MRW Cattle Resources

08/05/2026

It’s a rainy Wednesday in Southwest Iowa, and we are thankful for it! Hope you’re getting the moisture you need this summer.

Today’s content is giving y’all the opportunity to influence the direction of some of our future posts. We have rolled out a couple posts on some fun things in the genetic realm, and we want to do more. The best way to guide what comes next is to ask the audience!

What would you like to see us post about? Best topic idea might win an MRW prize pack…

🐮 🧬 🥩

07/30/2026

It’s a good day for another topic of genetic importance:

🎯 EPD Accuracy & Change Value 🎯

As EPDs are an estimate of genetic merit, the published accuracy value of the EPD is our confidence level that the EPD is correctly assessing the animal’s genetic merits. All EPDs start as a low accuracy number (near 0), and as data, genomics, and progeny records come in, accuracy increases towards 1.0 (and the EPD value can change).

Going along with accuracy but rarely talked about are what’s known as Change Values. The combination of accuracy and change values together give us the window in which our animal’s true genetic indicator lands. As accuracy values increase and we have a better picture of an animal’s breeding potential, change values decrease and the window narrows. You can find change values published by most breed associations, and an example of how they work on the last slide in this post.

While the EPDs get the limelight, accuracy and change values are a strong supporting cast!

07/27/2026

Good purebreds lead to a great in-bread product! 🍔

07/23/2026

Not everyone enjoys the complexities of beef cattle genetics quite like I do. Going forward, you’ll see some educational content here trying to bring these important concepts and tools to realistic, useful meaning. Kicking that off with heritability!

Heritability estimates how much of change in a trait is due to genetic effect (inherited) compared to environmental factors. Not all traits are created equally in heritability. Some traits can move the needle of change relative quick (high heritability), while others are moreso impacted by outside forces and thus take longer to see the impacts of selection.

Why does this matter to the seedstock producer? Knowing what kind of heritability is linked to the traits you are emphasizing will set the expectations for your progress. Some of the most important traits we select for are low heritability traits. But that doesn’t mean we abandon placing selection pressure on traits like fertility and longevity. Instead, it requires a patience and dedication to your breeding program to see your gains in the long run!

07/21/2026

Hello, friends!

It’s been way too long since I have been active here. This spring, MRW ran on autopilot to get to the sales season finish line with the tank on E. I missed a couple sales for friends that have been loyal clients, and those stung. The work was still getting done for our clients, but I wasn’t enjoying it near like I had in previous years. The extra mile to help people felt more like I was going an extra foot, thus coming up 5,279 feet short. So, I took a step back from the publicity efforts of MRW, because as I told myself, “Why waste time on all these posts when they’re not making any money?”

I took time to dial in on the future direction of MRW after sales season. No, we aren’t going anywhere! I love this business and the people it has brought into our circle, and it deserves to be thriving again. There are some concepts in the works that I can’t wait to share with you as the year rolls on. There’s no better time to set the future course of your genetic strategy than right now. Stay tuned.

The fire is back, and our focus is sharper than ever before. Let’s get to work.

-MRW

02/04/2026

Tune in tomorrow night for a preview of Saturday’s offering at Gilman Shorthorns!

We will be there if anything catches your interest!

Join us tomorrow at 6pm central time for a Facebook Live. We will discuss the offering Saturday!

01/22/2026

It may be 🥶 and ❄️ is on the way for many , but the Durhams in the Dakotas videos dropped and they are 🔥 🔥!

Check out these Shorthorn studs, and reach out to us to learn more about our favorites in this year’s offering. Sale is Saturday, January 31.

Video Catalog for Jungels Shorthorn Farm - Durhams in the Dakotas

01/15/2026

Some of my favorite places to spend an afternoon:

- the pasture in the spring
- the College World Series in summer
- Keeneland in the fall
- The Yards in January

Tomorrow, it’s time to go back to Denver and the National Western. Looking forward to visiting with clients, ST customers, and fellow cattlemen this weekend. Look us up and let’s chat!