Town Creek Farm Since 1993
SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Vo l u m e 6 , I s s u e 2 • P u b l i s h e d b y To w n C r e e k Fa r m , We s t Po i n t , M i s s i s s i p p i • B r a n g u s a n d U l t r a b l a c k
Cattlemen Ask Revealing Questions BY JOY REZNICEK
SPRING GRASS AND GENETICS DELIVERED OUR HEAVIEST EVER FALL WEANING WEIGHTS.
LOOK FOR TOWN CREEK FARM CREW MEMBERS AND DISPLAY BOOTH AT THIS EVENT: • June 19-21, 2018 – Florida Cattlemen’s Convention, Orlando, Florida The Grit welcomes your inquiries and feedback. The Grit is published by Town Creek Farm, West Point, Mississippi.
Town Creek Farm Milton Sundbeck, Owner Office: 32476 Hwy. 50 East West Point, Mississippi 39773-5207 662.494.5944 www.TownCreekFarm.com Joy Reznicek, President 205.399.0221 Joy@TownCreekFarm.com Clint Ladner, Bull Development 662.812.8370 CLadner@TownCreekFarm.com South American Representative Ing. Agr. Federico Maisonnave (011) 595 981 362 898 Skype: federico.maisonnave Maisonnave.Federico@gmail.com TOTAL COMMITMENT
25TH ANNIVERSARY
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TOWN CREEK FARM WAS RECENTLY ASKED TO BE A PART OF A SEEDSTOCK PANEL IN WHICH THE AUDIENCE WAS A GROUP OF COMMERCIAL CATTLEMEN who formally organized themselves to gain marketing and buying power, provide learning experiences and ideas for improvement, and to collect key performance metrics on their sold calves. Each ranching member selects and buys their own genetics and chooses breeds of cattle that work best for their operations. While selection of breeds of bulls is diverse among the ranchers, what they expect from their seedstock suppliers and how those genetics perform are exactly the same. To give the seedstock panelists a broader understanding of what topics might be discussed, a set of primer questions was sent out prior to the gathering. The questions revealed important issues that these ranchers face when buying bulls from seedstock providers. QUESTION ONE: At what age do you breed your heifers in your purebred herd? To my knowledge, every member of this ranching group breeds their heifers to calve as two-yearolds on minimal inputs with a production goal of high pregnancy rates. So why would they expect less from their seedstock suppliers? At both Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch we have a no-exception policy. Every heifer that does not conceive to calve at two-years of age is culled from our herds. No exceptions. I tell our team that if we do not adhere to this rule, our bull customers will find a bull supplier who does. Many moons ago we introduced to our herd a number of outside registered Brangus genetics in an effort to accelerate growth. These cattle were developed in a system that calves heifers for the first time at three-years of age. Today, few of those cow families survived our fertility boundaries. In fact, we just palpated our twoyear-old fall calving heifers and had only one open female. The open female was the last in the cow family of outside genetics to have survived to this point. Over the years, we’ve had opportunities to custom develop replacement heifers for a handful of our commercial bull customers. Since 2013, more than 1000 heifers carrying Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch genetics have been developed under our care and management. Heifers receive minimum inputs, are AI’d one time, and then kicked out with pasture bulls. Conception rates are consistently high. We’ve observed that the more our genetics are stacked in these heifers, the thriftier and more fertile the heifers.
