American Brahman Breeders Association News

BRAHMAN NEWS

ABBA Activity and Herd Inventory Fees. It is time for annual activity and herd inventory fees. The activities fees were approved by the ABBA Board of Directors on October 10, 1988, for the total sum of $35.00 per membership. Fast forward nine years to October 23, 1997, and the ABBA Board of Directors raised them to where they are now and have been for the past 24 years. These activity fees have remained the same over the course of these years and have been a great asset to the association.

The Finance Committee proposed an activity fee increase, and it was approved by the ABBA Board of Directors. This change offers a discount the sooner the activity fees are paid in the year. Hopefully, continuing on this, the new fees will help keep the American Brahman Breeders Association financially stable for years to come. Please see the following breakdown of the revised member activity fees: Effective January 1, 2022

Beginning May 1, if activity fees have not been paid, members will be charged NON-MEMBER rates. NO fee adjustments will be made to charges of work done prior to activity fees being paid. That being said, it is important to ensure that you submit your activity fees in a timely manner. If you have any questions regarding activity fees, feel free to contact the ABBA Office at 979-4855528 or abba@brahman.org. About the American Brahman Breeders Association. The American Brahman Breeders Association is the world registry for Brahman cattle, the #1 beef breed for efficiency, hybrid vigor, and environmental adaptability. ABBA provides an array of member services, educational opportunities, and a wide array of programs to assist the profitability of its members. For more information about the American Brahman breed or the many opportunities offered by the ABBA, visit www.brahman.org.

First Time Active Voting ABBA Membership - $250

Activity Fee Rates if Paid by January 31 ($25 discount if paid by January 15) • 1-50 Breeding Aged Females - $125 • 51-100 Breeding Aged Females - $225 • 101-200 Breeding Aged Females - $325 • 201-300 Breeding Aged Females - $425 • 301-400 Breeding Aged Females - $525 • 401 & more Breeding Aged Females - $625

Activity Fee Rates if Paid by February 28 • 1-50 Breeding Aged Females - $150 • 51-100 Breeding Aged Females - $250 • 101-200 Breeding Aged Females - $350 • 201-300 Breeding Aged Females - $450 • 301-400 Breeding Aged Females - $550 • 401 & more Breeding Aged Females - $650

Activity Fee Rates if Paid by March 31 • 1-50 Breeding Aged Females - $160 • 51-100 Breeding Aged Females - $260 • 101-200 Breeding Aged Females - $360 • 201-300 Breeding Aged Females - $460 • 301-400 Breeding Aged Females - $560 • 401 & more Breeding Aged Females - $660

Activity Fee Rates if Paid After April 1 • 1-50 Breeding Aged Females - $170 • 51-100 Breeding Aged Females - $270 • 101-200 Breeding Aged Females - $370 • 201-300 Breeding Aged Females - $470 • 301-400 Breeding Aged Females - $570 • 401 & more Breeding Aged Females - $670 can be detrimental for generations in the cow side of the pedigree, according to Booth. He keeps an eye on his herds’ reproductive success, which helps with culling decisions. If a cow comes up open, is harder keeping, has poor feet and legs, or a bad udder, she is shipped. However, Booth does credit the Angus breed for improving udders enough over the years, where that hasn’t had to be part of his culling criteria as regularly.

Getting Started - The resources for getting into the cattle business are immense, and like Booth said, if you don’t have the land and equipment already or are part of a family operation, he hopes you win the lottery.

“It would be tough to start a cow herd from scratch. It takes a lot of resources,” he said.

His advice for anyone who is getting started or buying cattle is to make sure the cattle match the environment they are putting them in. Make sure their phenotype, pedigrees, and genetic makeup will work for the demographics where you are raising the cattle, regardless of if that is the high altitude of the West or the fescue areas of the Midwest.

Another important factor to consider is the market you are going to produce for. For instance, he knows he can’t sell cattle that are under a frame score of 5. He needs to select for size and growth and keep his cattle around a frame score of 6.

When it comes to marketing, he said it takes time to build a customer base because the cattle business is based on building relationships and trust over the years.

“It’s a loyalty based business. I’m selling cattle to the sons and daughters of people my dad sold to,” Booth said.

Keeping them Healthy - Like many progressive cattle producers, Booth has chosen the mineral programs from BioZyme to help keep his herd healthy and performing. He feeds the VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S and VitaFerm Concept•Aid 8/S to his cows as a breeding mineral, with the added 5% and 8% phosphorus, respectively. In addition, his bulls and his heifers in the spring get Gain Smart Balancer RU 1600 with Rumensin to help with coccidiosis prevention from the birds that bring it to his area.

Both the VitaFerm Concept•Aid and Gain Smart contain Amaferm, which is research proven to increase absorption, digestibility, and nutrient absorption – something very important when your annual rainfall is around 14 inches per year.

“I like the mineral, or I’d change,” Booth said. “My cows look good, get bred and stay bred.”

The cattle business is just that, a business. It’s up before dawn and late nights calving. There are no 9-5 office hours or even regular lunch breaks. Ranchers are in the business because they truly care for the land and livestock. It is a part of their heritage. Most of all, it is a business. It is the business of raising safe, nutritious, and delicious beef for the world to enjoy.

To learn more about the mineral programs that progressive cattle producers like Booth uses, visit www. vitaferm.com.

About BioZyme® Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals, including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include Amaferm® , VitaFerm®, Vita Charge®, Sure Champ® , Vitalize®, DuraFerm® and Backyard Boost™. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri, the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www. biozymeinc.com.

Have you forgotten something? Make sure your cattlemen friends are members of your state association!