Red Angus Magazine — May/June 2023

•

• Top 15% for Marbling

Plus...they’ll be 20 months of age, feed efficiency tested, passed a BSE and ready for heavy service by sale time in October.

If the average is that good, you might enjoy stopping by to try to pick the “Top End”, and while you’re at it check out our new Feed Intake Data Collection equipment.

2023 Annual Bull Sale

Magazine

Official Publication of the Red Angus Association of America

Volume 59, Number 5

18335 E 103rd Avenue, Suite 202 Commerce City, CO 80022

(940) 387-3502 • Fax (888) 829-6069 RedAngus.org

Publisher/Advertising Director Tracey Koester (701) 391-5440 • tracey@redangus.org

Editor Brandi Buzzard Frobose (785) 448-0239 • brandi@redangus.org

Subscriptions and Circulation Halla Pfeiff (940) 387-3502, Ext 10 • email: halla@redangus.org

Affiliated with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Beef Improvement Federation U.S. Beef Breed’s Council National Pedigreed Livestock Council

GENERAL INFORMATION

Published 10 times annually by the Red Angus Association of America at the national headquarters (18335 E. 103rd Ave., Suite 202, Commerce City, CO 80022). A non-political magazine dedicated to the promotion and improvement of breeding, feeding and marketing Red Angus cattle. Subscription rate: U.S., 1 year - $30.00; 2 years - $55.00. Canada and Mexico, 1 year - $44.00, 2 years - $82.00 (Payable in U.S. Funds Only). International Air Mail, 1 year - $55.00; 2 years - $100.00 (Payable in U.S. Funds Only). These rates are based on Third Class Bulk mailed from Jefferson City, Missouri. Add $20.00 per year for First Class.

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING POLICY

Advertising and editorial content are not limited to any particular class of product or subject matter. However, we reserve the right to refuse publication of any material not within the bounds of high agricultural ethics. While we devote the utmost care to the preparation of each advertisement, we cannot be held responsible for ads received after the ad deadline. Furthermore, the accuracy and content of copy received over the telephone is entirely the responsibility of the advertiser. No adjustment for incorrect ad copy will be considered for ads that are received after the ad deadline or that are placed over the telephone.

All unused reserved advertising space that is not canceled by the advertising deadline will be billed to the advertiser.

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Breeder Directory

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Black-and-White: Deduct $345

Black + 1 color: Deduct $200

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RAAA Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Steve Koester | Steele, North Dakota koesterredangus@gmail.com

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

AREA 4 DIRECTOR - SOUTHWEST

Tony Ballinger | Morgan Mills, Texas anthony.ballinger@adm.com

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

REGION C DIRECTOR

Jeff Pettit | Sebree, Kentucky jeff@diamondpcattle.com

AREA 2 DIRECTOR - MONTANA

BOARD SECRETARY

Kay Klompien | Manhattan, Montana klmpnra@gmail.com

REGION A DIRECTOR

Chuck Feddes | Manhattan, Montana feddesredangus@gmail.com

REGION B DIRECTOR

Craig Bieber | Leola, South Dakota craig@bieberredangus.com

AREA 1 DIRECTOR - WEST

George Murdock | Pendleton, Oregon murdockcattle@gmail.com

AREA 3 DIRECTOR - ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Aaron Kravig | Karval, Colorado akravig@kravigredangus.com

AREA 5 DIRECTOR - NORTHERN PLAINS

Stephanie Jung | Mina, South Dakota lazyjbarranch@yahoo.com

AREA 6 DIRECTOR - GREAT PLAINS

Jason Anderson | Oberlin, Kansas jasonea9@hotmail.com

AREA 7 DIRECTOR - NORTHEAST

Rob Hess | Hershey, Pennsylvania hessfarm@verizon.net

AREA 8 DIRECTOR - SOUTHEAST

Jim Yance | Columbia, Alabama jim@jyjredangus.com

AREA 9 DIRECTOR - MIDWEST

Stuart Gilbert | Stockport, Iowa redcowrelocators@gmail.com

Board Commentary

Together Each Accomplishes More – TEAM!

by Stephanie Jung, Area 5 Director

As I sit down to write this article, I look out the window and the most prevalent color is white from all the snow in our yard. It has been an interesting winter/ early spring for everyone across the country, from snowstorms to floods, to mud and tornadoes. Each of our areas have had their challenges with some extra work to care for our livestock and family. The positive throughout these hard times and destruction is the people helping each other get through the trials and devastation. Together they are stronger and they can accomplish more.

It is similar within our Red Angus breed; producers are stronger together. Looking back at the last few months and seeing all the Red Angus sales across the country makes me pause and appreciate the versatility of our breed. We have a breed that flourishes in weather of all kinds across the entire country.

Red Angus is gaining popularity in the commercial cow-calf sector, purebred world and in the show ring. Producers raise cattle with many different goals in mind, but each is also promoting the Red Angus breed every time cattle are sent to market or are the topic of conversation with neighbors and friends. Producers are working together within our breed even though we do not always think of it that way.

This leads me to my next thought of stewardship within our breed. A good steward can be defined as one that uses material and resources responsibly, or as a generous giving of your time or talent. As one of your directors, I appreciate the phone calls and emails to ask questions about topics or to offer thoughts or opinions. The time spent speaking with you is valued and I often replay those conversations in my head while doing chores.

During a conversation a few weeks ago, someone stated we are all on team Red Angus, and our conversation went on to discuss how it doesn’t matter how many head you register, commercial Red Angus you manage, where you live or how you market your cattle. What matters is that you have Red Angus. Each time someone in our breed succeeds or a new person joins our breed it really does help all of us in the long run.

Every one of us has the opportunity to meet with other Red Angus producers at various times throughout the year. Many times, we learn from the speakers at those events but, more often than not, we are refueled, recharged and energized by conversation held with others in attendance. That precious time is spent as stewards to our breed.

I personally challenge each of you to take some time to attend a RAAA event, to read through the Red Angus Strategic Plan and look around the website to see the information offered there. I also encourage you to watch the tutorials on the website on how and when to submit data, and I encourage you to ask questions so you can learn about this great breed. Be a wonderful steward to our breed and utilize all the resources to raise the best Red Angus cattle possible. It is an exciting time to be in the cattle industry.

May your days always be filled with sunshine; may the wind not blow too strong or too little and may you get just the right amount of moisture this summer. //

RAAA National Office

18335 E. 103rd Ave., Suite 202

Commerce City, CO 80022

(940) 387-3502 | FAX (888) 829-6069

Email: info@redangus.org

RedAngus.org

RAAA National Staff

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Tom Brink Ext. 4 | tombrink@redangus.org

DIRECTOR OF BREED IMPROVEMENT

Lindsay Upperman, Ph.D. Ext. 29 | lindsay@redangus.org

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Halla Pfeiff Ext. 10 | halla@redangus.org

REDSPRO & REGISTRY SPECIALIST

Kaitlyn Fulmer Ext. 6 | kaitlyn@redangus.org

REDSPRO & REGISTRY SPECIALIST

Stephanie Johnson Ext. 26 | stephanie@redangus.org

MEMBER SERVICES & DNA SPECIALIST

Ryan Starkey Ext. 5 | ryanstarkey@redangus.org

DNA DATA PROGRAMS COORDINATOR

Kai Miranda Ext. 24 | kai@redangus.org

DATABASE AND REGISTRATION CONSULTANT

Kenda Ponder Ext. 15 | kenda@redangus.org

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & JUNIOR PROGRAMS

Kim Heller, Ph.D. (515) 851-2019 | juniors@redangus.org

PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Tracey Koester (701) 391-5440 | tracey@redangus.org

EDITOR & DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Brandi Buzzard Frobose (785) 448-0239 | brandi@redangus.org

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Lisa Bryant (405) 766-8942 | lisa@redangus.org

SHOW SPECIALIST

Erin Dorsey (970) 396-5420 | erin@redangus.org

ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR

Janet Russell Ext. 11 | janet@redangus.org

Association Commentary

Quantified Cattle: The Future of the Beef Business (Part II)

by Tom Brink, RAAA Chief Executive Officer

In the April issue of Red Angus Magazine, this space was dedicated to an initial discussion of quantified cattle and why they are the future of the beef business. Here is a simple definition of quantified cattle: cattle that have been tested, measured or evaluated for one or more important performance attribute(s).

