A look into the data

One of the best tools touted by the American Angus Association membership is its database. Within that, the Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR^®) program offers valuable insights into disposal codes or the primary reasons cattle were removed from a herd. 

In search of answers, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) worked alongside the Association team to identify genetic trends between fertility and feet issues and the culled animals’ marbling (Marb) expected progeny differences (EPDs). 

To do this, the Association provided all disposal code records from the AHIR database for both fertility and feet from 2010 through 2023. This data was not limited to breeders participating in whole herd reporting (inventory reporting), so it gives a glimpse of disposal codes from a variety of cow herds.

In both cases, there is a normal distribution of animals culled — indicated by the bell-shaped curve. The real lessons become visible when we draw lines at the marbling threshold for Targeting the Brand™. 

For several years, CAB has published Targeting the Brand requirements for Marb EPD and Grid Value Index ($G) to help commercial customers easily identify bulls with added genetic carcass value. The Marb EPD requirement starts at +0.65. 

The graphs depict a very clear perspective of where cattle culled for fertility and feet issues fall on the marbling scale. In both cases, most cattle culled fall below the +0.65 threshold. The same is true if you draw that line at the 2024 breed average for current sires (+0.60). Certainly, there are also cattle with very high marbling values culled from their herds due to foot or fertility problems. However, the whole picture shows many of those culled cattle are not considered elite for carcass quality. 

In both graphs, the peak of the bell-shaped curve lands around +0.40 for Marb. If you follow Angus genetic trends by birth year, the last time cattle averaged a +.40 for Marb was 2005. Since then, we’ve seen a strong upward trend in average Marb EPD values. During that same period, CAB acceptance rates have more than doubled as breeders continue to pursue carcass traits, driven by a quality-minded market. 

Data-based decision-making

It’s been said the Angus cow is the unsung hero of the CAB brand. Without her ability to perform at the cow-calf level, our industry would not have been able to pursue the long-term improvements to carcass quality we’ve enjoyed for the last 45+ years. 

Cattle producers have a responsibility to look critically at their own cow herd and determine the weakest areas that warrant improvement. Fertility should be a high priority. Critical evaluation of foot phenotypes should also be encouraged. Yet, neither of those must come at the cost of marbling potential. 

The Angus breed has enough genetic diversity to allow breeders, and their commercial bull customers, to make progress across multiple traits simultaneously. One bloodline may be high in marbling but does not check the boxes you need for other traits. That does not mean marbling is the cause — it simply means your search for the ideal genetic pairing is not done. 

Just as I may better evaluate flight schedules for successful connections, Angus breeders should consider all genotypic and phenotypic records for advantageous breeding decisions.