Estimating the Economic Value of Specific Characteristics Associated with Angus Bulls Sold at Auction

Variable

Abbreviation

Expected
Sign

Definition

Age

Age

+

Age in days of a bull at the time of sale.

Age squared

age2

—

Age squared.

Birth weight

Birthwt

—

Weight of a bull at birth, expressed in pounds.

Adjusted 205-day weaning
weight

Ctdjweanwf

+

Weaning weight of animals between the ages of 160 and 250 days adjusted to a standard age
of 205 days.

Adjusted 365-day yearling
weight

Cidjyearwf

+

Yearling weight of animals between the ages of 320 and 410 days adjusted to a standard age
of 365 days.

Adjusted percent intramuscular
fat

Acljpctimf

+

Percent fat in the ribeye, as measured by ultrasound and adjusted to a common age.

Adjusted ribeye area

Acljribeye

+

Ribeye area in square inches, as measured by ultrasound and adjusted to a common age.

Adjusted rib fat

Acljribfat

—

A measurement of the fat depth, in inches, of an animal over the 12th rib, as measured by
ultrasound and adjusted to a common age.

Birth-weight EPD

Ciirthepd*

—

A predictor of a bull’s ability to transmit birth weight, expressed in pounds, to his progeny
compared to that of other bulls.

Weaning-weight EPD

weanepcl*

+

A predictor of a bull’s ability to transmit weaning growth, expressed in pounds, to his
progeny compared to that of other bulls.

Milk EPD

milkepd*

+

A predictor of a bull’s genetic merit for milk and mothering ability, expressed in pounds, as
expressed in his daughters compared to daughters of other bulls.

Yearling-weight EPD

yearepd*

+

A predictor of a bull’s ability to transmit yearling growth, expressed in pounds, to his
progeny compared to that of other bulls.

Carcass-weight EPD

cwtepd*

+

A predictor of the differences in hot carcass weight, expressed in pounds, of a bull’s progeny
at a given end point compared to progeny of other bulls.

Marbling EPD

marbepcl*

+

A predictor of the difference in a subjective USDA marbling score, expressed as a fraction, of
a bull’s progeny at a given end point compared to the progeny of other bulls.

Ribeye area EPD

ribepcl*

+

A predictor of the difference in ribeye area, expressed in square inches, of a bull’s progeny at
a given end point compared to the progeny of other bulls.

Fat thickness EPD

fatepci*

—

A predictor of the differences in external fat thickness, expressed in inches, at the 12th rib (as
measured between the 12th and 13th ribs) of a bull’s progeny at a given end point compared
to the progeny of other bulls.

Percent retail product

prpepcl*

+

A predictor of the difference in pounds of salable retail product of a given bull’s progeny
compared to the progeny of other bulls.