The American Black Hereford - Fall 2017

Fall 2017

What’s Inside: 2017 ABHA SHOW & SALE INFORMATION Fall The American Black Hereford

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Donor Prospects 1217 PROGENY SELL IN SEDALIA

Lot 5

JMCC VCF MS CAT 1217 6105ET DOB: 12/05/16 | Reg # HB008795

Wow, what a female! Ms Cat is Sired By Wildcat and 1217! No cow has made an impact on the Black Hereford breed like 1217 on a National Level. If you want a powerful kind of female with all the body and balance for years of production and a stellar show career you will love Ms. Cat! We will retain the right to 2 flushes at our expense and the buyer’s convenience.

Owned with Crane Farms.

Lot 7

JM MMM MISS FLING ING NG 1217 12217 1702ET ET ET DOB: 02/02/17 | Reg # HB009946 H

This young heifer has aallll tthe he p potential otential iin n tthe he W World! orld! d sire sire BF BF 109 109 FLINGER FLINGER 4158 4 15 8 Out of our resident herd young female female has has the the look look ET this freaky fronted young ighly ccompetitive ompetitive iin n tthe he and power to not only b bee hhighly tremendous donor donor as as well. w e ll . show ring but also to bee a tremendous Triple M Farms.

Farms.

Owned withh Triple

Jeremiah miah and and C Candac Candace and dace M Malone allon one 931-309-6805

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Lawrenceburg, TN 38464 jrmalone20@gmail.com Â&#x; www.jm-cattlecompany.com

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STEADFAST

IN THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF QUALITY

GUYBRO PATRIOT C5106

GUYBRO AMERICAN PRIDE C508 HB006878 BW 4.75

WW 52 Top 15%

YW 102 Top 2%

92.5% PUREBRED • • • • •

MK 24 Top 10%

M&G 50 Top 5%

SC 42cm

POLLED

Mature Weight 2150

DOB: 3/8/15

Carcass and maternal breed leader First calves average in the 70’s for BW Proven succes on heifers while adding huge power and volume to any herd Semen: $25 (10 straw minimum) Certificates: $30 each

HB008551 WW MK YW BW M&G 49 22 81 2.31 46 Top 30% Top 22% Top 22% Top 50% Top 35%

75% HOMO BLACK • • • • •

POLLED

SC 40cm

Mature Weight 1980

DOB: 4/12/15

A homozygous black heifer specialist Impressive phenotype with huge growth spread A visitor favorite for eye appeal, power, and balance Semen: $25 (10 straw minimum) Certificates: $30 each

•

•

University of Tennessee Animal Science/ Business • UT Livestock Judging Team • 18 year National Stock Show Exhibitor Marketing and Procurement Field MGR for 5,000 head feeder cattle operation

Join us in welcoming Heath to GBF. His extensive experience in all the facets of the beef industry will be a valuable asset to the breed and to our family.

Heath Elsea

Director of Cattle Operations

Heath@guybrofarms.com

(423) 306-3898

Fall

GUYBROFARMS.COM | 828.712.7027 3 The American Black Hereford

Features

Fall 2017 Volume 2, Issue 4

Understanding Genetic Defects in Black Herefords...12-15

Remember the Customer?...18-19

In Every Issue 6 8 10 16 20

President’s Thoughts Board Briefs Executive Director Update Breeder Spotlight

22 24 28 29

Chapter News

On the Cover Photo taken by Zac Guy, Guy Brothers Farms, Have a cover photo? Send to cbrownabha@gmail.com The American Black Hereford is published quarterly by the American Black Hereford Assoc.

PO Box 2607 Bowling Green, KY 42101-2607 833-501-4750 brian@blackhereford.org www.blackhereford.org Graphic Design & Advertising: Leanna McGuire & Carey Brown

New Members The Feedlot Upcoming Events

Juniors Corner Members of the Livestock Publications Council

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Scan the QR code above to visit the ABHA website

Our goal is

A

HARD WORKING PUREBRED HEREFORD with a black hide

Save the Date for Our

ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE TH March 19 , 2018 ¬ 1PM CST ¬ At the Farm Lunch Served at 12PM

15 Registered Black Hereford Bulls 8 Registered Black Hereford two-year-old Bulls

15 Yearling Black Hereford Heifers

Black Herefords will sell along with Registered Angus and Registered Herefords. .

Call for a catalog.

Baxter Angus ¬ Rockham, SD We hope to see you all at the National Show and Sale this Fall.

We plan to bring 2 pens of 3 top heifers that will sell.

Mark Baxter 605-472-3253 or 605-450-0206 baxterangus@nrctv.com baxterangus.com Fall

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Presidents Thoughts

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Tim Tarter ABHA President

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s most of you know by now, becoming a successful seed stock breeder doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, dedication and the establishment of long term goals that are sustainable and realistic.

Many times we see what we would consider to be a successful operation that suddenly disappears or is out of business. These type of operations come and go for a variety of reasons including the death of the owner, other interest or business opportunities and partnerships dissolving just to name a few.

Probably the number one reason that we see seed stock operations shut down or go out of business is due to the lack of planning including having no set goals and having no long tem strategic business plan.

The first thing one has to decide in any business is what are your realistic goals and objectives and what are your plans for obtaining those goals. You must take several factors in consideration in your planning. However, your single most important goal should be to produce the best product that you possibly can. Most breeders understand this and recognize that quality is one of the major keys to success. This is an obvious and understood part of developing a successful program.

I feel that many breeders focus on this and other factors while overlooking the development of a real marketing strategy and plan. I often talk with breeders that have worked very hard to take the correct steps to produce the desired genetics that cattlemen are looking for and then realize that they haven’t done anything toward preparing a marketing strategy.

Almost every week I receive a call from a breeder inquiring about where and how do I sell my animals.

In most cases the breeder has done their homework in the genetics and breeding areas but they have no marketing plans and have not even thought about it until they suddenly realize they have animals that they need to find a home for.

Marketing strategies need to be planned well in advance of having animals ready to go into production in the breed or in a commercial operation.

The Association has a responsibility to our members to do everything we can to promote, create awareness, provide useable tools, and draw attention to the benefits of our breed and the use of our breed’s genetics. The Association is currently also working hard to help create more consignment venues for our members.

While the Association is committed to doing all we can to promote the breed in general, members and breeders must realize that they cannot depend on their Association entirely to be the marketing

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agent for their cattle.

The ABHA wants all our members to be successful.

The demand for Black Hereford cattle continues to grow and there is more than enough market share available for all of our breeders but you need to use the correct marketing strategy. Everyone’s situation may not be the same but the basic guidelines are usually universal.

Here are some guidelines and some suggestions that I have obtained over the years from successful breeders and professional stockmen, not only in our breed, but in other breeds as well.

•The most important and sometimes the most difficult animal you will ever sell is your first one.

Know your market and customers. You have to understand what the potential is regarding prices in comparison to your animals and other breeders around you. Don’t be afraid to price your animals at their worth. However, we as breeders tend to think that our animals are sometimes better or worth as much as other comparable animals that may have sold elsewhere. Be careful to be realistic about the value and the quality of your animals and your surrounding market. You may have a bull worth $ 10,000 but be sure of it before you set that price.

While you don’t want to reduce and set standards to low on your market prices, sometimes establishing a customer base and getting a few of your animals into the market may be worth discounting somewhat just to get you rolling.

•Let your program and operation be known.

Talk about your breed and what you are doing in your breeding program with other cattlemen and fellow breeders. Socializing and showing a passion for what you’re doing allows potential customers to know that you’re working hard. Never pass up an opportunity to talk about your cattle. All of our time is valuable, but attending cattle sales, cattlemen’s meeting, shows, etc. lets potential customers know that you have something to offer.