QUESTION TWO: What are the culling practices in your herd (open cows)? For us, culling open cows is a mandate that resides front and center of the Town Creek Farm playbook. Within all our operations, Town Creek Farm, Cow Creek Ranch and our Bull Production Partners, we employ no-exception rules. Open or dry cows do not stay on our ranches. Cows must bring calves to the weaning pens and re-breed every year to maintain residency no matter her pedigree, her prior production, EPDs or any other excuse that could be brought to mind. Plus, we have a thriving cull cow market because of our Johnesfree herd. QUESTION THREE: How do we as seedstock breeders select for fertility? We’ve addressed in the first few paragraphs how we selected for fertility, but understand fertility selection is more than culling open and dry females. Fertility must be managed. We develop our heifers on grass with restricted feed supplementation and expect them to get pregnant under these tougher conditions. We prepare heifers for a lifetime of fertile reproduction on grass. They last longer in our herds and so do their daughters. Studies show that heifers developed like we do retain efficiency into their adult years. Said another way, heifers that are fed for higher average daily gains during post-weaning have a tendency to require higher maintenance levels throughout their lifetimes. We clearly recognize that nutrition in post-weaning diets can mask true fertility to a point where increased feed rates drive fertility more than genetics. Fertility was on the top of the list of interest by these producers. Other areas included, questions as to percentage of bull calves culled? Bull guarantees? Use of AI embryo transfer and in Vitro Fertilization? Selection pressure? Use of ultrasound? BVD-PI testing? Thoughts on introducing new, first generation Brangus to the breed? Selection of herd bulls in our programs? Johnes testing? Operating a seedstock cattle business and developing and marketing bulls encompasses discipline, vast knowledge and expertise. Seedstock suppliers must be geneticists, forage experts, people and employee managers, CEOs, accountants, data experts and marketers. Buying bulls is like buying life insurance. Genetics introduced in herds will be there for a lifetime. Bull buyers need to know and trust the people from which they buy. Commercial cattlemen want to find trusted seedstock producers whose methods and values are aligned with theirs. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our vision.
What Summer Grass Means to Development of TCF Bulls The ideal function of bulls in cattle operations is to get a high percentage of females bred early in the breeding season. To achieve this bulls must be sound and willing. Read why summer forage adds to the longevity of Town Creek Farm bulls in our customer’s herds. SPRING AND SUMMER ARE UNIQUE SEASONS FOR TOWN CREEK FARM, PARTICULARLY WITH DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SALE BULLS. Fescue grass is flush and native summer grasses are beginning to emerge. Our bulls are ready to fill out with grass. It also means backing off delivered feed to a minimum amount of less than a percent of body weight on an as-fed basis. Our 40 to 50 acre bull development grass pastures permits us to move our coming two-year-old bulls to a near 100 percent grass and fiber roughage diet this time of year. During spring and summer bulls step-up their fitness levels while they actively graze pastures. It’s a great sight seeing our burly bulls out hustling for grass in our pastures. Fall born bulls that sell as full two-year-olds are developed slowly. After we capture yearling weights and ultrasound data, we immediately move this class of bulls to a near 100 percent fiber ration with no corn. It’s a challenge to regulate growth of bulls that sell at two-years of age and still make them attractive at sale time. ese bulls are hard, ripped and toned with no excess fat. is dialed-down development strategy keeps our bulls sound, sure-footed and athletic so they are in prime condition for their breeding chores as herd bulls. Our spring born bulls sell at 16 to 18 months age and are managed very similarly to two-year-olds. ese bulls spend six months less in development. We target a 2.5 pound average daily gain until one-year of age. After yearling weights and ultrasound
THIS BULL SELLS AS A FULL TWO-YEAR OLD ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018. data are collected we immediately transition bulls to a heavy fiber ration with no corn. We keep tight reins on development by weighing bulls monthly. is sometimes can re-rank bulls within pens, but it assures us that bulls are on track to perform at levels expected by their future owners. While summer stretch means we are closer to sale time, it also means more hurdles ahead. Within 30 days of our October 20th sale, every bull will be semen tested, trichomoniasis tested and BVD-PI tested. en each bull is individually filmed or videoed for viewing prior to sale time. Dr. N.T. Cosby, a senior consulting nutritionist with Purina has worked with our genetics, developing bulls for nearly 20 years. He skillfully formulates our rations and guides us in feeding strategies during development. Our goal is to offer a balanced genetic package that moves our customer’s programs forward and to develop bulls that are trouble- and problem-free with longevity and stamina during their breeding life.
REAL WORLD GENETICS FOR THE REAL WORLD Town Creek Farm Sale
Saturday, October 20, 2018 • 12 noon
at the ranch near West Point, Mississippi 170 Town Creek Farm Bulls 300 Brangus Commercial Bred Heifers
Brangus, Ultrablack and VigorMax™ Half-Blood Bulls Large selection of FULL 2-year-old bulls. g g
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Fertility is our top priority because we know it’s your top priority. Buy bulls from a program that culls EVERY open female and EVERY female that doesn’t bring a calf to the weaning pens. Genetics developed and proven over 30 years. Genetics that will make you money. Maternal bulls to develop replacement heifers.
