Two New Maternally Focused Selection Tool EPDs 

Publish date: 11.11.24 

The American Angus Association is soon set to two new maternally focused selection tools. Research EPDs for both Teat and Udder Structure and Functional Longevity have been circulated to breeders and other industry stakeholders, with their release as regular production EPDs slated for late spring or early summer of next year. We want to take a moment to describe these traits and how you can use them to achieve your goals. You can read more about the traits with the American Angus Association. 

Now, on to the traits… 

Teat and Udder Structure  EPDs

There will be two individual traits provided related to udder quality. Both traits are based on a quantitative score, recorded within 24 hours of calving.   

• Teat Size is scored on a 1-9 scale with 1 being the smallest and 9 being the largest and most bulbous.   
• Udder Suspension is also scored on a 1-9 scale, with 1 representing the tightest attachment and 9 indicating the deepest most pendulous udder structure.   

A higher EPD value for either trait is theoretically better, but as with all EPDs, chasing extremes could have negative consequences. For example, higher Teat Size and Udder Suspension EPDs—predicting shallower, tighter udders and smaller teats—are slightly negatively correlated with Weaning Weight. Ultimately, most bulls fall into a window of two standard deviations from the average and should produce very functional udders. 

Functional Longevity  EPD

The length of time a cow remains a productive contributor in your herd is one of the most important factors to cow-calf profitability. The Functional Longevity Research EPD characterizes the genetic contribution of a bull to his daughter’s longevity as a productive cow and is expressed as the difference in the number of calves produced to six years of age. While environmental and management factors highly influence the trait, and heritability is low, its economic impact dictates that it should be considered in maternal breeding decisions. It may be time to start incorporating the Functional Longevity selection tool in your herd.  

We strive to keep you informed of industry changes that affect you and will provide you with more information about these selection tools once we get closer to release. For now, watch for our Sire Directory to have more data about a set of our bulls that perform well for each selection tool. Remember, if you are looking for genetics that fit your specific selection criteria, you can sort and filter our entire lineup regardless of breed by using Bull Search—the industry’s most comprehensive selection tool. 

Looking to focus more on maternal in your herd? Contact your local ABS Representative or complete the form below, and we will help you develop a breeding strategy that meets your goals.