•Advertise your cattle and determine the most cost effective way of doing so. Print ads can be effective but also costly. Social media or other methods may provide more economic value. The most important thing is to make sure you are advertising in a target group of potential customers that will work for you. Track where and what methods of advertising worked best for you. Don’t hesitate to ask your customer how they heard about you if you don’t already know. Timing of advertising is key also. Ads for selling bulls in July doesn’t make much sense.

•Prepare your cattle for marketing. Good cattle under normal conditions are of a good body score. If they are not you have some work to do other than Cont’d on pg. 25

CRESCENT HILL BLACK HEREFORDS

JO Pounder 5128 PUTTING THE POUNDS ON THE GROUND BW: 4.61, WW: 57.37 (Top 4%) YW:101 (Top 2%), Milk:23.53 (Top 20%) Top adjusted wean weight on a 2017 born bull calf at 728 lbs. with no creep.

Semen: $15/Straw and $20/Certificate

JO BLACK OPS 5309 PERFORMANCE AND POWER!

BW: .11 (Top 2%), WW: 46.09, YW: 85.72 (Top 15%), Milk: 24.85 (Top 5%)

Average adjusted Wean weight on 2017 spring calves is 625 lbs. with no creep. Black Ops calves will truly impress when it comes to performance and style. His calves are ultra thick, with plenty of length.

Semen: $25/Straw and $50/Certificate

If you would like to have a painting done of any of your animals. Give Pam Hall a call. She painted JO BLACK OPS 5309 for us and did an amazing job as you can see.

JO SWAGGER 6322 UP AND COMING HERD SIRE!

Had a 75 Lbs. birth weight that had a 92% ratio, and an adjusted wean weight of 653 Lbs. and an adjusted yearling weight of 1079 Lbs., both being 112% ratio.

He is a Bar Z Balder 680 son that is Homozygous Black and 81%. Expect big things from this bull!

Artist Pam Hall

Wildlife & Pet Commissions in oil, watercolor and pencil.

913-712-6604 trailoftearsartstudio@gmail.com

Elite Heifers Available this Fall at the National Sale.

CHBH MS HELTON’S MONEY E928 This exceptional heifer is a unique opportunity to buy some excellent genetics. Her dam is JN Baldee 928, who is also the dam of the popular JO MONEY TRAIN Z928, and her sire is a son of CRR HELTON 980. She had an adjusted wean weight of 622 lbs. which earned her a ratio of 104%. She will be halter broke and shown at Sedalia. We really hate to let this one go but we are committed to bringing our best.

CHBH 5128 MS REVA E217 and CHBH 5128 MS REVA E030 are ¾ sisters sired

by JO POUNDER 5128 out of MSU TCF REVOLUTION 4R daughters. Both heifers are exceptional. E030 had an adjusted wean weight of 591 lbs. for a 99% ratio and E217 had our top adjusted wean weight for any heifer at 679 lbs. for a 114% ratio. We are bringing our best this year! Please feel free to contact us for more pictures and videos if you are interested!

Crescent Hill Black Herefords, LLC Chad & Kaitlin Jones & Doug & Susie Jones 35863 Crescent Hill Rd Osawatomie, KS 66064

913-731-3428

Fall The American Black Hereford crescenthillblackherefords@gmail.com www.crescenthillblackherefords.com

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Board Briefs

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reetings! The ABHA Board of directors have been busy these last few months. During the July meeting the main topic was the upcoming National Sale and Show. It was discussed that the Show and Sale committee has been busy making the National event bigger and better. It was noted that this year there will be some coop ads and they will focus more on regional advertising. We are also working on getting a variety of ABHA merchandise available for purchase as well. A block of rooms has been reserved at the at a discounted rate. The annual business meeting will be held on Thursday November 9th at 5pm, Friday will be the show and Friday night there will be a social hour/silent auction, banquet and speaker and the sale on Saturday. We are also taking items for the silent auction if you have items to donate please let Brian Chism or Tammy Bargen know.

An update was regarding Digital Beef and our service with the Chianina Association. Things seem to be working very well there has been a few small issues but seem to be working thru them well.

Thomas Wilson has recently resigned from the ABHA Board of Directors.

His term will be up for re-election in 2018. It was voted on and passed to nominate Tim Campbell to serve on the board for the remainder of Thomas’s term. President Tarter contacted Tim and he accepted the position.

At the upcoming Annual meeting, there is two board positions coming up for election. Logan Hill and Dirck Hoagland’s terms are up for re-election.

The following members have submitted their intention to run the for two open seats: Logan Hill, Robert Walters, Daryl Selby, Ben Po, and Chad Jones.

During the August meeting updates were given regarding the preparation of the National Show and Sale. Plans

Tammy Bargen ABHA Secretary

ABHA Officers & Staff President: Tim Tarter 606.305.2289 Vice President: Marc Smith, 641.791.9438 Treasurer: Charles Crow, 256.757.8848 Secretary: Tammy Bargen, 402.209.0958 Executive Director: Brian Chism, 833.501.4750 Board Members: Mark Baxter 605.472.3253 Logan Hill 970.629.8807 Dirck Hoagland 913.727.6446 Jason Schroeder 573.229.8997

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seem to be coming along well. It was mentioned that Tim Tarter and Brian Chism are working on finishing up the grant work with Kara Keaton.

Dr. Riley is working on the EPD run and has ran into a few small issues and is working thru those he hoped to have things ready to release to the members the first part of September. It was also mentioned that members need to be following the BIF standards as to when to take measurements such as weaning weight, yearling weight and scrotal circumference. Brian is working on getting these standards on the website.

It was also mention that we need to work with digital beef to develop a report similar to the herd summary report that we had in the old system to allow members to easily see EPD information.

Brian Chism was hired to work for the members of the association. Your registration fees, transfer fees, etc. are what make it possible for the Association to have him in a full-time role. With that said he is the individual to contact if you have suggestions about changes to our systems or ways to improve processes.

Once he is made aware of an issue he will research and look into the feasibility of the suggestion. Therefore if you have any of these suggestions or questions, please contact Brian by email at brian@ blackhereford.org or by phone at 833501-4750 option 2.

If you have questions about registration as always please call the service department to address these questions.

The Board of Directors is very excited for the upcoming National Sale and Show. We are excited to see all the members come together for this wonderful event. Be sure to get your hotel rooms booked and purchase your tickets for the Banquet. Also, if you have items for the silent auction please let Brian or Tammy know.

See you all in Sedalia! ABHA

PUREBRED 87.5% HOMOZYGOUS BLACK HOMOZYGOUS POLLED EXCELLENT CALVING EASE EXCELLENT MATERNAL

Jo Black Jack 4217 EPDs

Out of our best cow family.

REG. # HB005721

JO EMPIRE Z631 X JO LADY CLASSIC 217 BW .84

WW 46.22

JO LADY CLASSIC 217

YW 78.25

MILK 22.83

M&G 45.94

JO EMPIRE Z631

Semen $30/straw • $50/certificate

Brock Johansen (435) 749-1543 300 N 250 E. PO Box 706 Castle Dale, Utah 84513 bjohansen@emerytelcom.com

WWW.JOBULLS.COM Fall The American Black Hereford

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Executive Director Update

I Brian Chism Executive Director

t is a very busy time with the association!

Since starting in June, I have begun to settle into my role and establish the new National Office. I can be reached by email at brian@ blackhereford.org or by phone at 833-501-4750 option 2. If you have questions in regards to registrations, transfers or membership questions please contact the service department at service@ blackhereford.org or by phone at 833-501-4750 option 1. Please note that their mailing address is P.O. Box 857; Platte City, MO 64079.

This year’s National Show and Sale is coming together very well. The event is scheduled for November 9-11, 2017 in Sedalia, MO. at the State Fairgrounds. Included in this magazine you will

year the Membership Meeting and Awards banquet has been split into two events. The Association Awards Dinner will take place on Friday evening at the Hotel in conjunction with the Silent Auction, awards dinner and banquet. Dr. David Riley will speak during the event to those in attendance.

