2023 Beastrom Ranch's Bull Sale Catalog

Greetings!

We would like to welcome you to our 43rd annual bull sale. For four generations we have been breeding Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics. Jim and Barb Beastrom continue to be involved, but have cut back and are enjoying retirement. My husband Wes, son Owen, and I (Brittney) operate the primary cow herd and are committed to being your source for maternally backed, performance driven, commercially focused Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics.

We continue to raise Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics because we know they produce the most maternal and hardest working female in the beef industry. We place a strong emphasis on maternal traits including udder quality, fertility, fleshing ability, and longevity. Our cattle run in large pastures, where they are required to climb steep elevations and travel long distances for water daily. Structurally sound, easy doing cattle are a must.

The number of bulls we are offering has decreased, but the quality has not. Every year we discuss what goals we are striving for and where we need to place selection pressure. It takes years and several generations to achieve these goals, but this year’s sale offering is exceeding our expectations. They are backed by outstanding females. The natural calves received no supplementation this summer, and even in this drought year, have impressive weaning weights. This fall they took to feed quite well and have been gaining just at 4 lbs/day as a group. These bulls are thick, long spined, easy fleshing, exceptional on their feet and legs, and are quiet and easy to handle.

Our embryo transfer program continues to be a significant focus, allowing us to expedite the top genetics in our herd. You’ll find several groups of impressive full flush mate brothers in this sale line up. Their female siblings are equally impressive in our replacement pen. Our embryo calves are handled and treated with the best care from calving to weaning by Brett Stevens. At weaning, the ET calves are brought to the ranch, integrated with the calves born at the ranch, and then all managed together.

There is something for everyone within this offering. We invite you give us a call or stop by the ranch prior to the sale to view the bulls and visit with us about your program’s needs. We are looking forward to seeing you on February 27th at the ranch northeast of Pierre, SD.

~ Wes, Brittney, and Owen Spencer & Jim and Barb Beastrom

Auctioneer: Lynn Weisharr: 605-641-7707

Ring Service:

Dan Piroutek, Tristate Livestock News: 605-544-3316

Jim Scheel, Cattle Business Weekly: 605-545-1521

Jeff Kapperman, Tristate Neighbor: 605-940-5104

Contacts and Sale Day Phones:

Jim Beastrom: 605-224-5789 (H); 605-280-7589 (C)

Wes Spencer: 605-280-1536

Brittney Spencer: 605-280-0204

Shad Ludemann: 605-280-3915

Brandy Ludemann: 605-280-6949

Paul Duxbury: 605-350-9268

Watch & Bid Live Online via DVAuction.com:

The sale will be conducted with a live auction, however, the sale cattle will not be run through the ring. They will be shown on three large video screens during the sale. Absentee bidders who wish to utilize the Internet may bid online at www.dvauction. com. Please register online at least 24 hours prior to the sale. Call 402-474-5557 for technical support.

Sale Location Directions: From West: 1.4 miles east of Triple M Truck Stop on Highway 14/83, then turn north on Cendak Road for 0.5 miles. From East: 11.9 miles west of Highway 14/83 junction west of Blunt, then turn north just after mile marker 235 on Cendak Road for 0.5 miles. GPS address is 20453 Cendak Road, Pierre, SD 57501.

Accommodations: Ramkota Inn, 605-224-6877, livestock trailer accessible.

Herd Health: All bulls will be delivered with proper health papers and a breeding soundness exam.

DNA Pending: DNA tests for coat color, horned/polled status, and parentage are still pending on some bulls in this sale. Results will be available via a supplement sheet on sale day.

Supplemental Data: Scrotal circumferences will be taken prior to the sale and provided on a supplement sheet.

Sight Unseen Policy: We will guarantee the complete satisfaction of all sale lots purchased sight unseen. All bids will be handled with the highest appropriateness and confidentiality.

Breeding Guarantee: The breeding period is defined as 90 days following the first turn out of a bull. Beastrom Ranch guarantees all purchases of $3500 or more at 100% credit in the next year’s sale, minus the salvage value. Please contact us promptly in this event.

Insurance: To reduce your risk and protect your investment, it is recommended that you purchase livestock mortality insurance on your purchases. Information will be available on sale day.

Trucking: All bulls will be delivered free of charge in South Dakota. Arrangements can be made for delivery anywhere in the country. Buyers hauling their bulls on sale day qualify for a $50 discount on each bull purchased.

Liability: People that attend this sale do so at their own risk, we are not responsible for accidents.

Semen Interest: We will be retaining a 1/3 semen interest on all sale bulls, unless otherwise state.

