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The Source

Managing growth spurts.

by Ginette Gottswiller, American Angus Association

School is in full swing, and each year there are subtle changes that take place. Sometimes the change is more dramatic than others. Maybe your son grew 7 inches over the summer, or your daughter’s clothes went from tomboy duds to dresses. Change brings adjustments and a new normal.

This year AngusSource^® grew. The American Angus Association changed the USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) to make room for its new program addition, Angus LinkSM. The feeder-calf program was released at the end of August. The program will enable producers to effectively communicate the genetic merit of their calves to potential buyers.

AngusSource dropped the genetic component from the USDA PVP, but added the following programs to its age and source verification.

1. 1. Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC). Calves enrolled in this program have not received any hormones. An on-site audit is required prior to approval.
2. 2. AngusSource Never Ever 3 (AS-NE3). Enrolled calves have not received any hormones, antibiotics or animal byproducts. An on-site audit is required prior to approval.
3. 3. AngusSource Calf Management. Enrolled calves received at minimum a dose of clostridial (seven-way, eight-way or nine-way) vaccine, one dose of a five-way vaccine [infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza-3 (PI₃), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) types 1 & 2], plus a dose of Pasteurella haemolytica or Pasteurella multocida.
4. 4. AngusSource Cattle Care and Handling requires producers be Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-certified and handle cattle following BQA guidelines. An on-site audit is required prior to approval.

Many producers have asked us why we dropped the genetic component from AngusSource. Actually it is pretty simple: The American Angus Association wants to provide producers comprehensive programs to enable them to reach their maximum profit potential. Most calves today have a portion of their genetics descending from Angus genetics. However, they all are not sired by registered Angus bulls. That is why we took the genetic component out of the AngusSource PVP.

Documenting the genetic value is of course our top priority at the American Angus Association. Our new feeder-cattle program, Angus Link, will enable producers to do just that — document their calves’ genetic potential. However, you cannot ignore the fact that value-added programs offer producers the ability to stay competitive in the global marketplace.

During our Long Range Strategic Planning meetings, producers told us it would be more efficient for them to enroll calves one time. They felt it was very important to document the genetics with the American Angus Association because that was our strength. The producers said to add more value-added programs to AngusSource for enrollment ease.

Another change in the AngusSource program is the tag. Producers who dual-enroll calves in AngusSource and Angus Link will receive a white 840 coded radio frequency identification (RFID) AngusSource tag along with a visual neon-green tamper-evident Angus Link tag. Both programs will offer a certificate to denote calves are enrolled while listing necessary information buyers want to know about feeder calves they may purchase.

There have been many changes, but one thing has stayed the same: The Marketing Document that was always a part of the AngusSource program will continue to be the backbone of both Angus Link and AngusSource. Currently, more than 800+ buyers receive the weekly emails to know when and where AngusSource and Angus Link calves will sell.

AngusSource has added depth and dimension to the program. Angus Link will give the genetic component that once was in AngusSource a whole new meaning. Take the time to learn more about the commercial program offerings at the American Angus Association. Visit www.anguslink.com, and then take a look at the new program offerings at www.angussource.com. Call us at 816-383-5100 today to learn more about documenting your information to help you receive more value on your next set of feeder calves.

 

Editor's Note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of commercial programs and AngusSource at the American Angus Association.

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