2023 Gateway Breeding Value Bull Sale

Welcome to the Sale

Welcome to Gateway and beautiful Central Montana. Hopefully, we have had our winter for the year, and get to enjoy a mild winter from here on out.

I would like to thank our families, our help Chris and Larry, and the Allied team for all they do to support the Gateway program. Also, thanks for the support from all our dedicated buyers through the years whom we have become good friends with as well. Relationships matter in any business, and we are blessed to be able to work with the best people in the world, the American rancher.

We have put together a great line up of bulls again this year that are genetically better on average than any we’ve offered. They have been weaned since the first week of September and brought along on a 2.5 ADG ration that will support fertility and longevity.

I know it has been a tough few years for most of you, but we need to believe this weather pattern is coming to an end. It has always been a next year business, so try to purchase bulls you want to see calves out of in 2024 and not get down in the dumps.

Gateway is using every tool we know from science, to heterosis, to practical animal husbandry, to provide bulls that will improve your cattle. I know there is a lot of information in the catalog, but what is available is what I would like to see if I was purchasing the bulls.

A supplement sheet will be posted on our website and at the bull sale with the updated EPDs, scrotal measurements and yearling weights and ratios.

Feel free to call or email with any questions you may have regarding the cattle.

Sincerely, Jim and Tom Butcher

Jim and Tom Butcher

Jim 406-350-0467 • Tom 406-350-0979 jimbutcher58@gmail.com • 2109 Joyland Road, Lewistown, MT 59457 www.gatewaysimmental.com

Chris Miller, Larry Hagenbuch, Logan Butcher, Brock Butcher

SALE BROADCAST LIVE ON SUPERIOR PRODUCTIONSSLA-TV DISH CHANNEL 997. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE PAGE 5.

AUCTIONEER

Col. Ty Thompson 406-698-4783

LIVESTOCK PRESS REPRESENTATIVES

Dan Dieichmann, Diechmann Livestock 406-423-5500

John Goggins, Western Ag Reporter 406-373-5000

Devin Murnin, Western Livestock Journal 406-696-1502

Jeff Thomas, Prairie Star 406-581-8859

CATTLE INSPECTIONS

Cattle can be viewed any time prior to sale.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements made sale day and from the auction block during the sale take precedence over printed material associated with this sale. Anyone attending this sale attends at their own risk. Gateway Simmental or any of the sale force will not be held responsible for any personal injury for attending this sale.

EPDS

All EPDs are the most current BOLT at the time of printing conducted by IGS and the American Simmental Association.

AREA MOTELS

Feel free to call Gateway or make your own reservations.

Yogo Inn - Gateway Sale Headquarters 406-535-8721

Historic Calvert Hotel 406-538-5411

Super 8 406-538-2581

B&B (close to Yogo Inn) 406-538-5496

Mountain View 406-538-3457

SALE LOCATION

3 miles North of Lewistown on HWY 191 North. Turn left onto Hanover Road, go 0.3 miles turn left again and go another 0.3 miles.

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All cattle sell under the Terms and Conditions of the American Simmental Association.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Final weights and scrotal measurements available sale day. Percentile rankings can be found for both the Purebred and Lucky Cross™ Bulls on the inside back cover.

TRANSPORTATION

Great Falls is served by Delta, United, Allegiant, Northwest, & Horizon Airlines. Billings is served by United, Frontier, Allegiant, Horizon, Northwest, Corporate Air, & SkyWest.

Marty Ropp 406-581-7835

Corey Wilkins 256-590-2487

Jared Murnin 406-321-1542

Rocky Forseth 406-590-7984 www.alliedgeneticresources.com

THIS YEAR

Pg 1

General Sale Information Pg 2

GATEWAY CAN HELP WITH YOUR FEEDER CALF SALES.

Improved Buying Confidence with

Access to more and better information has always been key to making wise decisions. The evolution and improvement of genetic evaluation tools too has given us an ever-clearer picture of the true genetic makeup of cattle and thus a better view of the value proposition. RightMate, powered by Top Genomics LLC is taking the evaluation of genetics and genomics one giant step further. By combining speci c genomic information with the long-proven value of EPDs, this new advancement in technology improves our depth and precision when evaluating the actual ability to transmit value and pro t.

The 3 Accreditation Logos below are designed to simplify bull selection and improve buyer con dence by more accurately describing the genetics o ered and by reducing risk. What this means to you as a customer is a much greater assurance that you are getting both what you want and need from the genetics you purchase. What it means to your seedstock provider is access to RightMate technology that simply sets them apart from the rest of the industry.

ACCREDITED GENOMIC PLUS – For the majority of producers who simply need consistent and balanced genetic improvement, without genomic setbacks, G+ Accredited bulls should be on your list for premium purchase. These sires will absolutely move you forward for both cost reduction and income producing traits and substantially reduce risk when compared to all other evaluation programs. It’s simple, the right genes are in these bulls to help secure a pro table future and the they have great EPDs to match!

