Nothing is more adaptable than a Beefmaster. This statement held true during the past two years filled with extreme temperatures, high andWeatherlow. in the South, Midwest and much of the United States has been in rare form over the past two years. From freezing temperatures and snow to extreme heat and drought. During the snow event that was unexpected by many farmers and ranchers, including my family, it was a struggle and hard work to keep cows watered and fed in conditions that were not normal in Texas. After the snow, the spring looked promising with rain, good grass, and lots of pollen, however it did not take very long to turn from green lush grass to barren pastures when temperatures started to sore and stay above the century mark for days. The upper-level high staying on top of almost the entire state of Texas and many other states has caused a lot of farmers and ranchers to make some drastic decisions without knowing what kind of weather we may face during the winter months. With no rain until August 2022, many farmers and ranchers had to decrease their herds because they were unable to compete with such conditions. Most have not been able to produce a substantial amount of hay to feed this summer, much less to prepare for the upcoming winter months. USDA has set up Drought Assistance programs Beef Improvement Federation continued on page 4 continued on page 5 Cattle Hardiness Excels in Freeze and Drought by Haley Guerrero, Beefmaster Breeders United Beefmaster cross steers at Riverbend Feedyard
“I explain to a lot of our clients that buying genetics with high genomics and EPDs is like buying a car. If you want the sunroof, it costs money.
Tony Clayton explains the opportunities for feeder cattle exports driven by genetic demands. “The power of the pedigree is what drives the interest in U.S. demand,” said Tony Clayton, Clayton AgriMarketing Inc. President. Clayton gave his presentation titled “U.S. Genetic Exports: Where Are They Going and How Are They Doing?” during the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium June 3 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.Clayton explained the impact of exporting U.S. feeder cattle to open new marketing opportunities that increase profitability and particular obstacles producers face when exporting feeder cattle. Drivers of U.S. cattle export demand The export market is driven by population growth, urbanization and expanding economies. The main driver is population growth and people drive the demand for agricultural products. The current demand is protein, meat and milk. This increased demand has opened the market for the genetics produced in the United States. U.S. genetics are a value-added product thus, international producers want to adopt U.S. genetic systems. He explained the years U.S. producers and breed associations have spent performance testing and developing expected progeny differences (EPDs) and genomics, has producers around the world looking to the U.S. as a leader in production of all species. Pedigrees of U.S. produced cattle have immense power to continuously strengthen the demand and export market.
You must know your limitations. What can you supply, deliver, finance, and guarantee? Know your products, customers and suppliers. Producers must implement animal identification systems and an animal welfare program to increase prices of their cattle. “When I go to a new country, I would plan for it to take three years before I make a sale. This business requires patience,” Clayton discussed.
U.S. Feeder Cattle Exports Significantly Influenced by Demand for Proven Genetics by
If you want the aluminum wheels, they cost money. We have a lot of misinformation out there and we work with clients to educate them on our genetic systems,” Clayton said. Know your cattle, have a marketing plan Developing a market to export your cattle requires intense promotion, a large supply of cattle, available financing, beingunderstandinggovernmentfollowingregulations,logisticsandabletomanagerisks.
the BEEFMASTER Pay Weight Beefmaster
a publication dedicated to serving commercial cattlemen and produced by Beefmaster Breeders United FALL 2022 Vol. 8, No. 2 Section 1 www.beefmasters.org
Dr. Joe W. Mask Executive Vice President Editor, The Beefmaster Pay Weight
Beefmaster Breeders United
Page 9 - Purposeful Performance: Cattle Records Matter by Lance Bauer, Beefmaster Breeders United Page 15 - More Than a Handshake: Negotiating and Drafting an Effective Hunting Lease for Your Farm or Ranch by Cari B. Rincker, Esq. Page 19 - Pounds Pay in the Feedyard by Brittni Bates
I have just highlighted two articles that fit into my background, however there are many other articles listed below that I hope you take the time to read in this issue of The Beefmaster Pay Weight
For advertisement sales: Contact Jeralyn Novak 210-732-3132 or Carey Brown with Livestock Advertising Network at 859-278-0899
Page 1 - Beefmaster Cattle Hardiness Excels in Freeze and Drought by Haley Guerrero, Beefmaster Breeders United Page 7 - Three keys for successful beef cattle artificial insemination by Clint Sexson, All West Beef/Select Sires
Page 23 - BBU Internship Provides Valuable Experience by Haley Guerrero, Beefmaster Breeders United Page 25 - University of Arkansas at Monticello cattle breeding program enters new phase by Lon Tegels, University of Arkansas at Monticello
Page 38 - 2022 - 2023 Beefmaster Sale & Event Calendar Page 39 - Advertisers' Index
Beefmaster Breeders United Staff Members
The Beefmaster Pay Weight is a publication produced by Beefmaster Breeders United and dedicated to serving commercial cattlemen.
Beefmaster Breeders United reserves the right to refuse advertising in any publications. © 2022 Beefmaster Breeders United. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or part, without prior written consent of Beefmaster Breeders United.
2 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org
Contact BBU: 118 W. Bandera Road, Boerne, TX 78006 - (210) 732-3132 - info@beefmasters.org
Letter From The Editor by Dr. Joe W. Mask
Advertising Coordinators: Carey Brown, Jeralyn Novak Graphic Designer: Jeralyn Novak
Dr. Joe W. Mask: Executive Vice President Collin Osbourn: Executive Vice President
Lance Bauer: Director of Breed Improvement Melissa Becker: DNA Coordinator
Brandi Feller: Registration and Transfer Coordinator
I am looking forward to my new journey with BBU and working with our membership. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out at jwmask@beefmasters.org.
As I compose my first letter from the editor, I would like for everyone to know what an honor it is to be serving the membership of Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) as the new Executive Vice President. I first would like to thank Collin Osbourn for his outstanding leadership and mentorship as I take the reins of the BBU. It is great to be going into the fall season, not only for reduced temperatures but also all the upcoming sales and events. I look forward to meeting many of you this fall as I start to travel and make many of the events. My hope and commitment to BBU is to make Beefmaster a common name when commercial producers start to look for their next herd sire, and with the many bull sales coming up we can make thisInhappen.thisissue
of The Beefmaster Pay Weight you will find many useful articles that will help each of you in your day-to-day operations. Due to my background, I thought it was important to include an article about artificial insemination. I encourage everyone to read the article titled "Three keys for successful beef cattle artificial insemination". With fall work just around the corner this article will be very useful to Beefmaster breeders and all beef cattle producers. As a former educator, I believe that internships are a valuable education tool. We have been fortunate to have multiple BBU interns serve our great membership. I encourage you to read the article written by our most recent summer intern about their BBU internship experience. Our junior Beefmaster breeders are important and giving opportunities to young people to grow not only academically, but also professionally should be on the forefront at BBU.
Jon Garza: Director of International Programs Donna Henderson: Office Manager Kylie McIntosh: Membership Coordinator Jeralyn Novak: Communications Coordinator
Articles In This Issue...
