ANGUS BEEF BULLETIN EXTRA

April 22, 2019 | Vol. 12 : No. 4

Adam Conover

Association Perspective

Building consistency.

As we go about our normal lives, we often look for consistency in the products we purchase. Whether we are buying a new truck or going out for dinner, we want a consistent product. If those products are not consistent in quality, we most likely will find a new supplier. In this article we are going to discuss how consistent our calves are as we start to market them.

Let us think about our commercial cow herds for a moment and the calves that we are looking to sell this spring. Are they all very uniform and similar in look, weight and overall performance? Can a buyer purchase your calves and expect every calf to perform within a narrow window of each other? This is something we often don’t give much thought to, but this could make a lot of difference in your bottom line.

Here are some thoughts on how to get a more consistent calf crop. Most people automatically start with the sires, but one approach could be to only keep heifers that fit a similar mold. As you build a herd and keep only females that look a certain way or that are sired by a certain breed of bull, this will build uniformity in your cow herd that will result in your calf crop looking like peas in a pod. When you reach this level of consistency, I am confident you will see some improvement to the generated revenue.

We all want a consistent product. As you build a more uniform set of calves, the buyers will recognize what you have, and they will be willing to pay a premium for this high-quality product. I hope each of you has a great spring in your Angus endeavors as you create a consistent herd of cattle. As always, feel free to call or email me or your regional manager if we can be of assistance in any way.

Editor’s note: Regional Manager Radale Tiner covers Region 9, including the states of Texas and New Mexico. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.