ACCREDITED CALVING EASE – Simply nd bulls with the ACE logo for third party Accredited, secure Calving Ease bulls. Though we have had tools in the past to assist in choosing heifer bulls, we’ve never had one nearly this e ective. The reduced risk that comes with this genomic certi cation will simply make your decisions easier and your heifer calving season more successful. Purchase special purpose ACE bulls with con dence. They will deliver consistent and predictable calving ease.

ACCREDITED TERMINAL MATE – Just like an ATM machine makes it simpler to access your cash, the ATM Logo highlights bulls accredited to generate extra cash income as soon as your next calf crop! These bulls are meant speci cally to use only on mature cows and for the purpose of adding performance, pay weight and end product value to market.

Note to our Buyers

There are black bulls that are part Red Angus that don’t carry the red gene. Make sure you look at the BB, HB notation on the top line. Then you know if the animals with some Red Angus breed composition carry a red gene. This is how Gateway is adding diversity and broadening the genetic base of our Lucky Cross cattle.

Your Advantage… The Lucky Cross

Whether you’re a repeat customer or a new buyer evaluating the Gateway bulls for the first time, rest assured you’re not only purchasing bulls but a program with decades of genetic power behind it. Purchasing and placing thousands of Lucky Cross calves through the years we can attest to the outstanding reputation of performance and quality in this herd. Lucky Cross is a household name among the Midwest feed yards, their genetics prove repeatedly that these calves are bred to be top- shelf feeders.

We are proud to be the marketing arm for the Butcher family and we look forward to selling calves, yearlings, and seed stock from Gateway’s genetics. When you’re ready to take advantage of DLB’s marketing expertise give us a call. If I can help with bull selection contact me or let’s visit in the pens.

Sincerely, Dan and Marilyn Deichmann

Montana FFA Bulls for Blue

The Bulls for Blue program is designed to support FFA members getting a start in their own beef production projects through Bulls for Blue start up funds. 10% of Lot 10 will be donated to the Montana FFA Foundation. These funds will support Supervised Agricultural Experience projects related to the beef industry. Purchase your next herd sire and support Montana FFA and the future of the beef industry!

CUTTING EDGE GENOMIC TECHNOLOGY

RightChoice and RightMate Powered by Top Genomics - Better, Stronger, Faster

Genetic providers have used strong genetic prediction tools like EPDs for making, then offering customers consistent genetic progress for a long time. Improved EPDs, bolstered by the inclusion of genomic evaluation have made the potential for more profitable cattle and better beef even greater in the past few years. Now there are RightMate and RightChoice. These improved technologies combine advanced knowledge of high impact genomics with the database proven power of EPDs. The results, are proving to be greatly accelerated genetic improvement capability with the added benefit of profit enhancing uniformity. Maybe the best news for customers is that despite the sophistication of the technology, these tools are simple to use. With both great power and needed simplicity RightMate and RightChoice are poised to change the way we both improve and market genetics.

For breeders and those wishing to get the most from every mating, RightMate is the most impactful and powerful option. Take the guesswork out of progress by using genomically prescribed matings and just as importantly avoid those with a low probability of success. The technology is ready and the validation is strong. Simply define the direction of your breeding objectives, even female by female and RightMate will help you get there faster than any tool used in the past. We’ve all known for a long time that certain cows just need to be mated to certain bulls. RightMate helps take the guesswork and the trial and error out. Finding the right mating, the first time makes all of the difference.

Better matings result in more improvement and more potential profit for commercial customers too. That should be the goal of every seedstock provider. Commercial customers however, need to be able to source genetics that fit their production systems and goals quickly and easily. That is where RightChoice comes in. With 20 or more EPD categories, overwhelming amounts of raw data and multiple index offerings to evaluate in a short time, the potential to use selection information to its best result has been possible, but difficult for commercial producers. RightChoice is designed as a simple to use sorting tool for selection of new sires or females all based on commercial genetic needs and production goals. The sophisticated technology is on the inside of RightChoice with easy to use Logos for sorting as the published and effective result. All you need to do is evaluate and pick the bulls you like from the group with the RightMate genetic logo that fits your needs.

RightChoice technology will not only push value and profit traits forward. Because of the way it sorts sires, it can reduce variation and inconsistency in your calf crop as well. For example, with ACE logo bulls, not only can you expect reduced dystocia, but the birth weights responsible for most of the challenges will be less variable. That means more calves born close to the average for weight and far fewer extreme calves that either create issues for your heifers or are unreasonably small. With smart RightMate selections, uniformity of calf crop continues to marketing and even replacement females, creating more profit all the way through. We can’t always control the genes present in the cow herd, but we can make sure your seedstock purchase will help you get the most progress moving forward.

