fbpx

Angus bull

A scary little myth

By: Miranda Reiman

October 31, 2011

I will be dressing up like a pirate tonight. Why? Because my 3-year-old son is going as a pirate and he insisted that I should dress up with him and who can tell this little matey no?

So although my evening will be spent with PG-version spooks, I thought I’d bring up this myth that frightens grown men and women. (It’s sort of a follow up to last week’s suggestion that you check into retained ownership.)

Myth—Finding a feedlot is scary.

Fact—It is a big decision, but it can be painless and pretty easy. If you’ve decided you want to feed your calves, partner with a feedlot or just build relationships with one you can market to directly, it just takes a little homework.

I could go on and on, but really our own Paul Dykstra and Oklahoma State University’s Greg Highfill tell it better: Continue reading “A scary little myth”

angus cow

Focus on cattlemen

October 28, 2011

This has been an exciting week for our team. If you’ve stumbled across our website in the past couple days, you may have noticed a couple little changes.

Ok, more than a couple little changes. You may have noticed an entirely re-designed, re-written, re-navigated www.CABpartners.com.

You would have also noticed a theme… “Focus on Cattlemen.” I hope that you notice that theme in more places than just where we plainly wrote it on the homepage. I hope you notice that the focus is on you, your cattle, your profitability and your business decisions at every click of your mouse.

We’ve pooled all our experts, resources and ideas to share the highlights we think are most important to know about the management, genetics, nutrition, health and marketing of high-quality, Angus-type cattle.

Check it out. Browse around. Ask questions. Or,you can answer my questions to win a couple awesome prizes.

As we worked on creating the new website (www.CABpartners.com, in case you forgot), we asked some of our fellow CAB’ers to take a little quiz, testing how easy it was to navigate and how useful the information was.

So today, because I was so happy for our new site to launch and so thankful for their feedback, we have a pan of these rolls warming in our employee kitchen right now. It’s my way of saying ”thank you” to them for helping us make the website perfect for you. We hope they gave us feedback you will enjoy.

I’d like to say thank you in advance for visiting the new website (www.CABpartners.com). Unfortunately, I can’t send cinnamon rolls to you in the mail. I really would love to; it just doesn’t seem logical.

But I can mail grilling kits. And steak knives. And coffee mugs.

If you answer these five simple questions, you could find those items in your mailbox soon. Head on over to www.CABpartners.com to find the answers. Leave the answers and the link you found the answer at in your comment.

  1. What are CAB’s EPD recommendations for marbling?
  2. What is one CAB-licensed feedyard in Oklahoma?
  3. How do I certify my cow herd as “CAB”?
  4. How can I contact a CAB beef cattle specialist, and which one is in my region?
  5. What are the five key points to keep in mind when implanting calves to avoid damaging quality grade?

Anyone who answers all five questions correctly by Monday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. EST will win a new set of steak knifes. The first five will also get a stainless steel coffee mug. One lucky commenter will win this professional grilling set.

So get to clicking and commenting!

You may also like

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

Certified Angus Beef is offering $100,000 in scholarships for agricultural college students through the 2024 Colvin Scholarship Fund. Aspiring students passionate about agriculture and innovation, who live in the U.S. or Canada, are encouraged to apply before the April 30 deadline. With the Colvin Scholarship Fund honoring Louis M. “Mick” Colvin’s legacy, Certified Angus Beef continues its commitment to cultivating future leaders in the beef industry.

Raised with Respect™ Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

Raised with Respect™ Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

Raised with Respect™ was developed as part of a strategic cattle care partnership between Sysco and CAB. The collaboration focuses on supporting farmers and ranchers, equipping them with continuing education to stay current on best management practices and helping to increase consumer confidence in beef production.

South Dakota cows

AI? Check. Preg? Check.

By: Steve Suther

October 27, 2011

Hey fellow seekers,

Preg checking the artificially inseminated (AI-bred) heifers is always an exciting time, waiting to see how many can get the checkmark of “probably AI.”  To most commercial producers, it’s not worth the time and labor, but I see the benefits of using a sequence of single, high-accuracy sires to build up herd genetics, aiming for more and more predictability.