Volume Discount: 5% on 5 bulls; 10% on 10 or more bulls

Branding and Catalog Design By: Jennifer Scharpe, 507-995-4147 ignatureJSBranding & Media

Any animal with “ET” at the end of it’s name is the result of embryo transfer.

We have listed what we feel are the most important EPDs for our customers, without overwhelming you with data. You are welcome to look up each bull’s full line-up of EPDs by using the Animal Search feature at Gelbvieh.org.

All bulls have been videoed. You may scan the QR code with your smart phone camera to view the video. Or use the YouTube video link.

Because we run multi-sire pastures, we DNA sire verify all calves. Some lots have also been DNA dam verified. There area a few lots that have DNA pending. Once results are received, any pedigree changes will be listed on a supplement sheet as soon as available and posted on BeastromRanch.com.

Actual weight of bull at birth. BWs for ET bulls are not used as part of their data per AGA. Weaning weight adjusted to 205 days.

The animal’s breed classification and percentage Gelbvieh.

The bull’s coat color is displayed here.

• (T) = By DNA Test; (P) = By Pedigree

• Homo Black means the bull is homozygous black by DNA test (all calves should be black).

• Hetero Black means the bull is heterozygous black by DNA test (bull carries both red and black genes; calves could be red if dam also carries and passes on red gene).

• All red bulls carry two red genes and bull will pass one red gene to all calves.

The bull’s polled/horned/scurred status is displayed below the coat color row.

• (T) = By DNA Test; (P) = By Pedigree

• Homo Polled means the bull is homozygous polled by DNA test (all calves should be polled).

• Hetero Polled means the bull is heterozygous polled by DNA test (bull carries both a polled gene and a horned gene; calves could have horns if dam also carries and passes on horn gene).

This is the average daily gain of the bulls within our bull test period.

Age of the mother at the time bull was born.

Another Remedy son that has been an

since early summer. He offers length of body, loads of body mass, and is correct in his structure when on the move. He ranks in the top 10% for

top 15% for CEM; top 20% for TM; and the top 25% for YW. He is a maternal brother to BABR Outbound 9304G, who was a top seller in the 2020 Black Hills Stock Show and is a leading AI sire within our program. Their dam has a

DNA Sire Verified. Video link: https://youtu.be/DZkpmmU8_y4 A useful bull that offers the same length of spine and overall volume as his halfbrother, with added extension throughout his front one-third. He moves freely and has really come on since weaning. His EPDs rank in the top 10% for WW and CW; the top 15% for YW and CEM; and the top 20% for WW, MK and FPI. A wellbalanced herd bull prospect that will make great replacement females.

Lot 7 - Moving into a new sire group, 0316K has been a standout herd sire prospect since last spring. He is long spined, sound moving, and easy fleshing. He has a weaning ratio of 103 and yearling ratio of 105. His dam is one of our most prolific producers that always brings home calves that push the scale down at weaning (105 weaning ratio). The daughters from this cow line are true producers and the kind of females that we want to fill our pastures with. This is a combination herd sire that will excel in making both heavy feeders and ideal replacement females.

Balancer (46.9%) 3/3/22 AMGV1548693 Homo Black (T) Homo Polled (T) Act. BW: 85 Adj. WW: 738 Adj. YW: 1343 Gain: 4.45 Age of Dam: 10

Daughter of BEA 920G

link: https://youtu.be/jGC8FYjIYf0

is loaded with growth and performance, he is long spined, thick from front to back without giving up softness and body mass. His dam is an up-andcoming donor female that consistently produces easy fleshing cattle with big gains. She has a weaning ratio of 105 and we are looking forward to what this young donor has to offer in the future.

Lot 12 - As we move into the Outbound sire group, you’ll notice we didn’t get many photos, but their videos will not disappoint. Lot 12 offers everything that we like about our Outbound calves: calving easy, fleshing ability, depth of rib, muscle mass, growth, and structure. His EPDs rank in the top 15% for WW; the top 25% for YW and CW; and the top 30% for FAT. He also has a weaning ratio of 104, with a big birth to weaning spread.

Lots 18, 19, and 20 were planned matings that we knew could be special but are blown away by the results. BABR 7062T is our top donor female; she is moderate, sound, easy fleshing, with a perfect udder construction and is still in production at just shy of 16 years of age. This was one of the first females that embodied the true meaning of the word “Balancer” in our program. She along with her daughter, BABR Maria 5256C, will be utilized within our program for many generations to come.