When cattle are quantified, the guesswork about what characteristics they possess, and how they will perform, is reduced. More is known about them – a lot more, in many cases. Those knowns usually come in the form of objective data or other concise information relaying how and what the cattle were tested for and the results.

Take for example, a Red Angus bull with genomically enhanced EPDs for Calving Ease Direct and Birth Weight. If you are breeding a group of heifers, using a bull that has been quantified for calving ease is important. Red Angus is a calving-ease breed, however, not every Red Angus bull is suitable for heifers, which is why seedstock and commercial breeders alike trust bulls that are genetically quantified for calving ease. They want to avoid a calving wreck or the need to provide a lot of assistance when calving a group of heifers. Perhaps a bull with a CED of 14 and a BW of -3.0 will be chosen for the task. Trust increases that calving will go well, since the bull selected is quantified and found suitable via his EPDs.

Here is related example on the female side. A group of Red Angus bred heifers is offered for sale. They have been put through the paces and are enrolled in RAAA’s Red Choice program and any heifer with a pre-breeding pelvic area less than 150 square centimeters has been eliminated. In other words, these heifers were objectively quantified for minimum pelvic size and potential problem calvers were culled before being bred. The result? Buyer confidence increases when considering these heifers for purchase, and he or she may pay more because they are buying heifers that are quantified for an attribute that matters.

Commercial Marketing Team and Value-Added Programs staff is on page 10

When replacement heifers are quantified through the Red Choice program, buyer confidence –and price – increases when the heifers are offered for sale.

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

Going forward another step, assume this heifer group was sired by Red Angus bulls that rank genetically in the top half of the breed for both HerdBuilder (maternal traits) and GridMaster (growth and carcass traits). If the seller clearly communicates this information to prospective buyers, the heifer group’s selling price will likely be higher. Bidders will be more aggressive in trying to buy such heifers, because their Red Angus sires have been quantified for a host of economically important traits and found to be above average.

Quantified cattle are at the other end of the spectrum for both information and value. More information and more knowns typically produce an above-average price, particularly when those knowns reveal superiority. We should also expect the premiums associated with quantified cattle to increase as time passes. Every buyer values predictability, especially when cattle are predictably superior.

The best approach for seedstock and commercial breeders is to work vigorously in quantifying as many traits and characteristics in their herds as possible.

Quantified cattle are the opposite of commodity cattle. Little is known about commodity cattle (other than what the naked eye can see), and those unknowns make commodity cattle worth a mediocre price at best. The day is coming in the beef industry when price discounts on commodity cattle will become larger, simply because of the high risk attached to owning them.

After all, few of us want to stay in a low-margin commodity business. Quantified cattle are the way out. //

Editor’s note:

This is the second of a two-part series. Part I was published in the April issue.

“Every buyer values predictability, especially when cattle are predictably superior.”

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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 | katiemartin@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 | josh@redangus.org 918-605-5139

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.

To receive the weekly FeederFax marketing service that will highlight that week’s show list, please email tags@redangus.org.

Marketing Update Sharing the Stewardship Story

by Katie Martin, Assistant Director of Field Services

“This is the best set of bulls this operation has ever offered!” This phrase is heard frequently throughout bull sale season. While some of what is said on the auction block is hype, this particular statement should be true among successful cattle operations. By utilizing genetic improvement tools and employing sound management practices, beef cattle herds should improve year after year. In addition to an improvement in the livestock, sustainable ranches should also improve the land. Successful multi-generational ranches view the land as an essential resource, not to be depleted, but rather, improved over time.

Sound stewardship has always been a non-negotiable for agriculturalists who depend on the land for their livelihood. Though agriculturalists are top stewards, they have also done a historically poor job of staking this claim. The popularization of carbon offsets in the early 2000s brought renewed attention to stewardship and began to hold large corporate companies accountable for the negative environmental impact they were inflicting for financial gain. The introduction of carbon markets also brought to light the role of agricultural land in the reduction of atmospheric carbon and provided a unique opportunity for agriculturalists to capture a new source of revenue.

Ranchers recognizing their important role as stewards of the land is only the first step in creating additional income. Sharing and verifying sound management practices has become the name of the game in beef cattle marketing over the last decade. One such opportunity to share the stewardship story and market beef as a climate-friendly choice now exists through Tyson’s Brazen Beef brand. Red Angus producers were among the first to learn of Brazen Beef during an informational meeting hosted by Adams Land and Cattle LLC, in Broken Bow, Nebraska, in November 2022. Since then, Red Angus cattlemen have had the opportunity to get in on the ground floor by providing cattle to be marketed under the Brazen Beef brand. The new brand was only recently unveiled to the larger public at the 2023 Annual Meat Conference in early March. Brazen Beef is the first beef product to receive USDA approval for a climate-friendly claim, earned by documenting a 10% greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to standard beef production.

Ranchers who wish to be paid a premium for their cattle by partnering with the Brazen Beef brand may already be employing many of the eco-conscious practices which the brand claims, and need to simply document those practices. Brazen Beef cattle will be CARE certified through IMI Global, a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc. Red Angus producers utilizing RAAA’s value-added programs have a leg up when it comes to CARE certification, as FCCP and Allied Access EIDs may be used as the individual animal identifier for all IMI Global programs. Ranchers wishing to produce cattle for the Brazen Beef brand must also share relevant operational data and agree not to sell the carbon rights to their grazing land. For more details on partnering with Brazen Beef, contact Will Druery at 308-870-4566.

Third-party verification of stewardship practices and marketing beef through climate-friendly beef brands ushers in a new generation of beef producers. This generation can reclaim the narrative and champion producers by sharing the long-implemented, but scarcely shared, stewardship success story of cattle ranchers. It’s a success story that should be shouted from the rooftops. //

Taylor Joins Marketing Team at Red Angus

by Brandi Buzzard Frobose, Editor

The Red Angus Association of America is pleased to welcome Josh Taylor to its commercial marketing department as a marketing specialist. Taylor will play a crucial role in the Association’s strategy to bring a wide variety of marketing solutions to the industry, while simultaneously assisting commercial producers with their profitability goals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Josh to the Red Angus staff,” said Harold Bertz, RAAA director of commercial marketing. “He adds years of beef industry experience to the team and his vast network will be a great asset to RAAA. Josh stood out among a strong pool of applicants and will quickly connect with Red Angus producers.”

Taylor, of Perkins, Oklahoma, has a passion for beef production and has worked closely with seedstock producers for more than 20

years. His most recent role was as the cow herd manager for Griswold Cattle Co. where he oversaw reproduction and data collection for the operation.

Taylor is also an accomplished livestock evaluator, judging numerous national cattle shows across the nation including the Denver Stock Show, the North American International Livestock Exposition and the American Royal. He has also judged cattle shows in Europe and Canada.

“The future of the Red Angus breed has created a wave of excitement across the industry, and I am honored and privileged to join such a great organization,” said Taylor.

“I look forward to cultivating relationships with producers and helping them promote the Red Angus breed.”

Outside of his career pursuits, Taylor and his family have their own herds of cattle and Boer goats. He is actively involved in the American Boer Goat Association and judges several shows throughout the year. Taylor is also very involved at the local level in youth livestock and education initiatives.