Page 28 - Beefmaster Association Moves to College Station, Texas by Jeralyn Novak, Beefmaster Breeders United Page 31 - Dedicated to Quality: Breeder of the Year continues legacy of raising top-end genetics by Chel Terrell, Gulf Coast Publishing Page 35 - What is the Role of Cattle in Regenerative Agriculture? by Caitlin Hebbert, Noble Research Institute
The Beefmaster Pay Weight Team Editors: Dr. Joe W. Mask & Collin Osbourn Managing Editor: Jeralyn Novak
the BEEFMASTER Pay Weight
Page 1 - U.S. Feeder Cattle Exports Significantly Influenced by Demand for Proven Genetics by Beef Improvement Federation
3
The export of U.S. feeder cattle is influenced by the demand from Asia and the Mid-East for protein. China continues to import cattle from the southern hemisphere taking a large supply of the world market to Indonesia, Egypt and Israel. However, there are many obstacles for feeder cattle exports. The U.S. must have a large supply of cattle to be exported and remain competitive, there is a lack of livestock export facilities on both coasts for large shipments, and specific geographical health requirements can prevent certain regions from exporting feeder cattle. “Another obstacle is customers in the Mideast only want to feed bulls, they will not feed a steer. It will be interesting to see if they put these ethic specifications aside in the future to buy steer calves from the U.S. and not bulls from South America,” Clayton added.Towatch Clayton’s full presentation, visit BIFSymposium.com.winners,presentationsincludingBeefthisForyoutu.be/qRKhURAyfoMhttps://moreinformationaboutyear’sSymposiumandtheImprovementFederation,additionalandawardvisit
4 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org
Tony Clayton President Clayton Agri-Marketing Inc. beefmasters.org
continued from page 1
U.S. feeder cattle exports
BeefmasterInternBreeders
United
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 5 for some counties, however the shear prices that producers are being forced to charge due to labor, fuel and fertilizer increases are astronomical. According to MeteorologistUSDABrady Rippey, Texas is the leading state once again with an 80% rate of poor to very poor pasture conditions. In addition to hay, farmers and ranchers are faced with water shortages. If their property does not have ponds or access to water cattle cannot survive. During the freeze our family came up with creative ways of hauling water to cattle for the two weeks worth of snow, however the drought has gone on for months and instead of all the work it takes to keep them watered many have decided just to sell. One beef cattle breed that was made to withstand harsh winters and sweltering summers like these are the Beefmasters. Developed to thrive in rugged environments, the breed is an American original: tough, productive, efficient. Their genetic makeup is composed of both Bos indicus and Bos taurus breeds. With half Bos indicus, a quarter Hereford, and a quarter milking Shorthorn, this gives the breed the ability to handle extremely hot conditions and harshSincewinters.farmers and ranchers have had to make the decision of culling their herd because of this year’s drought, cattle auction barns saw massive numbers during the summer of 2022, that they would normally have in the fall of the year. Due to the drought, I don’t foresee ranchers rebuilding their herds back to its original performance very quickly, but holding off at least a year to be able to build back hay supplies and herd numbers to make up what they were forced to sell. Beefmaster producers may have an opportunity to build their herds back faster than other breeds since their genetics provide offspring that are proficient in severe weather conditions, making herds resilient for the future. Regardless, we all need to pray for consistent rain to maintain our beautiful pastures from potential wildfires. Lastly, Beefmaster cattle are more relevant today than ever. Research shows the breed ranks above nearly all others for feed efficiency, one of the most important production traits. So if your cow herd has lost its ability to adapt to changing times or challenging environmental conditions, turn out registered Beefmaster bulls. continued from page 1 Haley Guerrero
Focus on factors like body condition score and estrus intensity for breeding season success. Breeding productivity with artificial insemination (AI) has come a long way on U.S. cattle ranches. Advancements in technology and research show improvements in breeding results and confidence in AI across the country. Use of AI rose 4% in the U.S. from 2007 to 2017, with 11.6% of beef operations implementing AI during 2017, according to the USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System’s (NAHMS) Beef survey reports from those years.“Using AI in your herd requires a long-term approach,” says Clint Sexson, large herd specialist for All West Beef/ Select Sires. “The rewards may not be instantaneous, but a view toward the future can lead to gains in your overall herd management program.” In the western U.S. where Sexson breeds thousands of beef cattle each year, AI has more momentum than the national average; 13.6% of western operations use the breeding tactic. Sexson says successful AI takes a willingness to accept advice and adjust management strategies that work for your herd. Here are three keys to help set your AI breeding program up for success. Prepare year-round for more pregnancies It takes a year-round focus to get cows and heifers ready for AI. But, it doesn’t require anything out of the ordinary. Just good principles.management
Start by having cattle in good body condition score (BCS).“Asold as the concept of body underestimateofscoringconditionis,alotproducersby a full body condition score,” says Sexson. “It’s super costly when a cow’s body condition score is too low because she won’t breed back in a timely manner.”Ideally, cows and heifers should be in an average BCS 4.5 to 6 yearround. Following calving they may dip below continued on page 8
Clint Sexson (front left), large herd specialist for All West Beef/Select Sires, prepares to breed a cow after observing high estrus intensity from an activated breeding indicator patch.
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 7
Three keys for successful beef cattle artificial insemination by Clint Sexson, All West Beef/Select Sires
Set realistic expectations, see economic returns Getting 100% of the herd to settle and breed to first service AI is a lofty goal. However, it isn’t necessarily realistic.
8 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org that mark, so plan to provide supplemental nutrition to set them up for breeding success. Good health also allows females to perform well reproductively. If you can coordinate vaccinations and deworming ahead of breeding, you will provide extra immune support so the body can focus on Thereproduction.reproductive tract plays an integral role. For virgin heifers, taking pelvic scores and rectally palpating the reproductive tract ahead of breeding can save time and money – allowing you to avoid spending resources on females that aren’t ready or won’t breed. Sexson recommends against AI for cows that have a tough time calving because their reproductive tracts might be damaged. Make sure to take note of any cows needing assistance during the calving season.Handling cattle using lowstress techniques matters, too. “At the chute when breeding cattle, a technician can see and feel an obvious difference between cattle that have been mishandled and those that are handled carefully,” says Sexson. “Stressed or mishandled females won’t be easy to breed, and this can negatively affect breeding rates.” Breed using visual estrus detection The traditional method of estrus detection is to watch cattle mount one another and look for hair being rubbed on the backside. But there are existing tools to make this easier. Tools such as breeding indicator patches help visibly show estrus activity so you can save time by not watching cattle all Aday.breeding indicator patch helps identify when cattle are expressing high estrus intensity indicated by more mounting activity. As mounting activity occurs, the patch surface ink rubs off to expose a bright indicatorSexsoncolor.routinely uses breeding indicator patches when AI breeding, and his preferred protocol is splittime AI. He applies breeding indicator patches after pulling CIDRs (controlled intravaginal drug release) and then observes the results 60 hours later. At this point, Sexson likes to see 55% to 65% of cattle expressing high estrus intensity by observing at least half of the surface ink rubbed off the patches.“IfIwait another 12 to 18 hours, which would be 72 to 78 hours after applying the patches, estrus expression rises to 75% to 85% of the herd,” says Sexson. “That high level of estrus intensity across the herd drives up conception.” High estrus intensity occurs when at least 50% of the surface ink is rubbed off breeding indicator patches. Cattle can be bred with more success when estrus intensity is high. High estrus intensity also leads to less embryonic losses after breeding. Should patches have less than 50% of surface ink rubbed off, consider using cheaper straws of semen because the likelihood of pregnancy is reduced. “Using a breeding indicator patch in any breeding protocol is an insurance policy to let me know if anything might have gone wrong during the process and to better time breeding across the herd,” says Sexson.
Having half the herd or more breed to AI is more in line with industry standards and is beneficial to overall herd profitability.“Ifyouhave 100 cows, and you want 50% of them calving the first 10 days of the calving season, your bulls are not going to accomplish that,” says Sexson. “It’s not that the bulls can’t breed the cows. The cows just aren’t going to be set up in such a fashion that you’re going to get 50% of the calves in 10 days.”Sexson says it’s possible to get 60% or 70% of the herd bred in the first 30 days with natural service if your management is good. With AI, you can get 70% of the herd successfully bred on the first service. This puts you in position for most of your herd to calve in the first 10 days. Front loading the calving season with AI helps raise weaning weights because the average age of calves rises. You can also reap the benefits of uniform calf crops at marketing to help benefit your bottom line.For more information on breeding indicator patches, visit ESTROTECT.com.
continued from page 7
The first record that many producers focus on is birth weight. Birth weight is essential to most because heavier birth weights are correlated with dystocia or calving difficulties, and no one wants to deal with calving difficulties. Dystocia is a problem with large economic costs such as lost calves and possible damage to reproduc tive tracts causing infertility in cows.In addition, calves born to cows with dystocia are more likely to die before weaning than calves born with no issues since the primary goal of most producers in the United States is to produce a live weaned calf. A calf that dies before weaning is lost production.
Birth Weight
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 9
by Lance Bauer, Beefmaster Breeders United
Calving Ease While birth weight is im portant to consider because of its correlation with dystocia, producers can also record calv ing ease scores. These records can help with culling decisions by trying to eliminate cows that have calving difficulty or bulls that consistently produce large calves that require birthing assistance.
