Today's Angus Advantage Spring 2023

Thank you!

55 Bulls Sold for Average of $11,381

High Selling Bull: BAR-E-L Chief 81K - $40,000 - Skinner Ranch Seedstock, Hall MT

Volume Buyer : Speargrass Cattle Company , Robyn & Murray Jorgensen, Bassano, AB

Thank you to all the buyers and bidders at our bull sale. Your acceptance and support of our program are genuinely appreciated. In addition, thank you to those who purchased semen on Brooking National 0144, HF Alcatraz 60F, Merit Investment 1054J, and BAR-E-L Royal Mint 88G in online auctions. We trust that your confidence in our genetics will lead to success.

$30,000 - CMT Farms Ltd, Battelford, SK

$17,500 - Lewis Farms, Spruce Grove, AB

$17,500 - Lone Stone Angus & BJ Cattle Co.

BAR-E-L WARRIOR 36K $28,000 - Chapman Cattle Co. & Golden Oak Livestock

$18,000 - Anchorage Farms, Hanley, SK

CHRIS POLEY SHANE MICHELSON BEN WRIGHT 306-220-5006 403-363-9974 519-374-3335

Todays Angus Advantag e 2

THE REAL WORLD

OUR COMMERCIAL MARKET PLACE BY

CHRIS POLEY

This is the most positive article I have written in the last decade or so. Its positivity reflects a profitable time for the beef industry especially for the primary suppliers… the cow/calf producers. The strength of the marketplace accelerated last fall as the grassers hit the market and the demand for all classes of beef cattle continued to rise weekly. The spring bull sales were outstanding, recording record prices for many established purebred breeding operations, reflecting that the cow/calf producers were and are ready to upgrade their herd bull battery’s selecting high quality and fresh new genetics… indicating their intentions for the years to follow.

The cattle market is exciting in all classes and weights of cattle. Salvage prices are strong… right now, you would not want to be old, open, wild, unsound, or empty as you should get a ride to town. For those producers who have not yet semen checked their battery, you best get that chore done… kill bulls are demanding a huge premium. All indicators point to producer profitability in years to come. The past summer drought affected nearly half the beef cattle in North America with the smallest

Simply put, we have a beef cattle shortage. Unlike hogs and poultry, rebuilding a depleted North American cow herd will take time and years. The consumer continues to stock the kitchen table with beef in a new and higher price range… while the restaurant chains continue to develop innovative marketing methods to increase hamburger trade, although inflation and rising interest rates could be a stumbling block domestically. Global demand for beef has risen more than 20% over the past two years with the top destinations being Asian countries. The ranching and livestock areas of North America need rain to replenish arid grasslands and help fill up the feed yards with roughage, but the drought scenario will limit any cowherd rebuilding as producer’s catchup from the last few years. With fewer cattle on feed, and the demand for more protein globally, a beef shortage is inevitable… with profitability and market leverage for cow calf producers throughout North America. All indicators are there are good times ahead, which are well deserved by the hardworking cattle producers… It’s your turn!

Tips For Improving Breeding Success In Beef Cows

By Colin Palmer, DVM

A full 6 weeks following calving is required for the uterus to recover and prepare for the next pregnancy. Although many dairy cows will resume normal estrous cycles before uterine repair is complete beef cows are more likely to require 30, 40 or even more days before they display a normal standing heat. If 12-month calving intervals are to be maintained beef cows should be able to display estrus by the onset of the next breeding season. Since gestation is usually slightly longer than 9 months e.g., 283 days, a good rule of thumb is that they should be showing “good heats” by 80 to 85 postcalving.

