PRIME TIME You Can’t Outrun the Blood!

You Can’t Outrun the Blood

Coined by Donnie Robertson, the breed’s great friend and best ultrasound technician, You Can’t Outrun the Blood does the best job in simplifying the thesis of breeding seedstock cattle. The results of our selection pressures is governed by a number of factors. However, the real driver of our efforts as breeders is, and always has been, stacking DNA and genetic worth driven by the DNA we choose to “put” into our breeding program. You Can’t Outrun the Blood!

First of all, we are Brangus breeders, have been for four decades, and are absolutely committed to the welfare of our breed, our breed association, and the value of Brangus genetics taking their rightful place at the top of the beef cattle world. However, as breeders we must move forward and embrace the needs of our bull buying customers, the feeding sector and the packing sector. There continues to be emotion centered around the concept of 3/8 X 5/8 Registered Brangus cattle. There are those programs that promote the concept of “true Brangus” believing those animals that have generations of breeding registered animals to registered animals are “true” 3/8 x 5/8 animals. Certainly this is the case, but strictly and only on paper. The reality is this is an incorrect assumption from a DNA point of view and certainly science, DNA technology, and facts prove how invalid that belief is when reviewing the DNA side of our breed’s genetic population. Mound Creek has gone to extra expense, time, labor and “catalog space” to offer this information based on science and technology rather than emotion.

The combination of DNA from the two parents to their progeny is random. Period. We know each parent contributes half of the DNA, but this random combination means some offspring might get “more” Brahman genetics from each parent while other offspring might get “more” Angus genetics. This “randomness” can be affected by the selection pressure on varying traits over time and generations but not by simply breeding Registered back to Registered. The information we have provided throughout this catalog for our Bos indicus % and Bos taurus % certainly more than proves our case! There are very wide ranges of these percentages across Registered, Ultrablack 2, Ultrablack 1, and the entire 230 animals in this catalog. This information is also proven over thousands and thousands of DNA samples from Registered Brangus cattle dating back to animals born four decades ago!

These are the same genetics our customers have been successfully using for decades, and those genetics and breeding thesis have built this program over the decades. Nothing has changed other than we now have more science thru DNA to accurately inform our buying public what is actually happening “under the hide.”

So how does one utilize this information? Nothing has changed from this set of cattle to the previous cattle over three plus decades other than giving you more facts based on science rather than speculation! Do what you always do. Review the type of bull you prefer relative to phenotype, frame, thickness, rib, soundness, bone, amount of leather, the provided weights and measures, etc. Next, closely study the genomic data and associated GE-EPD ranks and place a large emphasis and faith in this information! Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance or recommendations from any of our staff and sales team. Then, BUY THE BULLS THAT FIT YOUR NEEDS, SELECTION CRITERIA, and LONG TERM GOALS. After all, YOU CAN’T OUTRUN THE BLOOD!