Advanced meal tickets should be purchased by November 1, 2017; tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under for the meal. Please contact me if you wish to purchase tickets for the event.

The Association is accepting silent auction items.

Any and all items will be accepted. The sky is the limit on what to donate, gift certificates, straws of semen, apparel, unique items or any item you

“

Our breed is stronger than ever and growing rapidly. ABHA registrations year to date are far exceeding last years numbers. The Black Hereford brand recognition is higher than ever, leading to greater demand for our animals. Quality genetics are the cornerstone of every association.

find the sale insert for the National Sale that will take place November 11, 2017, at Noon Central.

There are over 80 lots of animals consigned.

Animals consigned include, purebred, percentage, HX, and F1 females, open, bred, show prospects, single pen animals, pens of three and embryos.

If you are unable to attend the sale, please watch online, DVAuctions will be broadcasting the auction live, you can bid simultaneously.

The National Show is scheduled for Friday, November 10. I welcome you all to come be apart of the show and see the top quality animals that will be exhibited. Animals will begin to arrive at the facility on November 9, 2017. There are many sponsorship opportunities for the show, some of which include sponsoring classes and awards. If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact me.

This year’s National Membership meeting is on Thursday, November 9, 2017, beginning at 5:30 pm at the Best Western State Fair Inn. New this 10

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”

can imagine. If you have an item for the auction, please let me know by sending an email so I can add it to the list. If you have a contact of someone who might be willing to donate, please send me that information and they will be contacted.

Our breed is stronger than ever and growing rapidly. ABHA registrations year to date are far exceeding last years numbers. The Black Hereford brand recognition is higher than ever, leading to greater demand for our animals. Quality genetics are the cornerstone of every association. The Certified Herd Sire rule is the most feasible way to ensure the associations’ genetics move forward.

Industry experts have advised that this is a smart move for the association. In this issue, you will find more information about the change. Details about testing are coming soon.

I hope that you all have a prosperous fall season in your operations and look forward to seeing you in Sedalia. ABHA

e t a D e h t 2-24-17 ave

S

12PM

C e n t r a l Ti m e L . D. B r o w n A g r i c u l t u r a l E x p o s i t i o n C e n t e r We s t e r n K Y Un i v e r s i t y B o w l i n g G r e e n , K Y

Black

IS THE

Color

P ro d u c t i o n S a l e

Not just another sale.

One of the American Black Herefords premier events.

TRIPLE T FARMS

Tim & Teresa Tarter 606-305-2289 2616 Hwy 1664 Nancy, KY 42544 ngsstriper@hotmail.com Fall The American Black Hereford www.tripletblackcattle.com

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Understanding Genetic Defects in Black Herefords Lauren L. Hulsman Hanna1, Paul W. Holland2, José S. Delgadillo Liberona2, and David Greg Riley2 1

Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

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G

enetic defects occur in most species of animals, including livestock. With changes in ABHA registration policies regarding genetic defects, it is important to consider how these rules will benefit the association and risks breeders should still consider. The purpose of this article is to review relevant genetic defects for ABHA and discuss the pros and cons of these new registration policies.

What are Genetic Defects?

An animal’s DNA plays a major role in the expression of its performance characteristics, especially for simple traits as they are controlled by a single location in the DNA. Mutations are the sole source of genetic changes in the DNA, which leads to genetic variation within an individual and within a population. A mutation is a spontaneous change in the DNA sequence of an individual, but new mutations rarely occur. This change can be a simple single nucleotide being switched or deletion of an entire section of DNA sequence. The expression of that mutation determines whether it is a benefit to the animal or not. In the case of genetic defects, the mutations result in performance characteristics that are undesirable, often lethal. Due to this, they are considered a poor fit and selected against, either naturally or artificially. Furthermore, the effect of the first mutation is not seen for several generations, where typically inbreeding allows for the expression of the genetic defect. Why is this?

Genetic Inheritance of Simple Traits

Phenotypic expression of any trait is controlled, in part, by specific regions in the DNA. These regions are referred to as genes, a unit of heredity for that trait. For simple traits, there is typically a single gene or handful of genes involved in its expression, where environment has minimal or no influence on the trait. For a given gene, the DNA sequence can vary within and across individuals. These gene variants are called alleles. As cattle are diploid organisms, they contain two copies of their DNA. When two alleles in a given gene of an animal are paired together a genotype is formed. A genotype is considered homozygous when two of the same alleles are paired and heterozygous when the paired alleles are different. The expression of genotype is what leads to phenotype.

For example, coat color in cattle (phenotype of black versus red) is controlled by a single gene. Herefords carry the red allele (e), whereas Angus carry the black allele (E). The black allele is completely dominant to the red allele, which means the red allele is recessive and masked by the black allele. This is the case for most genetic defects also. Therefore, we could mate a registered Angus sire (EE) to a registered Hereford dam (ee), which would result in all of their F1 offspring to have a phenotype of black coat color (ignoring spotting) and genotype of Ee. If two F1 Angus-

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Hereford animals were mated, then the following F2 offspring would be produced:

Sire E Sire e

Dam - E Offspring - EE (Black) Offspring - Ee (Black)

Dam - e Offspring - Ee (Black) Offspring - ee (Red)

Therefore, mating two heterozygous individuals (F1 parents in this case) will result in offspring that: 1. Have a 75% chance of being black and 25% chance of being red 2. Have a 25% chance of being homozygous for the dominant black allele (EE), 50% chance of being heterozygous (Ee), and a 25% chance of being homozygous for the recessive red allele (ee).

In this case, if black is the desired color, then the majority of offspring will be that color. However, it is important to note that only 1/3 of black offspring will breed the best because EE always passes on the E allele.

Now, consider mating an EE sire (regardless of breed) to an Ee dam. The offspring could be:

Sire E Sire E

Dam - E Offspring - EE (Black) Offspring - EE (Black)

Dam - e Offspring - Ee (Black) Offspring - Ee (Black)

In this case, all of the offspring are black and only 50% of them are carriers of the red allele. If we use a homozygous dominant individual (EE sire) for mating, the offspring will always express the dominant phenotype (black), regardless of the dam’s genotype. This is an important concept, especially as it relates to genetic defects. The primary concern is the frequency of the recessive allele in phenotypically normal individuals (carriers), where steps must be taken to select against undesirable alleles.

Current Knowledge on AM, DD, NH, and IE

The four primary genetic defects that ABHA requires testing for include Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), Neuropathic Hydrocephalus (NH), Developmental Duplication (DD), and Idiopathic Epilepsy (IE). These genetic defects are summarized below. In all cases, individuals that carry the defect allele (heterozygous) are phenotypically the same as individuals that are free of the defect allele.

Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM) is also known as “Curly Calf

Syndrome.” It is a recessive genetic defect that originated in Angus cattle.

The AM allele is actually a deletion of 23,000 nucleotide base pairs in the DNA. This large deletion removes three genes, where one is known to play a role in proper nerve and muscle development. Individuals homozygous for the AM allele are born dead or die shortly after birth, are small and lightly muscled, have crooked or twisted spines and limbs, and often have the roof of their mouth missing (i.e., a cleft palate). This mutation was traced back to the maternal grandsire of GAR Precision 1680, who was Rito 9J9 of B156 7T26. Both of these bulls were carriers of the AM allele and influential in breeding, therefore Angus influenced animals that can be traced back to either of these sires should be genetically tested. The DNA test has been in place since 2008, where many current descendants of these bulls have already been tested and reported through the American Angus Association’s (AAA’s) database.

Neuropathic Hydrocephalus (NH) is sometimes referred to “water head syndrome.” As with AM, it is a recessive genetic defect that originated in Angus cattle, however, the NH allele is due to a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).

