Good breeding decisions don’t happen in the heat of the auction ring – they start well before sale day. The first step is to be clear on your breeding objectives and know exactly which traits matter most for your operation.
Ask yourself: What am I using these bulls for? Will they be joined to heifers or mature cows? Is the focus on terminal use, producing replacement females, or breeding progeny for a specific market? Your answers will guide you towards the most relevant selection index andindividual EBVs for your herd.
Most of the planning should take place in the office. The BREEDPLAN website is a valuable tool for sorting available sires by their selection index and the EBVs that match your goals. Here, you can also investigate the reproductive performance of dams and, in some cases, check for known genetic conditions.
Before the sale day, discuss the details with seedstock producers at length. Ask about their breeding objectives, joining windows, vaccination and biosecurity protocols, and feeding programs. Request BULLCHECK® certificates to ensure breeding soundness. The more information you gather, the more confident you’ll be in your short list of bulls.
What EBVs do
An Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) is a figure that predicts an animal’s genetic merit for a specific trait — for example, days to calving, 400-day weight, or eye muscle area.
EBVs are expressed in real units (kilograms, days, or millimetres), making it easy to compare animals and predict the likely difference in their progeny’s performance. For example, if one bull has a 400-day weight EBV that is 10 kg higher than another, you can expect his calves to average about 5 kg heavier at 400 days when mated to similar cows.
Every EBV also comes with an accuracy percentage, indicating the proportion of data on which the estimate is based. Higher accuracy means the EBV is less likely to change as more information becomes available, giving you more confidence in the prediction.
Why does this matter on your farm?
When selecting bulls, it’s important to focus on the traits that matter most to your herd and market. Rather than trying to optimise everything, many producers find it more effective to concentrate on just a few key EBVs — such as 600-day weight, scrotal size, days to calving, and the index that best matches their production goals.
Setting simple minimum thresholds for these traits can help narrow down your options and ensure you’re selecting animals that will drive genetic progress. As a starting guide example, combining the use of 600-day weight set above breed average, and a scrotal size EBV above breed average will then shortlist the prospective bull list. These trait indicators should be adjusted to suit your breeding objective, environment, and management system.
It’s also essential to consider EBV accuracy. Accuracy reflects how much data supports the EBV, and low-accuracy values can shift significantly as more progeny records become available. For traits that influence fertility, calving ease, or long-term herd performance, bulls with higher EBV accuracy offer more confidence and less risk.
How to Do the Homework (Step-by-Step)
1. Pick Your Top Traits and Set Minimums
Decide which EBVs will give you the biggest return in your production system. Choose a few key traits that align with your breeding goals and set minimum acceptable values.
2. Search the Sale Catalogue via the Brahman Website
- Go to the Animal Search tab at the top of the page.
- This will open the Brahman Animal Enquiry page.
- In the header row just below “Brahman Animal Enquiry,” click on the Sale Catalogues tab.
- Here you’ll find all current sales with online catalogues available for browsing.
- Click on the sale of interest from the list. The catalogue will open, displaying the first 15 lots.
- In the top left corner, you’ll see options to:
- View Sale Notes
- Show All EBVs
- Show All Entries
- Search/Sort Catalogue (see Figure 2)
Use these options to explore the catalogue in detail, check the EBVs for each bull, and sort or search the entries to find animals that meet your criteria.
Click on “Search/Sort Catalogue” to open filtering options, such as Colour and Horn Status. Use the down arrow next to each category to select your preferred choice. For example, if you want only homozygous polled bulls, choose that option from the Polled DNA Status drop-down box as shown in Figure 3. This allows you to quickly narrow down the catalogue to bulls that meet specific physical or genetic criteria.
How to Place Weighting on Traits When Searching EBVs
- Scroll down the page until you see the Trait Description section (see Figure 4), where all available EBVs are listed.
- In the Min box, enter the minimum EBV value you want for the traits that matter most to your bull-buying decisions.
- For traits where a lower EBV is better—such as Days to Calving, Birth Weight, and Gestation Length—enter your desired maximum value in the Max box instead.
- If you want to filter by confidence in the EBV, enter a minimum accuracy percentage in the Min Accuracy box. This ensures you only see animals with reliable EBV data.
By setting these values, you can narrow down your search to bulls that best fit your breeding goals and have trustworthy genetic information.
How to Use Percentile Bands to Set EBV Weightings
To help choose appropriate minimum values for your important EBVs—like 600-day weight—you can refer to the percentile bands:
- Click the “Click for Percentile” tab (see Figure 5). This will show you percentile bands for each EBV, such as the top 10%, 20%, 30%, etc.
- Find the percentile band that matches your target — for example, the 30% percentile band is bulls in the top 30% for that trait.
- Note the EBV value at that percentile for the trait you’re interested in.
- Return to the search page and enter this value into the Min box for that EBV to filter bulls that meet or exceed your target.
After Setting Your Trait Criteria
Once you’ve filled in the trait template with your desired EBV minimums and accuracy levels, click the Search tab.
A list of bulls matching your criteria will appear.
You may need to adjust your selection thresholds—tightening or loosening minimums—to control the number of bulls in your shortlist and ensure it fits your buying goals.
This iterative approach helps you find a manageable group of bulls well suited to your breeding goals.
Sale Day
- Arrive with a shortlist
Bring a list of bulls that meet your breeding aims, based on their selection index, key EBVs. - Assess temperament first
Bulls with poor temperament are a safety risk and will pass those traits to their progeny. Watch how each animal behaves in the yards and the ring. Strike out any that are flighty, aggressive, or overly nervous. - Check structure and soundness
Look for strong feet and legs, correct shoulder and hip structure and a good sheath set. Structural faults can shorten a bull’s working life and reduce joining success. - Confirm health and condition
Ask the vendor about vaccinations, biosecurity status, feeding programs, and recent treatments. A bull in right working condition (not overly fat) will settle in and perform better. Ask if there is a BULLCHECK® certificate. - Bid within your limits
Know your top price before you start bidding. Factor in both the bull’s genetic value and the number of years you expect him to work in your herd.
Selecting the right bull is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your herd each year. The choices you make don’t just affect the next calf crop — they shape the genetic direction of your herd for years to come. That’s why doing your homework before the sale ring is so critical.
By setting clear breeding objectives, using EBVs to guide your decisions, and arriving at the auction with a well-prepared shortlist, you’ll avoid costly mistakes and invest in sires that genuinely improve herd performance. Remember, good bulls don’t just add kilos to weaners — they can also tighten calving intervals, improve fertility in daughters, and increase carcase value in steers. The genetic gains may look small at first, but they compound year after year, delivering long-term benefits across your whole business.
Of course, every herd and every property are different. Breed objectives that make sense in one operation may not be the right fit for another. If you’re unsure about which EBVs to prioritise, how to set realistic thresholds, or simply want a second set of eyes to help build your shortlist, or the use of tools like Mating Predictor, I’m here to help.
For further advice or a conversation about using the BREEDPLAN website, please get in touch:
Paul Williams
Breed Development Officer
Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association
Email abba_bdo@brahman.com.au
Phone 0477 445 853