Josh Taylor

Taylor began his new role with the commercial marketing department on March 13. He can be reached at josh@redangus.org or 918-605-5139. //

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for National Red Angus Convention today at RedAngus.org. Register by July 15 to be entered into a drawing for one lucky winner to receive their first night’s room and tax complimentary.

Denver, Colorado September 13-15, 2023

For 70 years, the National Red Angus Convention has been an opportunity for producers, breeders, affiliates and industry partners to come together from across the country and celebrate the Red Angus breed.

your room at the DoubleTree by Hilton by August 10th to guarantee the special rate of $139/night. Call 303-321-3333 to make your reservation using code: RED ANGUS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA or scan this QR code with your phone for room information.

Wednesday, Sept. 13 Commercial Cattlemen’s Symposium Women’s Symposium

Thursday, Sept. 14 – Friday, Sept. 15 National Red Angus Convention, Trade Show and Banquet

Complete convention information will be published in the July/August issue of the Red Angus Magazine.

Are Your Sires and Dams Meeting Parent Requirements?

by Ryan Starkey, DNA & Customer Service Specialist

This time of year, a lot of people are working on registering calves and clearing up any holds. A major delay for calves being at “R” status can come from the sire and/or dam not being fully ready to go. Here are a couple of things to check to make sure your parent animals are squared away to meet registration requirements.

Which animal(s) need DNA on file?

Per the Association’s Rules and Regulations, RAAA require that ALL sires and donor dams have DNA on file (a parentage test).

How do I check to see if my animal has DNA on file? Log into your REDSPro account and go to the Data Search tab and then select Animal Search. Type in the registration number of the animal you would like to check and then hit Quick Search.

DNA Reminders

• Shipment dates to the lab are currently Tuesdays and Thursdays

• SNPs being brought in from a third party now incur a $5 charge per animal (third party does not include other associations). Genotype sharing is $1 per animal.

• To purchase DNA collection kits, please contact the DNA department at (940) 387-3502 ext. 8 or by email at dna@ redangus.org.

Registration Reminders

• Spring Cow Inactivations are May 26.

• Make sure all 2022 calf data or reason codes are submitted by May 19, 2023, to ensure that none of your spring cows go inactive on May 26. Failure to report on females for the 2022 spring season will result in reactivation fees after May 26.

• The recommended due date for fall 2022 birth and weaning data is May 17. There will be no penalty if data is submitted after this date.

If you have questions regarding these due dates, please email the Registration Department at data@redangus.org.

ment at DNA@redangus.org with other possible options for the sire or dam. If you have the original results file email, we ask that you send those secondary registration numbers as a reply and we will work on those retries and let you know if we find something that qualifies. Once we find the qualification, we will communicate the match, and upgrade the pedigree in the system and remove the hold status on the animal.

If the animal doesn’t have DNA on file, the Parentage Test area will indicate “Not On File.”

If this is the case, a DNA sample will need to be submitted to meet the registration requirements for any offspring.

Do I need to test for any genetic defects?

If the animal has DNA on file, the Genetic Detail Status under Parentage Test will indicate “Sire and Dam qualify,” “Sire qualifies, Dam not on file” or a few other options.

If an animal has either the sire or dam excluded – meaning the animal does not match to its parent(s) – the animal will be “B” status which is a hold. That hold will also affect the calves’ registration status, putting them at “B” status hold as well. To fix an exclusion in the pedigree, please contact the DNA Depart-

Another hold that a member may see is “U” status which means that the animal needs to be tested for one or more genetic defects based on carrier animals in their pedigree. Different mating types have different genetic defect testing requirements. This explains why a natural calf could not be getting flagged for necessary testing but an AI calf out of the same sire would get flagged. The requirements based on mating are as follows:

Natural: Carrier defect(s) on the sire side going back three generations

AI: Carrier defect(s) going back through the whole pedigree on the sire’s side

ET: Carrier defect(s) going back on both the sire and dam’s side through the whole pedigree

4th

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Lot

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Member Services: Are Your Sires and Dams Meeting Parent Requirements?

How do I check for genetic defect carriers in the pedigree?

To check if an animal has a carrier in its pedigree you can go to REDSPro and click on the Reports/Downloads tab then select My Reports.

Then select the Quick Group tab to type in the registration number. To the right under System Reports, select Genetic Defect Suspect Summary, scroll to the bottom and select Generate Report.

If an animal DOES have a genetic defect carrier in its pedigree the report generated will look something like this.

Under the Defect column, you can find which defect is present in the pedigree and which test you would need to run. The number of generations back tells you where the carrier occurs in the pedigree. If the animal does not have a carrier in the pedigree, the three columns will be blank. It’s important to keep in mind while pulling these genetic defect suspect summaries that the report is based on the sire and dam the animal is currently registered under. If there is a correction made after the DNA results come back, that could change the need for defect testing.

What do I do if I have a carrier?

If you have a carrier in your pedigree, it is most economically advantageous to test the parent that has the defect in its line. If the parent comes back free, then you wouldn’t have to test each of the calves individually.

Double-checking these few items and submitting your DNA samples early can help create a smooth registration process for your calves. If you do have any questions regarding the status of one of your animals, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the DNA department and we will be happy to help! //

Breed Improvement

To Use or Not to Use a Carrier?

by Lindsay Upperman, Ph.D., Director of Breed Improvement

Genetic defects have become an important factor in buying and mating decisions within the beef industry. With various defects within and across breeds of cattle, there may be multiple defects to consider. For a producer, this may make breeding season more complicated, and that’s without the traditional decisions to make based on EPDs, indexes and ultimately your operation’s marketing goals. Let’s see if these decisions can be broken down into an easier process!

The first thing to know about genetic defects is that they occur within all species, even humans. So why have producers only really started factoring them into their breeding decisions within the last 10 years or so? Well, most genetic defects are known as simple recessives. Essentially, this means that the animal needs to inherit both recessive copies from their parents in order to cause the defect. Also, this tends to mean that the defect will stay hidden for multiple generations until a mating with inbreeding happens.

Another way of thinking is relevant to how this breed was founded. The black/red color gene has a recessive component as well: the red allele. Remember, an allele is one of two versions of DNA at a given location. An animal inherits one allele from each parent. Thus, in order to have “Red” Angus, the cattle have to have two copies of the red color allele to be visually red.

In the figure, there is a mating depicted between a black-carrier sire and a black-carrier dam, which shows the probability of their offspring having a particular genotype. Each box represents 25% of the offspring or one out of four boxes. Remember, a carrier is an animal that “carries” one copy of the recessive allele and one copy of the dominant allele. In this case, the dominant allele is the black color and the recessive is the red color.

In this figure, 25% of the time their offspring have both copies of the black allele (BB), 50% of the time their off-

spring will have one copy of the black allele and one copy of the red allele (Bb), also known as a carrier, and finally, 25% of the time their offspring will have both copies of the red allele (bb). If a producer were to visually see these genotype possibilities, 75% of the time the offspring would be visually black animals (BB, Bb and Bb) and 25% of the time the offspring would be visually red (bb).

Essentially, this is the same inheritance pattern as recessive genetic defects. Ultimately, if two carriers of the same genetic defect are mated, there is a 25% chance the offspring will have the disorder and a 50% chance the offspring is a carrier of the genetic defect. Thus, the best way to proceed with potential matings in your herd is to have the knowledge of which animals are free or carriers of the genetic defects.

Currently, there are 13 genetic defects that occur within Red Angus cattle, with the main six defects being: Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), Contractural Arachnodactyly (CA), Developmental Duplication (DD), Alpha-Mannosidosis (MA), Neuropathic Hydrocephlus (NH) and Osteopetrosis (OS). These defects can all be tested for and range from $15 to $25 through the DNA department at RAAA. If you have any questions in regard to defect testing, please feel free to contact dna@redangus.org.