Follicular development ceases during early to midpregnancy and when it resumes after calving the very first ovulation occurs without any signs of estrus. This is called a silent heat. Following ovulation, a corpus luteum (CL) is formed on the ovary. Although usually short-lived and considered sub-functional compared to those formed during subsequent cycles progesterone produced by this CL is crucial as it plays a significant role in reestablishing normal estrous cycles and strong estrous behaviour in cows. The time between the first ovulation and the next can be normal at roughly 3 weeks, but often the interval is shortened. Although most often considered the hormone of pregnancy progesterone regulates the release of several other hormones and is critical to initiating normal estrous cycles having direct effects on follicular development and ovulation. Conception rates following AI are higher in cows that display estrus at the time of insemination. Cows exposed to higher levels of progesterone during the cycle prior to estrus display stronger heats and typically have larger follicles producing more estrogen. Estrogen, in turn, helps to prepare the uterus for pregnancy therefore, higher levels of estrogen associated with larger follicles and strong heats also play a role in ensuring that the conceptus is recognized by the uterus and

that a successful pregnancy will occur. The chances of establishing pregnancy by breeding at the first real, not silent, estrus following calving are lower than breedings at subsequent heats. Timely establishment of normal estrous cycles following calving is often overlooked as one of the most important factors limiting reproductive efficiency in beef cow-calf herds.

Suckling naturally suppresses cyclicity in cows independent of milk production. The physical interaction with the calf causes the release of a specific class of chemicals called endogenous opioids that not only benefit the mother and calf, but also have a direct limiting effect on follicle development and ovulation. Lactating dairy cows have much higher milk production but rarely suckle calves therefore they do not experience the same effect. The more suckling events a cow experiences in a day the greater the release of opioids and subsequently the longer it will take for cyclicity to return. Underfeeding of protein and energy to cows both pre- and post-calving adds to the suckling-related suppression of cyclicity delaying the first post-calving estrus by several weeks. Cows feeding twins are at a significant disadvantage because of the intensity of the suckling pressure combined with the inability to consume enough high-quality feed to maintain condition. An early method of advancing cyclicity in the face of lactational anestrus employed a procedure called temporary calf removal. Essentially, taking approximately 60 -day old calves away from their mothers for 48 hours is enough to over come the negative effect of suckling and allow ovulation to occur, however, cows and calves must be sufficiently separated to protect the dams from both the sight and sound of the calves. The practical limitations of temporary calf removal obviously limit its usage.

Feeding beef cows well after calving is the best way to optimize timely conception during the breeding season. Cows that must walk as much a 3 kms a day for feed can have 30% higher energy requirements. During cold weather energy required to keep cows and calves’ warm increases substantially. Young cows that are still growing have greater nutritional demand than older cows. Learning how to assess body condition score and to manage body condition through the phases of the beef-cow production cycle is an important skill for the beef producer.

Progesterone-containing devices like CIDRs and PRIDs can be very useful for advancing the onset of estrous cycles, managing lactational estrus and improving conception rates. I always advise that producers wait until uterine repair (Involution) has occurred because attempts to establish pregnancy too soon after calving may result in untimely pregnancy loss. I usually recommend waiting 50 days. Putting a CIDR in place 50 days or more post calving for 7 days will expose

the cow to enough progesterone to advance the onset of normal estrous cycles. The use of Fixed-time AI protocols employing progesterone-containing devices are very good ways to increase the proportion of cows bred early in the breeding season even though not all animals will successfully become pregnant to that AI. For those cows, the exposure to progesterone from the CIDR will have a beneficial carryover effect for the next estrus. During the very early part of the breeding season the odds of establishing a pregnancy by breeding at an observed heat following the use of a CIDR are higher than when simply watching for heats and breeding.

Good nutrition combined with progesteronecontaining devices or progesterone-like feed additives (melengestrol acetate – MGA) can be invaluable for optimizing reproductive performance in your herd. Not just your front pasture cows! Ask your veterinarian about available products and protocols.

Dr. Colin Palmer is an Associate Professor of Theriogenology (Animal Reproduction) at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Originally from Nova Scotia, Dr. Palmer worked in mixed practices in Ontario and British Columbia and has owned/operated a practice in Saskatchewan. Dr. Palmer along with his wife Kim and children Lauren, Emily and Carter run a herd of purebred Red Angus cattle under the KC Cattle Co. name.