Ready for business at the R&R Corral

There have been years when the AI probables were less than half, but this year could be the best yet. Too good to be true if we accept all “5.5,” “gotta be at least 5” and “gotta be 5” as safe in calf to Connection, this year’s feature. Palpation is not an exact science, but Dr. Bobby’s very experienced hand was making the calls. Those nuances of wording could be the fudge factor in bringing the AI-settled portion down from a possible 78% (94% overall bred), but it sure is nice to think about the potential.

Corn harvest was still going on near the R&R Corral Monday afternoon,but K-Stater Rory was available to move heifers into the circle,vet accomplice Leo ran the headgate and my father Ralph wrote down numbers. A forgotten opportunity and unrecorded detail this year was weight of the heifers, but cow-family records and weaning weights can help fill in that picture. All were in great body condition as they headed to winter range till January. February calving is always a worry but we’ll try to beat last winter’s decent showing.

As fall moves on, I’m already thinking about May and trying a new step in AI strategy: customized sire selection to better complete the genetic package in each commercial female. I plan to halt the “all in” approach for a while, instead sorting my herd into four or five groups based on data and choosing sires that fill specific needs of those groups. My version of “complementarity” is not officially sanctioned in mainstream beef science, where the word is solely used in connection with selection for crossbreeding and its famous free lunch. I’m talking about the dairy sense of corrective mating, and had to surf the Web all the way to Africa to find:  “In most herds, complementary mating is practiced where the shortcomings of each cow. . . are matched with a bull that will improve and complement the daughter’s characteristics.”  More about that idea after a few more frosts and going over EPDs before the fireplace.

Until next time… let’s aim for profit, target the brand and keep building tomorrow together.

–Steve

You may also like

The Competitive Drive

The Competitive Drive

The Bootheel 7 brand that marks the hips of the Wasserburger’s cow herd could stand for the seven state wrestling titles held between three boys in the fourth generation, but that mark far predates their competitive drive. It’s been the brand carried by Wassserburgers looking for the ‘W’ since the homesteading era.

Progress from small steps

Progress from small steps

Every day is a chance to learn and get better. Thousands of others like my new friends in Alabama are taking steps to meet the shifts in consumer demand, and to know more. Small steps in the right direction can start now. Even if it’s just recording a snapshot of where you are today, a benchmark for tomorrow.

Not perfect, but working to get better

Not perfect, but working to get better

The CAB Cattleman Connection team heard its name called more than once in the virtual ceremonies, and each time came a sense of personal accomplishment, but even better: confirmation that we’re getting better at our craft. I hope that means we’re doing a better job for you.

DNA test for gain, grade available soon

Value-based tool will help commercial producers better select, manage Angus cattle

 

by Steve Suther

A new DNA test for marbling and post-weaning growth will soon help cattle producers better hit the high-quality beef target. The tool, set to debut in early 2012, will be made available under a development agreement between Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) and Pfizer Animal Genetics, the companies announced.

Exclusive marketing rights are reserved for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), in line with the company’s continuing effort to increase the supply of cattle for the brand. AGI and CAB are subsidiaries of the American Angus Association.

The test is being designed for use on high-percentage, commercial Angus cattle sired by registered bulls, according to AGI President Bill Bowman. “It should provide a valuable tool to increase the precision of selection decisions at the ranch, as well as differentiating value for the feedlot,” he said.

Test results will take the form of an index, which is being finalized this fall, said Mark McCully, CAB assistant vice president for supply.

“There have been lots of advancements in the purebred cattle industry utilizing DNA for selection,” Bowman said. “But this will be the first test at a price point that is economically feasible for commercial cattlemen. The American Angus Association, its subsidiaries and Pfizer Animal Genetics are excited to partner on bringing this technology to market for the users of Angus genetics.”

Scott Bormann, business director, Pfizer Animal Genetics, says the development of this product is another example of the strategic partnership between the companies.

