CAIP program

ending soon

The 2014 CAIP program will be ending in seven weeks on Friday, October 31. Applicants that have been approved for cost share reimbursement must have all practices fully complete and receipts for bills turned in to the Clinton County Extension office by this date. There will be a couple of special meetings set up for applicants to complete the agriculture education component which is also required for cost share payments. Questions about the program requirements can be answered by calling the Clinton Co. Extension office at 387-5404 or by viewing the CAIP website at www.agpolicy.ky.gov.

Calving ease EPD’s

When buying a herd bull one of the most important EPD’s to be aware of is the animals Calving Ease (CE) EPD.

Calving ease is much more reliable in determining the size of newborn calves of cows or heifers mated to a bull than the birth weight of the herd bull. The actual birth weight of a herd bull can vary depending on many different environmental factors and has limited direct relation to the bull’s actual genetic make-up.

For example: Take two bred cows from the same herd and place them in two different parts of the country. Place one cow in central Oklahoma, a location that is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in many years.

The cow will most likely be on limited quality forage, experience many 100 plus degree days, and be on minimal water intake. Most likely this cow will have a small calf (probably in the 65-75 lb range) due to the extreme environmental factors.

Now let’s take another cow from the same herd and place it on a farm in Albany, Kentucky that has had abundant rainfall and plenty of good quality forage. This cow, bred to the same bull as the other cow, will most likely calve with a larger calf (probably in the 75-85 lb. range) simply because the environment conditions have been much more favorable to the cow.

Cow #1 and Cow #2 both raise their bull calves for the next eight months. Cow #1 will have a calf probably weaning off as much as 100 pounds lighter than Cow# 2, again due to the stressful environmental situation.

The following fall both bulls are placed in a bull sale selling the two calves. Without regard to the bull’s EPDs, some buyers would have a tendency to buy the bull calf from Cow# 1 (65-75 lb. birth weight) over the bull calf from Cow #2 (75-85 lb. birth weight) incorrectly assuming it was more calving ease.

In truth, the calf was only lighter due to the environmental conditions and is no true reflection to whether it will actually be a calving ease bull.

Only by considering the past history of calving ease by the sires and dams in the bull’s pedigree can an accurate estimate be made to a true calving ease for a bull.

EPDs for calving ease will give us this expected data that can be used to select the proper bull. Selecting a bull on its actual birth weight should not be used as an accurate estimate for calving ease of it’s offspring.

Till next time, keep putting on the pounds!

Steve