Lot 18 - 0400K has been a knockout bull from the first time we saw him last spring. This is a bull that excels in length of body, thickness, and muscle mass, while maintaining an attractive look when on the go. His EPDs rank in the top 2% for WW; top 3% for FPI; top 4% for YW; top 10% for CW; and the top 15% for MB, TM, and REA. His dam is probably our biggest bodied, easiest fleshing female that has knocked it out of the park with every mating we have tried. She has a yearling ratio of 108 and is one we will continue to utilize in our ET program for years to come.

Lot 19 - 0405K is probably the most massive bull in the sale offering in terms of sheer volume and width of top. You must see him in person to appreciate how much volume and muscle mass he truly carries. He ties into the point of his shoulder neatly and floats when set in motion. He ranks in the top 2% for CW; top 4% for WW and YW; top 5% for REA; and top 15% for TM.

BABR “MARIA” 5256C

GE EPDs. DNA Sire & Dam Verified. Video link: https://youtu.be/kqYNCnD4USI Here is the first of the higher Gelbvieh percentage bulls in this year’s offering, and he is a tremendous way to start them off. This is a mating that was a no brainer for us, to combine the length of body, longevity, and true cow power from his donor dam with the overwhelming volume, muscle mass, and thickness that his sire offers. 0402K is long spined, soft made, easy fleshing, with plenty of extension and an attractive look about him. He will add heterosis to a calf crop and could make top end replacement females. His EPDs rank in the top 15% for CEM; top 20% for CED; and the top 35% for marbling.

Lot 25 - If

are looking for an attractive made, higher percent bull, with added length of spine and extension then Lot 25 is one to consider. He is one of the smoothest made bulls in the offering but does not disappoint when evaluate him from behind. This is a bull that is built for soundness and carries himself with a big foot. His dam is one of the most athletic females in the herd and travels on the river breaks and changing elevation with ease.

Lots 26, 27, 28, and 29 are a set of full ET brothers are out of the donor cow, BEA 1093Y. She goes back to the first Angus donor female that we purchased from Express ranches and is sired by BABR Who Done It 901G. The Who Done It females rise to the top. They annually bring calves home with heavy weaning weights, maintain their calving interval with ease, and stay in the herd for a long production life. We selected this mating for the maternal power we knew we’d get. Johnny 9300G is making some of the nicest higher percent females we current run on the ranch. Look for these brothers to have a balance of maternal traits without giving up pounds at weaning.

Lot 26 - 0408K ET is a smooth made bull that doesn’t lack in thickness and growth. He is tight sheathed, angular fronted, and sound on the go. His EPDs ranks in the top 25% for MK and the top 30% for YW and TM.

Lot 27 - A moderate framed, super stout bull that offers plenty of depth and rib shape. He is well balanced in his overall structure and offers a balanced and useful set of EPDs.

pastures. Lot 29 - 0410K is a well-balanced, extremely long bodied bull that has a stout skeletal structure and a big foot to carry him. The female flush mates to these bulls are our top end replacements. These flush brothers

add pounds to your calf crop without giving up the maternal traits needed to move a cow herd forward.

DNA

Lots 35, 36, 37, and 38 are ET flush mates that have been one of the most consistent matings we have created. We purchased RWG Ghost Town to utilize as an outcross purebred herd sire. We selected him for the consistency within his cow family and the overall growth, performance, and fleshing ability he offers. The donor female of this mating is beautiful in her overall design, easy doing, and flawless on the move. The resulting offspring do not disappoint. These bulls have added growth, muscle mass, and thickness without giving up volume or eye appeal. This is a set of bulls that will add pounds at weaning but is backed by some of the most maternal genetics in the breed.

Lot 35 - 033K is performance driven bull that is thick made from front to back. He combines clean lines, added performance, and plenty of volume. His EPDs ranks in the top 15% for WW and TM; top 20% for CW; and the top 25% for YW.

Lot 36 - 004K is well balanced, stout made, and soggy middled without giving up thickness and muscle mass. He is attractive in his structure and ranks in the top 15% for WW and TM; top 20% for CW; and the top 25% for YW.

ratio of 112 so far as a young female.

Lots 44 and 45 are sired by a purebred bull we purchased from the Midland Bull Test that we like to call “Quarter.” 0329K is a calving ease sire with some added punch. He is smooth in his shoulder, clean in his lines, but still has enough body and rib shape. His dam is one Brittney and Wes purchased from Jim’s dispersal and she did a fantastic job on her first calf. The Revenant sired daughters are some of the most intriguing, up and coming females in our cow herd. Lot 44’s EPDs rank in the top 15% for FAT, top 20% for PG30 and YG; and top 25% for WW, YW, and REA. He should be suitable for use on heifers.

