
40th Annual Bull Sale
This catalogue is a work in progress. This copy is current on January 30, 2025. Watch for new weights and scrotal circumference on yearling bulls to be updated when semen testing is completed in early February. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out via messenger, email or text my cell at 250-566-5114

“Which bull here will make me the most money when used on my cows?”
How do you use EPDs to answer this question? Simple answer, “Indexes”…. Indexes have been used for a long time in poultry, swine and dairy and now Beef producers have access to what are arguably one of the most powerful genetic selection tools. Indexes are a combination of multiple EPDS, weighed by their influence on prices and costs- of feed, the value of weaned calves, price grids on quality grade and yield grade – it’s all factored in. The important indexes for Canadian Herefords are the Maternal Productivity Index (MPI) and the Feedlot Merit Index (FMI). These allow for a balanced trait selection.
Maternal Productivity Index
(MPI)
The MPI combines factors which impact productivity and profitability of Hereford cows in a herd that retains replacements and sells calves at weaning. The index uses 6 EPDs that go into identifying low cost, long lived productive females, producing calves born easy, that grow quickly, all things that make a beef cow profitable in a commercial setting. The MPI selects for smaller framed, more efficient cows, with higher stayability, over cows that excel in calf performance.

Feedlot Merit Index
(FMI)
The FMI combines the economically relevant traits affecting profitability of feeder cattle: calving ease, weaning weight, average daily gain, feed intake, yield grade and marbling score. A difference in FMI between two bulls represents a difference between the progeny of the bulls in terms of profitable feeder cattle. FMI is an excellent tool to increase carcass potential of the progeny of bulls used in a terminal sire program where all calves are shipped as feeders and replacement females are purchased from outside sources.
The reason they are so useful is that Indexes balance all the important traits which prevents producers from getting caught up with single trait selection. Some traits are counter-productive when selected for in the extreme. Too much milk might give you bigger calves but it likely will also result in more open cows and higher feed bills! Check out the MPI and FMI indexes on our bulls in the chart above to find which ones will work best for your production model.
Calving Ease EPD (CE), If you are looking for that heifer bull which will let you “sleep easy” next spring, please consider putting your attention on the calving ease EPD first to identify the “Heifer Bull” candidates in the pen. The qualifying calving ease candidates can then be sorted by what else they can bring to your program using their MPI and or FMI to help make your final decision.