RightMate and RightChoice…Better, Stronger, Faster.

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE AS AN ABSENTEE BUYER

We have made preparations to bid and buy livestock through Superior Productions’ “Call or Click-To-Bid” service for those unable to attend in person on sale day. Please note that all of the lots in the sale will also be available for viewing online prior to sale day at www.superiorlivestock.com.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

Turn in Bids Over the Phone. This is our traditional method of buying livestock and is the suggested process for anyone who does not have consistent, high-speed internet. To get started simply go online to www. superiorlivestock.com and click on the tab titled “Register for a Buyer Number”. Select the registration form for Superior Productions and print the registration form. Fill it out and fax it in to Superior Productions at (817) 378-3380 with a signature on it. You can also mail it in to the address provided on the form. Upon receipt of this information Superior will call you with a buyer’s number and the bid line phone number that you will use on sale day to place bids over the phone.

CLICK-TO-BID

This is Superior’s online bidding program for cattle buying. Please note that high speed internet is required – this is not for dial-up or satellite internet. Registration is free, but you must become a member of www.superiorclicktobid.com to sign up. Becoming a member is easy – just go to the homepage of www.superiorclicktobid.com and follow the out-lined steps to get started. Input your information and select a username and password. You will receive an e-mail confirming you are a member. From that point forward you just have to sign in and select the sale you would like to register for and once approved by the ranch you will receive an e-mail confirming which sale you are now registered for.

VIEWING THE AUCTION

The sale will be broadcast via satellite on SLA-TV (DISH Network channel 997). Please note that there is a delay if you are watching the auction on television so be sure to call in a couple lots ahead of the lot you are interested in bidding on. The sale will also be broadcast live in Hi-Definition on the internet at both www.superiorlivestock.com and www.superiorclicktobid.com. The video feed on the homepage of www.superiorlivestock.com looks the same as the video feed on TV and can be watched over a smartphone or tablet. Remember you can call in to bid whether watching on the TV or on the internet, but you must be a member of www.superiorclicktobid.com to “click-to-bid”.

Bidders who are successful in making purchases via satellite or internet will be contacted by the ranch after the sale to settle payment and make shipping arrangements.

ASA Quick Reference to EPDs, Indexes and $Values

EXPECTED PROGENY DIFFERENCES

(EPDs): EPDs are the most accurate and effective tool available for comparing genetic levels. In using EPDs, the difference between two sires’ EPDs represents the unit difference expected in the performance of their progeny. For example, if sires A and B have EPDs of +10 and -5, a 15-unit difference would be expected in their progeny (moving from -5 to +10 yields 15 units). Key to using EPDs is knowing in what units they are expressed. For example, if the above case referred to weaning weight EPDs, sire A would be expected to sire 15 pounds more weaning weight than sire B. If calving ease was the trait, sire A would be expected to sire 15 percent more unassisted births in first-calf heifers; in other words, if sire B sired 30 assists in a group of 100 heifers, we would expect sire A to require 15 assists. A percentile-ranking chart is required to determine where a bull’s EPDs rank him relative to other bulls in the breed. For more detailed information about EPDs and $ indexes, visit www.simmental.org.

Listed below are the units in which ASA EPDs are expressed:

ALL-PURPOSE INDEX (API): Dollars per cow exposed under an all-purpose-sire scenario.

BACK FAT (BF): Inches of carcass backfat at 475 days.

BIRTH WEIGHT (BW): Pounds of birth weight.

CALVING EASE (CE): Percent of unassisted births when used on heifers.

CARCASS WEIGHT (CW): Pounds of carcass weight at 475 days.

DOCILITY (DOC): Percent of offspring receiving a disposition score of 1 (docile).

MATERNAL CALVING EASE (MCE): Percent of unassisted births in first-calving daughters.

MILK (MLK): Pounds of weaning weight due to milk.

MARBLING (MARB): Carcass marbling score at 475 days.

MATERNAL WEANING WEIGHT (MWW): Pounds of weaning weight due to milk and growth.

RIBEYE AREA (REA): Square inches of carcass ribeye at 475 days.

TERMINAL INDEX (TI): Dollars per cow exposed under a terminal-sire scenario.

WEANING WEIGHT (WW): Pounds of weaning weight.

YEARLING WEIGHT (YW): Pounds of yearling weight.

YIELD GRADE (YG): Carcass yield grade score at 475 days.

$ INDEXES: Though EPDs allow for the comparison of genetic levels for many economically important traits, they only provide pieces of the economic puzzle. This is where $ indexes come in. Through well-conceived, rigorous mathematical computation, $ indexes blend EPDs and economics to estimate an animal’s overall impact on integrated commercial production. The same technology that led to the dramatic progress in swine, poultry and dairy genetics over the last several decades was used to develop the following $ indexes: ALL-PURPOSE INDEX (API): Evaluates sires for use on the entire cow herd (bred to both Angus first-calf heifers and mature cows) with the portion of their daughters required to maintain herd size retained and the remaining heifers and steers put on feed and sold grade and yield.

