Dry Matter Intake EPDs in Angus: What They Measure and How to Use Them

Feed efficiency is one of the most talked-about and least used areas of Angus genetic selection. Producers know feed is expensive, yet many still pick bulls on birth weight, weaning weight and carcass numbers alone. Dry matter intake, usually shortened to DMI, is a measure that speaks directly to feed cost. This guide explains what it is, how it is produced, and how to use it sensibly. We do not assert here how many producers currently use it, because we could not verify a reliable figure.

What the DMI EPD tells you

According to the American Angus Association's Angus Journal, the DMI EPD is expressed in pounds per day and predicts a sire's transmitting ability for feed intake during the postweaning phase (Angus Journal). In plain terms, it estimates how much more or less dry feed a sire's progeny are expected to eat, compared with progeny of another sire, when fed the same way. A lower number means less predicted intake.

The Association reports DMI and a related trait, residual average daily gain (RADG), on all registered Angus cattle. RADG is also in pounds per day and describes gain beyond what intake alone would predict. Higher RADG is generally preferred. A third measure, residual feed intake (RFI), is available only to breeders who submit intake records, and lower, more negative values are favored.

How the numbers are built

Measuring how much an individual animal eats is costly. It requires facilities that record intake animal by animal, and not every operation has them. The Association describes the feed intake data as coming from cooperating breeders, bull test facilities and research projects funded by the Association and the Angus Foundation (angus.org feed intake page). An Angus Genetics Inc. geneticist has written that the dataset holds nearly 40,000 records from more than 800 U.S. herds. Compare that to more than 12 million weaning weight records in the database, and you can see why intake EPDs are built on a far thinner base.

That thinner base shows in accuracy. The same reporting puts average DMI EPD accuracy at about 0.36 for animals with both genomic information and direct intake records. Animals without their own intake data rely more on genomics and relatives, so their intake EPDs are less certain. Treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Why DMI alone can mislead

The temptation is to pick the lowest DMI bull and call it a day. The Angus Journal cautions against it: animals that eat less but also grow more slowly may not be the most productive. A low-intake animal that fails to gain, or that matures with poor carcass quality, saves feed and loses money on the back end.

That is why DMI should be read next to growth and the RADG figure. Ask whether the bull's calves are expected to gain at least as well as average while eating the same or less. If so, he is improving efficiency, not just shrinking intake. The Association also folds intake information into its dollar indexes: the feed intake EPD feeds the $F (feedlot value) index, and $F feeds into $B (beef value). That means you capture some efficiency information even when you select on indexes.

Who benefits from intake EPDs

The value depends on where you sit in the supply chain.

• Feedlot operators and backgrounders pay for feed directly, so lower intake at equal gain shows up in their margin.
• Cow-calf producers who retain ownership or sell on a grid share in the benefit. Those who sell calves at weaning get paid less directly, but efficient genetics can also reduce the feed needed to hold cow condition if intake traits are correlated with mature cow requirements, a link that is still being studied.
• Seedstock breeders are the ones who generate the data. Contributing intake records improves accuracy for the whole breed.

Using DMI in a bull purchase

If feed cost is a pressure point in your operation, add DMI or RADG to the traits you screen, but keep the screen simple. Start with the must-haves, such as calving ease for heifer bulls, structure and fertility, then use intake and gain data to choose among the bulls that remain. Our guide to reading an EPD sheet explains accuracy, percentile ranks and how to compare bulls that sit at different points on the scale.

Also confirm the accuracy value beside each EPD. A bull with a favorable DMI number and low accuracy could move substantially as more data arrives. If you buy several bulls, spreading risk across more than one sire is a sensible hedge.

Questions to ask a seedstock supplier

• Do you collect individual intake data, or do your numbers come from genomics and pedigree?
• How do the bulls you sell rank for RADG as well as DMI?
• What are the accuracy values on the intake traits?
• Have you seen how these bulls' progeny perform in a feeding program like mine?

The bigger picture

Selection for efficiency is a long game. Genetic change accumulates over generations, and feed cost is only one part of profit. Fertility, calving ease, carcass merit and cow longevity all influence the bottom line, so keep them in the frame. For broader background on selecting for quality and profit, see farm.fm's page on mastering Angus cattle genetics. The Beef Research site from the Beef Checkoff also hosts efficiency and sustainability material, and the agriculture directory can help you locate seedstock suppliers.

EPD definitions, available traits and accuracy values are updated regularly, so check current American Angus Association documentation before relying on any figure here. This site is independent and not affiliated with the Association.