TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool

This TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool is provided as a public service by the Department of Animal Science and the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP). The TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool is an online aid to help in determining a bull’s qualification and potential reimbursement amount in the Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program. The online tool is intended to be used as a guide to provide information based solely on data entered by the user. The TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool is provided without any guarantees of acceptance. 

Refer to ​2022-2023 Beef EPD, Index and Accuracy Requirements​ for all program requirements.

What is new for 2022-2023

Update – Due to current economic conditions and the increase in TAEP funding provided by Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, the Genetics program maximum is increased to $1800.00.

  • Please refer to the Links section, including TAEP 2022-23 Beef EPD, Index & Accuracy Requirements – by breed, as substantial updates have been applied to the 3-Tier Bull Type system, in order to allow greater flexibility for producers.
  • Bulls are required to meet or exceed EPD and Accuracy requirements in each of 2 EPD groups (Index or Growth + Calving Ease) for one of the following three bull types (Maternal/Balanced, Maternal/Calving Ease, or End Product/Terminal).
  • Suggested Maternal selection may be applied through an optimal Milk EPD range, which could help producers to match maintenance requirements of replacement females with available feed resources.
  • Suggested selection for replacement heifers may be utilized through the Maternal Index for breeds that calculate this value.  TAEP lists the Maternal Index at the 50th percentile for several breeds.  Producers may evaluate Maternal Index or other traits relative to the current breed population  by printing a copy of the non-parent EPD Percentile tables for the breeds of cattle utilized in an operation’s crossbreeding program.
  • Producers should print pedigree with true NCE EPDs (minimum 0.15 accuracy) for the Calving Ease (CE or CED) and Index or Growth ($M or$B or WW or YW) groups from breed association website. Breeds without a CED EPD have a BW option listed in the EPD & Accuracy document. Interim EPDs, pedigree estimates, pedigree index (ex. I, I+, P, P+ or 0.05 Accuracy), or parental averages are not eligible for reimbursement. You may contact TDA representative Ryan Betzelberger with questions at livestock.genetics@tn.gov

Disclaimer of Liability
In preparation of the TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool, every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct, and clearly expressed information possible. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors in information may occur. The information included in this TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool was compiled by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.


The TAEP Bull Purchase Reimbursement Tool is now available with 2022-2023 updates.
Please use the 2022-2023 Beef EPD, Index, and Accuracy Requirements document to learn how Index $ values have been added as a recommended option to meet requirements.

Please do not hesitate to contact TAEP with any questions.



Bull Information



     




*** Pedigree printed from breed association website must be submitted with reimbursement request and include EPDs, accuracies, genomic verification (if applicable), and have a printed date between October 1, 2022 and the date of purchase. ***



Reimbursement Eligibility
Maternal/Calving Ease Bull
Maternal/Balanced Bull
End Product/Terminal Bull

Calving Ease Group

CED acceptable?

Index/Growth Group

Maternal Index acceptable?

OR

N/A

Terminal Index acceptable?

OR

N/A
N/A

WW acceptable?

OR

YW acceptable?

Suggested Group

Suggested Milk EPD Range

Suggested Minimum Docility

Qualify as bull type?

Cost-share up to maximum of $0.00

** Reimbursements will be based on maximum allowed by TDA depending on genomic testing, sale price, and current Master Producer Certificate. Please see “Examples of the TAEP Beef Genetics Program Cost Share” link below for more details. **

The results of the TAEP Bull Qualification Calculator does not guarantee reimbursement for the purchase of a bull through the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact TDA representative, Ryan Betzelberger, livestock.genetics@tn.gov

** If printing from Firefox: Do NOT use the “Print Results” button. Instead, select Print from the web browser’s menu and scale to 80%. **

What Am I Looking For?

To use the calculator, first select the bull breed and whether the bull was genomic tested. Breeder and breed association websites will have documentation if the bull has Genomic Enhanced EPDs.

Next enter the EPD and accuracy numbers of your bull. By using the above example, the first line is the EPD number and the second line is the accuracy number you use to enter in the calculator boxes. Milk does not require an accuracy input.

CED
Acc
$M$BWW
Acc
YW
Acc
Milk
Acc
Doc
+5
.35
65%
+75

20%
+151

30%
+68
.46
30%
+115
.39
35%
+26
.34
50%
+25

20%

EPDs

CED = Calving Ease Direct
WW = Weaning Weight
YW = Yearling Weight
$M = $Maternal (Maternal Index)
$B = $Beef (Terminal Index)

After you have completed entering your information, click the “Check Eligibility” box. You are required to acknowledge that you have read the liability statement before your results are displayed.