AGRISCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES EDUCATION CURRICULUM
(3000) Curriculum area: Animal Science
(3080) Unit: Beef Cattle
Name: Nick Thompson
(3086) Topic: Beef Breeding
Topic Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to:
3086X Identify Expected Progeny Differences in beef cattle and what they
mean
3086X Compare Bulls and determine what bulls will sire calves with
inherently ideal traits.
Time Frame:
100 minutes
Materials/Equipment:
Beef Cattle Sire booklet (from Select sires, genetic horizons, etc.)
Activity: 3086 Beef EPD’s
Chalk/Dry Erase Board
Overhead Projector
References:
Select Sires, breeding catalog, 1999
Teaching Procedure:
A. Interest Approach:
Following an Artificial Insemination lab give students a scereneo on the
board of a farmer who takes his calves to the stockyards every fall and
receives lower prices than other farmers. He discusses with others and
finds out his calves are lighter muscled and are less structurally sound.
Ask students to determine in groups what they can do and how they can
help the farmer produce better calves. Guide them to wonder how to pick
out a bull to help the farmer.
B. Teaching Steps:
a. Lecture after activity and discuss Expected Progdey differences or
EPD’s . Discuss what they are and how they can help producers
decide which bulls to use. Discuss all, but focus on Birth weight,
Weaning Weight, Yearling weight, and Milk. These will help with
understanding growth traits from previous exercise.
b. Give students 3086 Beef EPD’s worksheet, along with designated sire
directory. (this activity is set up for Select Sires 1999 Beef Sire
Directory, however can be easily modified).
c. Help students work through questions.
C. Review:
As a class, go through worksheet together to review. Allow students to
feedback on differences in breed EPD’s, as well as what they think would
be a good choice, or choices for the producer we talked about at the
beginning of the hour.
D. Evaluation:
Collect sheet and give credit for participation.