Photosensitization (sunburn) in Farm Animals

By Roy Lewis, DVM

With summer soon on us and exposure of animals to UV light cases of photosensitization crop up once in a while. In ruminants (cattle sheep and goats) there are many causes from ingestion of certain plant species to infectious causes such as liver flukes or leptospirosis. The bottomline is that liver damage results in an accumulation of a by product in the skin leading to the susceptibility to sunburn. It will first show up in the thin haired or lightly pigmented area of the animal. So in Simmentals the white areas especially those exposed to UV light such as the head or outside of the legs I will go over clinical signs and treatment and then focus in on prevention. Affected animals usually don’t die but anyone that has been badly sunburnt knows the road to recovery is long. There is a definite economic toll on weight loss and failure to thrive. These animals can be very painful so animal welfare must be dealt with and we need to get them out of the sun. This discussion applies very well to horses as well and because horses often can have white socks, or other white areas it can be very deleterious to them as well.

Veterinarians may be confronted with only one or several cases at the same time. Depending on which areas are affected there could be lameness if involving the feet or weight loss if the mouth/muzzle and udder/scrotum or vulval area is involved. Initially it may take close examination to see that the skin may be swollen and sloughing in the white areas. This may have been pretty insidious to start with and with dark pigmented cattle (red especially) we see clinical signs more revolving around the mouth or lightly colored udders or scrotums or the vulval area. It may initially start as being uncomfortable, strange gait or being itchy. Areas exposed to lots of sunshine and that are thin haired is where we concentrate looking. Even the whites of the eyes can be involved. Some pastures especially are very open so not a lot of access to good shade trees, sheds, porosity fences or really anywhere where shade is possible the cattle will seek out. That is why in severe cases they need to get in the shade and stay there often for long periods. Some are delegated to access to a barn or open-faced shed for most of the summer to speed up recovery if that’s possible. With the hotter summer and the apparent global warming photosensitization cases increase.

Severely affected cattle may need to be pulled and treated with supportive treatment. Supportive treatment may involve fluids if dehydrated and commonly may involve NSAIDs as the open wounds can be very painful if you get one case have a very close look at the other cattle especially focusing in on the white areas.

One of the common plants that affect horses is white clover and I have seen numerous horses affected just in the white areas that needed to be pulled off treated and methods used to get other species of plants introduced otherwise it might be hard to use that pasture in the summer for horses.

With photosensitization you have all the other complications that come with open wounds from skin sloughing off such as fly strike and bacterial infections. Just like a human burn patient there is loss of fluids so you and your veterinarian must react to the severity of the case. Hydrotherapy to ointments to covering the wound if possible, to covering with antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections all have been used in certain cases. I guess this is another benefit for the cattle herd being dominantly black or red but breeds such as Charolais being mostly all white Herefords (RWF) and Holsteins being predominantly white will show the effects early as well. I have always wondered if the insult causes damage to the liver causing this susceptibility to sunburn even the dark cattle could be affected. The white areas are the first to indicate there is a problem.

My goal from a herd health perspective is try to determine what is causing this liver issue and then try and prevent it for the next sunny season. Remember that even in overcast days the UV light is strong so burning is still a possibility. In talking to others another common denominator seems to be when we have a wetter spring with lush growth and time frame of May and June.

When looking for the cause we must consider various plants and a few infectious processes. Keeping in mind anything that causes liver damage could lead to this susceptibility to sunburn. From plants we are talking white or alsike clover, St John’s wort, hogweed have been incriminated if they are in your area. Any plants that produce the pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause liver damage among other things are potential such as tansy ragwort and to a lesser extent common tansy are potentials. Grasses such as perennial rye grass, buckwheat or trefoil are also incriminated. Mycotoxins produced in certain feeds or blue green algae are also potentials. Infectious causes are leptospirosis and even liver flukes if enough liver damage is caused by the flukes.

If you do encounter photosensitization treat the clinical cases remove them from the pasture and try and determine what is the inciting causes. Plant control or controlled grazing at the times of year when the UV light is highest may also help. Since it is hit and miss and only affects certain animals it may do with their grazing patterns or individual susceptibility. Most severely affected animals are usually culled. Again, horses and the ruminants seem most susceptible and in certain years growth conditions combined with different grazing conditions may make livestock much more susceptible. It we can determine if a plant species is the cause, eliminating it or avoiding grazing at the susceptible times of May and June are distinct possibilities.