What is one thing all suc cessful businesses have in common? It isn’t the products they sell, you won’t find a steak at Best Buy, and you won’t find an iPad at your local butcher shop. It’s record keeping. Most all successful businesses keep records relevant to the product or service they provide. For tracking improvement, there must be records. For ward-moving progress or back ward-moving progress should be measurable. The only way to improve and keep ahead of the game is to take measurements and record them. The old say ing goes, “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” The cattle business is no different from any other business, and records should be kept on any thing that can help a producer make more money. After all, this is a business. Records are very useful in many decisions to keep or cull animals and progress an oper ation.
Purposeful Performance: Cattle Records Matter
Weaning Weight Weaning weights are a very valuable record for the major ity of producers around the United States. Most calves in the United States are sold at conventional auction barns by the pound, and those that aren’t marketed in a conventional auction barn are also sold by the pound. continued on page 11
Therefore, it makes sense to pay close attention to records of weight when pounds are what a producer gets paid for. Keep ing cows and bulls that consis tently produce heavier calves and culling those animals that consistently produce lighter weaning calves is an excellent way to increase the profit from an Selectingoperation.for weaning weight in both cows and bulls can be done by utilizing EPDs, which consider the animal’s own performance, pedigree, and the performance of the ani mal’s offspring. Another way to increase weaning weight is to utilize heterosis or hybrid vigor. Heterosis in the cow and the calf can both lead to increased weaning weights because of maternal and direct hybrid vigor. Beefmaster bulls are a good way to make crossbred commercial females retain in operation and have steer calves that will wean heavy.
Other Production Traits
Financial Records
It is extremely important to keep records in the cattle in dustry because to be successful, a producer must treat his cattle as a business and try to make a profit. Therefore, performance records need to be kept as these records drive the profit/loss of the business. Animals with consistently low performance are like products that do not sell.Any business knows that it is best to eliminate products that do not sell and focus on those that do. It is the same in cattle. Using records to cull low-per forming animals and replace them with higher-performing ones just makes sense. The cattle business is just like any other business - it is important to keep records and make decisions based on those records to grow a business.
Reproductive Records
continued from page 9
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 11
There are other production traits that can be taken into account and measured that also play a role in the success of an operation. Those traits can be used in culling decisions as well. One extremely important trait is udder and teat struc tures. Bad udders and teats are one of the largest reasons for culling cows in the beef in dustry. Keeping yearly records allows producers to easily make these decisions. Another trait that is hard to measure is re productive efficiency of a bull. However, with modern genom ic technology calves can be sire verified in multi-sired situa tions. This type of record allows producers to keep and cull bulls based on how many cows they got bred and also lead to the discovery of a bull that may not be producing quality semen. If a producer has a bull to every 25 cows and has 100 cows; then one bull breeds 40, another breeds 30, another 15, and the last one breeds 5. It is of value to know which bulls performed the best. There are other records that can be kept to help producers improve their operations.
One of the first reproductive traits to keep record on is preg nancy. Fertility is a trait that is lowly heritable and hybrid vigor has the largest impact on lowly heritable traits. So mak ing use of crossbred Beefmaster females is very viable deci sion for replacement females. Heifers that fail to get rebred or cows that continuously fall back or come up open, are ani mals that are losing the produc er money and should be culled.
Lance Bauer Director of Breed Improvement Beefmaster Breeders United
The final type of records that all businesses keep are financial records. These records can help the producer know when a cow has broken even and will start producing a profit, which cows and bulls make them the most money, and which cows and bulls cost them the most mon ey. These financial records are all tied to production of the cows and bulls. Keeping these records may seem like common sense, but they are important for the growth of a business. Banks do not do deals on a handshake anymore and need to see these records in order for a producer to take out a loan and expand their cattle opera tion. Financial records are what makes a business a business and not a hobby.
www.beefmasters.org
More Than a Handshake: Negotiating and Drafting an Effective Hunting Lease for Your Farm or Ranch
A hunting lease is a arrangementmutually-beneficialbetween a landowner with land to spare and a hunter looking for exclusive and guaranteed access to hunting land. However, a simple handshake and an exchange of cash between parties is not always enough to ensure smooth sailing in a hunting lease agreement. There are numerous variables, and endless opportunities for disagreement, when two or more parties share land in this way. To avoid disputes—or to at least resolve them efficiently— it is best for the parties to set out in writing the boundaries and inner-workings of their lease arrangement. This article discusses the terms you should address and include in your hunting lease agreement.
by Cari B. Rincker, Esq.
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 15
Put it in Writing
The Basics Every contract must contain certain details in order for it to be enforceable. For a hunting lease, this includes the names and addresses of the parties involved, a description of the land subject to lease, the duration of the lease, and the amount of rent to be paid.
continued on page 16
First and foremost, your hunting lease agreement should be in writing. For one obvious reason, what one party promises orally is not easily provable, whereas a written lease documents every detail of the agreement made. The parties, as well as any future arbiter, can easily look back to a written agreement to determine what, exactly, was agreedupon. One year—ascontractswhichstatesconsiderationlesser-knownisthatmosthavea“StatuteofFrauds,”isarulerequiringthatlastinglongerthanamanyhuntingleases do—must be in writing in order to be enforceable.
16 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org continued from page 15 Arrow T Farm Beefmasters Greg & Mandy Thomas Elkmont, thomasgreg@bellsouth.net256-431-1872AlabamaATFATF ATFATFHeritage Cattle Company E6 Commercial Beefmaster Females Beefmaster Bulls for the Commercial Cattleman Chris ckauffman@stephensgroup.com501-279-8505Kauffman
The most effective way to avoid disputes is to make the hunting lease agreement as detailed as possible with respect to which activities are or are not permissible for each party. In addition to the basics, you may consider including the following in your lease: continued on page 17
Additional Considerations
A hunting lease agreement should always identify both the landowner, known in legal terms as the “lessor,” and the hunter, known as the “lessee.” The land subject to the lease should be described in as much detail as possible, including both common and legal descriptions of the land. One way to avoid confusion is to attach a map of the leased area as an addendum to the lease. This map can depict the roads and points of entry that the lessee is permitted to use, as well as areas where the lessee may clean animal carcasses or dispose of refuse. A hunting lease should clearly define the durational term of the lease, whether it be monthly, annual, or otherwise. It should also specify whether the agreement automatically renews at the end of each lease term, or whether the parties must proactively agree to renew the lease in advance. The lease should detail how much cash rent is due, at what interval, and by what form of payment. The landowner may consider asking for a security deposit up front, which may be used to cover any expenses in repairing damages caused during the lease.
• The species of animals that may be hunted; The number of each species that may be hunted; The types of weapons that the lessee may use;
•
•
•
• What happens if the landowner wants to sell the land; and
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 17
• What happens if there is a natural disaster that makes the land unsuitable for hunting;
• When and how either party can end the lease agreement.
•
While the primary goal of a hunting lease agreement it to avoid any disputes between the parties, a secondary goal is to road map what should happen in the event that a dispute nevertheless arises. To that end, a hunting lease should include the parties’ wishes regarding the means to resolve any potential disputes. This includes whether the parties plan to use alternative dispute resolution (e.g., mediation or arbitration), which court will have jurisdiction over any legal proceedings, which state’s laws will apply when interpreting the agreement, and whether parties will be allowed to recover any reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in a dispute.
