MAINE-ANJOU Commercial Connection
JOSHUA CRIBBS AMAA Director of Commercial Development
MARCH/APRIL 2020
12
Springtime is almost here. When this issue and article reach you, spring calving will be in full swing for some and almost done for others. It begs the questions, “What will your next decision(s) be from a breeding standpoint?” and “How will you continue to reach your goals of creating whatever product you want and need for your customer base?” It is an exciting time to be in the MaineAnjou business. Within this issue you will find many new AI sire options boasting multiple percentages, they should provide you the versatility breeding wise to make whatever you want calf wise. The Bright Lights Sale at Denver was extremely strong and from it have come multiple bulls that will land in AI studs this spring to be collected. We have seen an influx of high and purebred pedigrees, both derived from old and new genetics. It is obvious that over the last year, with the incorporation of the Maine-Angus program, our fullblood, purebred, and high Maine-Anjou genetics have become more popular. It has, in turn, driven the quality and value of the cattle within our breed. One theme that continues to shine through is the cattle that sell the best are the ones that offer the most quality. They have a pedigree that is popular and easy to breed around. Progressively breeding is important and incorporating Angus genetics into our herdbook in a more assertive way is doing just that – it will only increase the outcross possibilities.
We have seen trying times in the beef cattle business and finding outlets for cattle has become tougher and tougher. Remember though, those trends have happened across all breeds. It’s important to know the trials we face and the things our breed struggles with… well, other breeds do too. It’s carving out market share that becomes the greatest battle. From an Association standpoint, we are focused on providing data that can be counted on through research projects currently in progress at South Dakota State University. Most recently, cattle on feed – being fed a high roughage diet through the growing phase – are gaining 3.2lbs per day and converting around 5:1 feed to gain. As data continues to flow in, we will certainly make it available to you. I look forward to finishing up the spring bull sale season and cannot wait for the summer and herd visits to get a chance to see this year’s calf crop. The Maine-Anjou business has a strong foundation, and noise around the breed is certainly growing. Maine-Anjou... A Tradition That’s Trending!
