07/23/2026
Let’s talk Percentile Ranks…
There are more theories about EPDs floating around the cattle business than there are pedigree combinations in the Shorthorn breed.
Okay, not really. But now that I have your attention…Ha! 🤣
There are plenty of theories surrounding genetic predictions: how the science works, how much confidence we should place in it, and how it should be applied in a real-world production setting. That last part, the application, is probably where much of the skepticism begins because some folks just don’t know how to properly use the *proven* science.
Today, however, we are not reopening the great debate over whether EPDs are useful. That fight is silly and that is a conversation for the North Americans for another day. So, if you’re not a science denier, please read on…
👉OK- back to the percent ranks (%Rank) conversation...
📈 An animal labeled a “Trait Leader,” or one ranking near the top of the breed for a particular trait, is not automatically better. Before pushing genetic potential toward an extreme, you need to understand the biological strengths and weaknesses of the breed you are working with.
📖 A smart place to begin is with the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) Across-Breed EPD report. It helps show where Shorthorns fit within the broader American beef-cattle population, not just within our own breed.
Here is an important point: although Shorthorns are generally categorized with British maternal breeds such as Angus, Hereford, and Red Angus, they are not biologically identical to those breeds.
🥩 Some British breeds have struggled with excessive fat, higher Yield Grades, and lighter muscling. Modern Shorthorns, by comparison, tend to be naturally leaner. We were not always that way, but the frame race of yesteryear and our dairy-type era decades ago may have helped move the breed in that direction.
🙌 That natural leanness may also help explain why Shorthorns have shown encouraging results in bovine congestive heart-failure scoring work. Meanwhile, some of our British-breed counterparts have not always fared as well. Apparently, being a “big fat fatty” is not a complete production strategy.
So, if Shorthorns are already lean by nature, should one chase an extreme FAT EPD percent rank and try to build the leanest Shorthorn cow herd in the business?
…I hope not. Our breed still gets labeled as “hard doing” by the out of touch competition to this day.
➡️ Cows that are too lean generally require more maintenance energy and more feed to regain condition and breed back efficiently.
➡️ On the other hand, do we want to push Shorthorns all the way toward the fat levels commonly associated with Angus and Hereford?
I would say no to that, too…but we have a loooooong way to go before that becomes our biggest concern. So you’ve got room to actually select for fatter, easier conditioning Shorthorns.
📚The lesson is simple: single trait percent ranks provide direction, but not are a complete breeding plan.
📊 Before stretching a trait toward an extreme, make sure you understand where your breed begins, where your herd needs to go, and what the biological consequences may be. Extremes can create problems on either end of the scale.
And remember, having every trait displayed on the “right side” of the graph in DigitalBeef does not necessarily mean you have bred a better animal…
…Sometimes it simply means you have gone too far.
-Luke
(I’ll share the USDA MARC Across-Breed EPD data in the comments below.)
