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The Midwest Cattleman · April 23, 2020 · P26
By Brenda Black $1,650. Since then, he's been what they weigh.
perfecting genetic selection So, their growth
At 81, Bob Harriman is and pursuing hybrid vigor. and gain is very
talking retirement. For near- In the process, the SimAngus important...and
ly six decades, the Montrose, and Balancer® seedstock pro- that's what EPDs
Mo., cattleman has lived and ducer has seen a truck load of are based on – their
breathed beef, even though changes in beef cattle produc- weight. And then
each morning it's blueber- tion. it gets adjusted to
ries and bananas that fuel “The biggest change was a certain age for
him these days. Still, when our ability to select better ge- birth, weaning and
it comes to steak, Harriman netics through using Expected yearling weights.
knows his marbling, and how Progeny Differences (EPDs),” Not only their ac-
to select for genetics that keep Harriman said. “EPDs start- tual weight, but
beef as the preferred protein. ed in 1978. An awful lot of calves will be ra-
“For the first time in my people don't understand yet tioed within the pasture they together.”
life, I'm starting to feel my today the benefits.” are born in, with their con- That first high-selling
age,” Harriman said. “I might At Harriman's Santa Fe temporary groups and by the Angus bull that Harriman
be 80 or 90 percent retiring, Top of the Breed final produc- different sires. A formula is produced went to Genex to
but not completely.” tion sale on Mar. 28, 2020, he used to get the EPDs and the be used as an A.I. sire. The
To appreciate his vital and took one more opportunity to differences in environment is sire service company bought
vast influence in the beef in- explain why those numbers removed, whether creep fed another bull from Harriman
dustry requires a trip back matter. or not, how good the pasture a few years later. More re-
to the beginning. Harriman “Most all of our feeder cat- is and so forth. So, you can cently, Harriman selected
started selling bulls in 1962. tle are sold on their weight,” compare EPDs all over the genetics that landed him a
One year later, at the Mis- he said. “And how they look country.” bull for the record books, and
souri All Breed Performance – conformation, muscling, Harriman adheres to the one he would collect for him-
Tested Bull Sale, he sold the depth of rib and so forth. And validity of EPDs, basing his self -- BHSF Prophet B006,
top selling Angus bull for color somewhat. But most by decision on solid information. a Homo Black, Homo Polled
Balancer®. From this one,
“Scientists say EPDs are 10 he amassed 1,800 straws of
to 12 times more useful as a semen and has only about
genetic prediction than using 600 left.
adjusted weaning and adjust- “Prophet B006 is basically
ed yearling weights alone,” he still the top bull in the breed
said. “The reason for that is for marbling and for Feeder
that the EPDs are not based Profit Index (FPI), which is
only on that individual, but feedlot performance and car-
by their sire, dam, grandsires cass combined,” Harriman
and grandams, and their said, “but I have to qualify
progeny in their contempo- that. One bull has more mar-
rary groups. There's a lot of bling, but that bull doesn't
people that want to look at ac- have as much growth. He
tual birth weight, and I don't has half the Yearling Weight
blame them, but Calving EPD of B006, who is 120. The
Ease and Birth Weight EPDs other is 60 on Yearling Weight
are much more accurate pre- EPD.”
dictors.” As for the FPI, one bull
Putting the Data to Work beats him, but Harriman
“My program has included said, “that bull is 0 on Milk
all the major economic traits EPD, so he'd probably dry up
that are demanded by all seg- a Holstein.”
ments of the beef industry,” With those factors in place,
Harriman said. “You have to Harriman considers Prophet
use the EPDs to get the right B006 the top dog yet.
genetics, but also cattle have “My bull puts it all togeth-
to look the part. They have to er,” he said. “Plenty of milk,
have depth of rib, muscling he'll work on heifers and he
expression and correct skele- can grow! I like to use those
tal development to put it all facts; that's what they are
