Angus Association Hair EPD's

The American Angus Association has a hair-shedding Expected Progeny Differences score. Travis Taylor, Golden Plains area Colorado State University extension specialist, explains what it is and why the association has instituted it the Angus Association a few years ago.

“You know, we have different parts of the country where these cattle that are grown in the north need to shed out and be on a little different playing field, and that's to help control heat. So if you're a commercial cow, calf guy, some of the cattle that we have in Montana, just based on environment, have grown to where they're more acclimated to cool weather, and then we would take those cattle south into Texas, and they wouldn't shut out, and it's affecting their performance. So it also helps us market American genetics to places further south, if we're exporting genetics to Brazil. If we're exporting genetics into Africa, certain parts of that we can really help those individuals in different nations and even different states in the United States. So based on how those cattle shed out their hair and keeps those animals

cool.”

The hair collection window is between April and June for yearlings, 320 to 440 days of age.