Can I Use a Carrier Bull or Female?

So far, what a genetic defect is and how they are inherited has been discussed, but is it acceptable to use carrier animals within your mating decisions? There are a few questions to consider, for instance is the carrier animal being mated to another carrier animal? Try to avoid mating two carriers together, as this is the only mating that will result in the 25% chance of a calf exhibiting the genetic defect.

However, if the cow herd is free of the genetic defect, but the bull is a carrier, then there will be 0% chance of any offspring exhibiting the genetic defect. Yet, this mating will lead to around 50% of offspring being carriers, which may result in more complicated decisions down the road. In the end, if using carriers in a breeding program, making sure to test those animals that are potential carriers is the safest bet and allows for the best mating decisions to be made. //

Black Sire

Black Dam

B b B b

BB Bb Bb bb

A black dam carrying the red recessive allele (Bb) mated to a blackcarrier sire (Bb) will produce a red calf in 25% of the matings.

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Prevent Bull Fighting to Mitigate Injury in the Offseason

by Macey Mueller for the Red Angus Magazine

Herd bulls are a big investment, but they become an even bigger loss if they end up injured. Just ask Eden, South Dakota, rancher Emit Valnes, who recently lost three of his most valuable registered Red Angus sires to injuries sustained from fighting in the bull pen.

“It was a big blow,” he said. “You spend all this time finding the right bulls and then of course spend tens of thousands of dollars on them, only to see them either get put down or pounded out because they are hurt so badly and are of no use to us on the ranch.”

Valnes runs about 400 Red Angus cows – half registered and half commercial.

Over the years, he has learned to either purchase or keep back an extra high-quality bull good enough for his registered cows and keep a few bulls for his commercial customers who inevitably will also experience injuries right before breeding season.

“It can be frustrating because we know there’s usually going to be a need for a last-minute replacement, but if you end up not using a bull you held back, then you lose out on his value,” he said.

Over the years, Valnes has tried several strategies to reduce fighting and help cut down on injuries, including using large pastures and keeping bulls together that have already been running with each other during the breeding season.

“It really didn’t seem to matter what we did – even the bulls that had been together for 60 days wanted to fight once they got pulled,” he said. “And then about a month before it was

time to go back to grass with them, the cows would start cycling and it didn’t matter how far away they were on the ranch, the bulls would just get to fighting.”

Frustrated with the continued loss, Valnes, who has been raising Red Angus cattle for more than 30 years, decided to try some unconventional advice from friend and fellow South Dakota rancher Jared Namken.

“He told me to put a donkey in with our bulls to keep them from fighting,” Valnes said. “We run a registered Quarter Horse operation and have used donkeys for years to break colts and train horses, but I had never heard of using them with the bulls.

“I threw one in with my herd bulls when we pulled them out this past year, and I haven’t had a single bull get hurt.”

Valnes did a bit more research and learned a stud horse will work the same way as a donkey, so he put one of his stud horses in with the bulls and found he was even more aggressive than the donkey at keeping them from fighting.

“If bulls get to pushing around, both the donkey and the stud horse will bite or kick them to separate them and sort them out,” he said. “I used to have 20 bulls out on 40 or 80 acres, but with the donkey or stud horse, they’re in a pen that’s about 100-foot by 200-foot with no problems.

“The only place I haven’t tried them is on our young bulls because we feed them Rumensin to help them convert feed better, but it could kill a horse or donkey.”

Namken, who raises purebred and commercial Red Angus cattle near Lake Norden, South Dakota, has actually been using donkeys with his herd bulls for the past 25 years after repeatedly losing at least one to injury each year.

Jared Namken has been running a donkey with his herd sires for 25 years and has only lost two bulls to injuries from fighting.

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Prevent Bull Fighting to Mitigate Injury in the Offseason

“A seasoned cattleman suggested to try using donkeys or billy goats and I thought the donkey would be easier to keep in than a goat and probably not stink as bad,” he said. “We’ve only lost two bulls since we started using them.”

When the bulls start fighting, Namken said the donkey will intervene immediately.

“He’ll pin his ears back and start nipping at them,” he said. “They eventually get ‘donkey broke’ and know he’s king of the pen.”

Once the bulls are aware of the donkey in the pen, Namken said the dynamic is interesting to watch.

“The donkey basically lives in his own bubble – he’ll walk up to the feeder and bulls will only go so close to him,” he said. “I’ve seen a bull get pushed towards him and that bull will back out and go around the feeder to the other side.”

Between their general obscurity and their growing use in controlling coyotes, Namken and Valnes agree donkeys can be hard to source – Namken suggested individuals who raise sheep as good resources. Both ranchers said donkeys have increased in value as well.

“Even though they’ve probably doubled in price since we started using them, they’re still far cheaper than replacing a bull,” Namken said. “We’ll typically carry insurance on a bull the first year but after that, the donkey has kind of been the insurance policy.”

Since he now has multiple purposes for donkeys on his operation, Valnes has decided to raise them.

“It’s not always easy to find donkeys, and now that we can use them with both our horses and our bulls, it’s important we are able to keep them around,” he said. “If you have 20 herd bulls with an average value of $15,000, you’re talking $300,000, so a donkey is pretty priceless if they can keep those bulls from fighting.”

Lee Jones, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, said he has heard of producers using donkeys and billy goats with the same success Valnes and Namken have seen. He also offered the following tips for mitigating bull fighting and injuries:

• Use artificial insemination so fewer bulls are needed.

• Cull some bulls at the end of the season so you have fewer to deal with.

• Introduce all bulls together at the end of the season or at least introduce several bulls into the bull pen at one time, not just a single bull.

• Do not introduce a thin or lame bull into the bull pen.

Most bulls have a natural instinct to fight as they attempt to establish dominance. Unfortunately, fighting can lead to severe injury that will affect their ability to breed.

• Separate the main competitors if there is no peace after a week or so. Oftentimes, once pecking order is established – a few days after commingling – bulls should settle peaceably. If pecking order isn’t settled, bulls will continue to fight when they regain their strength and breath.

• Introduce bulls gradually if possible. Place them side by side with an electric or sturdy pipe fence between and let them vocalize. Once they start laying next to each other, introduce them into the same pen.

Jones added that while some producers claim pouring bulls with apple cider vinegar reduces fighting, he is not aware of any significant controlled studies to prove the method.

“Apple cider vinegar certainly adds an extra unusual sensory stimulus that may distract a bull for a time, but most of the posts you find online involve just a few bulls, so the results they’re getting could just be docile personality effect,” he said.

Jones, who spent 13 years as a practicing veterinarian in southwestern Nebraska before moving back to his native Georgia, said that while bulls benefit from a competitive nature while breeding, that instinct to be dominant doesn’t go away in the offseason.

“Bulls establish dominance when we introduce them into the pasture the first time, and we often see that in their ability to breed; we kick out three bulls on 100 cows and we find that 65% of the cows are from one bull,” he said.

“When we pull those bulls and introduce them into their bull pen, we’ve disrupted the peace and they have to reestablish that pecking order. All of the alpha bulls now have to decide who is actually top alpha and that can end up causing injuries if we’re not careful.” //

How to Enroll in FCCP and AA

1. The producer contacts the Red Angus Association of America at (940) 226-4762 and answers a short supplier enrollment questionnaire over the phone. RAAA staff will ask general management, animal identification and breeding questions. If needed, the producer may be asked to supply additional documentation on breeding such as semen receipt, lease agreements or information on purchased females.

2. After all documentation is recorded, staff will ship the tags directly to the producer who must tag the calves before they leave the ranch of origin – birth, branding, preconditioning, weaning or before loading on the semi.

3. The producer will receive a customer enrollment agreement to fill out and return to RAAA with a copy of their calving records.

