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Kurt Kangas Ginette Gottswiller

The Source

The search for simplicity.

At the end of the day, if we sell our calves for a good price, there were not too many open cows and the feed prices didn’t cut into our profit margin too much, isn’t that good enough? Don’t you just need a good market and some buyers bidding the day you sell? Who needs to wean, vaccinate or enroll in a value-added program?


Producers who follow this philosophy are the same producers who complain their calves didn’t bring as much as the neighbor's calves down the road. “They looked just like the black-hided calves I just sold. Why did his calves bring more money?”


There could be a number of reasons, so let’s take a look at some factors that could affect the price you receive for your calves.

  1. 1. Auction date. We can’t predict what the stock market will do from day to day, but I do know when USDA will release various reports for crops and cattle numbers. Many times, those reports can have an impact on the cattle market.
  2. 2. Huge weight variations in your calves and mixed load lots can affect price. Most sale barns will sort your calves into lots of the same weight and sex. It makes the lot size smaller, but buyers have the option to pick and choose their desired size and gender. Video sale lots are another story. You and your rep need to determine the best way to put your load lots together. Remember, your rep is working for you. Make sure you are satisfied with how your lots are put together, advertised and listed in the sale book.
  3. 3. Health vaccinations need to be documented as a Vac 24, 34 or 45. Saying your calves had all the shots doesn’t really tell potential buyers a darn thing! Document which vaccines were given and when. Don’t forget to say if those calves have been weaned and castrated.
  4. 4. Breed description. It doesn’t matter if I’m attending a sale at the local stockyards or at any video sale, I always hear the auctioneer say, “Out of good black-Angus bulls. CAB® (Certified Angus Beef®) candidates, boys!” We can see the calves are black, but are they really out of registered-Angus bulls? Who knows if they are out of Balancer, SimAngus, Red Angus or some other composite breed? AngusSource® is a surefire way for you to document that your calves are Angus-sired.
  5. 5. Age and source verification with AngusSource is a low-cost way to add value to your calves. Consumers want to know where their steak comes from and so do potential buyers. Last year (2015) age-and-source-verified calves selling during the summer months via video auction averaged $4.07 more per hundredweight (cwt.).


The guy down the road made more money because he enrolled his calves in a value-added program like AngusSource. He documented information on his calves that can be used by potential buyers to make a more informed decision on sale day. The Marketing Document is the backbone of the AngusSource program. It lists the source, group age and the current expected progeny differences (EPDs) and dollar-value indexes ($Values) of the bulls used to sire the calf crop you are selling. It is emailed to more than 600 potential buyers who want to know when and where AngusSource calves are selling.


Today, buyers want information on the calves they plan to purchase. AngusSource is the information answer. Enroll your calves by calling the American Angus Association today at 816-383-5100 and ask for AngusSource.


Comment on the storyEditor's Note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of commercial programs for the American Angus Association.





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