TERMINAL INDEX (TI): Evaluates sires for use on mature Angus cows with all offspring put on feed and sold grade and yield.

For more detailed information about EPDs and $indexes, visit: www.simmental.org

GATEWAY Focus and Brand

Gateway has been focused on making a black and red, balanced, maternal option for ranchers since around 1989. In the past, the evaluation tools were not where they are today. With the advent of the multiple breed evaluation from IGS, genomic testing, and now Right Mate and Right Choice, the idea of a documented superior hybrid animal is coming to fruition. In the thirty some years we have been working on this vision, it is really growing roots. Early on the vision was clear, but the database and tools were unavailable.

In 2001, before the name SimAngus was coined by the Simmental association, Gateway named our hybrid program, Lucky Cross. A very smart businessman from Canada stated “you can’t market hybrid cattle without a name.” Even though the name SimAngus has been coined since, we have stuck with our proprietary ranch hybrid name, Lucky Cross.

The by line, “Whichever direction you are going, they cross” was used to signify multi trait balance. Many of us know, trends change and can move animals out of equilibrium. Catch the middle ground whether you are coming or going.

Gateway maintains a large cowherd, so we can visualize the results of our program. Once a female is retained, as long as she is sound, and is pregnant to calve before April 1st, it is all about production. This is why we don’t have seedstock female sales. If you sell your best young females, it is hard to visualize where we are going, plus we would need to embryo transplant to stay in the game. It is imperative to know how our top genetics perform in the real world.

I question the overuse of the statement, “pounds pay.” Of course, pounds pay, that is how we get paid for our production. However, from a cow perspective, pounds pay when you salvage the cow. How much does it cost to produce her pounds of offspring through her lifetime? How many years does the cow last, and how much do we have to feed her? Furthermore, what is the value of the pounds she is producing? If you feed cattle to finish, there is nothing more depressing than selling fed cattle on a grid, then looking at the carcass data and seeing how much money you left on the table.

Typically, with continental based cattle, the normal problem is that they are not grading good enough. With straight British bred cattle, it may also be quality grading or too many yield grade 4s. Gateway has fed cattle to finish since 1994. We have been building a maternal hybrid for improved marbling with an eye on limiting the percentage of Angus for a long time. GW Lucky Charm 665K, born in 2000, was the founding sire of Lucky Cross. This is why the Lucky Cross program is pushing the envelope for marbling, while maintaining competitive yield. Bylooking at feeding closeouts and carcass data, it gives perspective you otherwise wouldn’t have had. Quality beef is the competitive advantage of American beef in the world market.

Efficiency in beef production cannot be achieved without capturing some of the 25% improvement in pounds weaned per cow exposed through maternal heterosis.

When I hear cattle people comment on how some of the high marbling Angus cattle are hard doing and not so fertile, it tells me that the genetic base is too small; they lack maternal heterosis. Why can’t we make fertile, easy doing black cattle that improve productivity and add value with marbling? The cow is half the equation. The better the cow, the less the need for terminal sires. The more opportunities you have when marketing your calf crop. The cattle business is a long-term proposition. If we are diligent, we can cut production costs and add real value at the same time. It requires all the tools and science available.

This may seem complicated and crazy to some, but progress is made by thinking outside the box, and implementing proven new tools as they become available.

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Isn’t the commercial herd inbred enough? As an industry, we need more diversity. It is hard to capture both direct and maternal heterosis in a sustainable way without incorporating multiple breeds into hybrid cattle. We have experimented with different breeds and hybrids, but it seems the Red Angus fits our Lucky Cross model the best.

Although it is thought that both Red Angus and Black Angus are highly related, Dr. Mahdi Saatchi, a world renowned geneticist, who also created Right Mate and Right Choice, has stated that when he looks at the genome between Black and Red Angus, Red Angus is a minimum of 80% unrelated to Black Angus. With that in mind, Gateway is working Red Angus into our Lucky Cross program. We will still offer many Simmental Black Angus pedigrees, but we need to protect ourselves from making inbred hybrid cattle.

Some of the black sires we are using that carry Red Angus blood are 5L Advantage, GW Sparky 369, GW Deadwood 079, and for 2024, GW Warhead. Some of the bulls that sell with these pedigrees will be homozygous black. Most cows in this part of the world carry both black genes anyway. Over time, we will create more homozygous black cattle with a more diverse gene makeup.

