mike MacNeil to develop dollar ($) indexes. The result of well-conceived, rigorous mathematical computation, dollar ($) indexes blend EPDs and economics to estimate an animal’s overall impact on profitability. Used extensively in the swine, poultry and dairy industry for many years, dollar ($) indexes allow breeders and commercial cattle producers to make more accurate decisions than ever before when selecting seedstock.

Total Herd Enrollment (THE)

THE is a cow-inventory-based reporting program requiring participants to provide annual reproductive and inventory status on their cowherd. THE is designed to:

• Improve Quality of Data Submitted for Genetic Evaluation. THE participation generally results in more complete data reporting on performance traits, which leads to more informative EPDs.
• Improve and Develop Reproductive EPDs. A reproductive record on every cow, every year aids in improvement and development of female-oriented EPDs, such as stayability and heifer pregnancy.

Economic Selection Indexes

To ratchet up our genetic evaluation capability, the ASA has teamed with USDA geneticist Mike MacNeil to develop dollar ($) indexes. The result of well-conceived, rigorous mathematical Computation, dollar ($) indexes blend EPDs and economics to estimate an animal’s overall impact on profitability. Used extensively in the swine, poultry and dairy industry for many years, dollar ($) indexes allow breeders and commercial cattle producers to make more accurate decisions than ever before when selecting seedstock.

The Key to Success — ASA Members’ Commitment to Genetic Improvement
Cutting-edge technology by itself does not guarantee progress — it must be used! Perhaps no other breed has made as much genetic progress as Simmental. Not only does Simmental deliver on their traditional strengths of maternal and growth traits, research by the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) has established Simmental as a leader among Continental breeds for direct and maternal calving ease, marbling and every measure of efficiency quantified at MARC.The MARC data are a testament to ASA members’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and use sound scientific principles to breed better cattle and better beef.