THE SCIENCE OF BRANGUS

by Darrell Wilkes, Ph.D., International Brangus Breeders Association executive vice president

Enclosed with this issue of the Frontline you will find a brochure entitled Science of Brangus. I hope you’ll take some time to study it and, if you have questions, please feel free to call me.

To some extent, the motivation to produce this brochure was borne out of frustration. Frustration that, to a large extent, Brangus feeder cattle are classified by many in the feeder cattle marketplace as generic “blacks with a touch of ear.” They are lumped in with the seemingly unlimited number of Brahman crossbreds that are produced in the southern tier of states. We aim to change that, and it begins with a deeper understanding of what modern Brangus really are.

Brangus aren’t “Brahman crossbreds.” Seventy years of selective breeding has created a unique breed of cattle – just as unique as Charolais, Angus, Hereford, or Simmental. Yes, Brangus originated as a composite of Angus and Brahman. But, over time, selective breeding has created a unique DNA fingerprint that can only be described as BRANGUS. Brangus is a breed, not a crossbreed.

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Every breed began as a composite of something. Consider the history of the common “British Breeds” – Angus and Hereford. Neither of them fell from the sky as pure breeds. They started as a mixture of native cattle in isolated areas of Scotland and England, respectively. Stockmen in those areas selected for specific characteristics and, over time, they created what we commonly call breeds. There is nothing biblical about the creation of cattle breeds. In every case, breeds are created by breeders.

The difference between Brangus and a generic Brahman crossbred is easily understood when we look deeply at the actual DNA profile of Brangus. It helps explain why Brangus deposit marbling similar to Angus, and why Brangus heifers achieve puberty at an early age – much like Angus. This is explained more thoroughly in the Science of Brangus brochure.

The key question is: How can we get the feeding sector of the industry to understand the science of Brangus and to differentiate Brangus from generic Brahman crossbreds when they bid on feeder cattle? We have a plan for that.

There is an advertisement in this issue for the program known as Brangus® Vigor. It is a Process Verified Program (PVP) which simply means that the claims made about the cattle enrolled in the program are third-party verified. The objective is to differentiate genuine Brangus-sired feeder cattle from generic indicus crossbreds. The goal is to create premium prices for Brangus-sired feeder cattle produced by commercial producers using registered Brangus and Ultra bulls. If this captures your interest, please contact the IBBA office for an information packet about the Brangus® Vigor program.

There is an undeniable megatrend occurring in the beef industry and those who ignore it do so to their own disadvantage. Namely, the industry is rapidly evolving from a commodity business where every producer is anonymous and all cattle are “just cattle”, to a supply-chain structure where those who produce value-added cattle participate in a more structured marketplace in order to cash in on the added value in their cattle. It goes without saying, of course, that the added value must be real and not imagined or “hoped for.” One sure way to create added value in hot/harsh environments is to use registered Brangus and Ultra genetics. You can produce the same level of performance and the same quality of beef that those producers in friendlier environments produce.

IBBA and member breeders are committed to the success of our commercial bull customers. If you are using registered Brangus or Ultra bulls, or are considering a switch to Brangus, and have Brangus or Ultra feeder cattle for sale, please reach out to IBBA.