With the advent of the Salers Association’s Whole Herd Program, Canadian Salers breeders have access to EPDs and adjusted weights generated by the American Salers Association in conjunction with BREEDPLAN INTERNATIONAL in Australia.
There are a number of changes to the calculations for adjusted weights as compared with the previous Canadian figures that are explained here:
Adjustment Factors
Birth weights are adjusted to a bull calf basis out of mature dams using the following formula using 5 pounds as an adjustment to bull basis for heifer calves:
(Actual weight + sex adjustment of 5 pounds) + age of dam adjustment
Age of Dam Adjustment Factors
609-1003 days = 4 pounds for both sexes
1004-1368 days = 2
1369-1733 days = 1
1734-3923 days = 0
10 years and older = 2
Weaning Weights are adjusted to 205 days using
the following formulae.
Actual weaning wt – birth wt / age in days = ADG
(ADG from birth to weaning X 205) + Birth weight + Age of Dam Adjustment = Adjusted 205 day weight
Weaning weights should be taken between 160 – 250 days of age in order to be adjusted to 205 days.
Age of Dam Adjustment Factors
| Age | Range in Age | Bulls | Heifers |
| 2 | 609-1003 | 49 | 38 |
| 3 | 1004-1368 | 26 | 20 |
| 4 | 1369-1733 | 13 | 8 |
| 5-10 | 1734-3923 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 & over | 3924 & over | 16 | 6 |
Yearling Weight
The following combination of formulae are used to calculate the Adjusted Yearling weights:
(a) For animals with adjusted weaning weights:
Actual yearling wt – Actual weaning wt / Days between weighing = Post weaning ADG
(160 X PWADG) + adj. 205 day weight
(b) For animals without a weaning weight:
Actual yearling wt – Birth wt / age in days = Total ADG
(365 X Total ADG) + birth weight + age of dam factor(weaning) = Adj 365 day wt.
Yearling weights should be taken between 300 -450 days of age in order to be adjusted to 365 days.
This information can be accessed directly using the american Salers site, http://www.salersusa.org.
It is important to note the very useful tool, recently added to this Sire Summary, of the Average EPD data for the most recent group of calves measured (at present year 2003 born calves). Using these averages will allow breeders to better understand the present EPD ranking of each animal. For example, if a bull has a yearling EPD of 18 pounds and the average is 24 pounds then this animal is actually a below average performer when compared to the breed average for current animals.