The Source
The similarities between shopping
for seed and semen.
His eyes were glued to the small monitor screen. The numbers kept jumping 189, 206, 230, and 185. Every time the combine came to a stop he would check the field average. My son had rented his first piece of farm ground last year. The corn was ready and the combine was rolling. He had been studying the seed catalog for the past month trying to figure out which hybrid and genetics he wanted to try in 2014, but first he wanted to see how the variety picked in January had paid off. He had chosen wisely. He realized 15 bushels (bu.) more per acre than that field had produced in more than 10 years.
I’m excited that he uses his time to learn more about different seed corn varieties by reading, talking with an agronomist, studying the results of the soil samples, and talking with other producers to learn more about which genetics work the best on the soil type he rented.
Ask the hard questions
Picking out the genetics for your commercial herd isn’t much different. I think it helps to review your data and numbers from last year and ask yourself some questions. This always helps me determine goals for the next breeding season and makes me decide if I need to replace bulls that are not productive or a little too high-headed.
One of the most important questions is were you happy with the price received? Producers who enroll in AngusSource® Genetic answer this question on the customer feedback form. If producers provide the sale date, weight and price of the calves, we compare that data to CattleFax data for their region. It’s really interesting — sometimes a producer thinks his calves tanked, but according to CattleFax, they may have received a premium. Producers who send in their selling information receive a pair of AngusSource Genetic gloves and a note telling how their calves compared.
First, are you pleased with the bulls you have now or do some need to be replaced? How many cows were open? Do you need to change your mineral program or feed rations? Were you pleased with the weaning weights? Did you have heifers that had trouble calving or were the birth weights higher than you expected? How well did the calves sell, or what were your grid premiums? Do facilities need improvement? Did you identify any areas during the year to trim costs? These are just a few questions you may want to ask yourself. They all have a stake in analyzing your profit potential.
Most producers look at their bull pretty closely when he comes off the cows. Before turnout time, have a semen test performed on your bull. Analyze your calves’ weaning weights and determine if your bulls’ expected progeny differences (EPDs) are providing you a consistent calf crop. Take a look at your heifer bull and the data you collected on calving difficulties and birth weights to determine if that bull should be retained. If you plan to replace a bull or purchase more bull power this year, you may want to begin your process early.
Do your homework
You have made the decision to purchase a new bull. The American Angus Association has some resources you can use for your bull-buying decisions. The first one that I think is important is the American Angus Association Sire Evaluation Report percentage breakdowns for the current sires and non-parent bulls. You can access this online at www.angus.org/Nce/PercentBreakdown.aspx. This is a great resource because it tells you what EPDs and dollar values ($Values) are in the top 1%-95% for the breed. The percent breakdowns are published in the sire summary each spring and fall.
You may have determined you want your herd to be in the top 50% of Angus herds for beef value ($B) and weaned calf value ($W). I choose those values because AngusSource Genetic features those numbers on the marketing documents now to give potential buyers an indication of how your calves may gain in the feedlot and grade on the rail.
Take a look at the Percent Breakdown table. It shows you need to purchase a bull with a $B value higher than +64.11 and a $W value higher than +27.34. What does +64.11 and +27.34 mean? The $Value is shown as dollars per head. You have to compare $Values between two animals to get a better perspective.
Let’s look at an example. Compare Bull A, who has a $W of +27.34, to Bull B, who has a $W of +0. If you were to mate them to cows that are similar and raise and manage the calves under the same management, the progeny of Bull A would be expected to average approximately $27.34 more in value than progeny from Bull B at the weaning phase. $W gives you an idea of how your calf could perform around weaning time. $B tells you about postweaning gain and carcass value. $Values use data and information from several areas into one number so you don’t have to look at individual traits and hope you don’t go too far left or right.
Get excited about looking for the best genetics you can afford that will help you meet your goals. Do your homework and use the resources the American Angus Association offers commercial producers. Don’t forget, marketing is important. Enroll in AngusSource Genetic, this marketing program documents Angus-sired genetics, source and group age by ear tag identification. Each enrollment group is provided a marketing document that lists the Angus sires used and their current EPDs.
Once a producer decides when and where he will sell his calves, he can update the marketing document online. After the document is updated it is emailed to more than 600 people who have signed up to know when and where AngusSource Genetic calves are selling. The information and data on the document gives potential buyers a snapshot of their potential profitability. Both quality and pounds have value in the cattle industry. It is exciting to see improvement and realize greater returns no matter if you are 16 or 116.
Editor's Note: Ginette Kurtz is manager of AngusSource Genetic for the American Angus Association.
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