Wes Tiemann
Association Perspective
The unregistered bull blues.
About every weekend, just before breeding season,
Bernard the bull went to town, looking for ol' cows who needed settling down.
Boy, he sure was a good-looking fella, but he wondered why the rancher never could sell him.
His head was polled, his rear was bold,
and he had a frame of 6.7.
But the problem was his age, as he was born in '08,
and not one rancher has given him a mate.
The rancher wondered why he never could sell the guy,
but it was pretty apparent to the heifer harem, they would rather be barren.
Although in Chicago, this bull could vote for mayor,
no rancher gave him hope as his lack of documentation was a joke.
Now everyone tells me cows can't read,
but I beg to differ, as this bull had no EPDs.
Questionable cowboy poetry aside, the point the poem tries to make is that registered Angus bulls are more desirable than non-registered animals. The American Angus Association has tools that make any registered Angus bull more desirable to commercial producers. The Angus breed has the largest data set of EPDs (expected progeny differences), and was the first to create genetic tests to increase accuracy for unproven animals. These genetic tests produce the same certainty levels for offspring as about 7-20 progeny.
The Angus breed was also the first in developing a genetic test geared for commercial breeders to evaluate gain and marbling characteristics to enhance producers' management, selection and marketing decisions. The GeneMax™ test, developed by the Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC, in partnership with Pfizer, gives commercial producers an affordable way to know more about their cattle instead of waiting for carcass data or progeny information.
Using a registered Angus bull gives much more certainty than using an unregistered or a different breed's bull, so commercial producers can avoid the unregistered bull blues.
Editor's Note: Regional Manager Wes Tiemann covers Region 2, including the states of Iowa and Missouri. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
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