Heterosis and breed complementary are the only things free in the cattle business. Adding some Simmental, which contributes more red meat yield, along with Simmental being the highest marbling Continental breed, really complement the British breeds. The commercial cowherd in this country is inbred enough. We have developed an “intermediate breed choice”, Lucky Cross. When I say “intermediate breed choice”, I mean a combination of British and Continental breeding. In the South, there are many Brahman influenced hybrids that add value in the production traits, especially for their heat tolerance. (Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, etc.) Why not improve production traits in the North in a similar way with a Simmental based hybrid to improve red meat yield, durability and longevity? There is a need for both. The science says hybrids are more predictable than purebreds. The more divergent the genetic makeup of the animal, the less the probability of an animal catching bad genes from both the sire and dam. With a lack of labor, the cost of machinery, etc., producers should consider intermediate hybrid bulls that enable them to capitalize on heterosis without a complicated management system.

Why consider

the Gateway LUCKY CROSS ™ Program?

LONG TERM APPROACH:

• Our family operation strives to sustain itself over generations. The fourth generation is currently stepping in, and the fifth generation is coming.

• We have a long term vision, not just focused on the next sale or the next hot bull.

BULLS ARE ALL RAISED ON THE SAME RANCH:

• No cooperators or outside consignors

• Big sire groups

MORE HETEROSIS, BROADER GENETIC BASE:

• Lucky Cross parameters are 3/8 to 5/8 Simmental with a focus on broadening the base for the balance. Sustainable crossbreeding.

• Forget about politics and make them good: Let the data and science speak for itself.

MATERNAL OUTCROSS OPTION TO COMPLEMENT THE PUREBRED ANGUS COW:

• Someone needs to do it. Lots of maternal cattle have been over selected for growth, without the benefits of considering maternal heterosis.

• We focus on maternal shape with proven genetics that are genetically maternal.

• We don’t question the science, we make the figures match the claim.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE FOR MARBLING:

• Make the pounds we produce worth more.

Whichever direction you are going, they cross.

The term “black” implying good is overused today because a lion share of the cattle above the Mason Dixon line are black. If they are portrayed as Angus on Angus, does that make them better? What Angus on What Angus! What maternal traits? What terminal traits?

This is why the creation of Right Mate and Right Choice are game changers in the genetics business today. A famous phrase is, “You can’t improve what you can’t measure.” Well, we just found a new way to measure something we couldn’t before.

Right Mate and Right Choicefurther define “black cattle”. Most importantly, the programs find impactful genes you can’t see.

• Is there garbage in an animal’s genome that will come back and hurt me in the future if I retain females?

• What am I really buying?

• Is the animal bred to be maternal and balanced, calving ease, or terminal?

Producers should be most excited about purchasing bulls that have been run through the Right Choice Program. By sorting the genome for impactful bad genes, you can avoid adding any more of those known bad genes to your herd. A couple of the genes that can be easily eliminated by using the Right Choice Program are the later maturing, extended growth genes. The genes that lead to big cows and steers that won’t finish till they are overweight. Negative fertility genes are another big one. If an animal tests (G+) and is not an (ATM), you are assured both these problems are eliminated. Furthermore, if you are wanting to push the envelope on growth, but want to retain heifers, use growthy bulls that are G+ and not ATMs.

The tools are here today to select better bulls to make your cattle more productive and enjoyable. These tools also make it much easier to target the kind of bulls you buy, with progress being more certain in the traits you target. Because of the improvement in genomics and the advent of Right Choice, commercial producers can buy bulls more clearly defined as maternal, terminal or combination. With G+, ATM and ACE, in is much easier to identify which bulls will take you in the direction you desire.

This will be particularly important in this bull season. With liquidation, there is always potential for higher calf prices, and one must think about how to rebuild the cowherd in the future. Being able to identify bulls that provide genetics for maternal improvement, G+ and ACE, will be helpful if you plan on growing back with your current cowherd. Right choice makes it much easier to find bulls that we know have certain gene combinations to insure progress from a maternal perspective.

Managing The Genetic Condition Developmental Duplication - DD

A new genetic condition, Developmental Duplication (DD) has been identified. When the gene associated with this condition is paired in a mating the results are either 1) no visual sign 2) calves can be born with multiple limbs (polymelia).

The difference between this defect and the others such as AM,NH, and OS, is that not all of the affected calves show any visible or functional signs of any condition. This is blamed on a phenomenon called incomplete penetrance. When animals have the genotype and do not display the phenotype, this is referred to as incomplete penetrance. The cause of incomplete penetrance in DD is unknown but is being researched aggressively.

If you buy a Gateway bull that is DDC and can prove he sired a multi-limbed calf, Gateway will buy the animal at the market price you receive for the rest of your calves. We are confident with this policy as we are seeing very little occurrence of these multi-limbed calves.

There are a number of bulls selling that carry the DD gene and will be identified in the catalog. You will be able to see the herd sires that carry the DD gene underneath the sire’s footnote in the herd bull section. If you have retained heifers from sons of these bulls in the past or plan on retaining heifers from the bulls you purchase, you may want to only buy DDF bulls.

