The North American Limousin Foundation (NALF), American Hereford Association (AHA) and the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) have released their spring listings for Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs).

• Using NALF’s spring 2009 international Limousin genetic evaluation, users can employ the “Sire Selector” tool to specify EPD-selection criteria in searching qualified U.S. and Canadian Limousin and Lim?Flex® bulls. The pedigree and EPD lookup allows them to search for information – including the Mainstream Terminal Index ($MTI) value and available DNA-test results – about a particular animal. The new EPDs also are presented for bulls and females listed for sale in the Limousin Exchange online marketplace.
  
  The site’s “Genetic Evaluation” section includes the spring 2009 EPD statistics, percentiles and trends; sire summary qualifications; general sire listing; trait leaders; and downloadable sire summary. A CD-ROM containing those files or a printed copy of them is available for $10 from the NALF office. For more info, go to www.nalf.org/programs/geneval.html.
  
  
• AHA’s “Spring 2009 Hereford Sire Summary” is available in print and online, and includes detailed listings on 2,053 sires to help producers make informed buying, breeding and other management decisions.
  
  Sire entries include not only EPDs, but also $Profit Indexes for cattlemen who prefer to look at one number rather than many to identify the most profitable genetics for their production scenario. The four indexes are Baldy Maternal Index (BMI$), Brahman Influence Index (BII$), Certified Hereford Beef Index (CHB$) and Calving EZ Index (CEZ$).
  
  In the summary preface are explanations of these indexes and a wealth of other knowledge to help users understand the listed sire information. For more info, go to www.hereford.org/AHA/tabID__3580/tailored.aspx.
  
  
• RAAA’s latest EPD listings on individual animals can be accessed through the “Data Searches” feature at RedAngus.org.
  
  Larry Keenan, RAAA director of breed improvement, says RAAA and Colorado State University have completed research and improvements in calculating the Stayability EPD and the newly released data reflects these adjustments. Stayability predicts the probability that a bull’s daughters will remain in the herd until she is at least six years of age.

1. Once a female enters a herd, she must remain productive each year until she is six years old in order to receive a positive observation for Stayability.
   
2. If a female rolls over to the next calving season (i.e., from calving in the spring to calving in the fall), she will receive a negative observation.
   
3. A female is now observed at calving instead of weaning to eliminate the possibility of her receiving a negative observation in the event her calf dies for abnormal reasons.