011K is a soggy middled, calving ease prospect with a big birth to weaning spread. He is out of a moderate framed, first calf heifer that held her body condition and bred back timely while on short grass this past summer. Lot 45 should be suitable for use on heifers.

MCFG 94X

BEAS 2806Z

MCFG THE MAN 113U

MCFG 22K ET

TR MR FUTURE DIRECTION 5777R BEAS 7084T

BEAS 5063R

ELK CK CRAZY HORSE 138P

BVLK BUCKINGHAM

BCFG RAVISHING RUBY 502T1 ET BEAS 2707Z

EXAR PAY STUB 40 5S BEAS 6507S BEAS 4055P

DNA Pending. Video link: https://youtu.be/ZBpxDqOuF9M

Lots 46 and 47 are sired by BEAS 2806Z, a bull that has sired performance driven progeny that have been purchased by producers across North America in our previous sales. The dam of Lot 46 is the product of proven genetics and has been a no miss producer over the years. He himself is a moderate framed, thick made bull, that combines volume, performance, and cow power. 3800K’s EPDs ranks in the top 10% for WW, YW, and REA; top 15% for TM and SC; and the top 25% for CW.

DNA Pending. Video link: https://youtu.be/dwBIiNaMOQ8 3801K is a bull with added fame, length of body and muscle. His dam takes advantage maximum heterosis and is a performance driven female. She has a yearling ratio of 108. He himself ranks in the top 10% for WW, YW, TM, SC, and CW, 15% for REA and FAT. Take advantage of a bull that will add pounds at weaning and will produce high gains in the feed lot.

GE EPDs. DNA Sire & Dam Verified. Video link: https://youtu.be/X9bDZzF6rFk We are now switching gears in the catalog to the red yearling bulls in our 2023 bull sale. 0404K is the biggest bodied red bull that we have ever raised and is the result of one of the most successful flushes we have had to date. He is massive in his construction, sound on the go, and has plenty of look. His EPDs rank in the top 3% for CW; top 5% for YW and REA; top 10% for WW; top 15% for DOC; top 20% for PG30 and FPI; and the top 30% for HP. His dam is a top donor female on the ranch, and we can’t wait to see the full ET sisters in production. This is a true herd sire prospect that checks all the boxes. Be sure to find him on sale day.

If you are looking for added growth and performance, then this is a bull to consider. He is long spined, thick topped, and powerfully constructed. He has a weaning ratio of 104, a yearling ratio of 105, and is the highest gaining bull in the sale offering. His EPDs rank in the top 2% for REA; top 10% for WW, YW and HP; top 15% for YG and CW; top 20% for FPI; top 30% for FAT and DOC; and top 35% for MB.

DNA Sire Verified. Video link: https://youtu.be/3n9MoR-mVbM

0323K is an attractive made son of 079E that offers added rib shape and softness of body without giving up performance and growth. He has a weaning ratio of 112 and yearling ratio of 103. With EPDs ranking in the top 2% for YW; top 3% for YW; top 4% for REA and TM; top 5% for FPI; top 15% for CW; top 20% for MB; and top 30% for DOC, 0323K is a true combination bull.

is a moderate framed, soggy middled bull loaded, with thickness and muscle mass, while presenting calving ease traits. We purchased his dam from Lazy TV Ranch from of the national sale as an open heifer. She was an outlier in terms of natural volume and fleshing ability and has passed that along to her offspring. Lot 54 has a weaning ratio of 104, and ranks in the top 2% for WW and FPI, top 3% for WW, TM, and REA; top 5% for DOC; top 10% for CW and MB; top 20% for PG30, YG and ADJ; and top 25% for MK.

0320K is a deep sided, thick made bull that combines calving ease and growth into a well-balanced package. He is the first son to be sold out of our latest red herd sire BABR 1375H ET. We only sampled him on a few head, and we are pleased with the result. The dam of 0320K has become a no miss producer and is consistently raising front pasture genetics. Lot 60 has a 110 weaning ratio and EPDs that rank in the top 15% for REA and CEM, top 20% for PG30, and the top 25% for CW.