With there being more genetic defects popping up all the time, it looks more realistic to manage these conditions rather than trying to eliminate all these conditions from your herd. There is no need to throw away good genetics in your herd when you can just manage them in the future.

75 COMMERCIAL Open Heifers

NEW THIS YEAR. WE ARE OFFERING A GROUP OF COMMERCIAL OPEN HEIFERS.

75 HEIFERS FOR APRIL 1, 2023 PICKUP

Quasi silent auction after the bull sale.

Heifers will be offered with a floor price, gate cut, with a minimum 5 head per buyer.

Uniform group that should weigh around 800# by April 1, 2023.

If there is more demand than available heifers, we will conduct a silent auction after the sale to determine purchaser.

If interested, register at the settle up desk and list how many you would like.

We will AI to any Gateway heifer bull for $150 for pickup before May 20, 2023. $200 down payment per head due at the sale and balance due at pickup.

Gateway Lucky Cross™ versus Hybrid Simmental

The charts below highlight the genetic trends in both the Gateway Lucky Cross™ cattle and the overall population of SimAngus™ genetics over the years.

GENETIC TREND IN CALVING EASE

GENETIC TREND IN BIRTH WEIGHT

GENETIC TREND IN WEANING WEIGHT

GENETIC TREND IN POST WEANING GAIN

GENETIC TREND IN MARBLING

GENETIC TREND IN MATERNAL CALVING EASE

GENETIC TREND IN API

GENETIC TREND IN TI

GW BREAKTHRU

045C HOMO BLACK - HOMO POLLED

5/8 SM 3/8 AN ASA# 2954753

SIRE: GW PREMIUM BEEF 021TS DAM: GW MISS GPRD 038W MGS: GW PREDESTINED 701T

EPDs 16 -2.8 72 111 0.24 9 26 62 18 16 -0.08 1.27 -0.034 0.13 196 103 Rank 15 10 65 65 65 15 25 40 25 10 90 1 65 99 1 1

Breakthru is a proven bull with great figures, makes great cows, and pushes the envelope on marbling. A very balance proof with 7 traits in the top 25%. Top 1% on API and TI. 78 Carcass records. Great udders.

GW TRIPLE CROWN 018C

HOMO BLACK - HOMO POLLED

5/8 SM 3/8 AN ASA# 2954741

SIRE: J BAR J NIGHTRIDE 225Z DAM: GW MISS GPRD 359A MGS: GW PREDESTINED 701T

Triple Crown has proven himself be the ultimate sire for a multitude of traits. Maybe his progeny’s docility is at the top of the list. Hard to make one better. He is in the top 25% for 12 traits. 54 carcass records.

MOVIN ON

DAM: GW MISS PREDESTINED 117Y

MGS: GW PREDESTINED 701T

CE

BW WW

85 136 0.32

1/2 SM 1/2 AN ASA# 3382993

SIRE: LEACHMAN PROPHET J030Z

DAM: GW MISS PREM BEEF 246Z MGS: GW PREMIUM BEEF 021TS

EPDs 16 -4.0 83 133 0.32 7 20 62 10 15 -0.17 0.94 -0.021 0.94 170 103 Rank 15 4 25 20 15 40 75 45 95 20 70 2 75 10 4 1

Fortune Teller is turning into a real gem of a bull. He sired our high selling sire group last year, and we have a great group this year. His eye appeal, structure along with his moderation in mature size are his wonderful traits. He defines calve easy and they grow fast. He is balanced in his EPDS with 8 traits in the top 25%. 36 carcass records.

GW SPARKY 369E HOMO BLACK - HOMO POLLED

1/2 SM 5/16 AR 3/16 AN ASA# 3242849

SIRE: GW MOVIN ON 183C

DAM: GW MISS CONQUEST 538C MGS: HXC CONQUEST 4405P

EPDs 19 -5.7 68 105 0.23 10 29 62 17 14 -0.24 0.54 -0.029 0.59 159 85 Rank 3 1 80 75 75 10 15 45 30 25 50 20 75 65 10 25

GW Sparky is the ultimate sire for moderate, easy doing, high capacity cattle. We really like the shape of his progeny and they make beautiful cows. He is our go-to calving ease sire as well, in fact he is a perfect calving ease bull because you can keep all the heifers. His EPD profile fits the bill for producing smaller framed, low input, efficient cows. Top 25% for 6 traits. 21 carcass records.

GW DEADWOOD 079G HETERO BLACK - HOMO POLLED

1/2 SM 1/2 AR ASA# 3549195

SIRE: VGW DIRECT DRIVE 512

DAM: GW MISS END ZONE 708D MGS: GW END ZONE 135B

GW Deadwood was incorporated in our program because of his striking conformation and unique pedigree. His first daughters will calve this spring, but we have harvested 42 steers and his marbling really impressed. Lots of potential to be great maternal bull. Currently has 7 traits in the top 25%.

