Sara Snider
The Source
Just in time for Christmas, spring calving and bull sale season!
Christmas is just a few days away, and 2011 is right around the corner. Yikes! Hopefully you have your shopping done, the gifts wrapped and you can just relax and enjoy time with friends and family during the holiday season as you count down the last few days of 2010.
The AngusSource® department has been blessed this year. As the program continues to grow, we get busier and busier, but we love every minute. We enjoy working with producers. Whether it's enrolling calves in one of our verification programs, helping complete an online marketing document or taking an order for black books or ranch tags, we are glad to help.
In the spirit of Christmas, we have gifts for everyone! Gifts of good news and great offers.
Verification pays!
Each year our friends at Pfizer have an analysis of the Superior Livestock Auction data conducted. They drill down to break out those things that made calves worth more money. One of the things they look at is source and age verification. This year's results show that enrollment in a verification program made producers money. Enrollment in AngusSource, made them more.
This year the data included information on the eight video sales conducted between June and September 2010. While there are many other factors that affect the value of the calves being sold, this analysis was able to isolate the value of "verification." In other words, the additional dollars paid for calves enrolled in a source- and age-verification program.
The results are simple. Verified calves were worth more. Calves enrolled in a source- and age-verification program (other than AngusSource) brought $1.67 per hundredweight (cwt.) more than non-verified calves. Calves enrolled in AngusSource brought an additional $0.91 per cwt. compared to other verification programs. We'll call that the Angus advantage. That means calves enrolled in AngusSource garnered $2.58 per cwt. more than non-verified calves.
If we look at the average enrollment for fiscal year (FY) 2010, it was 164 head. If the “average producer” purchased visual ear tags and enrolled in the AngusSource program, total investment to enroll would have been $214. If they sold 600-pound (lb.) calves, each calf was worth an additional $15.48. This means their paycheck was $2,538.72 more because the calves were AngusSource.
The same producer, had they enrolled in Gateway would have paid $378 to enroll the 164 head and would have brought home an additional $1,643.28. Although AngusSource would have made him more money, that is still a great return on investment!
A growing number of producers are adding value to their calves by enrolling in a source- and age-verification program. In the 2008 data set, only 33% of the lots were verified. In 2009 that number rose to 47%. This year, 50% of the lots were enrolled in a source- and age-verification program. Our own AngusSource enrollments were up 14.3% in FY 2010, and Gateway continues to grow.
If you are finishing AngusSource or Gateway calves, the good news gets better. Packers are still paying age-verification premiums for calves that qualify for the Japan export market. While the price some packers are willing to pay varies from month to month, there are still those that guarantee as much as $35 per head. Those same 164 AngusSource calves could bring an additional $5,740.00 when marketed as finished cattle. The AngusSource Process Verified Program (PVP) operates a feedyard program so that your calves are eligible for export and you are eligible to receive the premiums.
If you have fall calves to market, we are ready to help you get them enrolled. If you operate a spring-calving herd, it's never too soon to start thinking about marketing. Contact us today for an enrollment packet. You can read through the information and begin compiling the required records. If you have questions please give us a call; our staff is here to help!
Custom tags at unbeatable prices
www.customcattletags.com is the answer to your identification needs. Whether you are looking for calf tags for the spring crop or looking to retag your cow herd, we can help. All products offered through The Tag Store are manufactured by Destron Fearing and shipped within three to five business days. Our interactive site allows you to build your tags step-by-step and preview a mockup prior to ordering.
Visual tags are available in four sizes and nine colors. In addition to the in-herd management number, you can include up to three lines of text and a logo on the front of the tag. Extra-large visual tags with text are just 99¢ each, no minimum order. With flat-rate shipping, our prices can't be beat.
Cow tags getting faded? Contact our office to see how we can help you make a custom tag for each cow. We can include the dam, sire and other information — all this for just 99¢.
In addition to visual tags, The Tag Store also offers e. Tags, CoolTags and a variety of readers and other tag-related accessories. Visit us online at www.customcattletags.com.
(Note: Due to the Holidays and Destron Fearing closing for inventory, all orders placed after Dec. 28 will not be manufactured until Jan. 7, 2011.)
Attention seedstock producers: Promote your operation.
We know how important it is for seedstock breeders to create a "brand" for their operation. And, for most operations, the upcoming bull sale is the most important day of the year. Whether selling or buying, the bulls that walk through that ring will have a huge impact on next year's calf crop. If you're selling, why not make sure those bulls are promoting your operation long after they leave the ring?
You purchase lot tags each year, why not purchase a tag that has your ranch name, phone number and logo/brand on it? At www.customcattletags.com you can order lot tags for the spring bull sale that are practical and promotional. Extra-large tags are just 99¢, and it only costs 11¢ more to include artwork (There is a set-up fee of $10 to digitize artwork). If you are interested in learning more about custom tags visit www.customcattletags.com or call our office at 816-383-5100.
In the spirit of the season, we think it is important to say thanks! We enjoy working for the American Angus Association. To all of our breeders and customers, we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope 2011 brings blessings to you and your family.
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