by Darrh Bullock, University of Kentucky, and Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska

Bull selection is one of the most important decisions a beef producer makes, and it can have a lasting effect on profitability. Factors such as the market end point of calves (e.g., newly weaned or finished cattle), whether replacements will be retained, and the level of nutritional management provided to the cow herd all affect which traits should be selected for and at what level.

Understanding this complex relationship can be the difference between buying a “good” bull and buying the right bull.

The eBEEF.org  team, a group of beef cattle geneticists from across the United States, is trying to determine how beef producers are currently selecting their bulls and will use this information to develop educational materials to help improve this process.

Knowing which traits to select for is often not the problem; it’s the degree to which each trait should be emphasized that can be highly variable from producer to producer and can often be challenging to determine. Too often this process is more ‘seat of the pants’ rather than by factors affecting profitability. For example, trying to find the optimal level of calving ease without sacrificing profit by not emphasizing traits like sale weight of the calves enough.

To assess how beef producers are selecting bulls, within their level of management, we are asking you to fill out a brief survey. This should take approximately 10 minutes of your time and provide a wealth of information for the beef industry. This information will be used to compare the survey results to values generated by iGENDEC, a software package that determines the most profitable level of emphasis that should be placed on each trait within a specific production system.

Several incentives are being offered to encourage participation in this survey, including five $100 gift cards donated by the Beef Improvement Federation to be given to respondents via a random drawing. A webinar discussing the findings of the survey and resulting bull selection strategies will be offered to everyone who completes the survey and provides their email address. Participants will gain knowledge going through this process and the entire beef industry through better bull selection decisions.