The sign of a great new herd bull is one that produces differently that anything you have used before. This is what excites us the most with this first group of High Ball calves. They are just different and stand out in a group. They are deep bodied, heavy muscled with well above average weaning growth. We went all in with him for the 2023 calf crop based on what we have seen. Currently 11 traits in the top 25%. Lots of potential in this young stud.

Hawkeye was a high selling bull in our 21’ sale. He showed some real potential for his rib shape, soundness and marbling EPD. He checks all the boxes to become a stellar maternal bull.

Copperhead was our high selling bull in the 20’ sale and has even exceeded our lofty expectations. He is a multi-dimensional red bull that excels in about everything. His offspring are gentle, big middled, sound and consistently good. He ranks in the top 25% in 10 traits.

P342 MGS: HOOK`S INFINITI 10U

Bronco is somewhat unrelated to most of the lines we’ve used. His calving ease and maternal traits are very good. A very predictable sire whose offspring are hardy and have a desire to live.

BALANCE THE SCALES

Big cows come with big feed bills. That’s why smart genetic selection pays off in the cow herd. Simmental-influenced cows are an average 74 lb. lighter at maturity than Angus-sired counterparts, according to a recent U.S. Meat Animal Research Center study.a,d

While Simmental is sized for more efficient gains, 20-year genetic trend lines also show the breed offers reliable calving ease, early growth and cow longevity. That’s a balanced herd built for profit.

1 180.72 101.83 18.10 -3.50 103.50 0.38 161.10 10.60 35.50 81.90 23.50 18.30 56.70 -0.58 0.66 -0.13 1.33 -0.48

2 174.03 99.14 17.00 -2.70 99.90 0.36 155.10 10.00 33.90 79.60 22.60 17.40 52.80 -0.56 0.59 -0.12 1.27 -0.46

3 170.35 97.11 16.40 -2.30 97.90 0.35 151.70 9.60 32.90 78.10 22.10 16.80 50.50 -0.55 0.54 -0.12 1.23 -0.45

4 167.44 95.50 15.90 -2.00 96.30 0.34 148.90 9.30 32.30 76.90 21.70 16.40 48.60 -0.54 0.50 -0.12 1.20 -0.44

5 165.02 94.23 15.50 -1.80 95.10 0.33 146.60 9.10 31.70 76.00 21.40 16.10 47.30 -0.53 0.47 -0.11 1.18 -0.44

10 156.83 90.36 14.40 -0.90 90.80 0.31 139.10 8.30 29.80 72.80 20.40 15.00 42.60 -0.51 0.38 -0.11 1.11 -0.41 15 151.16 87.73 13.60 -0.40 88.10 0.29 134.20 7.80 28.50 70.60 19.80 14.30 39.60 -0.49 0.32 -0.10 1.06 -0.40 20 146.97 85.80 13.10 0.00 86.00 0.28 130.40 7.40 27.50 68.80 19.30 13.80 37.40 -0.47 0.28 -0.10 1.02 -0.39 25 143.37 84.20 12.60 0.40 84.20 0.27 127.20 7.00 26.60 67.30 18.80 13.30 35.40 -0.46 0.24 -0.10 0.99 -0.38 30 140.39 82.65 12.20 0.70 82.60 0.26 124.40 6.70 25.80 66.10 18.40 12.90 33.70 -0.45 0.21 -0.09 0.96 -0.37 35 137.73 81.34 11.80 0.90 81.20 0.26 121.90 6.40 25.10 64.90 18.00 12.50 32.30 -0.44 0.19 -0.09 0.93 -0.36 40 135.31 80.10 11.50 1.20 79.90 0.25 119.60 6.20 24.40 63.80 17.60 12.10 30.90 -0.43 0.16 -0.09 0.91 -0.35 45 132.89 79.01 11.20 1.40 78.70 0.24 117.40 5.90 23.80 62.80 17.20 11.70 29.60 -0.42 0.14 -0.09 0.89 -0.34 50 130.61 77.84 10.80 1.60 77.50 0.24 115.30 5.70 23.20 61.80 16.70 11.40 28.30 -0.41 0.12 -0.09 0.87 -0.34 55 128.30 76.74 10.50 1.90 76.40 0.23 113.20 5.40 22.60 60.90 16.30 11.00 27.10 -0.40 0.10 -0.08 0.85 -0.33 60 126.04 75.64 10.10 2.10 75.20 0.22 111.00 5.20 22.00 59.90 15.90 10.70 25.90 -0.39 0.08 -0.08 0.83 -0.32 65 123.86 74.60 9.80 2.30 73.90 0.22 108.80 4.90 21.40 59.00 15.40 10.30 24.70 -0.38 0.07 -0.08 0.81 -0.31 70 121.63 73.47 9.40 2.50 72.60 0.21 106.60 4.60 20.90 58.00 15.00 9.90 23.40 -0.37 0.05 -0.08 0.79 -0.30 75 119.32 72.35 9.00 2.80 71.30 0.20 104.30 4.30 20.20 57.00 14.50 9.50 22.10 -0.36 0.03 -0.07 0.76 -0.29

