Canadian Angus Performance Program
(CAPP)
The Canadian Angus Association strives to provide its members
with tools to improve breed health and profitability. The most
powerful breeding tools used to evaluate cattle herds are
Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). EPDs are values that
predict how the future progeny of an animal will perform
relative to the progeny of other animals in the breed. EPDs
allow for a fair comparison of animals in different herds, and
even in different countries.
Members who participate in the Canadian Angus Performance
Program make educated decisions about which animals to keep in
their herds and which animals to use for breeding. These members
have the advantage of working with EPDs.
Participating in the Canadian Angus Performance Program
is easy. Each member creates an inventory of their herd. The
CAPP program is based on
total herd reporting. This means every cow in the herd inventory
must have either a
calf or an action code reported by July 15
and November 15 of every year (use the
Herd Inventory and Spring/Fall Application for Registration
worksheets to do this). Calves are not required to be registered
but they must be recorded with an appropriate tattoo/tag
identification number, birth date, and sex.
Members also submit performance, fertility, and carcass data on
easy to use paper or electronic worksheets (online
weight entry instructions).
The 205-day worksheet lists all calves recorded in the herd. A
weight or
calf fate code
must be recorded for each one. The 205-day weight is a mandatory
weight and the most important weight for genetic evaluation
purposes. A calf’s potential to grow and its mother’s ability to
milk and raise a calf is generated from this information.
Weigh dates must be planned to occur when the average age of the
contemporary group is closest to 205 days of age. Currently the
age range is 130–280 days for red Angus animals and 120–280 days
for black Angus animals. Similar to the 205-day weight,
it is important to
calculate the optimum 365-day weigh date. The age range
for yearling weights is 290–440 days.
The deadline
to submit weights for inclusion in the Fall 2011 National Cattle
Evaluation is May 10, 2011.
In addition, proper contemporary grouping is important. As
defined by the Beef Improvement Federation Guidelines 7th
Edition, a contemporary group is a group of cattle of similar
age that are of the same breed and sex and have been treated
equally (same location, on the same feed and pasture for
example).
Worksheets for carcass data are also generated for ultrasound.
Participation in the
Centralized Ultrasound Program (CUP) is
extremely valuable, in particular for those herds using carcass
traits as part of their selection criteria for herd improvement.
Images and data collected through the CUP program using a CUP
certified technician can be used to generate EPD values and as a
basis to compare these traits between animals.
National Cattle Evaluations are conducted twice a
year with results available in January and July. The data
submitted by members on CAPP is computed in
conjunction with the American Angus Association (for black Angus
animals) and the Red Angus Association of America (for red Angus
animals). EPDs for all North American Angus animals are
therefore comparable to each other. However, an EPD for a
black animal is not comparable to that of a red animal.
Pedigree Estimates, sometimes referred to as parental
EPDS,
are available for all calves that don’t have a national EPD (due
to age—too young, unacceptable weight range or being an embryo transplant calf or twin). A
pedigree estimate can only be provided for a calf if both its parents have national EPDs.
Animals’ EPDs are listed on their registration certificates and
on their pedigrees on our website. Angus cattle purchasers
recognize the value of EPDs and
often ask for them.
Click here for
more information about CAPP or contact Kajal by email or at 1-888-571-3580.
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