BIF Genetic Prediction Committee Agenda
Chairman: Larry Cundiff, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center

Overview:
The Genetic Prediction Committee develops and produces procedures and guidelines for genetic predictions of breeding value or expected progeny differences (EPDs) for all traits of economic importance to beef production. Breed associations are encouraged to use these procedures in their genetic evaluation programs.

Procedures have also developed for estimation of across-breed EPDs (AB-EPDs). Each year a table of adjustment factors is updated and presented at the BIF meeting. These factors can be added to EPDs computed separately by each breed to compare animals of different breeds on the same EPD scale. The AB-EPDs are most useful to commercial producers purchasing bulls of two or more breeds for use in systematic crossbreeding programs.

Agenda:
1. Traits and mean EPDs reported by 15 breeds
Presented by Larry Cundiff, MARC, ARS, USDA
    2002 Across Breed EPD Table

2. Across-Breed EPD update
Presented by Dale Van Vleck, MARC, ARS, USDA
Click on the links below for more information about this presentation:
    Across-Breed EPD Update
    Tables 1-4
    Tables 5-8
    Table 9

3. Assigning EPDs and Accuracies to Cloned Cattle
Presented by Bruce Golden, Colorado State University

4. Genetic Evaluation in Large Commercial Herds
Presented by Bob Weaber, Cornell University, and Keith Long, Bell Ranch, N.M.

5. Other business — Open discussion