• Whether the lessee may bring guests, and the number of guests permitted; Whether the lessee may construct improvements (e.g., hunting blinds, tree stands); Whether the lessee may use hunting dogs; • Whether the lessee may use any facilities on the leased land (e.g., sheds, bunks); What kind of vehicles the lessee may bring, and where those vehicles may be driven;
Preparing for Disputes
•
Tips for the Landowner If you are the landowner, there are a few things you should keep in mind before signing a hunting lease agreement. First, make sure that the lease agreement preserves your right to use the land in any way that you intend to during the course of the lease term. For example, the lease should specify if and when you are allowed to enter the leased area, for what purposes, and with what kind of notice to the lessee. Furthermore, if you have already leased out your land to another party for another use (e.g., agricultural, mining, or drilling), or if you have plans to do so in the future, the lease should specify this as well. As the landowner, you should also consider how to (1) prevent injury or damage caused by the lessee’s activities on your land, and (2) protect yourself from liability in the event that any such injury or damage occurs. One way to minimalize injury or damage is to include provisions in your continued from page 16 continued on page 18
•
• Whether the lessee can transfer the lease to another party without permission; Potential damages owed if either party violates the terms of the agreement;
18 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org lease agreement ensuring that the lessee is properly licensed to use firearms and to hunt, that the lessee follows appropriate firearm safety, that the lessee does not engage in hazardous activities such as drinking while hunting, and that the lessee follows all applicable state and federal laws. The hunting lease agreement should contain a provision informing the lessee that he or she assumes the risks of hunting and is responsible for any harm resulting therefrom. The agreement can also require that the lessee purchase insurance to cover the costs of any injury or damage, and it can provide that the lessee will indemnify—i.e., pay back—the landowner for any costs resulting from injury or damage caused by lessee’s activities on the land.
Final Thoughts Whether you are a landowner planning to lease your property for hunting purposes, or a hunter hoping to lease land, it is important to understand that lease agreements are binding contracts with significant consequences. Given the variables at stake, hunting leases should be carefully tailored for the unique needs of each party involved. It is advisable for either party to hire an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction to help craft or review a suitable hunting lease agreement. At a minimum, consider reviewing this article with your counter party to ensure that your hunting lease agreement will address all salient subjects and avoid future costly disputes. B. Rincker
Rincker Law, PLLC
continued from page 17 Cari
Tips for the Hunter
Keep in mind that a hunting lessee may be spending more time on your land than you do. To that end, it may be in your interest for the lease to include certain responsibilities for the lessee in the supervision of your land. For example, a hunting lease agreement can contain provisions holding the lessee responsible for reporting or preventing certain hazards, such as wildfires or the presence of trespassers.
If you plan to lease someone else’s land, it is important that you inspect the area in advance of signing an agreement to make sure that the leased area meets your expectations and is suitable for your hunting needs. Read the lease closely and make note of the ways in which the lessor may continue to use the land during the course of the hunting lease. Finally, use caution in bringing guests with you to hunt on the leased land, as you may be liable for any damage or injury that your guests cause.
Pounds Pay in the Feedyard by
“With the last group of cattle we marketed on the grid, we were able to profit $410.57 per head solely based on, what I feel after looking at the data, was low dry matter conversions and a zero percent death loss,” VaughnCattlesaid.feeder Mark Sebranek said dry matter conversions are really important and can have an impact on cost to gain, especially with the increased corn prices and volatility of grain“So,prices.itcosts the producer less because it doesn’t take as much feed to make these cattle gain,” Sebranek said. “I’ve been impressed with the quick advancements the producers have been making with these Beefmaster calves.” After his average price per head increased by almost $200 from the first set of calves to the second, Skelton said he quickly learned he was leaving $200 to $300 per head on the table by marketing his weaned calves at the sale barn. Likewise, Jerry Glor from Halfway, Missouri, Brittni Bates continued
on page 20
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 19 Commercial breeders have many options today to market their cattle, and retaining ownership through the feed yard is one of those options. Performance and carcass data producers have received from the feed yard at Irsik and Doll in Garden City, Kansas, prove Beefmaster cattle are more than just a maternal breed. Beefmaster and Beefmastercross cattle can perform in the feed yard, grade on the rail, and return a profit for producers who market their cattle on the grid. James Skelton, a Beefmaster seedstock producer in Springdale, Arkansas, started retaining ownership of his calves through the feed yard in 2010, and he has experienced firsthand how well his cattle perform and can earn him a profit.“This data tells me that Beefmaster and Beefmastercross cattle can do just as well in the feed yard as any other breed, and I have quickly learned how carcass data impacts my bull selection to produce the kind of quality calves that will grade and yield on the rail,” Skelton said. Over the last seven years Skelton has marketed 453 through Irsik and Doll, and his average dry matter conversion rate is an excellent 5.29 with his best calves converting as low as 4.7. The more efficiently calves convert feed to pounds, the faster they gain, and the less money the producer incurs getting those calves to kill weight. Lower dry matter conversion rates means fewer days on feed and lower cost to gain which yields higher profitability.AtVaughn Family Farms in Mount Vernon, Missouri, owner Davin Vaughn considers their successful low feed conversion as the primary factor to their profitability. His added emphasis on efficiency as a criteria for breeding selection has proven beneficial when retaining ownership of feeder cattle.
and
All of Ragland’s extruded protein blocks are easily recognized by the hole in the middle. Years of testing and customer feedback have shown Ragland extruded blocks to be more digestible, palatable and durable than other feed blocks.
When forage fails, Ragland is there to meet the nutritional needs of your herds. Our high-quality supplements help fill the nutritional gaps that faltering fall forage leaves, ensuring that your beef and dairy cattle, horses, sheep, poultry, and wild game remain healthy through the cold months. said he prefers retaining ownership through the feed yard due to the premiums he receives for his straight bred Beefmaster calves, selling on the grid provides him market his steers.
20 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org continued from page 19
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a way to
“It’s not unusual for Beefmasters to grade Choice or better, and I really enjoy seeing those kinds of premiums for my calves at the feedyard,” Glor said.Despite the majoritygradingofexperiencedwell,BeefmastersmisconceptionindustrythatdonotgradetheseproducershaveahighpercentagetheirBeefmastercalvesChoiceorbetter.AofSkelton’scattle grade choice, and Vaughn said 76 percent of his last group graded choice or above and15 percent qualified for Certified Angus Beef (CAB), which accounted for a $62 per head premium. Of those that qualified for CAB, one head was 3/4 Beefmaster and 1/4 Angus while the rest were straight bred Beefmaster. “The industry’s perception is Beefmaster cattle typically do not excel in quality grades; however, you’re just leaving money on the table by not breeding for cattle that can have higher marbling scores without sacrificing yield. Because we use marbling as a selection tool, we are able to capture those kinds of added premiums,” Vaughn said. Beefmaster and Beefmastercross cattle do combine efficiency, quality grade, and they add on pounds which Sebranek emphasized is the biggest profit driver in the feed yard.“We have seen the improvement in performance, dry matter conversions and quality grades in these cattle,” Sebranek said, “but at the end of the day, pounds are what pay.”As much as the results from the feed yard tell a producer where he can improve, data can also show what producers are doing correctly. Hot carcass weight is what gives Beefmasters the competitive advantage. A highly heritable trait, dressing percentage is what packers are paying for, and Beefmasters certainly deliver.“The biggest advantage I see with Beefmaster cattle is in dressing percentage,” Sebranek said. “In some cases, when the Choice and Select spread is lower, we actually see the Beefmaster cattle bring more than Angus, Hereford and other breeds just because of dressing percentage. These Beefmaster cattle hang up a nice large carcasses with large ribeyes.”Sebranek compared a 700-pound Prime Angus carcass and a 900-pound Select continued on page 21
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Beefmaster and Beefmastercross cattle can also attribute success in the feed yard to their hardy traits and natural ability to fight diseases. In the seven years Skelton has fed out his calves in the feed yard, his death loss remains 0.22 percent while Vaughn’s death loss is 0 percent. Pounds pay, and feeders don’t make payouts on deadThatcalves.includes feed, medicine, yardage, processing expense and insurance. The health bill is an added input cost. So, the healthier the calves, the lower the expenses, the more profit in your“Inpocket.myopinion, death loss is one of the greatest keys. These Beefmaster cattle go into the feed yard with an increased natural immunity as compared to English and Continental breeds, and that’s just because of their natural disease resistance in addition to a stringent vaccination regimen we implement here at home,” Vaughn said. All of these producers have fed cattle during different seasons throughout the year, so they experienced some of the harshest West Kansas winter as well as the harsh summer, proving Beefmaster cattle perform well in a gauntlet of climates from South Texas to the Kansas plains. “I can’t control the markets, but I focus on what I can control like genetic selection and animal wellness,” Vaughn said. “We are not in the cattle feeding business. We are in the seedstock business, but the reason we do feed out some cattle is because I know these Beefmaster cattle can be profitable in the feed yard, and it helps us make better breeding decisions for our customers. The more data we utilize and pass on to our customers, the more informed decisions they can make.” from page 20
Beefmaster carcass. Because pounds pay, Sebranek said, the Beefmaster carcass is likely to bring a higher premium. With the advancements in DNA testing and genetic markers, there is an opportunityunparalleledforproducers to more easily improve quality grades than ever before. In terms of profitability, Vaughn said their margins were slightly larger in their straight bred Beefmaster cattle as compared to the Anguscrossed calves primarily based on dressing percentage and yield. Of their last group killed, the average dressing percentage was 65.1 percent, average yield grade was 3, and hot carcass weight averaged 895 pounds.
