This focus is often reinforced in sale catalogues where a bull’s merit is highlighted through low birth weights or high Calving Ease Direct figures. The first is the over-selection for Calving Ease (Direct); the reduction in average cow age within herds, and steadily increasing cow size. However, these risks can be managed if breeders give equal weight to Calving Ease (Direct) and Calving Ease (Daughters). Calving Ease (Direct) describes the likelihood of a sire’s calves being born without difficulty, while Calving Ease (Daughters) reflects how easily his daughters will calve as first-lactation heifers. While the Australian industry does not publish national statistics on cow age trends, data from the CashCow project is informative.