Individuals homozygous for the NH allele have enlarged craniums, where the cavity is filled with fluid and have no recognizable brain tissue. Calves affected by NH also have underdeveloped spinal canal and cord, malformed cranial bones, and fragile cohesion between plates. Furthermore, calves are typically born dead near term due to the severe neurological issues and are dwarf-like in size (25-30 lb birth weights). Early abortions are possible due to the abnormal development. This mutation was traced back to GAR Precision 1680, also the carrier of the AM allele, where he was the first spontaneous occurrence of this mutation. None of his parents were carriers. Due to this, descendants of GAR Precision 1680 should be tested for carrier status, where many descendants have carrier status reported in the AAA’s database.

Developmental Duplication (DD) has been identified in Angus cattle.

It is considered to be recessively inherited, but with incomplete penetrance (not all homozygous recessive individuals express the defect).

Current research suggests that more than one gene may be involved with this defect. Individuals that are homozygous for the DD allele and express the defect often have polymelia, which is the presence of an extra limb (full or partial). Some individuals may have more than one extra limb, can have diprosopus (partial duplication of the skull), cleft palate, and

microphthalmia (small, underdeveloped eyes). It is currently thought that DD homozygotes often lead to early embryonic death and resorption or to undetected abortions as the frequency of the allele is high for a genetic defect (around 3%) and reported cases are rare. Animals that can be traced back to carrier lines in Angus should be tested, where carrier status of Angus ancestors can be searched through AAA’s database.

Idiopathic Epilepsy (IE) is also known as “Shaker Calf Syndrome” and is a recessive genetic defect that originated in Hereford cattle. The actual DNA mutation creating the IE allele has not been readily published, but it does act as recessively. Individuals that are homozygous for the IE allele are susceptible to seizures due to issues in neurological development.

When not in a seizure, however, affected calves appear normal. Seizures are typically brought on by stress, where the first occurrence can be as early as the day of birth or up to several months old. In any case, seizures are often severe and will be fatal at some point in the animal’s life. Therefore, this genetic defect is considered lethal. This mutation was traced back to HH Advance P242, particularly through his highly influential son, HH Advance 9012Y, both of which are horned Herefords. Due to this, descendants of these two bulls should be tested for carrier status. This genetic test has been available since 2007, therefore many descendants have already been tested and searchable in the American Hereford Association’s database.

Due to the lethality of these defects, they all can have a direct impact on reproductive success in herds that do not manage for them. As Black Herefords are influenced by both Angus and Herefords, it is important to consider testing for additional genetic defects such as Hypotrichosis (hairless cattle more susceptible to environmental conditions; Hereford), Contractural Archnodactyly (“Fawn Calf Syndrome”; Angus), and Osteopetrosis (“Marble Bone Disease”, Angus).

Are Black Hereford animals at risk for these genetic defects?

In short, yes. As Black Herefords are descendants of Angus and Hereford animals, there is a chance that genetic defect alleles can be present in the population. The use of carrier Angus or Herefords to create crossbred or composite animals, such as Black Herefords, can influence the frequency of the undesirable genetic defect allele. In genetics, this is referred to as migration, where the migration rate of individuals carrying the specific defect allele determine the impact on the new population’s allele frequency (in this case, Black Hereford). In the case of all four genetic defects (AM, NH, DD, and IE), they have a low frequency in the originating breed population, where less than 4% of the population are carriers. Therefore, migration of the defect allele will also be low. All but DD are from known lines within those breeds. Therefore, it is valuable for breeders to take the time and investigate the pedigree lines of their animals, particularly those animals registered in Angus or Hereford associations. This can save valuable money on genetically testing lines known to be free of the defect alleles.

ABHA’s Herd Sire Rule, will it protect against these genetic defects?

As associations grow, management of data and requirements must also grow and evolve. Registration rule 2.10 governs the use of Hereford bulls while rule 2.11 governs the use of ABHA bulls. In both cases, bulls must be found to be genetically free of the listed genetic defects. As with the coat color example, this means a phenotypically normal and genetically dominant sire for that genetic defect will always be used, which means all offspring will be phenotypically normal and have at least one dominant allele.

Cont’d on pg. 14

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Cont’d from pg. 13

Like the Angus and Hereford associations, ABHA has relinquished the need to require “defect free” status for females, which has brought some concern among members. It should be emphasized that this does not mean a breeder should not test females. In fact, it is great practice to do so for females that can be traced to known carrier lines.

With that being said, allowing females, regardless of carrier status, to be registered is also good practice for the Black Hereford association. Given the severity of these genetic defects, how could this be?

A Black Hereford is a composite breed that benefits in their performance attributes from the favorable gene combinations of Angus and Hereford, also known as heterosis or hybrid vigor. This is possible due to the genetic differences and variability between the two breeds. If both males and females were required to be “defect free,” then the number of genetically different animals available for mating will be drastically reduced, especially over time. Less genetically different animals also means a decrease in the genetic variability of the population. In turn, inbreeding levels would increase and performance due to heterosis would diminish. Therefore, a balance between risk of having a carrier animal and sustaining breed performance must be met, which has led to changes in registration policy related to genetic defects. With proper management by breeders and the association, any new influx of carriers should be minimal and current allele frequencies of these genetic defects should diminish over time.

What Are My Next Steps?

As a Black Hereford breeder, pedigree should be maintained on all animals, including first generation Black Herefords. This is the best way to determine if your Black Hereford stem from known carrier lines for these genetic defects in Angus and Hereford. Any testing completed on current Black Hereford animals can also be used to identify potential carriers for genetic testing.

Known carriers can be used in matings as they can help keep genetic variability, and therefore heterosis levels. Care should be taken, however, as carriers can pass on the defect allele 50% of the time and, if unmanaged, can cause the defect allele to increase in frequency. Using registered sires that are defect free will avoid the occurrence of abnormal calves, but unregistered known carrier sires should never be mated to known carrier females. This leads to 25% chance of getting an affected calf and 66% chance a normal calf will be a carrier (see the coat color example).

Lastly, mutations can spontaneously occur. Therefore, there is always a chance of genetic defects occurring that are not recognized by the association. Although rare, it is good practice to record abnormal calves, pedigree information, and the abnormal characteristics. Breeders should also report them to the breed association. These records can help to identify a trend of genetic inheritance in abnormal calves and potentially trace the defect back to the originating ancestor.

ABHA

Fowl Play Farms

Located in Big Sky Country, SouthWest Montana Learn more about our commitment to pasture raised beef at

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The American Black Hereford

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Sims Black Herefords

Names of Individuals involved in farm: Corey, Ashley, and Hunter Sims Year established: 2008 Farm Location: Maysville, GA Farm History

We are located in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains on a farm that has been in the family for generations. As a 33 year old entrepreneur, it means a lot to be able to raise my son on the same farm that my grandparents, Sydney and Grace Crane, used as a commercial operation so many years ago. I purchased my first cow at the age of 7, and I knew then that raising cattle was something that would be a part of my life for years to come. We began raising registered Red Herefords back in 2008, and fell in love with the docility of the breed. We quickly realized that we were repeatedly getting docked for the red hide, but one day while surfing the web, I ran across the American Black Hereford website, and knew I had found my new passion. Since then, we have grown from 8 original head to over 45 Black Hereford Calves due to hit the ground this year.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RAISING BLACK HEREFORDS?

In 2011, we took our eight Red Herefords and began breeding them

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with a Black Angus bull to create F1s. Since then we have grown our herd to 50+ animals. We purchased our first Black Hereford bull in 2012 which was Y820, and whom was raised on the J & N Ranch in Kansas with his bloodline going back to the 6449 Bull. We have now sold animals in 12 different states and semen in over 25 different states. We have dabbled in the show industry as well having the Reserve Grand Champion in the AOB class at our state show. If all goes well, we will have 8 animals and our own breed class at our state show in February 2018.