Photosensitization in a tan bull just around eye and muzzle

Red bull only had the burning essentially in the whites of the eyes. This case was so bad, a couple Char bulls needed to be euthanized as the skin sloughing was profound.

Connecting the Culinarian and the Rancher

Certified Angus Beef’s hosts student event that connects the next generation of ranchers and chefs.

By Kylee Kohls Sellnow

A chef and a rancher have more in common than one would assume: long hours, sometimes-grueling environments and a rewarding day’s work.

Five young Angus ranchers gathered alongside five Johnson & Wales culinary students for the inaugural Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Connecting the Culinarian and Rancher event, where they had the chance to learn from each other, and then break bread together.

“We saw this as an opportunity to bring the young generation of ranchers and the young generation of culinarians together in one space to have conversations about the who, why, what and ‘How can we do this better?’ of both raising cattle and serving beef in a restaurant,” says Ashley Breneman, CAB executive chef. “This also gave these students the chance to establish lifelong relationships at opposite ends of the beef supply chain.”

For Immediate Release

The day started with introductions and backgrounds of where each of the students got their start and what they are studying in college. Everything from sustainable food systems to livestock genetics, these 10 students brought unique perspectives to the table from around the country.

Johnson & Wales University students attending were Elijah Smith (Rhode Island), Ben Morris (Rhode Island), Aidan Kincaid (New Jersey), Lydon Olivares (California) and Aroura Hammond (North Carolina). Ranchers at the event were Jace Dickerson (Kansas), Mia Encinias (New Mexico), Lauren Gilbert (Missouri), Colter Pohlman (Texas) and Garrett Ulmer (South Carolina).

The students spent the morning at Chippewa Valley Angus Farm, where the young ranchers each discussed topics related to raising cattle. Animal nutrition, Angus breed characteristics and genetic selections, animal care and handling, sustainability and live-cattle marketing gave insight to the culinary students about what it takes to produce a high-quality steak.

“Even though we come from different backgrounds and totally different ends of the country, we all end up having the same end goal,” says Mia Encinias, West Texas A&M animal science student. “As ranchers, our goal is to create the best product possible, but the chefs’ is to serve it. Without one another, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

Once the students were back at the Certified Angus Beef Culinary Center, chefs Ashley Breneman and Peter Rosenberg

Ten students attended the inaugural Certified Angus Beef Connecting the Culinarian and Rancher event: (L to R) Aroura Hammond, Lydon Olivares, Lauren Gilbert, Garrett Ulmer, Aidan Kincaid, Elijah Smith, Jace Dickerson, Ben Morris, Colter Pohlman, Mia Encinias.

South Carolina rancher Garrett Ulmer shares about the importance of animal nutrition to the group at Chippewa Valley Angus Farm.

Culinary student Aidan Kincaid provides tips as rancher Colter Pohlman checks the temperature of his steak.

led a taste panel for the students to taste the difference between grades of beef. Then, they shared their tips for cooking the perfect steak as chef-rancher teams paired up to put their grilling skills to the test.

“I was paired up with a young rancher and we cooked our steaks together,” says Aroura Hammond, culinary student. “I utilized techniques that I’ve learned in culinary school, and it was really cool because at the ranch, I didn’t really know anything. Behind the grill and countertop, they didn’t really know anything. The script was flipped.”

Hammond, a bachelor’s culinary student at Johnson & Wales University, had never spent any time on a cattle farm before visiting Certified Angus Beef and Chippewa Valley Angus in Wooster, Ohio. After spending a day with peers who’ve grown up on farms and ranches across the country, she was astounded by the similarities between being a farmer and a chef.

“From what I’ve learned so far, and I’ve just barely scraped the surface, ranchers work long hours and they truly care about the product they are producing,” she says. “They’re not the ones cooking it, but it’s years and years of hard work, genetic development and care for the cattle that leads to the production of this dish and these steaks that we serve.”

