Marketing Update by Katie Martin - October 2021

Marketing Update

by Katie Martin, Commercial Marketing Coordinator

Red Angus Females: The Future of Your Cowherd

As we head into the fall, we are certainly coming off a summer of incredibly strong prices in the video auction market. As the marketing team traveled to video auctions across the country, most reported prices were $10 to $15 higher per hundredweight compared to similar lots marketed at the same time last year. I was reminded several times throughout this summer of the unique ability of Red Angus heifer calves to narrow the price margin compared to their steer mates, and at times, even surpass them.

It’s a strength unique to the Red Angus breed and should not be overlooked when considering the return value of a Red Angus calf crop compared to other breed types. This observation is validated in a study performed by Kansas State University using price data from Superior Livestock Auction summer video sales in the summer of 2020. The study showed Red Angus-sired heifer calves sold higher than heifers of any other breed type – $4.75 more per hundredweight than Charolais-sired heifers and with a $6.49-per-hundredweight advantage over Black Angus-sired heifers.

With the Red Angus female as the foundation and profit driver of the herd, great care should be taken to retain only the best females. Replacement heifer selection is arguably one of the most challenging, yet also most important, decisions to be made by cow-calf producers. For commercial producers raising their own replacement heifers, maternal traits significantly impact the bottom line and should be the primary focus of selection emphasis. Phenotypic selection for these traits at decision time is not only difficult but nearly impossible, given these traits are expressed later in life.

An excellent solution to this conundrum is RAAA’s Red Navigator test, which grants commercial producers a glance at each female’s genetic potential. Red Navigator is a breed-specific DNA test trained against a population of commercial Red Angus females, and is recommended for use on commercial females with 75% or higher Red Angus breed composition. For females meeting that criteria, Red Navigator is the best commercial DNA test on the market. The breed-specific nature of the test improves its accuracy, while the price of the test is more affordable than other tests in the marketplace.

During a recent conversation with Red Navigator customers Jon and Patty Tebelius of Bowden, North Dakota, they stressed the important role Red Navigator has played in their selection decisions the past five years. They’ve noticed an increased pace of genetic improvement in their herd. The Red Angus breed is well-known for exceptional maternal traits, and it’s exciting to have the technology and information available to continue building upon this strength. With these tools, the Red Angus female will continue to be an icon of the breed, ringing the bell at auctions and doing her job on the ranch. •