How did you get started in agriculture, and the BH breed?

As a child, I practically lived at my grandparents during the summer when I was out of school. It really all started then.

I have to give them all the credit when it comes to cattle and farming as they told me most of what I now use to run my business. Whether we were at the sale barn, riding through the pastures, working in the garden, or eating fresh out of the garden watermelon on the back porch; it was all about the farm life. From that point on, I was involved in FFA until I was old enough to start my own herd.

What all do you raise on your farm?

As stated above, we purchased our first Black Hereford Bull in 2012 which was Y820, and he was born and raised on the J and N Ranch in Kansas with his bloodline going back to the 6449 bull. We have since had the likes of the well-known resolve bull and the up and coming Record Year bull cleaning up what doesn’t successfully breed through artificial insemination.

Corey, Ashley and Hunter Sims His first calves just hit the ground the first week of September. We run about a 50/50 mix of Black Herefords and Red Herefords trying to get the perfect Black Hereford. We tried starting from the ground up, and year by year really concentrating on our animals one step at a time. We have noticed that when we got into the breed that the Black Herefords were not the best milkers, but as the years have gone by using the Red Herefords with the Black Herefords that seems to have changed all of that. As I look around today and see how far we have come as a breed, it really makes me feel good to know where it all started. We now have females on our farm from several of the top names in the breed including: Resolve, Apollo Creed, Blackjack, 8622, 680, Bruiser, Impression and many more.

What is the geographical makeup of your farm?

We are located in Northeast Georgia in a small town called Maysville. Maysville is located about 30 minutes from Athens, which is home of the Georgia] ‘ bulldogs; about an hour from Atlanta and Greenville, SC and within 30 minutes of Lake Hartwell and Lake Lanier. It is so refreshing to be in the heart of farm country where so many local farmers raise chickens, cows, etc., but also be so close to large cities where we go watch UGA, the Braves, and the Falcons play. We really couldn’t ask to be in a better location.

Family background and information:

My wife, Ashley, and I just celebrated our 9 year anniversary in August, and have a six year old son named, Hunter. Ashley and I met over 10 years ago at the ripe old age of 19, when she was attending the University of Georgia where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Consumer Economics, and I was working in sales 50+ hours a week. We were both very driven people and since then have both started successful businesses in both the cattle and logistics industries; Sims Black Herefords and Sims Transport.

We run both businesses together, as we are truly partners in everything we do. Ashley runs more of the behind the scenes in both business, where I am more of the front man. Aside from working all the time, we both try to be very involved in Hunter’s life as we really do as much as we can together as a family. We are members at Gillsville Baptist Church where we attend services on a weekly basis, and try to give back to the community by helping with bible school and coaching little league. On most Saturdays, we can be found at the ball field as our son plays basketball, football, and baseball or cheering on our GA bulldogs. Hunter attends the local county school here, and loves any and all parts of farm life. He loves to help feed the cows and bale hay. I’m sure the farm will be passed on to him some day. ABHA 17 Fall The American Black Hereford

Remember the Customer?

Tom Field, PhD University of Nebraska, Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program Article sponsored by Black Dragon Cattle Co.

T

he venerable Peter Drucker, arguably the godfather of modern management, once said that the “only valid definition of business success is a satisfied customer.” Yet, the needs of the customer continue to frustrate, if not downright irritate, so many business leaders.

Businesses invest significant time and money into the development of sophisticated technical solutions and complex strategies only to encounter buyers and users who simply want their purchases to perform and deliver more or less equal to their expectations. The seedstock business is not immune to these maladies. In fact, my observation over nearly four decades of involvement as a seedstock producer and as a genetics customer is that far too many genetic providFigure 1. Sire selection and ers produce cattle they like and then four objectives. blissfully expect the market to simply absorb them without question or concern.

My family runs a 350 head cow-calf enterprise in the high country of Colorado and we typically purchase 3 to 4 yearling bulls annually. Here’s the truth, we don’t want the bulls – as a matter of fact, if we could get the calf crop without the toros and without the labor intensity of an A.I. program we would take that deal every time. We are after a calf crop – most of which will be sold to feedyard customers with approximately 50 percent of the heifers getting the opportunity to join the herd as replacement females. In truth, we don’t care all that much about any single bull, instead we are interested in their collective performance. In building our team, we don’t need homerun hitters, we need at bats to generate runs and for us that means getting on base reliably. We don’t want or need spectacular – our goal is consistency, predictability and the lowest number of unpleasant surprises possible. Ultimately, we need a seedstock supplier with intense discipline, the ability to resist fads, and who understands that there are no shortcuts that effectively change the very slow nature of genetic improvement in cattle.

Even with all the genetic prediction information available, creation of the perfect bull is a pipe dream and even if the ultimate sire did exist, few of us could afford to use him. We need our genetic supplier to join us in the reality of the previous statement. As a young cattleman, I loved the seedstock business and thought our calling was to produce a great sire; a world beater. If only I knew what folly that was – what the commercial sector needed was not the super sire but rather bunches of young sires that didn’t create messes. Populations not individuals are the key to success for commercial cattlemen.

During rapid technological change, chaotic markets, and generally high levels of uncertainty; it is understandable when business owners become fixated on complex solutions to address the challenges. However, complexity may be the last thing that their customers need. Our commercial cow-calf enterprise works best when we embrace elegant simplicity. For 18

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example, we leave maximum heterosis on the table in favor of optimizing the amount of heterosis we can create within a mating system that is well suited to the grazing conditions of our ranch. A key to elegant simplicity in our enterprise is to be able to trust the information and guidance that originates from our seedstock supplier.

Genetics provides the foundation upon which the future of our enterprise will stand. The most influential genetic decisions made by a cow-calf producer who produces their own replacement heifers are the three most recent generations of herd sires. These bulls account for approximately 75 percent of the calf crop’s genetic makeup in terms of their direct influence as sires of calves and as the sires of the cowherd. Given the tremendous influence of the bull battery, the sire acquisition process takes on a special level of significance and thus, the relationship with the genetic supplier becomes highly important.

One of my mentors in mating system decisions are based on the cattle business believed that before a decision was made on which bulls to purchase, cattle producers should visit the potential seedstock supplier’s business at least twice – initially to check out the supplier and secondly to evaluate the cattle. The concept was founded on a commitment to only buying seedstock from herds managed under a similar philosophy and with comparable weather, forage and climatic conditions to the purchaser’s situation. His belief was that if the people were solid, then you could more confidently do business safe in the knowledge that they were creating good cattle and that they would stand behind them.

However, even before contact is made with a seedstock producer, the cow-calf manager must assess their own conditions, level of herd performance in critically important areas, and solidify their goals and objectives for the beef enterprise. Bull buyers who are making choices from an information rich perspective are more prepared to build a solid working relationship with a seedstock supplier. Determining the mating system is another key decision that should be determined by the cow-calf producer using knowledge about their own enterprise as well as leveraging the experience of other producers as well as the genetics supplier. The mating system as well as the sires selected to work within the mating system requires that commercial producers carefully assess four critical areas (Figure 1).

Once these issues have been addressed in detail then a meaningful discussion can be undertaken with potential seedstock suppliers. A long term and valued relationship with a seedstock supplier(s) begins with business integrity, a commitment to providing solutions to customers, conversations founded on meaningful information, and service after the sale. As these discussions are undertaken, two concepts should always be kept in mind – first, the novice bull buyer deserves an attentive supplier who is willing to provide education, answer questions, and most importantly follow up after the sale (Figure 2). Secondly, there is a dramatic difference between the supplier whose sole goal is to sell a bull and the supplier focused on solving problems for a customer.