4. Staff will issue the USDAapproved Certificate of Compliance upon receiving the customer enrollment agreement and calving record.

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Agricultural Stewards Feed a Fussy World

by Nate Smith, General Manager, Top Dollar Angus, Inc.

Stewardship is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” It is often the root word, steward, that we refer to when thinking of the action of responsible care. Therefore, let us focus on the definition of steward and the similarity to other roles we play in our daily lives.

Interestingly, in the same dictionary quoted above, there are four definitions of a steward. With admitted bias, my choice as “the” definition is: “One appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of food and drink.”

Wow! That implies an immense amount of responsibility for a steward. It is quite the weighty task, considering what this kind of stewardship centers around. Kind of like playing a parental role for the entirety of humankind. In the spirit of connecting two seemingly unrelated, sleep-depriving roles we play in life, we find amazing similarities.

Agriculture by nature appoints those that are ready to supervise but what if we aren’t ready? Prior to our son arriving, we received plenty of advice that focused on “you’re never really ready but you will figure it out.” That is the answer we give ourselves daily as stewards in agriculture, regardless of volatile markets or record-breaking weather events, we will figure it out.

It is also the same advice every parent gives themselves during tough days: the morning after three sleepless nights of teething, the daycare provider’s house flooding or my personal favorite, a toddler learning how to open bathroom doors. What do we as parents say? We will figure it out. To make the next connection between our two subjects, let us consider how farmers and ranchers are figuring out feeding humans all over the globe.

Top Dollar Angus Team

www.topdollarangus.com

Nate Smith, General Manager (620) 546-4839

nate@topdollarangus.com

Kaytlin Hokanson • (307) 461-7687 • kaytlin@topdollarangus.com

Andrea Rutledge • (406) 399-3993 • andrea@topdollarangus.com

Andy Albrecht • (402) 922-1000 • andy@topdollarangus.com

The world population is growing rapidly, in the time it takes to read this article, approximately 260 children will be born. As stewards, we feel the pressure to provide nutrition for these new mouths. It is part of our calling, so we find the solutions. In line with the original definition, we carefully and responsibly produce more because we have been entrusted with providing food and fiber to hungry mouths.

My previous articles have spoken to the roles of genetics and technologies that provide safe food for the world, but stewardship goes deeper than that. The real point of stewardship is creating trust. Today, more than ever, the world must trust that food will be available. As with a child, from time to time humankind throws a tantrum about what they are eating, completely disregarding the provider. The 1990s brought about changing consumer perspectives of beef that in turn provided a better eating experience. Last month brought the saga of a child learning to use utensils at mealtime to our house. We figured it out, we think.

Stewardship is so much more than just how we care for the animals and land use from a global perspective. It is caring for an entire, sometimes fussy, society. No one ever said it was easy or that recognition would be a given. Like parenting, however, the rewards can never be described. //

Simple Changes Go a Long Way

by Jessica Wesson for the Red Angus Magazine

Sometimes ranching is about making big improvements, but sometimes it is about the small things. Low-stress handling and improved animal care can end up making a huge difference in herd health, meat quality and profitability.

Most of the improvements that ranchers can make are already something they are thinking about, says Ron Gill, Ph.D., professor and Extension livestock specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

“It’s the way we handle cattle by creating a situation where they can understand what we need them to do,” Gill said. “Hopefully if we do it right, they’ll be willing to do it without us having to put a lot of pressure on them.”

The small things like where someone stands in relation to the animal will significantly reduce the stress.

“Historically on a lot of ranches, we get behind cattle to push them through the processing areas or on the trucks, and the cattle don’t really understand that body position and what you’re asking them to do,” Gill said. “We have to teach cattle to take pressure from the side or use more of a drawing pressure to get cattle to go do things rather than pushing from behind.”

Improving Animal Health

Overall, one of the biggest benefits of low-stress handling and improved animal care is better animal health, and Gill says high-stress environments can be damaging to the immune system.

“If you have a lot of stress in the system, it uses a lot of energy and drains the immune system,” Gill said. “It starts depleting the immune system’s ability to respond to vaccines or to fight off infections that might be occurring during the weaning, transportation or marketing phase of their lives.”

Another beef cattle expert echoed this sentiment, reiterating that transport is a high-stress time that should be carefully monitored.

“Transportation is a stressor that could impact how cattle respond to disease challenges and health risks,” said Lily Edwards-Callaway, Ph.D., associate professor at Colorado State University.

“Sometimes it’s the first time an animal’s been in a trailer, and it’s a new environment with new animals and new people. So, if we do everything we can to reduce that stress, the health of that animal will be improved.

Lily EdwardsCallaway, Ph.D.

Ron Gill, Ph.D.

Lily Edwards-Callaway presented low-stress handling techniques at the 2023 Cattlemen’s College at the Cattle Industry Convention.

Simple Changes Go a Long Way

“Factoring low-stress handling into everyday management practices should be a top priority for producers,” she added. “Any time we work with animals, we need to make sure we’re doing it in the best way possible. So, making sure that we are working with animals in the most effective way to maximize animal health should be part of our overall herd management plan.”

Improving Meat Quality

Another benefit of low-stress handling is improved meat and carcass quality. An indicator of meat quality is the amount of bruising a carcass has.

“If these cattle are stressed and anxious, we tend to have more bruising in them,” Gill said. “They tend to bump into gates and fences more and jump on one another. Bruising is a real problem because it causes the grade of the meat to be lower.”

Unfortunately, the bruises are not seen until it is too late to fix, so producers should be attentive to how their cattle are handled.

“We can’t see bruising on cattle until

removed the hide from the carcasses,” Edwards-Callaway said. “Bruising devalues the product, the bruised meat will go to rendering and depending on where the bruise is or how big it is, other cuts of meat may be devalued with the removal of the bruise.”

Another issue that might occur is what is known as blood splash.

“Blood splash is just a capillary rupture within the rib muscle, which certainly decreases the carcass value,” Gill said. “There’s a high percentage of cattle that have those issues, but it can also be a result of the way they’re handled. We don’t want to be an additional factor for these issues.”

Besides bruising and blood splash, stress prior to slaughter can cause dark cutting meat. This could happen when the weather is changing drastically in the several days before slaughter.

“Dark cutting means that meat is dark, firm and dry, which can lower the value of that carcass,” Edwards-Callaway said. “A variety of

weather conditions, can cause the animal to use up its glycogen reserves.” Glycogen is a carbohydrate that is stored in the muscle.

“Pre-slaughter stress can cause glycogen reserves to be reduced to a level that can impact postmortem metabolism,” Edwards-Callaway said.

Oftentimes, producers do not get to see the end result of their ranching practices. Edwards-Callaway said starting a conversation across the supply chain can help increase awareness of some of these quality challenges.

“When calves are weaned and go to the next stop in the supply chain, the impacts on quality are potentially not going to be seen by the rancher,” Edwards-Callaway said. “Communication across the supply chain could help to get feedback back to the ranch.”

Improving Profitability

While ranching is definitely about caring for and improving the lives of animals, ranchers still need to make a living. There are small ways to improve the profitability of raising livestock

Simple Changes Go a Long Way

“One good thing about stockmanship is that it doesn’t cost you anything to become a better stockman,” Gill said. “You just have to change your behavior and the way you approach cattle.”

While both experts agree that it is next to impossible to put an exact number to the profitability of low-stress handling and improved animal care, they both say that it is an obvious way to increase profit.

“I think we’re getting better at putting economics to animal welfare, but it takes a little creativity,” Edwards-Callaway said. “I think it depends on where you are in the supply chain to realize the profitability, and we have to think about it differently depending on where we are in the supply chain.” She said value-added programs might be a huge advantage to ranchers to increase their profitability.

