Beefmaster provides all-around performance

WHAT BEEFMASTER COWS CAN DO FOR YOU

from Beefmaster Breeders United

Pay day starts with superior Beefmaster cows. Indeed, the Beefmaster female has stayed true to her original purpose: to help ranchers in tough environments improve performance, survivability and longevity. So, if you are giving up ground in traits that matter, consider Beefmasters. The breed will jump-start your cattle and give your next calf crop a performance boost. Beefmaster is a beef breed developed in America that improves beef quality and production efficiency when crossed with any other cattle breed for commercial beef production. The breed originated in Southern Texas in the late 1800s into the early 1900s. The Lasater family originally developed a large herd of Hereford cattle carefully selected to withstand the heat and insects of the Texas Gulf Coast region, but they were still not perfectly suited to that difficult environment. So Lasater began to experiment with incorporating Bos indicus or Zebu genetics, in the form of Gyr and Guzerat bulls from India and Nelore from Brazil. While the practice of crossbreeding was virtually unheard of at the time, they immediately saw a tremendous jump in productive traits, such as weight gain and reproductive rates. This is genetic advantage known as heterosis or hybrid vigor. By the early 1930s, the ranch also incorporated Milking Shorthorn genetics, to augment milk production and carcass quality. They could immediately see that the three-way hybrid was far superior to the two-way crosses. The final composite ended up at roughly 50 percent Bos indicus and 50 percent Bos taurus (25 percent Hereford and 25 percent Shorthorn). As Lasater developed the breed, he also formed a unique selection philosophy known today as The Lasater Philosophy. The concept is to only select cattle for economically relevant traits, which he distilled to these Six Essential traits. The Six Essentials are weight, conformation, milk production, fertility, hardiness and disposition. It is the only breed in history to be selected only using pressure for productive traits, as opposed to aesthetics. In 1937, the herd was closed to outside genetics with continued internal development to cull low-performers and upgrade all traits together equally. By 1954 the foundation herd was recognized by USDA under the name of Beefmaster. In 1961, Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) was founded and is headquartered in Boerne, Texas. Beefmaster ranks fifth in the U.S. in terms of membership and is the largest of the American breeds. The association has over 3,000 members registering around 19,000 calves annually. Beefmasters also enjoy a rapidly growing international footprint, with established associations in nine countries worldwide. The breed has rapidly grown around the world and has become known as the prime maternal cow for serious commercial cattlemen that appreciate their production excellence, particularly in harsh desert or tropical environments. The breed has excelled across most regions of the United States and several other Latin American regions. With global demand for higher-quality beef

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growing geometrically, Beefmasters provide the perfect breed to cross on commercial cattle to improve production efficiency and carcass quality, while not sacrificing adaptability. Beefmasters are well known within the international beef industry for their successful adaptation in tropical climates. While this has proven true in Central America and Thailand, this unique breed succeeds in high altitude deserts, as well as in cold and wet environments. The Lasater Foundation herd was moved in 1948 to Matheson, Colorado – where it remains to this day. The Lasater Ranch is located on the Rocky Mountain plains, which is known for its high altitude, snow, extreme cold and meager grassland for foraging. Beefmaster cattle also flourish in the deserts of South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. They thrive in the mountains of Colombia and Venezuela, as well as Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Kentuck perent and Wisconsin. Commercial cattlemen have noted substantial economic gains from using Beefmasters to provide an average increase of 60 pounds, or more at weaning when compared with other breeds. They excel post-weaning as well, with faster weight gains, excellent feed conversion and carcass yields around 64 percent. Land grant universities in Texas, Florida and Oklahoma are conducting research projects to evaluate carcass quality and feed efficiency through utilizing Beefmaster for crossbreeding on popular breeds such as Angus, Charolais, Hereford, Simmental, Limousin and even some dairy breeds. The Noble Research Institute is also working with Beefmaster Breeders United to conduct economic research on grass-fed, and grain fed carcass merit. Their research points to the heterosis gains showing “an extra calf” when weaning weights produce 110 to 165 extra pounds per calf born. In a time when sustainability is becoming increasingly critical, Beefmasters have repeatedly demonstrated that they are highly efficient converters of both forage and feeds into lean, tender, high-quality beef. A recent study at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) demonstrated Beefmaster’s dominance when compared to 18 of the most widely used beef breeds in the United States. To summarize, the Beefmaster female excels in all maternal traits. They get bred easily, year in and year out. They make raising good calves look easy. And they possess excellent longevity because they do not break down in tough environments. So, if your cow herd has lost its ability to adapt to changing times or challenging environments, maybe it is time to rebuild with proven, Beefmaster females. Nothing beats a Beefmaster. Learn more about what the Beefmaster cow can do at www.Beefmasters.org.

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Bar T Bar bulls will build better cows!

A four-year-old Bar T Bar cow that is weaning her third calf with a 365 day calving interval and a near perfect udder. Her Zoetis Fertility EPD ranks her predicted lifetime calf production in the Top 1% of the industry. She epitomizes what it means to be a better cow! It’s no wonder, that despite two of the worst drought years in Arizona history, Bar T Bar is the leading 2021 breeder of Dams of Merit and Distinction in the Gelbvieh breed. Bar T Bar cows run under real world conditions. They produce highly fertile, efficient-sized cows that breed up and wean a high percentage of their own body weight. The March bull calf pictured weaned off his fouryear-old dam at 639 pounds at 200 days of age.

Bar T Bar Bulls YOU MAKE THE COMPARISON

Popular Industry Bulls

Cow Herd Profit ($Ranch)

Selected to improve cow herd profit with our unique $Ranch index -under real world conditions. The 2021 Bar T Bar bulls rank in the Top 5% of the industry for $Ranch. Selected for bigger growth and milk numbers under artificial seedstock conditions that result in cows that do not fit the environment.

Birth to Harvest Profit ($Profit)

Selected to balance the maternal requirements while still building more valuable calves. The 2021 Bar T Bar bulls average over +15,000 on $Profit and rank in the Top 10% of the industry. Industry average bulls are around $8,000 on $Profit. This is $70 per calf behind the average Bar T Bar 2021 bull. Average bulls have too much feed intake, too much cow size, and not enough carcass merit.

Reduced Feed Intake and Feed Efficiency

Bar T Bar has been measuring and selecting for reduced feed intake for a decade -- to help you lower your feed costs!

Most of the industry does not even measure this trait. The result is selection for inefficient cattle that eat too much!

175 Bulls Sell! Bar T Bar Ranches Annual Bull Sale

April 9, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. (PDT)

Southern Balancers, Balancers, Gelbvieh & Angus Crater Ranch Headquarters · Winslow, AZ

Bob and Judy Prosser 928-289-2619 • Cell: 928-380-5149 Email: info@bartbar.com February 2022 California Cattleman 61

Lee Leachman Herd Consultant (970) 568-3983