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Multi-generation, ranch and source verified second generation Town Creek Farm heifers bred back to Town Creek bulls. Fall and spring calving heifers offered. Reputation heifer sale in its 21st year.
Calving ease heifer bulls. Managed to be disease free. Environmentally adapted, acclimated bulls. User Friendly bulls. Longevity – of bulls and their daughters. Genetics that will develop profitable herds. Bulls pay dividends annually just like cows. Full two-year-old bulls sell.
3 Quality Assurance always comes first.
Go to our website to request a sale catalog and to join our mailing list. Not all Grit recipients are on Town Creek Farm mailing list. TOTAL COMMITMENT
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Milton Sundbeck, Owner • Office 662.494.5944 32476 Hwy. 50 East, West Point, Mississippi 39773-5207 Joy Reznicek 205.399.0221 • Joy@TownCreekFarm.com Clint Ladner 662.812.8370 • Cladner@TownCreekFarm.com www.TownCreekFarm.com
Town Creek Farm Hosts World Brangus Congress Participants From Nine Countries TOWN CREEK FARM WELCOMED GUESTS AND CATTLEMEN FROM EIGHT COUNTRIES DURING THE PRE-CONGRESS RANCH TOUR OF THE 2018 WORLD BRANGUS CONGRESS. Town Creek Farm hosted leaders and cattlemen
notable herd sires were exhibited. Each herd sire displayed was followed in by a set of his sons. Featured herd sires and sire groups included TCF Rapid Reward 145Z3, TCF Integrity 13C, TCF Rapid from Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Paraguay, South Reward 14B9 and CCR Integrity 355S4. e day was rounded off with southern hospitality including a Africa, Uruguay and the United States. Town Creek Farm hamburger lunch and southern desserts. Town Creek Farm showcased its fall calving cows with pasture e group continued on to the Houston Livestock Show and tours of three-year-olds, four -year-olds, and mature cows all with fall Rodeo where they were joined by other World Brangus Congress calves at side as well as a set of the spring calving three-year-olds participants. ey enjoyed three days of education, sales and took in with calves. Town Creek Farm shared its breeding philosophy, a performance of the famed Houston Rodeo. operation practices and pasture and forage management and fielded e event attracted guests from 17 countries. e 2020 World questions from visitors. Brangus Congress will be held in Argentina. e group then moved to Town Creek Farm’s south ranch where
TOWN CREEK FARM HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SANYA SUPHAPPORNCHAI OF THAILAND DURING THE CONGRESS. SANYA IMPORTED TCF RAPID REWARD 384B2 TO THAILAND LAST SPRING.
INTERNATIONAL CATTLEMEN VIEWED A SET OF SPRING CALVING THREE-YEAR-OLD COWS WITH CALVES AT SIDE. THESE COWS ARE RAISING THEIR SECOND SET OF CALVES.
TOWN CREEK FARM WAS HONORED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE AND DISPLAY TOWN CREEK FARM GENETICS TO THIS LIVELY GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL CATTLEMEN AND CATTLEWOMEN.
Town Creek Farm Commercial Bred Heifer Sale Consignments Due June 25, 2018 THE 2018 TOWN CREEK FARM COMMERCIAL BRANGUS BRED HEIFER SALE IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018. The sale is in its 21st year of existence. We’ve experienced tremendous growth throughout the years thanks to the efforts and genetic improvements made by our customer consignors. Providing accessible marketing opportunities for Town Creek Farm genetics is a proven benefit for our customers. The Town Creek Farm Commercial Bred Heifer Sale is an opportunity for our customers to add value to heifers through our unique marketing channel. Buyers, on the other hand, have the chance to tap into multi-
generational Town Creek Farm based genetics that would otherwise take years to breed and accumulate. Heifers marketed must be at minimum second-generation Town Creek Farm heifers bred back to Town Creek Farm bulls. All heifers must be bred to calve at 32 months of age or younger and calve in a 90-day or less calving period. Complete nomination rules and entry forms along with additional details are available from Town Creek Farm. For more information, please contact Joy Reznicek at 205.399.0221, Clint Ladner at 662.812.8370 or by email at Joy@TownCreekFarm.com. Deadline for nominations is June 25, 2018.