Sire selection should be founded on making the most objective decision possible that is aligned with the overall strategy and vision for the cow-calf enterprise. Thus, it is essential to acquire bulls only from those herds with an active engagement in a performance program backed by a dynamic national data base and supported with state of the art genetic prediction tools. It is not important that a cow-calf producer understand the intricacies of how genetic estimates are calculated but developing Figure 2. Characteristics of a solid functional understanding of how enterprise. to use the estimates and information is critical. The role of the seedstock supplier is to provide educational and consulting support to assure the comfort level of the customer.

The sire selection process is one driven by winnowing down the available bulls for sale into a group of individuals that possess the appropriate combination of performance metrics that align with the limitations of the resources available on the ranch and assure conformance to the demands of the target market for progeny. This narrowing down process can be driven by several key focal points: Avoid sires that create dystocia. Calving difficulty is a leading cause of both calf and breeding female death loss, contributes to increased morbidity of calves born in difficult births, and diminishing subsequent reproductive

rates of females experiencing dystocia.

Will replacement females be kept from the progeny – if yes, then what is the appropriate level of mature size and milk production for the particular farm or ranch? Attaining profitable levels of reproductive performance depends on the keeping the nutritional needs of the herd aligned with cost effective feed sources which are often in the form of grazable forages.

What is the optimal combination the value-added seedstock of growth, muscularity, marbling and carcass yield for the target market?

Producing feeder calves that can be merchandised to generate high levels of revenue is fundamental to profitability.

Finally, what are the gaps in performance for the herd that need to be closed to improve productivity, profitability and quality of life? For example, if cattle are flighty and nervous in handling situation then more focus on docility is warranted. If udders are badly structured leading to calves unable to suckle and thus requiring more labor, then udder quality will need to be addressed.

In each of these discussions, the reputable seedstock breeder provides information, insight and advice founded on the needs of the customer.

ABHA

Legendary Livestock −REGISTERED BLACK HEREFORDS − Heifers and Bulls For Sale Private Treaty Stop by our stalls to view our consignment at the National Show & Sale.

V

Brian & Sharon Gilham and Family Sullivan, Indiana

812-564-2486

Legendary Livestock Black Hereford Fall

The American Black Hereford

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Juniors Corner

By Jacob Smith, President

Y

outh in the beef industry has become an important subject for cattlemen across the United States. With times always changing, youth will have to learn new technologies and new ways to produce more beef with fewer animals and fewer acres. Our youth will be faced with the highest world population ever, projected 9.8 billion people by the year 2050. Even though 2050 is many years away, it will be here in the blink of an eye. As the current age of producers continues to grow older across the United States, not as many youth are pursuing careers strictly based on beef production. Leading to a shortage of beef producers.

As a young person in the beef industry, beef production is not just about raising quality production animals that will be used by fellow breeders and commercial cattlemen. The beef industry has shifted to teaching youth about growing safe wholesome products that will be safe for consumers. This has

become a big factor in today’s world as consumers want to know the whole story of pasture to plate and how the product was raised. As I attend many beef extension conferences and what I learn in a college classroom, the beef industry is teaching youth how to answer these consumer questions and how to deal with negative impacts that have been made in the industry. I encourage all youth and producers to attend these conferences as the story of pasture to plate will only become a bigger factor in the beef industry.

Everyone involved in the beef industry needs to advocate for safe wholesome products and answer the basic questions of the consumers. Consumers have a great amount of effect on the prices we receive for our animals. I encourage all cattlemen across the United States to take a young person under their wing and demonstrate how to properly and safely raise beef in today’s world, as they are the future.ABHA

KREIFELS

BLACK HEREFORDS

Bulls For Sale Private Treaty Watch f� our consignments at �e

National Show & Sale

KREIFELS BLACK HEREFORDS Nebraska City, Nebraska

Bill Kreifels § 402-209-1321 Tammy Bargen § 402-209-0958 kreifels2000@hotmail.com 20

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Show News

Chase Barnes showed Princess at the Jones County Achievement Days. She was in a group of five in the English Cross division. She took top purple in that class. In the Grand Champions overall she took 2nd. Chase also used her in the showmanship class and he received first runner up.

Mark Nuelle Farms

Knight N Gail Far�s Herd Sires

R E G I S T E R E D B L AC K H E R E F O R D S

Available for Sale: YEARLING BULLS TWO-YEAR-OLD BULLS BRED HEIFERS

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Come see us while you’re at the National Show & Sale in Sedalia.

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Cell: 660-238-3207 • nuelle@ctcis.net

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Heifers are raised to Show Me Select Standards.

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Heifers Available Private Treat�

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Bulls & Heifers for sale by Private Treaty Jason: 573-680-1439 schroedersblackherefords.com Fall

The American Black Hereford

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Chapter News Upcoming Events in Kentucky Submitted by Robert Walters

T

he Kentucky Association has been busy planning our upcoming events. We are working to plan our 2018 Show that will take place at the WKU Agriculture Expo Center. The event is scheduled for February 23, 2018 in conjunction with the Black is the Color Sale. Our state association is continuing to grow and we are working to ensure that more people know about the Black Hereford Breed. We will be exhibiting at the 2018 Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Convention taking place January 11-12, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky.

If you would like to learn more about the Kentucky Black Hereford Association, please contact Robert Walter at 270-832-1180

Indiana Makes Plans to Promote Breed at Events

T

he Indiana Black Hereford Association has spent the last few months completing our 501c designation with the help of the KYBHA. A huge thanks goes out to Sandy for all her help and direction.

We have been in contact with officials from the Indiana Beef Cattle Association and are making plans to be a part of the Hoosier Beef Congress in 2017 with an informational booth and with cattle to show in 2018 if all goes well.

As we move forward we are planning a meeting for October to prepare for the National Sale/Show in Sedalia. We look forward to seeing old friends, making new ones and meeting new Indiana members that want to join a great group of cattlemen promoting our breed. If you have any questions regarding membership or just want to talk cattle give us a shout. ABHA

SPECIAL THANKS TO CORBIN STEEL PRODUCTS For allowing the ABHA to use their gates during the National Show and Sale.

WWW.CORBINSTEEL.COM

10’ x 5.5’ panel

(average weight 100lbs.)

Make arrangements to buy panels at a discounted price and support CORBIN STEEL for their sponsorship.

Gates will sell for $70 each. Retail price is $79 Members are responsible for transportation. +

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Annual Black Hereford Photo Contest

IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 2017 NATIONAL SHOW AND SALE, SEDALIA, MO.

Contest Rules

w Age Groups: Junior- 8-21; Adults- 21 and up w Entries should be a picture representing Black Hereford Cattle taken by an ABHA member w Photos should be 5x7 mounted on a lightweight stock Please include name and age on back w Photos will be used by the Association w A mounted hardcopy and digital file should be submitted prior to 12 PM on Nov. 10 w Send digital files to brian@blackhereford.org For more information contact Brian Chism at brian@blackhereford.org or 833-501-4750, option 2.