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Brittni Bates Freelance Writer
beefmasters.org
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BeefmasterInternBreeders
United BBU Intern Haley Guerrero took a break from working the 2022 JBBA National Show and Convention to enter the show ring once again and compete in the Adult Showmanship competition.
by Haley Guerrero, Beefmaster Breeders United Growing up in the Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA) for 14 years, I have had the privilege of meeting people that forever influenced me to be the person I am today and who have become family. During my years of being a junior showman, once summertime came I knew that I was inching closer to seeing my show friends at the JBBA national show. That has always been my biggest take away from our national show because even though we were miles apart from each other, that one time of year we always picked up where we left off. After many years of being in the show ring and the countless miles driven around the state, I finally had to lay my show stick to rest. It was a very bittersweet moment because I was starting a new chapter of going to college, but knowing I wasn’t going to be able to feel that rush of entering a show ring again left an empty part of me. Fast forward to the present time, I stumbled upon the opportunity of applying for the Beefmaster Breeders United internship. Around the time of finding out about this opportunity I was a full-time student and was in the midst of planning out my senior year at Sam Houston University. I was creating my resume, planning my future senior classes, and thinking of ways that I could get more work experience. After saying many prayers, I was granted the opportunity to work in the BBU office. I was nervous to be three and half hours away from home and had no idea what to expect when moving up to Boerne, but I came to love the busy little town of DuringBoerne.mytime in the office I was able to learn what a business office environment looked like, how the junior national show was administrated, how to proceed with transfers and registrations of cattle, and the process of memberships.Withbeing a junior member for so long, I never knew the process and the amount of hours it took to put on the national show. The 2022 national show looked very different for me, instead of being on the end of a lead rope, I was scurrying around preparing all of the events for the junior members for the week. It was truly an eye opening experience for me and I found myself reflecting back on all of the years that I attended this show. I realized how grateful I was to be able to have people work all year long for our biggest junior event. It is not an overnight process and definitely not a one man show. It takes a village to run a great organization like JBBA. Being able to work beside the employees at BBU was such a privilege. I appreciate the guidance, the time, and the experience that they provided me with to prepare for jobs in my near future. This experience as a whole has been such a great stepping stone for me as I approach my senior year at Sam Houston State University. The people I have met, the relationships I have made along the way and the knowledge I was able to gain is something I am forever grateful for. Thank you again to all of the employees at BBU, Rylee Barber, and everyone along the way. This great organization could not function without your hard work and dedication.
BBU Internship Provides Valuable Experience
Haley Guerrero
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www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 25 a publication dedicated to serving commercial cattlemen and produced by Beefmaster Breeders United the BEEFMASTER Pay Weight FALL 2022 Vol. 8, No. 2 Section 2 www.beefmasters.org
University of Arkansas at Monticello cattle breeding program enters new phase
by Lon Tegels, University of Arkansas at Monticello continued on page 26
The cattle herd at the Uni versity of Arkansas at Mon ticello is getting an upgrade, receiving more than two dozen hand-picked Beefmaster cows and calves donated by James and Mary Ann Skelton of Springdale.“Ididn’t want UAM to have any scrubs,” the 77-year-old James Skelton. “I’m selling down, so I donated the better end of my cows.” At one time, Skelton and his brother managed more than 300 head of Beefmaster cattle. “My brother got out of the business, and now it’s just my two sons,” Skelton said. “We have about 60 cows. They, too, are now wanting out of the cattle business. So, it’s a good time.”UAM has had cattle on its campus for a long time, begin ning as a research and demon stration herd managed by the University of Arkansas Sys tem Division of Agriculture’s Southeast Research and Exten sion Center. When the Center closed, the herd was transferred to UAM.“With the switch of own ership, so did the focus of the cattle operation. We were sud denly tasked with the need for our cattle to produce calves for revenue so that the farm could financially stand on its own,” said Rocky Lindsey, veteri narian and associate professor animal science. Genetic upgrades UAM farm manager Greg Montgomery said the donated cattle, which arrived in May, have excellent traits that help elevate the quality of the UAM herd.
Beefmaster cow and calf donated to UAM from Skelton Farms
UAM student Rayvin Calla way showed the cattle and “she did a wonderful job. Kudos to her for the work she has done. We hope to have more student interaction in the future in showing our cattle.”
Beating the competition UAM doesn’t often enter competitions with its livestock. However, this past year Mont gomery and a student tested the waters at the Arkansas State Fair. The result was a measur ing“Thestick.results couldn’t have been better,” Montgomery said. “We were at the state fair in 2021. We had a heifer and a bull. Our bull won Arkansas Champion and Grand Champi on Beefmaster Bull. “We walked out of there with a lot of purple ribbons. For me, it was the first time I’d ever done that,” he said. “Even as a kid, I had never won the state fair. It was cool to do that for the university and a cool thing for me.”
UAM farm manager Greg Montgomery evaluating the Beefmaster cattle continued on page 27
26 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org continued from page 25 “We are getting some proven genetics,” said Montgomery. “There are three boxes we are trying to check. The first is visual assessment; we want them to look pretty as you go down the road. The next two boxes included pedigree: what ancestry do they have, and have they produced recognizable genetics?” he said. “The third box is EPDs or expected progeny differences. All three things can get very complex, but it’s pretty simple once you know the process. If we are checking all three boxes, we are upgrading our cattle,” Montgomery said. Beefmasters Breeders United helps track all the cows’ data. “They have the bloodline; they get a number, the animal’s birth weight is recorded, wean ing weight and yearling weight. By the time you’re done, you have a huge database to help improve the quality of your herd,” he said.
Top Five Skelton became familiar with the UAM breeding pro gram about five years ago. Bill Pendergrass, who was serving as the executive vice president of Beefmasters Breeders Unit ed at that time, told Skelton that UAM needed a bull to breed their cows. Skelton called Montgomery and told them that the school he could use one of his top bulls for a few months. The bull was a top five ranked Beefmaster. The bull and cows did their job produc ing top calves. However, closure of the Southeast Research and Extension Center meant Mont gomery had to start over. The current “donation we received was very beneficial, no strings attached,” Lindsey said. “Some of the cattle we were initially going to sell, the dona tion agreement allowed us to do that, but instead, the quality of the animals we received was incredibly good. Those cows and calves will now be incorpo rated into our existing breeding program.” 26
Lon Tegels Communications Director University of Arkansas at Monticello
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“The goals for the herd with University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture were teaching and research. Gener ating revenue through cattle sales was not the focus,” said Lindsey. “We’re still going to use them as a teaching herd and perform quality research, but the focus has changed since UAM took ownership of the cattle. We now want to help the UAM farm grow and support itself.”“We can brand our UAM university name and become well-known. We are starting to become known as a quality Beefmaster breeder. This gives added value to our cattle,” said Lindsey.“Everything we do out here on this cow farm, there will be a student involved,” said Mont gomery. “Ultimately everything we do to improve the college’s herd; the student is involved 100% hands-on. As the herd gains more notoriety, the uni versity also builds its name and reputation. Meaning more opportunities for the student.”