“We appreciate the American Angus Association and its affiliates continuing to foster innovation in the field of genetic evaluation,” Bormann said. “The forward-thinking collaboration should result in a DNA test that helps continue to advance genomic use and application, the Angus breed, as well as meet consumer demand for high-quality beef.”

McCully noted what are expected to be popular uses for the tool. “This is going to allow for more accurate replacement heifer selection and targeted management in feeding Angus cattle,” he said. “With demand for high-quality beef at an all-time high, commercial cattlemen will soon gain a greater ability to identify those cattle most able to access premiums in that marketplace.”

cattle drive

Scared of losing your shirt?

By: Miranda Reiman

October 24, 2011

I interviewed Barb Downey four years ago. In the meantime I had two kids and moved to a different state. She ran the Boston Marathon. (Wow.)

Joe Carpenter and Barb Downey feel pretty strongly about the benefits of retaining ownership of their calves through the feeding phase.

But in all that time I can still remember one of her most emphatic quotes during our pickup ride through her picturesque Flint Hills pastures:

“The best thing we ever did for our bottom line was to investigate retained ownership.”

You can read the whole story I wrote that year (Open to Suggestion), but the summary notes are that she and her husband started out feeding through an early CAB value-discovery program. Then they made the plunge to full retained ownership.

They gradually started to build on a small base of registered Angus cattle they started in 1993 and now they believe so much in retained ownership that they encourage their bull-buying customers to do the same.

So let me use their example to help bust this one:

Myth–Retaining ownership is a good way to lose a pile of money!

Darrell Busby crunches numbers as manager of Iowa’s Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity.

Fact—Sure, every year is different and there’s no guarantee that you won’t lose money, and a lot of it, retaining ownership. But the odds are greatly in your favor if you do a little homework, and there is a pile of good data that says it’s still a sound strategy.

During a summer interview, Darrell Busby, of Iowa’s Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF), mentioned that last year was the most profitable year they’ve had. Producers averaged more than $140 per head.

“Profit is the happiness index of the beef industry and when you retain ownership and make a profit, then things go well,” he said. Continue reading “Scared of losing your shirt?”

$20,000 in beef scholarships

CAB’s Colvin Fund helps education dreams come true

 

by Miranda Reiman

October 21, 2011

Pursuing a passion for agriculture through further education—that’s the top requirement for the Louis M. “Mick” Colvin Scholarship offered by the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand.

This year, $15,000 will be split among five undergraduate scholarships, in the amounts of $5,000, $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000.

College juniors and seniors who have shown commitment to the beef industry, either through coursework or activities, are encouraged to apply by the Dec. 2 deadline. Applications are evaluated on involvement and scholastic achievement, communication skills and reference letters.

A new opportunity, an additional $5,000 graduate level scholarship will also be given to a full-time masters or doctorate student conducting research related to high-quality beef production. Applications for that award are due Jan. 13, 2012.

“The graduate level scholarship will build on what the Colvin Scholarship has always done,” says Mick Colvin, who co-founded Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) in 1978 and served as president for 22 years. “We will be able to groom the next great scientist supporting premium beef.”

The funds given have more than doubled since 2009.

“It’s very, very gratifying to see the amount we’ve offered grow over the years,” Colvin says. “Our partners have really pitched in and they’ve made this scholarship what it is today.”

grid marketing webinar

Those supporters raised a record $92,000 in scholarship monies at a golf outing and auction held during the brand’s annual conference this year in Sunriver, Ore. The dollars go into an account that generates the interest proceeds used to fund these scholarships each year. That ensures the longevity of the program and its impact on the industry.

The 2012 golf outing sponsorship was purchased by Palmer Food Services/G&C Food Distributors, Rochester, N.Y.  The following companies also supported the live auction: Holten Meat Inc., East St. Louis, Ill; Cargill Meat Solutions, Wichita, Kan.; Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Dakota Dunes, S.D.; Sysco Columbia LLC, Columbia, S.C.; Cattleman’s Choice Feedyard Inc., Gage, Okla.; Niman Ranch, Denver, Colo.; and from Canada, Retail Ready Food Products Inc., Mississauga, Ontario; GFS Montreal & Quebec; and Boucherville Quebec.

