2012 Midland Bull Test

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 1

Find

what you’re looking for at...

2012

g n i t a r b e l e C 50 Years!

®

Wyoming Livestock

A publication of the:

roundup BULL TEST Columbus, MT

April 4th Gelbvieh, Salers, Simmental, Pinzgauer

April 5th Red Angus, South Devon, Murray Grey, Hereford, Braunvieh April 6th Black Angus

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 2

Angus bulls weigh off test at 50th Annual Midland Bull Test

At Midland Bull Test the final report weights have been calculated and the results are outstanding, as we have an impressive set of bulls available this year and selling April 4, 5 and 6, where we sell the top 70 to 80 percent of each breed at the Midland Bull Test sale facilities.

The complete results are available on line at midlandbulltest.com, and furthermore, there are videos of each sale bull available for your viewing online via the “Sale Bull Videos” link.

For a catalog for the sales,

call 406-322-5597 or email bulls@midlandbulltest.com.

At the completion of the 50th anniversary test, Midland had 600 Angus bulls with fierce competition for top honors. There are two sets of Angus bulls, with the first group being efficiency tested in the fall, and that group is split farther into green tags (low birth weight EPD and low actual birth weight) and white tags. The second group of Angus bulls was efficiency tested this spring, and they are also split into green tag and white tag categories for a total of four

groups of Angus bulls.

Angus Green Tag Group 1

Leading the way this year for ADG in the green tag category of the first group is lot 95, sired by Sitz Upward 307R and consigned by JSK Livestock of Millbrook, N.Y. This bull racked up an ADG ratio of 124 to accompany EPDs of BW 0.0 WW 58 M 32 YW 111.

Following closely in second is lot 283, a son of Werner War Party 2417 consigned by Abegglen Livestock of Garneill, Mont. This bull posted an ADG ratio of

Outstanding Offering featuring the #3 WDA Sire Group

by Connealy Mentor 7374 of Angus Bulls DA #4 We Tag t Whi oup 2 Gr

Bartels Mentor 110 6537 309 ADG 3.92 BW 2.1

Rat 118 WW 58

WDA 3.68 Milk 21

YR 116 YW 99

IND 105 RFI 1.13

SC 39.0 REA 115

122 to go along with some solid EPDs of BW 1.8 WW 58 M 23 YW 106.

A bull consigned by Garret Farms of Hillsdale, N.Y. took third with an ADG ratio of 120. Lot 132 is a son of GDAR Game Day 449 and has EPDs of BW 1.8 WW 55 M 26 YW 100.

Lot 91, another bull consigned by JSK Livestock and sired by Cole Creek Black Cedar 46P, followed very closely with an ADG ratio of 119 to go with EPDs of BW 1.2 WW 55 M 23 YW 98.

To wrap up the top five, ADG leader in the green tag class of group one was a bull consigned by Stewart Select Angus Ranch of Greensburg, Ind. Lot 196, who is a son of B/R New Day 454, put up a strong ADG ratio of 118 to pair with EPDs of BW 1.2 WW

50 M 27 YW 94.

Angus White Tag Group 1

Taking the lead for the ADG in the white tag category of the first group of bulls were two bulls, one consigned by Steve Smith Angus & Gelbvieh of Lehi, Utah. Lot 85 put up an ADG ratio 131 to pair with EPDs of BW 2.2 WW 43 M 26 YW 86. Also with an ADG ratio 131 was lot 160, a son of SCR Optimum Impact consigned by Lienemann Cattle Co. of Princeton, Neb. He also has EPDs of BW 2.7 WW 62 M 27 YW 106.

In second place there is a tie between two bulls that posted an ADG ratio of 127.

There is lot 215 from Zeller Angus Farm in Noblesville, Ind. and sired by SAV Bismarck 5682. This bull’s EPDs are BW 2.2 WW 58 M 29 YW 103. Also in third is a son of SAV Net Worth 4200,

consigned by Brown Cattle Co. out of Brownsburg, Va. Lot 97 has EPDs of BW 4.0 WW 50 M 27 YW 95.

Not far behind in third is lot 89 from JSK Livestock in Millbrook, N.Y. and sired

by Cole Creek Black Cedar 46P. This bull had an ADG ratio of 125 to accompany EPDs of BW 1.9 WW 53 M 23 YW 93.

