Association Commentary: Quantified Cattle: The Future of the Beef Business

or VAC 60 program behind them (their vaccination and weaning background are quantified).

• Another group of feeder cattle are verified to be Natural and NHTC qualified (their history related to not being treated with antibiotics and growth-promoting hormones has been quantified).

You are probably starting to see the connection. Cattle that are quantified for important value-creating attributes tend to bring a premium on sale day. As reported by Drovers in December 2020, weaned calves are worth an average of about $50 per head more than unweaned calves. That dollar amount is according to data compiled from 393,600 calves sold through Superior Livestock Auction’s summer 2020 video sales. Cattle that sell “quantified” for weaning status will generally bring more money, so long as they’ve been weaned at least 45 days and this important information is communicated in their description when presented for sale.

Quantifying your cattle for as many important attributes as possible is beneficial. The general rule is “the more buyers know, the more they will pay.” However, there is one caveat to quantifying cattle: if cattle are measured or tested and the news is unfavorable (consider pregnancy testing heifers and finding a few opens), added value is not created for the animals that do not measure up. There are always fallout individuals, but the rest of the group typically does become more valuable.

The beef industry is still a long distance from having cattle as well-quantified as in our loader example. However, the trend is directionally the same. Quantified beef cattle are the future of the beef business. //

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series. Part II will be presented in the May/June issue.

Red Angus Commercial Marketing Team and Value-Added Programs

DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL MARKETING

Harold Bertz (816) 661-2289 | harold@redangus.org

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FIELD SERVICES

Katie Martin Ext. 16 | katieochsner@redangus.org

COMMERCIAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

Nolan Woodruff (805) 861-0996 | nolan@redangus.org

COMMERCIAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

Rachael Oliver (406) 480-1569 | rachael@redangus.org

COMMERCIAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

Josh Taylor (918) 605-5139 | josh@redangus.org

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF VALUE-ADDED PROGRAMS

Chessie Mitchell Ext. 20 | chessie@redangus.org

VALUE-ADDED PROGRAMS SPECIALIST

Jeananne Drouhard Ext. 18 | jeananne@redangus.org

Weekly Email Marketing Service of Feeder and Finished Cattle

The Red Angus show list informs feedyard managers, order buyers and other interested parties of Red Angus-influenced cattle. Producers can market feeder or finished cattle through this free service when selling through a sale barn, video auction or private treaty. The weekly show list is emailed to potential buyers through the Red Angus FeederFax email service. To upload information about cattle or to view cattle available, visit RedAngus.org/showlist.

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