DeLong, Karen L.

September, 2023

CowÐCalf Producer Preferences for Bull Genomic Enhanced Expected Progeny Differences

By: Smith, Katy V. ; DeLong, Karen L.; Griffith, Andrew P.; Boyer, Christopher N.; Martinez, Charley; Jensen, Kimberley L.
Genomic enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs) combine expected progeny differences (EPDs) with DNA information to improve EPD accuracy values. In 2020, Tennessee cattle producers completed a between-subjects choice experiment for bulls marketed with either EPDs or GE-EPDs. Panel Tobit regression results indicate that, on average across all considered EPDs, producers were not willing to pay significantly more for GE-EPDs than for EPDs. However, producers were willing to pay more for the calving ease direct EPD if it was genomic enhanced. This is the first known study to evaluate producersÕ value of improved accuracy scores associated with GE-EPDs.
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January, 2020

Reproductive Failure and Long-Term Profitability of Spring- and Fall-Calving Beef Cows

By: Boyer, Christopher N.; Griffith, Andrew P.; DeLong, Karen L.
We determined how reproductive failure impacts the long-term profitability of beef cows in spring- and fall-calving herds. Simulation models were established to generate distributions of net present value, payback periods, and breakeven prices of calves when a dam fails to wean zero, one, or two calves over her life. Results indicate that giving a dam another calving opportunity after failing to wean a calf would likely result in her being unprofitable. A producer would be better off selling the open dam than giving her another chance to breed. This illustrates the value in selecting replacement heifers based on fertility.
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