The top two recipients also win an all-expense-paid trip to the 2012 CAB Annual Conference, September 19-21 in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.  This is an opportunity to interact with leaders throughout the production, packing, retail and foodservice industries.

“I can’t say enough good about the past winners,” Colvin says. “They’re great, great students and I’m proud to be associated with them.”

The Colvin Scholarship Fund began in 1999 when Colvin retired as CAB executive director. The scholarships recognize his role in making dreams a reality and inspiring others to be their best. Colvin co-founded the CAB program in 1978, leading to establishing the world’s leading brand of fresh beef.

You may also like

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

$100,000 Up for Grabs with 2024 Colvin Scholarships

Certified Angus Beef is offering $100,000 in scholarships for agricultural college students through the 2024 Colvin Scholarship Fund. Aspiring students passionate about agriculture and innovation, who live in the U.S. or Canada, are encouraged to apply before the April 30 deadline. With the Colvin Scholarship Fund honoring Louis M. “Mick” Colvin’s legacy, Certified Angus Beef continues its commitment to cultivating future leaders in the beef industry.

Raised with Respect™ Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

Raised with Respect™ Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

Raised with Respect™ was developed as part of a strategic cattle care partnership between Sysco and CAB. The collaboration focuses on supporting farmers and ranchers, equipping them with continuing education to stay current on best management practices and helping to increase consumer confidence in beef production.

Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

Drought Impact and Cattle Industry Dynamics

As drought conditions persist across much of cattle country, farmers and ranchers are at a pivotal juncture in the cattle industry’s landscape. What impact does this prolonged dry spell have on the nation’s herd numbers? When will heifer retention begin? How will industry dynamics influence the spring bull sale season?

fed cattle

It’s time to pay attention

October 21, 2011

 

Have you taken a look at what calves like this are worth lately? While I was trying to catch up after two weeks on another continent, the rest of our team was swapping emails, crunching numbers and speculating on exactly how much money is out there to be made by savvy cattlemen who focus on carcass quality and beef performance.

I gathered up the email chain and tried to sort out the most important information. So sharpen your pencils and get ready to follow this money trail. Our Paul Dykstra is the math whiz behind the figuring:

Earlier this week, when a CAB® carcass was worth an extra $3.00 / cwt. and the Ch/Se spread was $16.10 / cwt., then the premium above the 5-area weighted average would be about $73.40 per head for an 850-lb CAB® carcass on a widely available Nebraska grid.

The Choice premium is $47.90 /head and the CAB® premium is $25.50/head.  The advantage over Select is $162.35/head.  This adds $5.48/cwt. to the live market average price.  The YG 4 discount figures to only -$3.18/cwt. live, -$5.00/cwt. carcass, so there’s no reason not to sell quality cattle (over 65% Choice pens) on a grid. 

But what about Prime carcasses?

With the Choice/Select spread the same, the Prime premium is $21.71/cwt., carcass basis, according to USDA.  So, Prime is worth another $184.54/head, in the meat,on top of the $47.90/head for Choice. Total is $232.44/ head above the weighted average (not above Select,mind you).  The Prime live price premium over weighted average is $17.37/cwt. on an 850-wt. carcass (1338 live weight).

What does the area weighted average mean?

If plant average for percent Choice is 65%, then 100% minus 65% equals 35%.  The packer will pay 35% of the Ch/Se spread on every Choice carcass.  So, the new number, $19.04 / cwt. gives you the following math results.

Here’s how that’s all figured: Continue reading “It’s time to pay attention”

Left glove, please!

October 20, 2011

We all know about disappearing socks; the “missing mate,” if you will.  Even though all (well, nearly all) my socks are white and made by Hanes, each time I buy a new pack, they have different markings on them and I can’t conscientiously match them unless they’re perfect mates (yes, I’m anal about my socks). However, I would offer I suffer from the same malady with work gloves!