She went on to share how long hours in the kitchen and years of hard work to develop the skill necessary to make a great product that guests desire and keep coming back for is challenging, yet that’s her goal.

“I think that there are a lot of similarities between us, and the shared passion and love for the product has been really cool to experience,” Hammond says.

Beyond the hands-on education, conversations about the students’ experiences were shared with each other. Everything from stories from the kitchen and the ranch to the swapping of movie recommendations and notes of accuracy in movies like Ratatouille and Temple Grandin.

“Oftentimes, we talk about the disconnect as producers, but it was really eye-opening to see that these people want to know what we do and how we do it,” says Lauren Gilbert, University of Missouri agriculture business student. “We can do a better job of sharing what we do on the farm and one way to do that is to establish these relationships and keep in touch.”

The culinary students felt similarly after the event.

“This experience has just been a really unique opportunity,” Hammond says. “I didn’t know anything about Certified Angus Beef or where my product was coming from. So to experience these young ranchers, meet them face to face and hear them tell stories about their families, it’s been really cool to break bread and share our skillsets, our experiences and connect over things that I had never even anticipated or expected before.”

Leaving the event with new friends and fresh perspectives, the students took their experiences back to their campuses and family ranches with nimble hands, open minds, big ideas and a newfound responsibility to consider the opposite end of the supply chain when making business decisions down the road. More importantly, these students learned they will always have a seat at each other’s tables no matter where life takes them.

More than learning about how cattle are raised and how to cook the perfect steak, (L to R) Aroura Hammond, Lauren Gilbert, Elijah Smith and Mia Encinias now realize how important the relationship is between a rancher and a chef.

The Gibson Family Ph | 780.581.1159

RR 3 Stn Main - Vermilion, AB - T9X 1Y8

www. everblackangus.com

Lee & Laura Brown Box 217, Erskine, AB T0C 1G0 403-742-4226 Lee cell 403-740-9429

llbangus@telus.net

www.llbangus.com

Annual Bull and Female Sale second Saturday in March

performance RED & BLACK angus

Bob Hahn bhahn@hahnco.com

cell. 780.991.1355

home. 780.464.0296

fax. 780.423.4836

www.hahnangus.com

22525 Twp Rd 514 Sherwood Park, Alberta, T8C 1H5

Robert & Gail Hamilton

274 132 Range Road 33, Rocky View County, AB T4C 2Y2

Ph: (403) 932-5980 Cell: (403) 540-3186

www.hamiltonfarms.ca angus@hamiltonfarms.ca

The fed cattle market is exceptionally bullish as last week’s sixstate fed steer average marked an $8/cwt. two-week run to average nearly $172/cwt. Prior to this period, the market was rangebound in the $164/cwt. area, seemingly held back by conditions outside the fundamentals of the cattle complex. One indication of outside market influence is the fact that the April Live Cattle futures contract opened Friday, March 27, at a $5/cwt. discount to that week’s cash market average. Futures prices have since raced to higher values to keep up with the spot market.

The latest fed cattle weekly average price is a new record-high, just edging out the prior record in late 2014. Tight supplies of marketready cattle are the overriding factor setting the market up for such fireworks in both the 2014 and present timelines.

Last Week Week Prior Year Ago

Many factors are not the same when comparing today’s market value with that of 2014. The most glaringly obvious is the cost of gain difference in the feedyard. Using Kansas State University’s “Focus on Feedlots” data to compare the two time frames indicates current feedlot costs are roughly 160% of those seen in 2014. As well, U.S. inflation since 2014 has been about 27%, suggesting that today’s record-high fed cattle price, when adjusted for inflation, is effectively much lower than the 2014 high.

Carcass cutout values also moved higher in the past two weeks with the Choice cutout up $4.81/cwt. and the CAB cutout netting a $1.61/ cwt. gain for the period after a slight decline a week ago.