“Programs like Beef Quality Assur

ance, that are essentially no cost to adopt, could add value to your program just for doing the right thing,” Edwards-Callaway said. “I think following best practices is going to improve how you are managing your animals, which will improve their health, welfare and end-product quality.”

Not only will better practices add value to the producer’s cattle, but they could spend less money on repairs.

“We won’t have as many panels, gates or chutes getting torn up, because the cattle are calmer in those situations,” Gill said. “In some cases, they may be spending a lot of money fixing things. That’s something we could benefit from financially if we change the way we handle livestock.”

Fringe Benefits

Outside of animal health, meat quality and profitability, there are several benefits to improved animal care that

might not be so obvious.

“The working relationship between the people working cattle is better if we all understand what we’re doing and how to work cattle,” Gill said. “A lot of people don’t enjoy working cattle, because it’s very stressful on them and the cattle, so they just avoid it and don’t come back to the farm.”

Some ranchers do not handle their cattle as often as others, but that does not mean that those interactions are not important.

“We’ve found that even when animals just have a positive visual impact with their owner, it can have a beneficial result when they’re moved through the chute,” Edwards-Callaway said. “It’s not just physical interaction, but familiarity and visual interaction. So, when ranchers are out there simply checking on their cattle, they can still make a difference.” //

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Tips to Be a Confident Public Speaker

by Emma Ahrendsen, JRA Board

Mark Twain once said, “There are only two types of speakers in the world, nervous and liars.”

As we come into this season of contests, it is important to remember that nerves are inevitable, but you can be prepared to deal with them. Here are three tips to help you prepare for your upcoming public speaking contests.

1. Know Your Audience

Whether you are preparing for a contest, a school project or your local 4-H club meeting, your audience can make a huge impact on how you go about giving your presentation. Some important things to think about are the age and background knowledge of your audience. If you are talking to children, you will go about your presentation differently than if you are presenting to a group of adult cattlemen or your peers. When you know your audience, you can give a presentation that accurately conveys your points.

Engage with JRA!

Emma Ahrendsen, Iowa • jraemma@gmail.com

Peri Andras, Illinois • jraperi17@gmail.com

Leah Evans, Iowa • jraleah1@gmail.com

Natalie Evans, Illinois • jranatalie@gmail.com

2. Do Your Research

It is important to be knowledgeable on your subject, so much so that you feel like an expert. When you are researching your topic, you want to be thorough, which means you will want to think about all the questions a person might ask. This method forces you to think beyond your presentation and makes you prepared for any questions that may arise from your audience or the judges. Another important thing to remember during research is to find trustworthy sources. These sources should be credible and verifiable, to ensure you are sharing facts with your audience.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

The most important thing to do before a presentation is to practice. The more you practice, the greater your confidence will be, and consequently, if you get nervous, you know that you have been through it before, and everything worked out okay last time. First, start with practicing in the shower, the mir-

ror or your bedroom to get comfortable with the order and information you are talking about. Then, move on to smaller groups of people, working with teachers or other leaders. Lastly, depending on the audience you plan to perform in front of, create an environment as close to identical as you possibly can. This can serve as a trial run for your actual presentation, and you can finish ironing out all the wrinkles.

Overall, public speaking can be a piece of cake. At the end of the day, you are the only person with your script, and no one can tell if you missed a point or messed up. Remember these three tips and you will rock your speech! //

Cameron Ison, Kentucky • jracameron1@gmail.com

Mitchell VanderWal, South Dakota • jramitchell1@gmail.com

Kim Heller, Junior Program Coordinator • juniors@redangus.org

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2022-2023

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Sale Reports

Leland Red Angus and Koester Red Angus March 10, 2023

At the ranch near Sidney, MT 116 Yearling Bulls $6,241 48 Fall Bulls $6,145 35 Yearling Heifers .................................... $1,907

The high-selling bull was Lot 1, Leland Propulsion 2080, a BB Propulsion son. He sold to Jason and Peggy Leiseth of North Dakota for $17,000.

Lot 29, Leland Charter 2021, a Lorenzen Charter 0906 son, sold to Jason and Peggy Leiseth of North Dakota for $15,000.

Lot 5, Leland Stockmarket 2164, a Bieber CL Stockmarket E119 son, sold to Saunders Land & Livestock of Wyoming for $15,000.

Lot 22, Leland Shula 2048, a Leachman Shula A113G son, sold to Bob and Jane Schettler of North Dakota for $14,000.

Lot 2, a son of Leachman Shula A113G, sold to Leiseths of North Dakota for $13,500.

Lot 7, Leland Propulsion 2189, a BB Propulsion 9096 son, sold to Northern Lites Red Angus of Montana for $13,500.

Lot 18, a Leland Finished Product 2204 son, sold Saunders Land & Livestock of Wyoming for $13,000.

The top-selling age-advantaged bull was Lot 32, Koester Stockmarket 175, a Bieber CL Stockmarket E119 son, sold to Saunders Land & Livestock of Wyoming for $13,500.

Lot 35, a VGW Megatron 403P son, sold to Saunders Land & Livestock of Wyoming for $12,000.

Lot 42, Koester Insight 125, a Lorenzen Insight 9917 son, sold to Shaw Ranch of Colorado for $11,500.

Lot 38, Koester Stockmarket 136, a Bieber CL Stockmarket E119 son, sold to Croissant Red Angus of Colorado for $11,000.

The top-selling yearling heifer was Lot 206, Leland Brunswick 2097, a Feddes Brunswick D202 daughter. She sold to Marshall Red Angus of South Dakota for $2,500.

Lot 209, Leland Lotto 2080, a VGW Lotto 722 daughter, sold to Oland Red Angus of North Dakota for $2,300.

Lot 211, Leland Spartacus G06-2037, a Bieber Rouse Spartacus G06 daughter, sold to Jeff Larson of North Dakota for $2,300.

Volume buyers were Ronald Erbes of Colorado with eight bulls, and Swenson Ranch of North Dakota with six bulls. Grant Elliot and Oland Red Angus, both of North Dakota, purchased seven and six heifers, respectively.

Keystone Elite March 11, 2023 Mill Hall, PA 25 Yearling Bulls $3,657 14 Registered Open Heifers $3,345

The top-selling bull was Lot 10, Chappell Meatmarket K454, a Bieber CL Stockmarket son. He sold to Brian Glienke of Iowa for $9,000.

Lot 7, Chappell Driven K453, a STRA Relentless son, sold to RJ Griscom of New Jersey for $6,000.

Lot 4, Chappell Renegade K451, a Feddes Brunswick D202 son, sold to Whitley Red Angus of Alabama for $5,500.

Lot 1, Chappell X Box K458, a 9 Mile Franchise son, sold to Mike Karweik of Mississippi for $5,000.

Lot 13, Chappell Complete KE1, a KJL/CLZB Complete 7000E son, sold to Stanley Matthews of Pennsylavania for $4,250.

The top-selling open heifer was Lot 32, Swank Tequilla 2212, a Swank Gamechanger 1901 daughter. She sold to Craig Davis of Pennsylvania for $4,500.

Lot 41, Chappell Zara K463, a GM Atomic Sky 904 daughter, sold to Stanley Matthews of Pennsylvania for $4,250.

Lot 33, Chappell Miss Liberty KE5, a KJL/ CLZB Complete 7000E daughter, sold to Kendra Lotz of New York for $3,800.

Lot 35, Chappell Lakota K462, a GM Atomic Sky 904 daughter, sold to Callie Dayton of West Virginia for $3,750.

Lot 39, Chappell Lakota K461, a GM Atomic Sky 904 daughter, sold to Georgia Pfleegor of Pennsylvania for $3,750.

Lautenschlager & Sons Red Angus

$15,000. The first high-selling bull was Lot 1, LASO Iwo Jima D188K, a Jan. 6, 2022, son of 5L Ultimatum 1893-03C. He sold to Wade Wallis of Longview, Texas.

