Frequently asked Questions about
Angus GROUP BREEDPLAN

Index for: Learning to live with Breedplan, Freer

(click on any of the links below to "jump" to the answer)

Breedplan Basics
1 - What is Breedplan and who owns/runs it
2 - An overview of Breedplan
3 - What does Breedplan do that's so special
4 - Why use Breedplan to analyse performance records
5 - What are the key features of the Breedplan analysis
6 - What traits are analysed in Breedplan
7 -What is the difference between Breedplan and Group Breedplan
8 - How can Group Breedplan EBVs be used to compare animals
9 - How do EBVs help in the selection of sires

Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs)
10 - What is an EBV
11 - How are EBVs estimated
12 - What is so special about EBVs
13 - What different types of EBVs are there
14 - For what traits are EBVs available, and how are they measured
15 - What is the difference between an EBV of +45kg and +5kg.
16 - How accurate (reliable) are EBVs – What does Breedplan Accuracy mean
17 - Why do EBVs change
18 - What are Interim EBVs
19 - What happens to the EBV if incorrect information is submitted
20 - Can a person cheat the system
21 - How do EBVs enhance the pedigree
22 - How much of an EBV is transmitted to the progeny
23 - Can EBVs from different herds be compared
24 - What is the difference between Ratios, EPDs and EBVs

Joining Breedplan
25 - What work is involved
26 - What is the minimum size herd that can participate
27- What do I get back from Breedplan
28 - Can I record calves that have been fed differently
29 - How long does take to get useful EBVs for my herd
30 - Should I only record calves from my top cows
31 - Can I have records from past years analysed
32 - What help is available after I join
33 - When I buy a cow with EBVs, do those EBVs go with the cow 

General Questions
34 - What are these environmental effects that Breedplan talks about
35 - How does Breedplan allow for differences between seasons and years
36 - Can I record ET calves
37 - Does Breedplan evaluate structural soundness and conformation
38 - Can Breedplan evaluate "doing ability" of my cattle
39 - On which trait should I place most emphasis
40 - Should I select for the highest EBVs
41 - How much emphasis should I place on EBVs when selecting bulls
42 - Breedplan selection indexes – a simple solution to a complex problem
43 - Can I performance record crossbred cows.
44 - I'm a commercial breeder - should I be in Breedplan

Group Breedplan
45 - What is Group Breedplan
46 - How does Group Breedplan make allowance for differences in nutrition between herds
47 - Does the ranking of bulls change in different areas  

Milk EBVs
48 - How does Breedplan estimate milk EBVs
49 - How is the Milk EBV estimated
50 - What is the difference between the Milk EBV and the Maternal Value EBV
51 - What does the Milk EBV mean in terms of calf weight
52 - Young bulls have low accuracy Milk EBVs - are the likely to change
53 - How is the Milk EBV estimated for imported sires/dams

Birth Wt & Calving Ease EBV
54 - What do Calving Ease and Birth Weight EBVs really mean
55 - Matching Birth weight EBVs and calving ease
56 - Selecting sires on Birth weight EBVs to join to heifers
57 - I don't measure Birth weight of my calves but get Birth Wt EBVs, why ?

Scrotal Size EBVs
58 - Are scrotal size EBVs related to early puberty & days-to-calving in heifers
59 - What is the best age to measure scrotal size.

Carcase EBVs
60 - How are carcase EBVs estimated
61 - Do carcase EBVs of bulls reflect carcase traits in steer progeny
62 - How well does the EBV for IMF% reflect marbling in progeny
63 - Why do scans often differ from carcase measurements
64 - Doesn't feeding and maturity differences influence muscling in bulls

Getting the most out of Breedplan - Increasing the accuracy of your EBVs
65 - Management tips to increase the accuracy of your EBVs
66 - How to handle Breedplan in a drought
67 - Weighing and scanning pregnant heifers

Some common misconceptions about Breedplan
68 - Breedplan costs too much
69 - I couldn't compete with people who might cheat the system
70 - Breedplan doesn't work, Joe Bloggs told me
71 - Breedplan selects the wrong type of cattle
72 - Breedplan can't be any good -Freddie is in Breedplan yet his bulls sell for less than Joe’s bulls, and Joe is not in Breedplan
73 - You can't compare the EBVs of animals reared under different environments