Considerations in Genetic Selection & What About DNA?

A successful beef enterprise is contingent upon the integrated management of genetics, nutrition, health, marketing, and finances. From a genetic perspective, the industry has worked hard to identify and develop prediction tools (EPDs) for a large number of economically important traits. These EPD tools have been very effective in changing the genetic merit of beef breeds, and as a result, many breeds now offer in excess of 20 traits for which EPDs are available. It is well recognized that effective sire selection involves identification of bulls which balance a multiple number of these traits. Equally important is the identification and prioritization of the EPDs given the specific goals and breeding objectives within a herd. So which EPDs are most relevant for the genetic improvement of my herd, and among the traits of interest how does one properly weight the importance of these individual traits for the selection scheme?