I had the day all set to build fence (can you believe I take days of vacation to do this?):  Post hole digger, wire, posts, clips, staples, tamping bar,fencing tool,level (yes, I’m anal about posts being 90 degrees to the ground), and measuring tape.  Leather gloves…….let see, sorting, sorting, sorting through my basket of leather gloves in the mud room…….right hand, right hand, right hand, right hand, right hand……..not a “leftie” in sight.  OK, this reminds me of when I was a kid sorting through the closet……..you see things really haven’t changed all that much!

No mates!

Now, I may be slow-witted, but I’m not totally stupid, so I take a “rightie” and put it on my left hand, just as I grudgingly put on one white sock that’s slightly different than the other.  Uncomfortable, yes, but it beats getting a barb stuck in the fleshy part of your thumb!

So we all do have to do some things that are uncomfortable, but they are done out of necessity, because you work with what you have; that is the way we were taught as kids (at least in my generation; and more so in my father’s).

Those old hedge posts, after being pulled out of an old fence, can be turned upside down and used again.  We continue to “make-do” with the things we have and that’s not all bad.  As a matter of fact, maybe if more Americans did that very thing, we’d all be better off.  But that’s a story for another day.

However, at some point, you’re going to need to replace what you have; BEGIN ANEW!  As you look at the cowherd this fall and find out which cows are open, and which cows had sorry calves, or which bulls didn’t perform up to expectations, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate where you are.  Continue reading “Left glove, please!”

The American farmer meet African agriculture

Ocotober 18, 2011

“What do you do with all your maize, Mr. Jeff?”

“Well, we feed it to our cattle,” the American farmer replied.

All 16 students erupted with laughter, clicking their tongues in disapproval.

“To your cows? You feed all your maize to your cows?! But then what do you eat?”

The idea of “sweet corn” for humans and “field corn” for cattle was as foreign to the students as the African bush was to Mr. Jeff. Western Nebraska’s the scenery he’s more accustomed to.

“How many tractors do you use on your farm in America, Mr. Jeff?”

“What do you use them for?”

“Do they look like this one?”

“Do you have to push yours down the hill to start it, too?”

Now it was his time to chuckle. Yes, there has been a time or two that an old tractor on his farm needed a push-start, too. But never a green one, he joked. Continue reading “The American farmer meets African agriculture”

Partners in Mexico; partners in progress

October 18, 2011

On the road, but not far from home!  Recently, I assisted the Wooster, Ohio crew in hosting some folks from Mexico associated with ComNor,  a group that is a beef wholesaler for our product, Certified Angus Beef.

Our company has invested a lot of time, money, and effort in educating our customers about our product: where does it come from; who are the producers; how are the cattle treated; what are they fed; do they receive humane care, and how much does it cost to raise one? The group from ComNor was was no different.

On this particular trip, we visited a CAB-licensed feedlot (Pratt Feeders, Pratt, KS) and an Angus seedstock producer (Gordon Stucky at Kingman, KS).  In addition, the group got a tour of one of our many packing partners, Cargill in Dodge City, KS.

Gordon Stucky did an excellent job of explaining to the group the process of designing a genetic program takes time; he spends hours studying Expected Progeny Differences, talks to other seedstock producers, and visits with his bull customers to determine which A.I. sires he might use on his purebred cows.  Once the semen has been purchased, and cows synchronized and bred, 283 or so days later, those cows have a calf.  Eighteen months after that, he has a product (a bull, or rather several bulls) to finally sell.  He told the group that if he doesn’t make sound decisions on genetic selections, and produce the kind of bulls that his customers demand, he has just spent a great deal of time and energy wasted if he cannot please them.

Gordon Stucky explains his Angus seedstock operation to licensed partners from Mexico.

Jerry Bohn, manager of Pratt Feeders in Pratt, KS, stressed that when cattle arrive at the feedlot, they are fed a diet that is designed for them to Continue reading “Partners in Mexico; partners in progress”