4/6/22 AMGV1548697 Red Hetero Polled (T)

Act. BW: 80 Adj. WW: 777 Adj. YW: 1348 Gain: 4 Age of Dam: 9

Cattle Genomics: Heterosis boosts the bottom line

By: Dr. Troy Rowan, Assistant Professor, UTIA Genomics Center for the Advancement of Agriculture

Source: https://utbeef.tennessee.edu/cattle-genomics-heterosis-boosts-the-bottom-line/

Sometimes, I get ahead of myself as a beef cattle genomics researcher. I’m always thinking about the “next big thing,” or the next major step forward in the genetics and genomics space. While those occasionally happen (for example, the development of EPDs in the 1970s or genomic-enhanced EPDs in the 2010s), there are typically a host of the “little things” that we can do in our operation on the genetics side, that when done together make a big impact on a herd’s profitability. When I’m asked what genetic strategy or technology would generate the greatest influx of profit into the beef industry, my answer isn’t the shiniest new genomic test or even the universal adoption of EPDs. It’s more crossbreeding. Geneticists have long known that when we breed two divergent lines with one another, the progeny often outperform the average of their parent’s phenotypes. The biological cause of this phenomenon, heterosis, has not been completely nailed down. Despite the unclear underlying biology, one fact is clear: It works! Crossbreeding, when used in conjunction with welldefined breeding goals, has the potential to improve every economically-relevant trait in your herd.

According to a 2008 USDA report, only 45% of commercial cowherds were utilizing any form of crossbreeding, a number that has likely dropped in the years since. It is always surprising to me that so many commercial producers leave money on the table by not leveraging crossbreeding in their operations. While other management interventions harbor additional costs to implement, the gains realized from crossbreeding are effectively pure profit!

Heritability, or the proportion of variation in a trait that is attributable to genetics, varies between traits. For a given trait, the increase in crossbred progeny performance compared to the average of its purebred parents’ performance (heterosis) is inversely related to heritability. This means that for high heritability traits like carcass quality, heterotic gains are typically small (0%-5%). Crossbred calves have been shown to have weaning and yearling weights ~4% higher than their parent’s average (Cundiff and Gregory, 1999). While this may seem modest, my cowboy math suggests that implementing crossbreeding could add another $30-$50 per head in weaned calf weight. Multiply this across an entire herd and suddenly we are talking about significant gains to our bottom line. For lowly-heritable traits like fertility, cow longevity, and health, crossbred animals can experience heterotic gains in excess of > 25% compared to their parent average. Cundiff and Gregory (1999) estimated that a crossbred cow would produce on average one more calf and wean off at least 600 more pounds of calf weight compared to a purebred counterpart over the course of their lifetimes. These effects of heterosis make multi-generational crossbreeding an attractive way to capture not only the

individual performance gains of an F1 calf but even greater returns from maternal heterosis in replacement females.

As with any decision on the farm, we are always best served by approaching crossbreeding decisions with a plan in mind. Simply turning out a different breed of bull doesn’t guarantee that you’ll observe any performance or economic gain. Not every cross actually makes sense. An F1 Angus x Miniature Hereford calf will likely outperform its parental average for weaning weight, but it won’t outperform a straight bred Angus calf. When crossbreeding, matching complimentary breeds with one another is a great way to both exploit heterosis and the additive differences that exist between breeds (i.e. Charolais growth + Angus marbling & calving ease). Gains due to heterosis will also be greater in crosses between more divergent breeds. An Angus x Red Angus (two closely related breeds) cross will have substantially lower heterosis compared with an Angus x Brahman cross (two different subspecies).

Introducing crossbreeding to your herd can be as simple or complex as necessary. We often think about heterosis in the context of producing terminal F1 animals. While individual heterosis is maximized in the F1, it is possible to retain heterosis for multiple generations through the use of rotational crossbreeding systems or advanced generation crosses. Complex rotational crossbreeding systems with more breeds will require a more hands-on approach and logistical planning but result in greater retained heterosis for both individual and maternal traits.

An easier way to exploit heterosis in your herd outside of a defined crossbreeding plan can be achieved through the use of composite females and a regularly rotating set of bulls. Composite females have long been popular in some commercial herds as a way to leverage heterosis in maternal traits. Further, Bos taurus x Bos indicus composite females have long been popular in heat-stressed environments. Recently, many major breed associations have opened their herd books to composite animals (i.e., the American Simmental Association and International Genetic Solutions). In doing so, they have enabled multi-breed genetic evaluations that make it possible to calculate accurate EPDs on crossbred animals. These more accurate selection tools make using crossbred bulls (SimAngus, LimFlex, Balancer, etc.) a practical approach to introducing further heterosis into herds.

While we as researchers are still trying to understand the exact biological basis of heterosis, the gains resulting from crossbreeding are undeniable. By combining breed complementary and heterosis, producers can increase the performance of their calf crop and replacement females for virtually every economically relevant phenotype.