The second high-selling bull was Lot 30, LASO Bedrock G134K, a Jan. 4, 2022, son of LASO Foundation D168F, selling to Dustin Pelton of Burdett, Kansas.

Lot 12, LASO Genuine G174K, a Jan. 16, 2022, son of 5L Genuine 1603-195C, sold to Doug Munton of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada for $14,000.

The top-selling heifer was Lot 101, LASO Ms Joline G117K, a Dec. 31, 2021, daughter of LASO Alamo C92H. She sold to Garrett Knebel of Bozeman, Montana for $6,750.

Iron Lorenzen

March 18, 2023

Madras, OR

127 Red Angus Bulls $5,417

18 Red Composite Bulls ............................ $4,547

6 Black Red Carrier Bulls $4,750

6 Registered Heifers $4,740

45 Commercial Cow-Calf Pairs ................ $3,300

73 Commercial Fall Bred Heifers .............. $2822

The high-selling Red Angus herd sire was Lot 2, ILCC Iron Jack 2090, a Thomas Jefferson son. He sold to Shieldknight Land and Cattle of Texas for $11,000.

Lot 4, ILCC Outright 2092, a HXC Complete son, sold to White Cattle Co. of California for $11,000.

Lot 37, ILCC Optimum 2240, a LSF TBJ Optimum son, sold to White Cattle Co. of California for $11,000.

Lot 1, ILCC Trail Boss 2161, a VF Reform son, sold to A2 Operations of Oregon for $10,500.

Lot 5, ILCC Mahomes 2094, a Quarterback son, sold to Hot Shoe Red Angus of Utah for $10,000.

Lot 46, ILCC Complete 2113, a HXC Complete son, sold to Pieper Red Angus of Nebraska for $10,000.

Westphal Red Angus

March 22, 2023

Grass Range, MT

88 Yearling Red Angus Bulls .................... $5,617

49 Yearling Open Registered Heifers $2,298

48 Yearling Open Commercial Heifers $1,698

The top-selling herd sire was VGW Touchdown 214, a PIE Quarterback 789 son. He sold

Member News

In Memory

Byron W. Mabee 1929-2023

Byron W. Mabee, loving husband and father, passed away at home Jan. 9, 2023, surrounded by family.

Byron (Bill) was born on May 25, 1929, in Riverside, California, to the late Byron Mabee and Nyla (Long) Mabee of Sweet Home. He married Doris Garrison on April 19, 1951, in Albany.

He is survived by his loving wife of 72 years; four children, Debra, Pamela, Teresa and Cheri. He leaves behind his loving sister-in-law, Marni and her

daughter, Lisa. Byron has eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Byron and his parents moved to Sweet Home when he was 15 years old. He graduated from Sweet Home High School, where he met and married his beautiful wife, Doris.

Byron entered the U.S. Navy in 1947 and served seven years, stationed in San Francisco, California; Kodiak, Alaska; Guam and Long Beach, California. His ship assignments took him around the world, and he often talked about his adventures and great love of the sea.

After his service, he joined the U.S. Navy Department, Aeronautics Admin-

istration and studied electronics and radar engineering, ultimately joining the Federal Aviation Administration where he served more than 35 years. His work took him to Vietnam, Iran and throughout the U.S. At the end of his career, he was the sector chief at the Oakland, California, FAA Air Traffic Control Center.

Retiring to a ranch in Sweet Home, Byron started living his dream by starting Mabee’s Red Angus in 1984. He became a prominent and well-respected leader in the Red Angus Association of America.

He won the prestigious Midland Bull Test many years and consistently earned championships at the Oregon

State Fair. Byron was proud to be a founder of the Western States Red Angus Association and the widely recognized and popular Bet on Red Show and Sale in Reno, Nevada, where many of his outstanding heifers were sold. He admired his fellow breeders and was grateful to be part of the Red Angus community.

Byron’s love of life also extended to the outdoors where he was an avid fisherman and hunter. He will be missed for his passion, honesty and ability to bring out the best in everyone. May his memory be a blessing.

The family is planning “A Celebration of Life” for spring. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements. //

Sale Reports

to Koester Red Angus of North Dakota for $24,000.

VGW Carhart 218, son of HSC Charter 6610D, sold to Schriefer Ranch and Ressler Land & Cattle, both of North Dakota, for $21,000.

VGW Cavalry 203, son of HXC Charter 6610D, sold to Wood V-X Red Angus of Idaho for $16,500.

VGW Flashback 221, a RHRA Frosty 5G son, sold to Gaikowski Ranch of South Dakota for $11,500.

The top-selling registered heifer was VGW 807-Primrose 2289, a VGW Cutting Edge 807 daughter. She sold to Brickhouse Farms of Missouri for $5,000.

Dahlke Red Angus Production Sale March 26, 2023

22 Yearling Red Angus Bulls $5,875

5 Cow-Calf Pairs ......................................... $6,050

2 Bred Heifers ............................................. $4,250

3 Commercial Bred Heifers $2,450

The top-selling bull was Lot 6, Dahlke Rancher 214K, a Bieber CL Energize F121 son. He sold for $24,000 to ST Genetics of Texas.

Lot 1, Dahlke Working Class 231K, a 5L Foreman 2174-370E son, sold to A&R Red Angus of Minnesota for $13,000.

Lot 7, Dahlke Rocky 223K, a Red U2 Reckoning 149A son, sold to Flatbroke Farm of Michigan for $6,500.

Lot 10, Dahlke Atomize 205K, a Bieber CL Atomic C218 son, sold to Craig Yaunick of Minnesota for $6,500.

The top-selling cow-calf pair was Lot 26/26A, Dahlke Ms Hilton 146J, a Dahlke Atomic 85G daughter. She sold to Paurus Red Angus of Minnesota for $10,000 with a bull calf at side. //

Welcome to our Newest RAAA Members!

Area 1 –West

Director – George Murdock

AVA KATEN

1897 SUNSET AVE

MORRO BAY, CA 93442

DR. ANGIE ALLUM

ANGIE ALLUM

3720 REED RD

VALE, OR 97918

EMILIA SWARTZ

PO BOX 90

ADEL, OR 97620

MARGARET SWARTZ PO BOX 90

ADEL, OR 97620

LAZY H HANGIN 7

JAMES HERRIDGE

PO BOX 48

ENDICOTT, WA 99125

Area 2 – Montana

Director – Kay Klompien

GARRETT JEWETT

609 LOST CREEK DR

KALISPELL, MT 59901

DIAMOND V CORPORATION

ZACH KUBESH

146 ROAD 454

GLENDIVE, MT 59330

Area 3 – Rocky Mountain

Director – Aaron Kravig

WIRTHE PINGETZER

11882 HWY 789

SHOSHONI, WY 82649

Area 4 – Southwest

Director – Tony Ballinger

ROBERT CONWAY

413 VZ COUNTY ROAD 2517

CANTON, TX 75103

DRAGONFLY RANCH

KURT KOSTER

1477 HERITAGE ROAD

GORDONVILLE, TX 76245

G-STAR CATTLE CO.

GARRETT MELNAR

203 BRIAR RIDGE DRIVE

BELLVILLE, TX 77418

Area 5 – Northern Plains

Director – Stephanie Jung

RICK & ANTHONY HELGET

RICK HELGET

65721 262ND ST

ST JAMES, MN 56081

MROZEK FARMS

JERAMIE MROZEK

5417 145TH STREET

LITTLE FALLS, MN 56345

NELSON CATTLE

CHAD NELSON

1289 200TH AVENUE

MAGNOLIA, MN 56158

REINHART RANCH

ALEC REINHART 11327 22ND ST NE

MCVILLE, ND 58254

Area 6 – Great Plains

Director – Jason Anderson

BAILEY CAMERON

6549 E 317TH ST

QUENEMO, KS 66528

BRODY DUTTON

1205 310TH AVE

MACKSVILLE, KS 67557

FISCHER LAND AND CATTLE

BRIAN FISCHER

2967 125TH AVE

ELLIS, KS 67637

ISLAND CREEK CATTLE

MATT KNETTER 13301 HOLLINGSWORTH RD.

