Ginette Kurtz
The Source
Make the most of summer sales
with genetics and marketing.
Summer sales are just around the corner. Many producers are making plans to market calves during the next couple of months. Video sale season will be in full swing again this summer with July being a very busy month. The local sale barns will begin to see an increase in calf numbers beginning in early September.
If you have not enrolled your calves in AngusSource® Genetic, now is the time to get started. Buyers want more documented information about the calves they buy. Consumers want to know more about their food. Invest in the answers to everyone’s questions.
Producers who invest in quality Angus genetics must convey the calves’ potential value to buyers. While the number of calves being marketed is lower than average, the number of black-hided calves with unknown genetics continues to increase. AngusSource Genetics’ progressive approach to marketing has given producers increased validity in their documentation when they choose to use DNA technology. By testing a portion of their AngusSource Genetic-enrolled calves with GeneMax™ (GMX™) Focus, producers can convey GMX overall averages, GMX Marbling and GMX Gain scores on their Marketing Document.
No doubt, as Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) premiums continue to grow, demand for quality will increase. It is a must for commercial-Angus producers to have a visible differentiating factor like an AngusSource Genetic tag.
Cattle buyer Craig Vejraska, of Omak, Wash., says his customers are using the beef value index ($B) more because it equates to more harvestable value. Vejraska also recommends commercial producers use DNA technology. You can take X pounds of feed and put it in a calf with no data, or you can put it in one you are relatively confident is going to gain and grade because of his genetics. You know what is going to happen — it is no longer a guessing game.
Producers who use AngusSource Genetic report the Angus sires used on the calf crop they enrolled. The Marketing Document shows the average expected progeny differences (EPDs) of all the bulls that were used. Buyers have the option to look online to view individual sires’ EPDs on a producers document. This includes dollar value indexes and the most up-to-date EPDs on every AngusSource Genetic enrollment. If a producer has chosen to add vaccination or other herd management information, it will be listed, too.
AngusSource Genetic tags will meet the USDA Traceability Rule requirements for cattle moving interstate. Plus GMX Focus is a great herd-management resource for selecting or marketing your replacement heifers. GMX and AngusSource Genetic are not one-dimensional programs; they are multi-faceted. They will provide you invaluable information today that will pay dividends tomorrow when prices cycle downward.
A four-time enrollee from Oregon, Steve Russell, IT Quarter Circle Ranch, says, “Change is always hard, but usually in the long run better. Change to Angus and use AngusSource Genetic.”
To get started complete your AngusSource Genetic enrollment form and order GMX sample cards today by calling Ginette Kurtz at 816-383-5100. At minimum, allow four weeks for GMX sample processing and three to five days to process your AngusSource Genetic enrollment. Sale season is coming fast. Get enrolled today!
Editor's Note: Ginette Kurtz is the director of commercial programs.
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