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by Jeralyn Novak, Beefmaster Breeders United
28 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org
"I truly feel that Beefmaster cows have the best maternal traits of any cow that’s out there. But if you don’t make yourself relevant, you end up losing all of that," says Meacham.WithTAMU support, it is the long-term vision of the Beefmaster breed to become the premiere American breed and the number one source for proven high-quality beef cattle genetics. continued on page 29
Starting January 2023, the Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) office will have a new home in College Station, Texas. Here's the scoop on why the office is making to 188 mile move northeast to Brazos County.BBU, along with other American breeds, was approached by Texas A&M University (TAMU) in the spring of 2021 and also during the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) meetings in early summer 2021. TAMU had a vision to move all of the American beef cattle breed association offices to College Station, Texas to help promote Bos indicus influenced breeds, knowing that their maternal traits are important to the beef industry. BBU President Larry Meacham presented the idea to the BBU Board of Directors not long after that BIF discussion. With TAMU being one of Beefmaster's biggest allies and having one of the most prestigious agricultural programs in the United States, the BBU Board of Directors decided in February 2022 that BBU should make this happen. Clearly, there are many steps that must be taken to turn this opportunity into a reality. With Board approval, BBU put the current office in Boerne, Texas up for sale in June 2022 and since then the office has sold with a lease-back contract agreement through the end of 2022. This gives BBU ample time to plan for the move. The plan is to lease space in College Station, Texas for the short term, and to build on the TAMU campus in the long term.TAMU's vision is to be an American breeds campus. TAMU is a leading agricultural university and having this relationship with academia will give the Beefmaster breed another opportunity to market Beefmaster cattle to a vast variety of TAMUpeople.hasoffered
BBU a long-term lease (35 to 40 years) on property they own that is adjacent to the Beef Center. The vision is to build an office with a conference and educational facility, along with a cattle barn to showcase our cattle during structured events, such as Beef Cattle Short Course and beef industry conferences that take place throughout the year. The conference facility could be used for BBU and Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association meetings. TAMU wants to make this transition and move as seamless as possible. They have offered to help assist in acquiring office space or conference space during this transition. They think the move will also help them in growing their agriculture department in the future.
Beefmaster Association Moves to College Station, Texas
Realizing that change is always hard, but looking at the upside, it brings more potential to Beefmaster Breeders United than most of us can see.
"How do you keep from becoming complacent? You’ve got to always keep your finger at the forefront. We have to remember that we are seedstock producers breeding cattle for commercial cattlemen. Acceptance of our genetics by the commercial cattlemen is essential and I believe Texas A&M is one of our biggest allies in catapulting us forward," expressed Meacham.Withour magnificent maternal traits, Meacham believes that the Beefmaster breed will have a strong foothold in the market into the future and having this connection with academia will help our breed become and stay a vital portion of the beef cattle industry.Obviously, there are other components that also come into play when you make such a move. The biggest component of which is staff. As you all know, we have a great set of individuals who have done an incredible job managing our association."Thebiggest concern for our board has been regarding staff because they’ve been so loyal to us. We made sure they know they have a job with us through the end of 2022," said Meacham.Beefmaster Breeders United's new Executive Vice President Dr. Joe Mask officially started his role on September 6, 2022. He has a tremendous skill set and should make the new path forward seamless for the Beefmaster family. He recently transitioned from his Executive Vice President position for the American Brahman Breeders Association. Dr. Mask lives in the College Station area and has been involved with Bos indicus influenced cattle for most of his life. He has worked in the world of academia and Texas AgriLife for many years and will bring a lot of valuable insight to our association.Wesincerely thank Collin Osbourn for his many years of dedicated service to BBU. Collin will transition out of his role as EVP throughout the remainder of 2022. Collin will work closely with Dr. Mask during this time to ensure a successful changeover of leadership."We’revisiting with other staff members about continuing with BBU, whether in the College Station office or remotely," says Meacham. During the transition time, Meacham envisions having two offices, one in Boerne and one in College Station until we complete the move at the end of 2022. Dr. Mask will spend several days a week in Boerne to help make the transition as seamless as possible. We hope to minimize disruption with the rest of the staff by either facilitating their move to College Station, Texas if they so choose, or implementing workfrom-home policies where appropriate. We are truly thankful for their dedicated service to BBU and hope to make this as seamless as possible for all. There are a lot of moving parts and potential issues, but we’ll work through them and do what’s best for the association. None of us like a lot of change, but our breed is in a position to grow at a greater stride than how we’ve been because of how well our cattle are received in the industry. Meacham believes this move to College Station will help us continue to be relevant as a breed and ultimately prosper. Change is always difficult, but to continue to be relevant as a breed, the BBU Board of Directors felt that our outstanding breed of cattle must look to the future and welcome changes that will ultimately help us grow. from page 28
Jeralyn Novak Communications Coordinator Beefmaster Breeders United
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30 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org
Building a heritage in the cattle business that continues to excel at the highest level takes a strong foundation built on foresight and a continued commitment to improving both the livestock and land on which they're raised. Bill Carr began his pursuit in the early 1950s as part of a family commercial cow-calf operation in the brush country of Webb County, Texas. He transitioned into a successful purebred Santa Gertrudis operationtaking advantage of that breed association's emphasis on bull gain tests and data collectionand continued a two-pronged effort to transform and maintain productive rangeland and pastures while raising efficient and profitable cattle. "I credit much of our success to having worked out a unique and cost-effective process of converting the mixed brush and prickly pearinfested rangelands of Webb County into relatively clean grass pastures and to a strong emphasis on performance in our cattle operation," Carr said. As his operation expanded in the early 1970s, Carr began searching for cattle to run on additional acreage he had acquired. At that time, South Texas was in the midst of an extreme drought, forcing prominent South Texas Beefmaster breeder Gerald Hollis to part with some of his premier animals. This opened the door to the breed for Carr, enabling him to purchase 122 Beefmaster and Beefmastercross bred cows and pairs from Hollis and breed the cows to Beefmaster bulls and obtain registration papers on all of them."Ireally liked the progeny that came out of these Beefmaster cows and knew I wanted to transition fully into the Beefmaster business," he said. Shortly thereafter, Carr joined BBU and began phasing out of raising purebred Santa Gertrudis.WhenCarr wanted to sell his Santa Gertrudis stock and couldn't receive what he thought they were worth, he enrolled nearly all 700 head in BBU's Upgrading Program.
by Chel Terrell, Gulf Coast Publishing Bill and Dusty Carr's legacy in the Beefmaster breed spans over 50 years, with a program synonymous with quality and renown throughout the breed for producing genetics highly sought after by both seedstock and commercial producers alike.Since joining Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) in the mid-1970s, the Carrs have tirelessly pursued excellence in their breeding program, and in recognition of their achievements and lasting impact to the breed, the duo was awarded the 2021 BBU Breeder of the Year Award at the annual convention last fall.
Dedicated to Quality: Breeder of the Year continues legacy of raising top-end genetics
"I bought several good Beefmaster bulls from wellrespected breeders at that time to help our program and upgrade those base cows to purebred status," he said. As Carr grew his Beefmaster herd, he expanded his 4C Hilltop Ranch operations to include properties in Wilson and Kendall counties, now encompassing roughly 14,500 acres. continued on page 32
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Son Kirk Carr manages the Wilson County division, a few miles west of Floresville. Mike Redding heads up operations at the 4C division near the quaint Hill Country community of Sisterdale and Luis Ayala is his head man at the Webb County division. A Philosophy for Longevity Performance data and visual appraisal are paramount to Carr's breeding philosophy and continued success. Following this viewpoint has benefited the operation as he's promoted progeny out of his foundation bulls Classic Cotton and Cornerstone and younger herd sires.
32 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org
measuring devices, an early sonogram machine and other items and he would take it to members' ranches and utilize the equipment on their cattle," he said. "Raising cattle ought to be a for-profit business. I try to focus on both performance and visual appraisal, and I think in today's day and time all the breeds are beginning to give more emphasis to carcass merit, in particular. I think to have sustainability in our breed, we need to go the direction of industry demand and continue to improve carcass quality."
Good Planning Pays With recent droughts, the Carrs generally run, including recips, between 600 to 800 breeding age females, synchronizing every breeding age female on each of the three divisions at least once per year. "We handle them in a way to get the best and most production out of her," Carr Beefmastersaid.females made donors are synched under a certain protocol, with some of their embryos transferred fresh and others frozen. In vitro fertilization has been used sparingly on older donors to help extend their productive life, he notes.
