Bowman’s Banter

You Are No Wizard Visual appraisal is step one. But it was never supposed to be the whole job.   Everybody in this business knows the guy. He walks into a pen, gets quiet, points at one heifer out of forty, and says, “That’s the one.” No scales, no paper, no performance or DNA test.…

No matter our breeding goals or marketing philosophies, every Shorthorn breeder in America is fighting the same fight, believe it or not. We ALL to restore this great breed to the level of relevance and respect it once commanded. Decades ago, the Shorthorn was the most influential beef breed in the world. Today, traces of…

As ag economists forecast into 2026 and beyond, the cattle industry will continue to be challenged by harsh economic forces like rising input costs, tighter margins, and the scarcity of quality replacement females. It’s really going to test the sustainability of many beef herds nation-wide. Knowing this already, above average maternal traits will no longer…

A Facebook post by friend of BSG, Marty Ropp, of Allied Genetic Resources, back in the summer of 2018. It’s timeless. “If your seedstock provider doesn’t use or discourages you from using EPDs and genetic tools to make decisions, they truly have only their success in mind and not yours. Promoting ignorance to remain successful…

In this episode of IGS Stand Together, International Genetic Solutions speaks to industry stakeholders, geneticists and meat scientists to explore beef cattle genetics that ensure more profitable, sustainable herds. Host Chip Kemp sits down with guests from the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, International Genetic Solutions, Washington State University and Meyer Natural Foods for an…

Originally published in the Western Livestock Journal, Oct 21, 2022 By Dr. Bob Hough   There is a common myth that all performance cattle have bad structure and all show cattle have bad EPDs. These beliefs are simply not true on both accounts. For show cattle, it is true that a certain number have lower-than-desired…

Luke’s Preface… The greatest gift the ASA membership has received in the twenty-first century is the incorporation of economic selection $Indexes into our national cattle evaluation (performance database). It has literally taken us away from single trait selection and forced breeders to consider animals that are more (or less) profitable on the average farm/ranch enterprise.…

Reprinted from The Register magazine. By retired IGS Geneticist, Dr. Lauren Hyde.   Expected Progeny Difference FAQ   Q  1. How do you balance EPD selection and actual phenotypes?  Expected progeny differences (EPD) have a clear advantage over less sophisticated predictors such as raw weights and contemporary group ratios. Performance data are subject to environmental…