Fall The American Black Hereford

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New Members

New Annual Members Alabama 4H Farms Chuck Hendrix 13920 Pulaski Pike Ardmore, AL 35739 chuck@hendrixent.com Calvert Cattle Farm Brian Calvert 4287 CR 156 Anderson, AL 35610 jeffreycalvert88@gmail.com Rocking G Farms Terry Gaddy 4012 Frankfort Rd. Tuscumbia, AL 35674-9026 tgaddy@bellsouth.net Georgia Ashley Chumbler PO Box 1470 Cumming, GA 30028-1470 r6farms@gmail.com

Missouri Patton Chumbler PO Box 1470 Cumming, GA 30028-1470 r6farms@gmail.com Ellie Taylor 1694 Radio Station Rd. Nashville, GA 31639-4108 macysmom02@hotmail.com Kentucky Rock Ridge Herefords Codee Guffey 1815 Grassy Springs Rd. Versailles, KY 40383-8723 rockridgeherefords@gmail.com Mississippi Herman Nunley 204 County Road 995 Iuka, MS 388852-7145 leaningcedarherefords@gmail. com

Wildwood Cattle Company Chris Perry 11155 Dunn Rd., Ste. 102 St. Louis, MO 63136-6150 chrisperry@ saintlouisequestriancenter. com Oklahoma Clay Banks Ranch Johnny & Carolyn McWhirter 17330 168th St. Lexington, OK 73051-6203 jlbm6@aol.com McWhirter 5 John, Troy & Joshua McWhirter 17330 168th St. Lexington, OK 73051-6203 troymcwhirter@ymail.com Secratt Farms Kennneth Secratt 17111 E 650 RD Tahlequah, OK 74464-8746 secratt.farms@gmail.com

Ohio James Clark 325 Russell Rd. Bidwell, OH 45614-9321 jhclark3@aol.com Kelley Farms Kirk & Christy Kelley 2589 Township Road 134 Adena, OH 43901-7995 chamkel10@gmail.com Tennessee Pittman Farms Frankie Pittman 8660 Vildo Rd Whiteville, TN 38075-5941 Frankie@nickosew.com Texas M6 RANCH LP Jeff Metzler 4682 Upper Montague Rd Bowie, TX 76230-7801 jeff.metzler@mccoys.com Surf Farm Nick & Therese Bacica PO Box 1043 Flint, TX 75762-1043 bacica@earthlink.net

AN IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL ABHA MEMBERS AND BLACK HEREFORD BREEDERS Under the current Bylaws of the American Black Hereford Association it is important to understand what cattle can and cannot be registered and/or transferred to the ABHA. With sales and breeders growing annually here are the details that you need to know: An F1 female is recorded in the ABHA not registered, therefore if you have an F1 it can actually be recorded in the ABHA and in another association without a bylaw violation. But it must be recorded IN the ABHA to register calves in the ABHA. The only way an animal can be registered within the ABHA is if the animal’s sire and dam are both recorded or registered in the ABHA, American Hereford Association or Canadian Hereford Association. If another association issues a registration number for an animal already in the ABHA they can be transferred and used within the ABHA under their original ABHA number.

An animal that is recorded or registered with the ABHA can be transferred to another owner regardless of the animal owner’s status. The purchase must be validated by documentation and provided to the ABHA. The transfer fee for Non-member transfer is $20 per animal and can be paid by the purchaser.

An animal cannot be registered in the ABHA if both of the parents are not registered in the ABHA. Before buying cattle ask if they are or were registered in the ABHA and insist they be transferred as a condition of the purchase.

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Presidents Thoughts

Cont’d from pg. 6 a marketing strategy. A good trim and a bit of

grooming can make a big difference. A young man going on a first date with a young lady usually makes a little better first impression if he showers, combs his hair, and puts on a clean pair of jeans. He is the same fine young man either way but he just makes a better first impression by doing so.

•Analyze your results. If an ad costs you $500.00 and you sold one animal you didn’t make much, but if you made a repeat customer that will look to you for his needs in the future it was well worth the money spent. You must analyze costs and income in the long term in relationship to your working capital and budget.

•Private treaty or auction? This is always a balancing act. Private treaty can be more time consuming as it usually involves buyers coming to your farm or ranch. In some cases you may have to visit with multiple buyers to make one sale. The advantage of private treaty is establishing a better and more direct relationship with your buyers and less up-front costs in the sale of animals. Public auctions or consignment sales offer greater customer exposure and in many cases a higher sale price. Along with those higher sale price comes the expense of consigning to sales. High quality successful sales are expensive and costly for an individual or organization to undertake.

Most breeders, unless they have been directly involved in organizing a sale, do not realize the time, work, and cost that the host incurs in the preparation of making a sale a success. Commission rates can cut into that higher sale price rapidly. Only selective animals that you feel have the potential of bringing a higher price should been considered for a sale where a commission fee is involved. Personally I would rather pay a little higher commission to a host that I know is going to have a greater sale potential than someone that only does an OK job of promoting the sale.

•Price your cattle accordingly and be prepared to explain the benefits of one over another. Everyone has some cattle in their herds that are better than others. This doesn’t mean your lower quality cattle are not marketable. The secret is determining and understanding your customer needs, buying habits and potential. As long as they are productive and problem free cattle, there will be buyers out there for you.

•Stand behind your cattle. If you don’t do this you won’t need to worry about anything else because you won’t be around long enough to be bothered with it. Every situation is different and, yes there always a possibility you will be faced with what is known as buyer’s remorse. What is most important is that if you have a customer with a problem try to make a determination honestly concerning their issues and, if they are legitimate, do everything within reason to satisfy that customer. You reputation is your bond in the seed stock business. One unsatisfied customer does a lot more to hurt your business than a 100 satisfied customers will help. Anyone that has been in the business very long has had to deal with this situation.

Sometimes it hurts, but in the long run it will make you money down the road.

•Presentation means a lot. Most of us just don’t have the time to keep our farms looking like a rose garden nor can we afford white plank fences. General appearances and neatness of your farm or ranch can make a good impression on your buyers in forming an opinion of your management skills and in your attention to details.

If you’re not managing your farms appearance, potential customers may think you’re not doing a very good job of managing your cattle and breeding program either.

•Know your pedigrees and understand your cattle’s EPD’s so that you can share and interpret useful information to your buyers.

Complete EPD’s on your animals are very important. They identify important information about the performance of your animals and the areas in which they excel. You should be able to communicate your animal’s traits and EPD’s to your buyers in a way that they can understand the benefits of purchasing your stock.

•Speak factual information and not what you heard from someone unless you’re very confident it is a reliable source. Most cattlemen are smart and well informed. It won’t take them long to realize if you’re blowing smoke or if you really know what you’re talking about.

•Photos in ads can be a great asset but a bad picture is worse than no picture. I understand that buyers want to see a picture of an animal before they spend the time to travel and view cattle. If you’re going to the trouble of taking a picture make sure it is a good one. We try to have pictures in advance of any animals that we are going to market for private treaty and I have to admit that I have done a terrible injustice to some very good animals by running out and taking a quick picture Most of us should only use a professional photographer. It is amazing how a good photographer knows how to bring out the good points of your cattle. Just be careful when altering actual photos as programs like Photoshop can sometimes be a bad thing. You want the customer to recognize that the animal they see in person is the same animal in the picture.

•Building a long term repeat customer base is the key to a sustainable marketing program. Satisfied customers can be the best advertisement you can have. This is why it is so important to have a strict culling program. Never sell anything to a customer that you wouldn’t want standing in your own pasture.

This is no magic solution to one’s personal marketing. Everyone must develop the system that works best for them based on the size of their operation. These are just some good guidelines in planning what works for you. The important word here is planning.

It’s all a part of being a successful breeder. I heard one person whom I consider a very smart individual say one time that there is a fine line between being proud of what you are doing and bragging. Be sure to remember the difference. Always work hard to promote your own program or farm, if you don’t no one else is going to do it for you.