All kept breeding age (yearling) females that are not made donors or recipients are synchronized and artificially inseminated (Al) on standing heat, then separated into various groups and exposed to one bull, Carr said. Weaned, spring-born replacements develop on oats and Bermudagrass at the Wilson County division and are weighed while at various stages, then whetherdetermineexposedourdoingdeterminepelvicsonogrammedclassified,andhavemeasurementstaken."WehaveaveterinarianpregnancybyasonogramonallofAI'dandnaturalservicefemalessowecanwithcertaintythefemaleswesell continued
on page 33 continued from page 31
"I have always been performance minded, and I had portableequipment,possessionExtensionhiscollectresourcesbenefits1950sassociation,WebbprogressivenotoutlookindependenthavebeneficialBreeder)ProgramandClassificationalwaystheincentivesframeGertrudiswhatheotherthesegainedGertrudistime,140-dayTheirtheperformanceemphasizedwhenIownedSantaGertrudiscattle.associationhadagaintestatthatandIhadmoreSantabullsthathadover5lbs.,adayinteststhananybodythantheKingRanch,"said."HavingdoneIdidintheSantabreed,IhadthatofmindandthosewhenIgotintoBeefmasterbreed.I'veparticipatedinBBU'sProgramWeightsandMeasures(he'salsoaMeritandfeltitwastoabreedertoaknowledgeable,personcomeatyourcattleandcutanythingthatyoumighthavecutyourself."AsamemberofamindedCountycattlemen'sCarr,intheand1960s,reapedtheoftheassociation'sandequipmenttoperformancedataonherd."OurWebbCountyagentmaintainedofavarietyofwhichincludedscales,pelvic
The Beefmaster Pay Weight 33 continued from page 32 as bred are pregnant to the Al bull or to the clean up bull. I try to identify and breed cattle as early as I can, then those that breed at a yearling age and calve at two years of age, we can breed back to have second calf as a three year old. "Each raised and kept bull and kept heifer have a sonogram carcass evaluation done by a certified technician at yearling age. Such scan data is processed through a CUPcertified lab and the results are utilized in our selection criteria," Carr said. The majority of calves are born in the spring and weaned in late October and early November, and most females are bred in the spring. "Calves in our operation wean at higher weaning weights if we do nearly all our breeding in the spring. We'll do embryo transfer in April, May and June," he said. To meet potential buyer demand for fall calvers, Carr also breeds a few cattle through synchronization and AI in January and February. "There's a certain demand for fall calvers because they fit a buyer's program better. I try to have some of them to sell in my October sale," he said. In addition to the purebred herd, the Carrs also maintain 300 to 400 recipient females at the Webb County (mainly Fl Brafords) and Kendall County (mainly Black Baldies) divisions. "The last few years we've been using recips that we produce out of Fl Brafords and Black Angus at the Webb County ranch and the Black Baldies are cleaned up with Beefmaster bulls after receiving embryos or if they fail to qualify for embryos," he said.
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Carr has marketed calves directly to feedlots and retained ownership of Beefmaster steers through the feedlot stage to obtain performance and individual carcass data. He's also participated in multiple feeding programs over the years that provided valuable information for his operation such as the Texas Ranch to Rail and Nolan Ryan Tender Aged Beef programs as well as several university programs and BBU and satellite sponsored programs."Ourcattle, and I think the Beefmaster breed as a whole are very efficient in the feedlot continued on page 34
''The resulting natural service calves are from each ranch, ¾ Bos taurus and ¼ Bos indicus, which makes a very desirable feeder calf after it's grown to an appropriate feedlot weight on our winter pastures."
The ranch continues to produce and use many EPD trait leaders for the breed including Benchmark a bull raised out of trait leader Cornerstone and a Classic Cotton daughter. Other high indexing and high EPD ranking bulls and females have been raised or used over the years - such as Classic Cotton and Miss Dusty - many earning Pacesetter and Typesetter status. "Consideration is given to all of the objective evaluations of economic traits, not just phenotype, in our selections," Carr said. High demand for Carr's Beefmaster genetics remains consistent from new and repeat buyers. They have hosted an annual production sale and educational seminar for many years with several other breeders at a beautiful sale facility at the Wilson County ranch, consign animals through various BBU satellite sales sell via private treaty and have hosted numerous field days at their"Billranches.andDusty produce the best in quality seedstock genetics using all the resources available in the livestock world, including the best donors and herd sires. They've produced more Pacesetters and Typesetters than anyone I know," said sale manager, Anthony Mihalski.
continued from page 33 Chel Terrell Managing Editor Gulf Coast Publishing
34 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org as they gain rapidly, convert feed efficiently and provide acceptable carcasses," he said.
Involvement Benefits All BBU and importantparticipationsatelliteremainstotheCarrs and they have been active and dedicated members since joining the association. Bill has served on the Board of Directors twice and held the offices of president, vice president, secretary and ex-officio and has been a prominent member on BBU committees, including serving as a longtime chairman of the By-Laws Committee. Promoting the breed at state and national levels has also held significant importance, leading Carr to participate with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (formerly the National ConventiontimegivenAssociation).Cattlemen'sDustyhascountlesshoursofandenergyontheCommittee and with the Beefmaster Breeders Cattlewomen organization. Their time, energy and financial generosity have been graciously shared with youth involved in the Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA) and the Beefmaster Educational Endowment Foundation (B.E.E.F.). A couple of years ago, Roger Fuller, who at the time received monies for B.E.E.F., advised Carr that he was the first donor to have fully paid a six-figure pledge to B.E.E.F. Each year at their fall production sale, the proceeds from the sale of special works of art by renown artists are given to benefit B.E.E.F., research efforts and JBBA scholarships awarded by the Beefmaster Breeders Cattlewomen.Achievingthe pinnacle of awards as a breeder is an incredible achievement. Earning the honor for a second time is extremely rare. The Carrs were awarded the BBU Breeder of the Year accomplishment in 1993 as well and have also received numerous other honors for their well-respected program, including the 1999 BBU Environmental Award, 2008 BBU Performance Award, 2010 Live Oak Legend Award, 2010 Hall of Fame Award and the 1996 JBBA Helping Hand Award."Over the past several decades, there have been several individuals who have truly made a difference in the Beefmaster breed. I would argue that none have been more important to the association or to the breed of cattle than Bill and Dusty Carr," Mihalski said. ''They have been very deserving of all as they have given so much of themselves."TheCarrs are not looking to slow down anytime soon. They continue traveling to all three ranch divisions on a weekly basis to keep a close eye on the operations."Ihavebeen raising cattle and acquiring and improving land solely to raise cattle for 70 years. I will be continuing to do so as long as I can pull my boots on each day," Carr said.
Consider them an input — the tool that allows you to harvest grass. As a consultant, I get to meet lots of producers and their families. Learning about their properties and businesses is one of my favorite parts of the job.Despite how many producers I’ve met and visited, I have yet to find two that are the same. Each has different backgrounds, lifestyles, strengths, budgets, biases — you name it. And each comes with a unique cocktail of challenges, opportunities and priorities.Withall of their differences, one similarity stands out, ranch to ranch: their goals. They almost always boil down to these two: - They want to be profitable. - They want to leave the land better than they found it. Almost everyone who makes a living off of the land has an inherent respect and reverence for it, as well as for the ecosystems that provide for the wildlife, the livestock and the people who steward the land. That respect and reverence has existed for centuries — for as long as the land has been providing. There is a belief, however, that a producer can’t achieve both goals — profitability, and benefiting/ improving the land — at the same time. Regenerative agriculture not only challenges that maxim, but when implemented strategically, disprovesAccordingit. to revered conservationist Aldo Leopold, there are five factors that existed decades ago and continue to sustain healthy grazing lands now: the axe, the cow, the plow, the gun and the match. Let’s focus on the cow. Supplements, fertilizer and herbicides became the land’s Band-Aid In nature, before the involvement of man, ruminants such as bison coexisted with and complemented our grasslands as they roamed in huge mobs. Native grass species thrived under short-duration, high-intensity grazing, and reaped the benefits of nutrient cycling as residual forage was trodden into the ground along with nutrient-rich manure. Lengthy rest times allowed the plants to recover as the bison made their way continued on page 36
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What is the Role of Cattle in Regenerative Agriculture?
