The Link
Bragging rights.
It was dark, cold and windy. After an inch of rain the night before, the banks of the ditch were slick.
Bang … thud.
Bang … thud.
Bang … thud, thud.
Three raccoons hit the ground, followed by one of my hunting partners, who slid down the ditch to retrieve a carcass. The annual FFA critter hunt had started a few hours before.
Competition is a great motivator. The $100 prize money sure won’t come close to the cost of the gas and shells that are used up. Still, can you really put a price on bragging rights? They’re like the Mastercard® commercial experiences — priceless.
Producer brags
Topping the market on sale day is a big deal to some producers. That producer may not make the most money when you subtract the production costs, but he has bragging rights because those calves topped the market.
Producers who retain ownership or receive carcass data from the feedyard brag about the number of calves that qualified for the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand.
Buyers like bragging rights, too. They want to buy calves that are going to stay healthy and produce carcasses that meet the CAB specs with what’s under the hide.
Winning makes us feel good. Being able to tell the story about winning makes us feel even better.
Telling a story is priceless. Take, for instance, the cattle buyer. He likes to know more about your calves than seeing them jet through the sale ring or on a video for 90 seconds. The more information, the better the decision.
The auctioneer will always yell or have in the video sale book “CAB candidates.” Really, that just means they are black-hided. There are a few more specs those calves need to meet to qualify for the CAB stamp!
A better story
It is easy to tell a story these days through the internet and with social media. Frankly, though, the easiest way to tell a story on your feeder calves is to enroll in AngusLinkSM. This USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) offered by the American Angus Association has been telling a story for more than 15 years. We tell the buyers if the calves have the genetics to meet the CAB specs.
Don’t kid yourself; those buyers like bragging rights, too. They want to buy calves that are going to stay healthy and produce carcasses that meet the CAB specs with what’s under the hide, too.
AngusLink tells a great story about your calves from the day they hit the ground to back when you turned the cows out with the bulls.
Another way to convey value to buyers is the Genetic Merit Scorecard®. Those three scores — Beef, Grid and Feedlot — are fantastic tools.
I was talking to a producer who has been enrolling in AngusLink for several years. Last year he added the Genetic Merit Scorecard to his enrollment. He was excited to obtain some data back from his calves recently. His Genetic Merit Scores were Beef, 126; Feedlot, 118; and Grid, 126. He said he had 39% Prime, while 49% were upper-⅔ -Choice.
Also, he was able to see why some of the calves did not meet the requirements for Prime and upper-⅔-Choice. After looking at the information provided, he has a solid plan to replace some older bulls with bulls with improved expected progeny differences (EPDs).
I’m so excited for this producer. He is using the total AngusLink verification program package to its fullest and reaping the rewards from his investment.
Document your story
Just like this producer, AngusLink can help tell your story. Enroll in the claims that fit your operation and management style.
There isn’t another verification program that provides the marketing assistance AngusLink does. If you complete an AngusLink Marketing Document, more than 800 potential buyers are emailed information on your calves prior to sale day. Plus, you or your seedstock provider has the option to post about your calves on the AngusLink marketing page.
Free advertising to a captive audience that is looking to buy — now those are some bragging rights, don’t you think?
I’m no different than you. I like to brag how much the AngusLink calves sold for during the previous year. Last year during the summer video sales, the overall premium for AngusLink-enrolled calves averaged $9.93 per hundredweight (cwt.).
I can’t brag enough about the customer service Sarah Woods, Emily Vinton and Rachel Barrett provide. Time and time again, when I’m out doing audits or speaking at a meeting, I hear from producers how much they enjoyed working with Emily, Sarah and Rachel. If there was a customer service contest, I know these three ladies would win every prize.
Give them a call at 816-383-5100 to learn more about how the suite of AngusLink program claims and the Genetic Merit Scorecard can give you bragging rights on sale day.
Editor’s note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of verification services for the American Angus Association.