Town Creek Farm Introduces VigorMax™ and TruVigor™ Bulls TOWN CREEK FARM IS ADDING VigorMAX™ AND TruVIGOR™ BULLS TO ITS FUTURE BULL OFFERINGS. VigorMax™ is a trademarked name by Town Creek Farm to identify animals that are 50 percent Brahman and 50 percent Angus. They also are identified as half-bloods. VigorMax™ provides maximum heterosis in breeding combinations. A selection of VigorMax™ bulls will be offered in Town Creek Farm October 20, 2018, sale. TruVigor™ is a trademarked name by Town Creek Farm to identify animals specific to Town Creek Farm. These by definition are animals that are offspring of a Brangus bred to VigorMax™. Crossbreeding, historically, requires the use of complicated mating systems to maintain hybrid vigor. VigorMax™ and TruVigor™ allow you capitalize on hybrid vigor without changing base breeds of Brangus, Angus and Brahman.
TWO-YEAR-OLD GELDING BY SOUTHERNS BOONCAT BY PEPTOBOONSMAL X WATSONS JET PEGS.
TOWN CREEK FARM IS CONTINUING TO LAY THE FOUNDATION OF A POWERFUL REMUDA WITH THE PURCHASE OF TWO MARES FROM THOMAS SAUNDERS, V OF SAUNDERS RANCH, WEATHERFORD, TEXAS. The Saunders Ranch mare band began in the mid-1950s with Tom B. Saunders, III. Their mares today are the result of more than a half-century of deliberate genetic selection, and it shows. These big, stout ranch mares have correct conformation and are solid from the ground up. They are ranch bred with lineage tracing back to legendary genetics including Driftwood, Poco Bueno, Doc Bar, Colonel Freckles, Haidas Little Pep, Peppy San Badger, and Hollywood Gold. With the addition of these two mares, we are now running a five mare band here on the ranch. Horses will be offered at the October 2019 sale. – Anne Sutherland
TOWN CREEK FARM WELCOMED SOUTH AMERICAN RANCHERS José Rivas of Paraguay, and his brother Anibal. José manages his rapidly expanding family cattle operation in the Chaco region of Paraguay.
TOWN CREEK FARM WAS FEATURED IN THE APRIL 2018 ISSUE OF THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER. The story’s centerpiece was understanding the pros and cons of transitioning from Kentucky 31 fescue grass to improved novel endophyte fescue grass. Three to five years ago Town Creek Farm staged conversions of nearly 300 acres of tall fescue to MaxQII novel-endophyte fescue. While the investments have been costly, its returns have met our expectations. With Town Creek Farm cow herd and bull development reliant on forage throughout the year, owner Milton Sundbeck is relentless in pursuing the best possible grazing and haying opportunities.
IT’S ALWAYS GRATIFYING TO MAKE A LATE SPRING VISIT TO TOWN CREEK FARM BULL PRODUCTION PARTNERS, LYNN AND DANA WHITE OF MONTEREY, LOUISIANA. The White’s have been exclusively breeding Cow Creek Ranch genetics since 1996.This dam, 145A5, calved as a two-year-old now and carries a 348-day calving interval with her fourth calf at side. This stout, strapping Septemberborn bull calf is AI sired by BRB Rapid Reward 99W11. The White’s cattle operation, named Black River Brangus, has consistently delivered top bull calves to Town Creek Farm Bull Production Partner program. The program enables small seedstock operators using Town Creek Farm genetics to tap into a recognized and established bull market . The White’s, their son, Landon, and Dana’s family are farming partners. Their farmland is in the Birdfoot Delta a prolific region of Southeast Louisiana, better known as the Mississippi Delta complex. NEVER TOO SOON TO MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS FOR TOWN CREEK FARM SALE ON OCTOBER 20, 2018. The Hyatt Place ............................662.370.1800; Columbus, Mississippi Ask for Town Creek Farm Sale room block. Hampton Inn & Suites .................662.494.7802; West Point, Mississippi