ABHA

Fall

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25

IOWA

BREEDER DIRECTORY

ALABAMA

Wild Rose

ARKANSAS

Mountain Fork

Hereford Farm

REGISTERED BLACK HEREFORD & REGISTERED POLLED HEREFORD

RICHARD & EARLENE BOONE

3341 West Rodeo odeo Crossing C oss g | Natural Natu a Dam, a , AR 72948

479-650-8906 479-414-7718 earleneboone@aol.com rboone8900@aol.com www.mountainforkherefordfarm.com

KENTUCKY

COLORADO

Black Dragon CATTLE COMPANY

Registered Black Herefords, Elevated Black Dragon Cattle

Logan & Jennifer Hill Rangely, CO 970-629-8807 dragoncattle@gmail.com

LOUISIANA

INDIANA

JENKINS C AT T L E R A N C H

““Family Owned, Faith Based and Quality Driven” Daniel & Kyla 812-309-0094 Josh & Heather 501-482-8188

584 South Washington Street Dale, IN 47523 Web: JenkinsCattleRanch.com

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Email: JenkinsCattleRanch@gmail.com

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H5 Ranch Bonita, Louisiana

NICK & KELLI HERRINGTON 318-282-0453

h5blackherefords.com herringtonfarms@gmail.com

BREEDER DIRECTORY

North Carolina

MISSISSIPPI

LAZYL FARMS Black Herefds

ROBBIE LANGLEY

601-766-5155

THOMAS MERRITT

601-508-8823

Lucedale, Mississippi

39452

connielangley10@gmail.com • thomasmerritt17@yahoo.com

OKLAHOMA

MISSOURI

Mark Nuelle Farms

Mark Nuelle 9460 Willow Branch Road Higginsville, MO 64037 Phone: 660-584-3207 Cell: 660-238-3207 nuelle@ctcis.net

JL

Jeff & Lanee’ Anderson 4809 W. Wood Road Waukomis, OK 73773

Legacy

580-747-1067

Black Herefords

jllegacyblackherefords@gmail.com

TENNESSEE

Call or email today to get your business card in the next issue for as low as $50 per issue!

Jim & Marsha Potts

168 Amos Gammill Road • Shelbyville, TN 37160 (931) 703-7219 jim.potts@tcatshelbyville.edu www.tnherefords.com

TEXAS Call Leanna McGuire at 937-248-4119 or Carey Brown at 859-948-1256 or email lmcguireabha@gmail.com

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Grand Champion Percentage Bull

the Birthplace of Black Herefords - still setting the standard -

Reserve Division

Champion Percentage Bull

J&N Ranch’s 27TH Production Sale

2017 ABHA Junior Nat’l.

SATURDAY • OCTOBER 14TH, 2017 At the ranch in Leavenworth, Kansas

Bulls, heifers & cows with embryos available for sale.

JN Bullseye Jo D411 Sold to Brock Johansen of Castle Dale, Utah for $19,000 Setting a new record price for a Black Hereford.

www.blackhereford.com | 913-727-6446

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Small Acres Farm

4116 US Highway 231 Loogootee, Indiana 47553

Donald Seals: 812-486-5422 Rhonda Rumble: 812-486-7992 | Kenadi Rumble: 812-709-9560

smallacresfarm13@gmail.com

Upcoming Events October 2017

October 14 J&N Ranch’s 27th Annual Production Sale, At the ranch Leavenworth, KS

February 2018

February 24 Black is the Color Sale, LD Brown Convention Center, Bowling Green, KY

November 2017

March 2018

November 9 ABHA Annual Meeting, Sedalia, MO November 10 ABHA National Show, Sedalia, MO November 11 ABHA National Heifer Sale, Sedalia, MO

January 2018

January 31-February 2 NCBA Convention, Phoenix, AZ

March 2-4 Kentucky Beef Expo, Louisville, KY March 19 Baxter Angus Annual Production Sale, At the Farm, Rockham, SD

May 2018 May 12 Ground Zero Farms In The Black Sale

June 2018

June 27-July 1 ABHA Junior National, Bowling Green, KY

Join the American Black Hereford Association Membership Fees: Life Membership fee is $1,000 Annual Membership Fee $100 per year (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31) New annual memberships are prorated based on quarter joined

of the Association as Amended or Modified from time to time. Application is hereby made for membership (Life, Annual or Junior) in the American Black Hereford Association.

It is requested that the Membership be entered as follows:

Junior Membership Fee $25 per year (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31) Junior memberships are available to persons under 21 years of age and junior membership privileges expire at age 21.

__________________________________________________________ (Individual, Farm, Ranch, Partnership, etc.) __________________________________________________________ When you have completed the application, send it with the proper fee to Owner’s Name the Association at: PO Box 857, Platte City, MO 64079 __________________________________________________________ Mailing Address Membership Privileges: __________________________ ________ ________ - ________ 1. Only Life and Annual Members of the Association are eligible to City State Zip

register cattle in the American Black Hereford Registry. __________________________ _____________________________ 2. Each Life and Annual Member shall have one (1) vote per animal Home Phone # Cell Phone #

registered with the Association. Life and Annual Members may __________________________ _____________________________

not vote by absentee ballot.

Business Phone # Fax # 3. Each Life, Annual and Junior Member will be informed by Association __________________________ _____________________________

mailings on a routine basis of important matters for both the Email Website (if you want it linked to ABHA)

members and the ABHA. ________________________________________________ Birth Date - For Junior Members Only Upon becoming a member and, in consideration of acceptance, I/we ___________________________________ ___________________ agree to conform to and abide by the By-Laws, Rules and Regulations Signature Date Fall

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Advertiser Index Baxter Angus Farm 5 Black Dragon Cattle Co. 26 Burton Cattle Company 26 C&M Farms 20 Call Me Back Farms 26 Corbin Steel 22 Crescent Hill Black Herefords 7 DCD Land & Cattle 31 Fowl Play Farms, LLC 14 Gro-Tec Inc. 21 Ground Zero Farms

32 Guy Brothers Farms 3, 27 H5 Ranch 26 Homestead Hereford Farm 27 J&N Ranch 28 JL Legacy Black Herefords 27 JM Cattle Company 2 Jenkins Cattle Ranch 26

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Jo Bulls 9 Knight N Gail Farms 21 Kreifels Black Hereford 20 Kroening Black Herefords 15 LC Ranch 27 Lazy L Farms 27 Legendary Livestock 19 Longview Farms 26 Mark Nuelle Farms 21, 27 Midcontinent Livestock Supplements 15 Mountain Fork Hereford Farm 26 Schroeder’s Black Herefords 21 Selby Farms 14 Small Acres Farm 28 Smith Black Herefords 26 The Cattle Range 19 Triple T Farms 11

3 C’s BARNEY BO4 BCKST Black Dynasty x Iron Lady 036T

So Much More Than Just

A PRETTY FACE

Semen $25/Straw $25/Certificate CALVES ARE LOW BIRTH WEIGHT WITH EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AND EXCELLENT CONFORMATION. JANUARY 17 HEIFER CALF

FEBRUARY 17 BULL CALF

Our 2017-2018 calf crop will include embryos sired by Barney, Denver Champion and sire of Champions, Ribeye 88X, and Denver Champion SMA Watchout 482, out of cows that are either National Champions, Jr. National Champions, or offspring of National Champions.

Superior Conformation v Superior Genetics v Superior Performance

DCD Land & Cattle, LLC

Holt, FL

Don & Carol Dewrell, Owners 850-259-5207

Yoel Urra & Yoel Urra Jr. • Managers 863-832-3546 Fall • The American Black Hereford

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National Black Hereford Sale 2017

GZF BISMARK D100 D.O.B: 4.30.16

REG: HB009461

Sire: RR HATS OFF P606 R85B

Polled

Dam: R & R MISS BISMARK R57A

Lot 48

HB 66.5%

A.I. Safe to: GZF ON BOARD C252

Super fancy moderate framed heifer stacked with a great pedigree. Curve Bender P606, SAV Bismark. Sells bred to GZF OnBoard C252 our powerhouse 88x bred Junior Herd sire. Should be an excellent mating and the first one sold bred to our OnBoard. Don’t miss her!

GZF ON BOARD C252

May 12, 2018

Save the Date

In the Black Sale

Ground Zero Farms Rod Garman - 479-957-2068 Owner Dale Pitchford - 972-921-6261 Herdsman

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www.groundzerofarms.com

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