KANSAS CITY, KS 66109

STUART PLUMLEY

804 NEBRASKA RD

RICHMOND, KS 66080

BAMM RANCH

BRYAN RICKARD

200 8TH STREET

SCANDIA, KS 66966

GENAYLA WARNKEN

9440 CONDRAY ROAD MANHATTAN, KS 66503

MAVRICK WINTER

6441 WALNUT CREEK ROAD RILEY, KS 66531

ROB EIRICH

180189 FT MITCHELL DR MITCHELL, NE 69357

FLYING N RED ANGUS

BROCK NELSON

126 DEVILS RIM RD CROFTON, NE 68730

WYATT AVERY PO BOX 5 KANSAS, OK 74347

K-T FARMS

TIFFANY MILLER

203611 E CO RD 53 SHARON, OK 73857

TRIPLE H RANCH

CYNTHIA SALISBURY

58939 S. 700 RD

WATTS, OK 74964

Area 7 – Northeast

Director – Rob Hess

SNYDER FAMILY FARM

ERIC SNYDER

4805 WILLOW GROVE RD CENTERVILLE, IN 47330

ST. ANASTASIA FARMS

BEN OLIVER

5381 RAUBINGER RD

SWARTZ CREEK, MI 48473

Area 8 – Southeast Director – Jim Yance

CIRCLE M ANGUS

TODD MITCHELL

561 HIGHWAY 27

CHANCELLOR, AL 36316

DRAKE JOHNSON

104 JACK BERRY LANE

ROYAL, AR 71968

2 STEP CATTLE CO.

TYLER / WADE STEPHENS

P.O. BOX 33

CABOT, AR 72023

LEYTON MORRIS

2961 DOSTER RD.

MADISON, GA 30650

CHAPPELL FARM

AUSTIN CHAPPELL

430 MCCLEARN LN

DAWSON SPRINGS, KY 42408

TRI FIVE RED ANGUS

TRENT YOUNG

2358 RICHARDSVILLE RD

BOWLING GREEN, KY 42101

LC CATTLE CO.

LANE TURNER

430 MCLILLIE LANE COVINGTON, TN 38019

Area 9 – Midwest Director – Stuart Gilbert

JACOB BROWN PO BOX 590

ARMSTRONG, IA 50514

LUKE PLADSEN

1310 LANSING HARPERS ROAD

HARPERS FERRY, IA 52146

RICHARDS & KOPP RED ANGUS

RONALD RICHARDS

1366 SE 68TH STREET

PLEASANT HILL, IA 50327

RAELYN SCHROEDER

1937 380TH AVE

BRYANT, IA 52727

RANCHO EL AGUILA

GABRIEL AVALOS

15371 ROSS RD RUSHVILLE, IL 62681

ARROWHEAD ACRES RED ANGUS

JOHN MIER

12126 198TH ST W ILLINOIS CITY, IL 61259

C4 GENETICS LLC

JOSEPH D. STEICHEN 33898 E. 2400 N. ROAD KEMPTON, IL 60946

JOEL BUNCH 21497 TRAILING VINE LANE LEBANON, MO 65536

MCDONALD FARMS

MASON MCDONALD 53260 SALEM LANE CENTER, MO 63436

ALYVIA WILSON 1867 HECKER RD OWENSVILLE, MO 65066

BRYCIN WILSON 1867 HECKER RD OWENSVILLE, MO 65066

SAND HILL ROAD RANCH JEFF GIRDEEN N6701 570TH ST BELDENVILLE, WI 54003

TRENT ROETTER N5710 ALBANY X MONDOVI, WI 54755 //

Glacier Red Angus

Annual Sale – Last Thursday In March, Glasgow Stockyards, Inc.

Gibbs Family – Jordan, MT 406.977.2852 www.gibbsredangus.com

MTRAA Officers

President: Tena Ketchum – ketchum@midrivers.com

Vice President: Luke Larson – lukelarson51@gmail.com

Secretary/Treasurer: Kara Herbst – mtraasecretary@gmail.com

MTRAA Directors

Tim Geib – geibtimothy@yahoo.com

Madri Blom – blom.anebell@gmail.com

Jenny Moke – cjmoke@rangeweb.net

FLATIRON RED ANGUS

1A BULLS & HEIFERS

MAINTENANCE/FEED EFFICIENCY EXPERTS

Cory & Katy Johnson

5822 CR 23 • Veteran, WY 82243 Cory 307-575-0169 • Katy 307-575-2677

KRAVIG RED ANGUS

“Cattle Working for You”

Sound Udders – Great Dispositions

Moderate Frames – Calving Ease – Excellent Growth www.kravigredangus.com h1: 719-446-5355 • h2: 719-446-5391 Karval, Colorado

AXTELL CATTLE COMPANY

Brian and Jamie Jo Axtell PO Box 21 – Anton, CO 80801 970.383.2332 or 970.554.1132

www.axtellcattlecompany.com

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Barenthsen RedAngus

BBRedAngus.com

701-464-5741

Forster Red

Jeremy & Jessica Bullinger 701-464-4893

8815 81st St. NW, Powers Lake, ND

BROKEN HEART RANCH

12523 245th Ave

Firesteel, SD 57633

(605) 850-9878 or (605) 865-3190

bhrredangus@lakotanetwork.com

www.pedersonredangus.com

Robert and Kara • Robby 5096 Campbell Rd • McIntosh, SD 57641 701-422-3721

www.campbellredangus.com

Producing Cattle That Perform For The Cattleman

RED ANGUS

"We Breed Excitement" The Olsons

Edward, Jeanne, Carl, Craig and Caryn 16068 24 St. SE • Argusville, ND 58005 Phone/Fax (701) 484-5779

www.olsonredpower.com

RED ANGUS

Scott & Connie Kueffler

Michala & Kirsti • Bonnie Kueffler Box 187 • Grenora, ND 58845

701-694-3620 (h) • 701-641-0519 (c)

redangus@nccray.com • www.dkredangus.net

Dan@RockingRRedAngus.com

High Altitude Registered Red Angus

SHEAMAN RANCH

Kerry and Debbie Sheaman

400 East Douglas Road • Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 493-7346 • Kerry.Sheaman@colostate.edu

Maternal, Disposition, Calving Ease & Stayability Traits

Joe, Cindy & Emily Frasier • 44600 Co. Road 118 • Limon, CO Ronny & Kelsey Pope • Ryan & Lindsay Frasier

719-740-1124 • www.solidrockredangus.com

Female Sale First Saturday in December Bull Sale Second Saturday in April Gary, Elaine, Tory & Tyler Sonstegard (320) 269-7290 (320) 226-2340

www.3scc.net

Rob & Amy Hess Hershey, PA 717-821-1782 bowcreekbeef.com

Pasture to Plate Performance Tested Embryos, Semen and

Steven Harris, DVM 4720 Wrights Mill Road Trappe, MD 21673 410-924-3905 spharrisdvm@yahoo.com

FAYLOR RED ANGUS

SINCE

Mark and Kim Harms

Red Angus - Angus - Charolais

“Your Partner in Progress” Bulls, Females and Embryos by Private Treaty

Phone: (316) 722-6900

Cell: (316) 648-8310 rhodesredangus2@gmail.com

Tim

FLAMING

18 mo.& 2 yr. old Registered Bulls No feed ration, range tested, hard ‘n ready Commercial Bred Heifers in the fall Rick Pflughoeft • Ellsworth, KS 785-472-3734

The