by Caitlin Hebbert, Noble Research Institute
Grass toagricultureconsequences.andthat.andherbicidessyntheticbrush,overtakenWherelacking,Wheresuffered,WhereupweAnd,evolvedThethediversityeradicatingbecamemonoculturesthenorm,thespeciesthatfedbothcattleandthesoil.naturalsystemsthattogethercrumbled.asmantypicallydoes,begantopatchthingswithourownsolutions.foragequalitywesupplemented.soilqualitywaswefertilized.grassbecamewithweedsandwesprayed.Supplementalfeedstuffs,fertilizersandarealltools—canbeeffectiveonesatButtheycostmoneyhaveunintendedRegenerativeisnotmeanteradicateinputs
Instead, it’s a management style that seeks to work synergistically and leverage a relationship with Mother Nature, rather than to work around and in spite of her. Roaming livestock benefit grasslands One way to begin to look at regenerativeproductionlivestockfromaviewpoint, is to consider your cattle as inputs. Many of us don the title “cattle producer” with great pride, and rightfully so. But I urge you to consider yourself a “grass producer with cattle.” From this perspective, cattle are a tool — an input. You grow grass, and you use cattle to harvest the grass. As they harvest, they trample biomass into thatch to help cover and protect the soil. The nutrients not utilized by the digestive system are deposited back onto the same land to help feed the soil biology, and in turn, grow more grass. Seek to use Mother Nature’s principles from the days of the bison. Shortduration, higher-intensity grazing and appropriate rest periods allow the deep perennial roots of a species-diverse landscape to feed the soil microbiome teeming with life, and for plants to more easily recover and grow more forage for the next grazing period. The regenerative cow “Can cattle be regenerative?” My answer is yes, they can. And that’s not just my answer; the regenerative community has been chanting for years now, “it’s not the cow, it’s theArehow.”livestock critical to healthy grasslands? Yes. Can cattle be detrimental to grasslands? Also, yes. So how do we manage for a mutually beneficial relationship between our livestock, our land and our pocketbook?Weareall after the efficient cow. The problem is that almost all of us would define efficient differently – it’s a relative term. And unfortunately, you can’t pick exactly what you want in a perfectly consideraandintentionalorthinkcowdramaticallyandprotocolsgenetics.calf,bigbullGeneticssupplementation.andproductionagrazinghavesettellingseasonfirstandaeverymaintaincanshouldefficient.fither,havinghelpdriven,Bothbeneficial1)thetwoandstrategictoofcowdesigned-just-for-youefficient,andgofindher.Mostthetime,youhavedevelopherthroughselection,cullingmanagement.Let’srevisitthosepopulargoalsfrombeginning:beingprofitableand2)totheland.aremanagement-butyourcowcanyou.Infact,ifyou’retoworkagainstsheprobablydoesn’tintoyourdefinitionofIcan’ttellyouthatyouhaveacowthattakecareofherself,condition,calve365days,weanstronghealthycalf,getbredwithinthe30daysofbreedingwithoutalsoyouthatyoumustherupforthatsuccess.Nutrientrequirementstobemetthroughmanagement,strategicallyplannedcyclesometimesmatter,andselectionplaysapartinthathealthybutsodomaternalHealtharecritical,parasiteloadscanchallengecondition.Don’tlessmanagementfewerinputs:thinkmanagementoptimizedinputs.Whenbuildingregenerativeherd,thefollowing: Select an animal that suits your environment. It’s hard to work around characteristics in cattle that don’t suit the
36 The Beefmaster Pay Weight www.beefmasters.org through millions of acres of grasslands, always moving on to seek the nutrient-densefresh,growth that came to life after a grassfire and to maintain a rich and species-diverse diet. This mutually beneficial relationship was healthy and sustainable for both parties: the animal and the land. Neither suffered for the benefit of the other back then. So why should either have to now? As time progressed, cattle became more domesticated, and management became more intense. Infrastructure such as cities and roads impinged on grazing lands, and more and more fences were built that now segregate livestock from suburbs and traffic, protect cropland, and ostensibly make cattle easier to gather and manage. However, as more and more constraints were put on cattle and inhibited their natural tendency to roam, other necessary accommodations fell by the wayside. As fences went up and cattle traveled less, pasture rest time and grazing intensity also decreased.
continued from page 35 continued on page 37
Caitlin Hebbert Livestock Consultant Noble Research
Institute
www.beefmasters.org The Beefmaster Pay Weight 37 environment. You can’t force a cow to browse in heavy brush, but a goat will do so naturally. You can’t force a heat-stressed animal to graze instead of hide in the shade, but more heattolerant cattle might get more grazing hours in. Matching animal to environment is going to be different for everyone. Consider your terrain, your climate, your forage base and other factors unique to your operation. You want a cow that works for you, not a cow that you have to work around. If you’re moving cattle more often than you used to, docility is probably more important to you than it used to be. Make a list of traits that are important to you and that complement your operation. When sourcing cattle, look for operations and producers with similar characteristics and goals to yours. Everything in moderation. Lots of people would like to have the bragging rights of weaning the heaviest calves every year, but not nearly as much as they would like to have the bragging rights of keeping the biggest chunk of that weaned-calf check. Sometimes less is more, so again, be mindful of unintended consequences. A 1,500-pound cow will usually wean a bigger calf than a 1,200-pound cow, but the heavier cow also eats more forage, generally has higher maintenance requirements and costs more money to maintain throughout the year. The math generally doesn’t work out in your favor. Moderation is your friend in terms of most genetic traits, frame score and inputs needed for maintenance. Compare to your herd average. Look for the cow that is raising a good calf every year and looks better than her cohorts. Similarly, watch out for those that are in poorer condition compared to the herd average or who raise a puny calf. How well a cow is able to maintain herself can give you an idea of their efficiency on forage. Select for those that outperform the herd average and build your genetic base around them.Regenerative agriculture isn’t a new concept; it’s simply reverting to what the land was originally designed to do. It seems progressive, but at its roots, it thrives on concepts that have existed in nature since livestock and grass first met. The two were designed to work together, not against each other. Man’s well-intentioned intervention is what broke the happy symbiosis of livestock and the land. Making a profit in regenerative agriculture is a matter of balancing economics with the ecosystem, not choosing one over the other. Similarly, regenerative grazing is a matter of balancing livestock productivity with productivity of the grass and the soil — not prioritizing the cow over the grass, nor sacrificing cow condition for the sake of the grass. It’s a precarious balance that can be achieved, over time, with careful and strategic forsystembalancedtoofenvironment.notregeneratively,productratherimprovewhenfertilizedbecauseroute.organic,areparticularagriculturemanagement.Cattleinregenerativearenotanysizeorbreed;theynotcertifiedgrass-fedorunlessyouchoosethatAcowisn’tregenerativeshe’sneversetfootonsoil.She’sregenerativesheisusedasatooltothelandshegrazes,thanjustseenasthesoleandpriority.WhenmanagedcattlearedetrimentaltotheTheyareonethekeynaturalinputsrestoringahealthyandsystemtoourland,athattrulyregeneratesgenerationstocome. continued from page 36
Sep 24, 2022 - 5th Annual Flint Hills Classic Bull Sale, Paxico, KS
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Nov 03, 2023 - Beef on Forage Maternal Compass Commercial Replacement Female Sale, McAlester, OK
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Oct 08, 2022 - Lone Star BBA Ultrasound Scan Day, Canton, TX
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Apr 01, 2023 - Louisiana BBA Spring Sale, Kinder, LA
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Mar 18, 2023 - Beef on Forage Bull and Female Sale, McAlester, OK Mar 25, 2023 - Emmons Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Groesbeck, TX
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May 06, 2023 - Lone Star BBA Carcass Ultrasound Scan Day @ Champion Genetics, Canton, TX
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Nov 12, 2022 - Louisiana BBA Fall Field Day @ McNeese State, Lake Charles, LA
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Oct 08, 2022 - Carr & Others Fall Sale, Floresville, TX
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