30.40 73.50 20.60 16.90 51.30 -0.42 0.71 -0.09 1.02 -0.44 10 158.23 90.60 16.20 -2.40 89.20 0.33 140.20 9.50 28.50 70.50 19.50 15.70 46.40 -0.38 0.61 -0.08 0.93 -0.42 15 152.90 88.15 15.30 -1.80 86.40 0.31 135.40 8.90 27.30 68.40 18.70 15.00 43.40 -0.35 0.54 -0.07 0.88 -0.40 20 148.76 86.30 14.70 -1.40 84.40 0.30 131.80 8.50 26.40 66.80 18.10 14.40 40.90 -0.33 0.50 -0.07 0.84 -0.39 25 145.13 84.71 14.20 -1.00 82.60 0.29 128.70 8.10 25.60 65.40 17.60 13.90 38.90 -0.31 0.45 -0.06 0.80 -0.38 30 141.82 83.25 13.70 -0.70 81.00 0.28 126.00 7.80 24.90 64.30 17.10 13.50 37.20 -0.29 0.42 -0.06 0.77 -0.37 35 138.71 81.90 13.30 -0.40 79.60 0.28 123.40 7.50 24.30 63.20 16.70 13.10 35.60 -0.28 0.39 -0.05 0.74 -0.36 40 135.89 80.64 12.90 -0.10 78.20 0.27 120.90 7.20 23.70 62.20 16.20 12.70 34.00 -0.26 0.36 -0.05 0.71 -0.36 45 133.11 79.38 12.60 0.20 76.90 0.26 118.70 6.90 23.20 61.30 15.80 12.40 32.60 -0.24 0.33 -0.05 0.69 -0.35 50 130.48 78.10 12.20 0.40 75.60 0.26 116.40 6.60 22.60 60.40 15.30 12.00 31.20 -0.23 0.30 -0.04 0.66 -0.34 55 127.89 76.82 11.90 0.70 74.40 0.25 114.00 6.40 22.10 59.50 14.90 11.70 29.80 -0.21 0.27 -0.04 0.64 -0.33 60 125.23 75.56 11.50 0.90 73.10 0.24 111.80 6.10 21.60 58.60 14.40 11.30 28.30 -0.20 0.25 -0.04 0.61 -0.32 65 122.39 74.30 11.10 1.20 71.80 0.23 109.40 5.80 21.10 57.70 13.90 10.90 26.90 -0.18 0.23 -0.03 0.58 -0.32 70 119.47 72.97 10.70 1.40 70.40 0.23 107.10 5.50 20.50 56.70 13.30 10.50 25.50 -0.16 0.20 -0.03 0.55 -0.31 75 116.52 71.60 10.30 1.70 69.00 0.22 104.50 5.20 19.90 55.70 12.70 10.10 23.80 -0.14 0.18 -0.02 0.52 -0.30 80 113.34 70.16 9.80 2.00 67.30 0.21 101.80 4.80 19.30

The best way to be a satisfied customer is buying the right bull for your needs and buying him at the right price. The two indexes we use for Simmental are the API (maternal index) and the TI (terminal index). All of the major meat producing species utilize selection indexes, whether it be poultry, swine or cattle. Ask any geneticist and they will tell you the best way to make progress breeding cattle is through the use of indexes.

The breeding indexes make sense because they assign monetary values to the measured traits and give value differences based in dollars and cents basis. The indexes are also very user friendly, and work well as a benchmarking tool to follow from year to year, or herd to herd.

The first step when looking at the index values is to understand what they mean and how to use them. For example, it you are going to sell all your calves at weaning, there really is no need to worry about the API (maternal index); you should focus on the TI (terminal index). If you are a producer who plans on retaining heifers to keep or market females as replacement heifers, you should focus on the API. By doing this, you and your customers will be producing females that are more genetically superior for maternal traits. If you are one that retains a percentage of your heifers for replacements and sell say 75% of calves as feeders, it would be best to put emphasis on both indexes and weight them to fit your goals.

Indexes are also very useful as a general selection tool to use when you are looking to improve individual traits. We suggest that you use the individual EPDs to tweak the traits you want to improve. For example, if a feeder buys your calves and makes a comment that they would like to see your calves have more ribeye, or more marbling, or more growth, etc., find high indexing bulls that excel in those particular traits.

There are a wide variety of genetics that have similar index values. You will be the happiest with your purchases over time, if to you select the most profitable bulls you can afford, while at the same time improving weaknesses in your cattle through the use of the individual EPDs.