Ribeye prices have softened a little in the past two weeks but loin items and end meats have held total carcass value higher. Strip loin and short loin prices on forward contract pricing have been at a premium to current spot market prices with anticipation for building spring demand. The higher price trend is emphasized by the expected tighter cattle supply.

April 12, 2023

Briskets are also moving to a higher price level as late spring demand is typically very good for this item. Tri-tips, ball-tips and flanks are also on a seasonal upward move with the latter two of these likely to see true price spikes as Cinco de Mayo draws nearer.

Strong demand for thin meats across the carcass and inside skirts results in higher pricing while outside skirts are at a 52-week price high, well above April prices from the prior three years.

Tenderloins have marked big spring price spikes in the past two years, currently $15.52/lb. wholesale. This is above any prior year after dropping only $2.37/lb. in January from a December high.

Regional Winter Performance in Carcass Weights

We’ve focused a lot on the extended cold and precipitation levels in the northern feeding regions since January. This has been understandably impactful to cattle performance in all sectors, but measurably detrimental in feedlots. Plowing headlong into spring we’re now observing the impacts of not only smaller weekly slaughter but lighter carcass weights in the north.

The chart shows a year-on-year comparison of formula dressed steer carcass weights in the major three packing states. The lines in the chart indicate the difference in 2023 year-to-date carcass weights versus those recorded in 2022. Viewing the data in this format drives home the point that feedlot performance has been dramatically different from north to south.

Intuitively, Texas cattle performance outshined the north yards as winter conditions have been generally dry and favorable in the southern feeding region. Dressed formula steer carcasses have been

par to a year ago with a 0.4% increase. The southwest Kansas feeding region has been in a drought all winter and that’s reflected in the yearto-date decline in steer weights of just 0.8%. Nebraska packing plant steer weights reflect the major departure in weights of an astounding 5.8% decline through early April.

The market dynamics in play currently are a lagging effect of northern winter conditions and the sparse availability of market-ready cattle in the north. The long-yearling fed cattle are seasonally depleted in the north and the calf feds that will soon become the primary supply focus in the region remain weeks away from a carcass fat content suitable to harvest to achieve high rates of marbling required to make CAB and Prime quality.

As we discussed in the last Insider, the cards are stacked in favor of high carcass quality cattle this spring. The early March highs for quality grade are certainly already recorded and the seasonal grade decline is already underway.

With last week’s Choice/Select spread quoted by Urner Barry at $12.71/cwt. and the CAB/Choice cutout spread at $15.55/cwt. some may question if the demand signal through grid premiums is presently reflecting the supply change. The answer is “no” – the premium is yet to build into the market structure in a large way. However, all indications are that carcass quality price spreads will drive much greater grid premiums in the weeks ahead.

IN TOUGH TIMES:

Minimize Waste, Maximize Genetics through Management

An investment in superior genetics and prioritizing nutrition could pay dividends for the cattleman.

By Lindsay Graber Runft

Ranching brings rewards, but it’s not all “sunshine and rainbows.” With drought and high input costs in the balance, it takes sharp management decisions to keep black ink on the bottom line.

Knowing what to cut back or keep doing was the focus for Dusty Abney, beef cattle nutritionist for Cargill Animal Nutrition, during his Cattlemen’s College session at the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention.

“It’s easy to just walk out there and say, ‘What can I cut?’ And in this environment, with the kind of production that we demand from these cattle and the money we spend on genetics, I think that’s a grave mistake,” Abney said.

Even with increasing prices at the meat case, consumers continue to purchase high-quality beef. That’s why he cautioned against decreasing the bull budget. Investments in superior genetics could still pay.

When buying bulls, added carcass value helps increase your calf crop’s Certified Angus Beef (CAB) acceptance rate, proven to add premiums. To assist in bull selection this sale season, Angus bull buyers can look for the Targeting the Brand™ logo in sale catalogs. The logo signifies that a bull has a minimum expected progeny difference (EPD) for marbling of +0.65 and an Angus Grid Value Index ($G) of +55 or higher.

The proof is in the data.

