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FOUNDATION FEMALES
BUILDING
A FOUNDATION COW HERD
Our cow herd was started in 1968 with proven cows from leading breeders.
Those cows gave us genetic lead time because they were the top cut
from some of the best genetics available. What progress has been
made over the last 30+ years. Superior sires carried our herd forward
in the early years, bulls such as:
BKT Foro 1108AP
Choctaw Chief 373
PRF Chiefton 7284 (son of 904)
We started with the best genetics in production to make the
optimum improvements. When the first National Red Angus Sire Summary
was produced in 1986, the following sires from our program earned
SIX Trait Leader Positions for weaning and yearling weight:
RAB Abe Lincoln
RAB Nation E410-236
RAB Rock LB555-RM
JKG Chiefton L303
Since the first Red Angus sire summary produced in 1986, our
sires have held over 101 trait leader positions for birth, weaning,
yearling, milk and stayability EPD's.
Because there is a high correlation between feed efficiency,
growth and meat yield, our 30 years of selection for optimum growth
has resulted in cattle that produce superior carcass traits. Maternal
traits will always have a high priority in our herd and we have
continually selected for balanced cattle with an emphasis on optimum
growth. Balanced cattle have high fertility, adequate milk, longevity,
growth and quality red meat yield.
"Fault-Free Practical Cattle"
has been our motto in better beef production.
EVERY
GOOD BULL NEEDS AN OUTSTANDING DAM
Every progressive program has superior females producing a calf
every year. We select and breed the top 70% of all heifers born
here in order to ensure the best females are producing your next
herd sire.
This outstanding maternal influence will give you the reliability
you come to expect from Bieber Red Angus Ranch.
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SELECTION & CULLING
BIRTHWEIGHTS
Why do
birthweights vary from
year to year?
Typically the Red Angus breed has tried to maintain low to moderate
birth weights (60-85 pounds). We find when we have a really severe
winter (as we had in 96-97) our birth weights go higher than normal.
The theory being in cold weather cows eat more and concentrate the
blood supply in the vital organs and the calf gets an increased
blood supply increasing birth weight. We find that calves with larger
birth weights (85-100 pounds) have better survival (provided there
is no calving difficulty) because they have more body mass and can
take the adverse weather better. Research substantiates this conclusion.
Growth is also highly correlated to birth weight! Most cows can
have an 85 to 100 pound calf with no difficulty.
EPD's:
EXPECTED PROGENY DIFFERENCES
EPD's are
the most powerful tool that is available for making genetic progress.
EPD's incorporate the performance of the individual, along with
the performance of all its relatives.
WW EPD:
Weaning. Higher weaning EPD's predict higher weaning weights.
MILK EPD:
Milk EPD should be used to predict the milking ability of the daughters
of the bulls in question (or of direct milking potential in the
case of heifers). Higher milk EPD's project more milk.
TM EPD:
Total maternal EPD's should be used to predict the total weaning
weight performance (milk + weaning weight) of a bull's daughters.
Higher total maternal EPD's predict greater weaning weight from
daughters.
YW EPD:
Yearling. Higher yearling EPD's indicate greater expected yearling
weights.
BW EPD:
Birth. A lower EPD predicts lower birth weights.
STAY EPD:
Stayability is primarily a measure of sustained fertility in female
offspring.
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