Sire-identified carcass data from more than 8,600 records in the American Angus Association database show those EPD values are minimum thresholds to achieve an average of 50% CAB acceptance. But those numbers alone won’t get it.

“If you invest in genetics and don’t invest in your nutritional program, your animals will never express their full genetic potential,” Abney said

Make Nutrition a Priority

From a bull purchased during this bull sale season, to calves born and heifers retained this year, nutrition should be at the top of the list for management.

“Doing what you have to” in times of high operating costs makes sense, Abney said, but it should not turn into an excuse. Fetal programming implications say nutritional decisions on bred females affect a cow herd in the short and long term.

“If you short her, she will short you,” Abney said. “A cow never gets a day off, and what we provide that animal from a supplementary basis and from our forage base affects her and her calf.”

What and how you feed a cow matters, so Abney suggests building a nutrition plan. Consider ingredient sourcing, infrastructure and the balance of nutrients against requirements. Then look at the feeding process: quantity, time and method for feeding. Nutritionists can provide key advice on the “what and how” to achieve targeted gains, improved herd health and overall profitability.

Looking to a drought scenario specifically, Abney noted the first step of understanding what’s available for cows to consume. To keep rumens operational, cows need more than 1% roughage on a dry-matter basis. Supplement that with energy, such as corn, distiller’s grains or whole cottonseed, based on nutritional requirements.

Meeting those protein and energy needs are essential to rumen function.

“If the rumen ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” Abney said. “So, we’ve got to keep those bugs (rumen microbes) happy so they’ll feed the cow.”

Rising input costs on the ranch bring the temptation to buy the cheapest hay available. If you do, make the best of it ordering a forage quality test to learn the crude protein percentage and relative feed value. Then supplement if required.

High-quality beef production requires mineral supplementation. But through a drought, that supplement can vary greatly. Forage test results and other feed evaluation can show where to adjust mineral inputs for a better bottom line.

Wondering where it could make sense to cut back on the spend? If feed and forage tests show a compelling financial reason, it may be okay to opt out of ionophores and implants on calves and yearlings. Aside from skipping those typically-recommended technologies, remember that basic herd health practices, such as vaccinations, deworming and fly control, should be continued and prioritized.

Through a drought, cattle producers should evaluate mineral supplements based on forage quality tests and other feedstuffs available.

With consumers showing preference for premium beef, cattle producers should prioritize genetics and nutrition – even in the tough times.

Minimize Feed Waste

A better option could be examining what’s going to waste. Abney said well-run operations can suffer from 5-10% feed waste daily, depending on the type of ingredient and how it is fed.

Feed/ingredient cost: $300/ton

15% shrink

Feed/ingredient actual cost is ~$352.94/ton

$300 ÷ 0.85 = $352.94

Beyond feed delivery, Abney suggests looking at hay waste, including feeder type.

A 2015 University of Missouri study into fescue hay waste by bale feeder type found a 19.2% loss for open rings, 13.6% for those with a bottom sheet and 8.9% for cone designs.

Correct hay storage helps reduce waste, too, Abney said. Ensiled forages are susceptible to loss from poor fermentation or exposure to air after fermentation.

Planning for the Worst

Determining how and what to feed while reducing waste requires a plan. That doesn’t stop at feeding, Abney said.

Build an overall plan for high-stress situations like drought and high-input costs, he suggested. By managing what can be managed and examining consequences of decisions made, you can best target positive results.

“We have to make sure that we’re not giving into analysis paralysis where we just wait for something else to happen,” Abney said. “Not making a decision is still a decision.”

Navigating tough decisions while managing resources to meet your herd’s nutritional needs at least takes focus. When those things are complicated by conditions outside of our control, sharper management can still find the rewards in ranching.

On the other hand, a lack of focus on profit near the top of the cattle market cycle will make a greater impact later in that cycle.

“If you make wasteful decisions and those decisions come back to haunt us,” Abney said, “it’s not going to be in a time when prices are good.”

Premium Beef, Premium Production

How Certified Angus Beef is strengthening its messaging with data, and still offering the same great taste.

By Morgan Boecker,

producer communications manager for Certified Angus Bee

The best place to reach consumers is at the meat case - that’s why there are so many labels on products. To be successful, brands must create messages that resonate and matter to their ideal customer.

The Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB) brand is often advertised as “the best,” and taste secured its growth around the globe. As a younger generation of consumers has more buying power in the market, their expectations of high-quality beef are expanding.

“Our product has to taste great every time and the consumer has to feel good about what the brand stands for,” said Nicole Erceg, CAB communications director. “They seek products they think are good for them, the animal and the planet.”

During a Learning Lounge session at the 2023 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show CAB shared how it’s meeting customers’ expectations. There, Erceg and Kirsten Nickles, Ph.D., CAB animal care and sustainability scientist, shared how the brand is responding to consumer research findings.

April 19, 2023

For Immediate Release

“It’s doing things like BQA certification, keeping good production records and having a grazing management plan,” Erceg said when speaking about increasing consumers’ trust. “As a food marketer, I can take that information and use it to garner more value for your product.”

If you’re BQA certified and would like to share your certificate with CAB, visit CutTheBull.info.

Measuring Climate-Friendly Practices

Taking care of the land provides sustainable resources for cattlemen to raise premium beef year after year. The Working Grasslands Conservation Initiative supports the “climate-friendly” part of the marketing claim by creating a collaboration to measure environmental practices with Ducks Unlimited.

“We are experts of beef,” Nickles said, “and Ducks Unlimited has conservation experts and access to research that quantifies how cattle and grasslands are essential to a healthy ecosystem.”

The initiative supports a voluntary suite of programs for producers in the Northern Great Plains and collects data measuring carbon sequestration, soil health improvements, clean water resource development and biodiversity.

“Consumers trust producers and believe beef can be raised in a way that’s good for the environment,” Nickles said. “This allows us to gather actual metrics in a variety

Leaning into Consumer Curiosity

When asked about sustainability, animal welfare is the number one consumer concern, Erceg said, followed by the environment.

“The way we reach most consumers is at the meat case,” she said. “So as we think about telling your story, it has to be simple and fit on a package.”

Starting in 2023, consumers may see the statement “Dedicated to Humane Animal Care and Climate-Friendly Practices” on packaging and marketing of the brand.

“We landed on this statement through consumer research,” Erceg said. “It’s obviously not something that connects with cattlemen; those aren’t words we’d use to describe cattle production. But it is what cattle producers are doing and it resonates with consumers.”

Supporting the statement requires more information on production practices to verify how you’re caring for cattle and managing the land.

Sharing a Stronger Story

Quantifying practices at the ranch is challenging, but accredited certifications like Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) verifies producers’ dedication to animal welfare to consumers. That’s why CAB is asking Angus breeders and commercial cattlemen to share their BQA or equivalent certification with the brand.

of environments and share it through the supply chain.”

While data is still being collected, initial findings will be released later this year.

Investing in the Future

The best beef used to be a great-tasting, consistent steak–and that’s still important–but now we have to deliver more.

While we must meet consumer preferences, it’s driven by the supply chain delivering beef to consumers at grocery stores and restaurants and their sustainability commitments.

Whether you’re marketing Angus bulls or commercial feeder cattle, the more information you can collect on an animal, the wider your customer base is, Erceg said.

“That’s really what we’re trying to do at the brand, look for ways to add value along the chain,” she added. “And producers are at the very beginning and have the most information to share about that calf.”

Kirsten Nickles, Ph.D., shared that the Working Grasslands Conservation Initiative is collecting data to support that cattle are part of a healthy ecosystem.

When marketing beef, the more information, the better, said Nicole Erceg. That allows the brand to share a stronger message and get more value for its product.

Starting this year, you may see this label on Certified Angus Beef ® brand marketing. It’s an effort to resonate with consumers who want to feel good about the beef they buy.

Todays Angus Advantag e 44

Bryan Kostiuk Editor

306.933.4200

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Chris Poley Marketing

C: 306.220.5006

Shane Michelson Marketing

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Ben Wright Marketing

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