In fourth place in the white tag category of group 1 is lot 175, a son of SAV 004 Density 4336 consigned

by Winding River Angus in Billings, Mont. This bull’s ADG ratio was 123 to go with EPDs of BW 2.1 WW 55 M 27 YW 95.

Rounding out the top 5 in the white tags for group 1 is lot 246 of Dutch Flat Angus. This son of Kesslers Frontman R001 had an ADG ratio of 122 to go with EPDs of BW 1.2 WW 54 M 25 YW 90.

Angus Green Tag Group 2

Setting the bar high for the green tag division in the first set of Angus bulls are two bulls, one being a Hoover Dam son consigned

by Gary Wall of Roundup, Mont. Lot 450 has a strong ADG ratio of 131 to pair with EPDs of BW -0.6 WW 56 M 32 YW 106. Also putting up an ADG ratio of 131 is a son Basin Payweight 107S from Sunny Okanogan Angus from Omak, Wash., who has EPDs of BW 1.2

365 1383 IMF 121

Lot 523 Lot 522 • 1-21-11 • Sire: Connealy Mentor 7374 ADG 3.88

Rat 117

WDA 3.53

YR 113

IND 104

SC 37.0

365 1346

BW 1.9

WW 60

Milk 21

YW 102

RFI 0.82

REA 113

IMF 104

Also Selling:

2 sons of Connealy Impression • 3 sons of Connealy Doc • 1 son of Connealy Reflection 1 son of Connealy Dublin • 1 additional son of Connealy Mentor 7374

Bartels Angus

Taking the lead for the ADG in the white tag category of the first group bulls were two bulls, one of which was Lot 85 consigned by Steve Smith Angus & Gelbvieh of Lehi, Utah.

Riverton, Neb. 402-746-2229 • 402-746-4858 (c)

PERFORMANCE:

GROWTH + EFFICIENCY + CARCASS 3 Sets of Full Brothers Sell

7 Top Angus Bulls Sell Hales Upward Lad 1047

JAMES RETAIL PRODUCT 118 Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.75

115

3.09

99

107

41.0

1143

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

0.1

50

23

84

-1.79

98

96

Out of a Connealy Danny Boy dam 2 NR 105 • 2 YR 101

Lot 380 1-29-11

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

120

3.06

98

110

35.0

1137

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

1.8

62

26

111

-1.57

116

124

Sire: Connealy Mentor 7374

Sire: Connealy Mentor 7374

ADG 3.62 • Rat 111 • WDA 2.98 • YR 96 • IND 105 • SC 35.0 • RFI 0.50 • REA 107 • IMF 133

2-1-11

Sire: GAR EGL Protege

ADG 3.04 • Rat 92 • WDA 2.89 • YR 90 • IND 100 • SC 34.0 • RFI -2.76 • REA 101 • IMF 139

Lot 379

2-1-11

3.50

111

WDA 3.20

YR

IND

102

106

SC 36.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

2.3

54

34

99

-1.84

Dam Production: 5 NR 101 • 5 YR 103 • 5 IMF 122 • 5 REA 99

Sire: Sitz Upward 307R

ADG

Rat

3.48

110

WDA 3.15

YR 101

IND 105

SC 37.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

1.9

55

34

103

0.20

Lot 377 1-27-11

Lot 378

Rat

Dam Production: 2 NR 106 • 1 YR 100

Out of a Connealy Lead On dam 3 NR 116 • 3 YR 114

1-27-11

ADG

Hales Upward Lad 1061

3.90

Lot 376

Lot 105

2-7-11

Sire: GAR Retail Product

JAMES MENTOR 107 ADG

Continued on next page

Also Selling:

2-21-11

Lot 107

Sire: Sitz Upward 307R

1 Additional Son of Sitz Upward 307R 2 Sons of Sitz Dash 2 Son of TC Aberdeen 759

Sire: GAR EGL Protege

ADG 3.84 • Rat 116 • WDA 3.11 • YR 96 • IND 109 • SC 35.0 • RFI -3.78 • REA 90 • IMF 124

Lot 381

2-18-11

Sire: GAR Retail Product

ADG 3.77 • Rat 116 • WDA 3.17 • YR 100 • IND 107 • SC 37.0 • RFI -1.09 • REA 96 • IMF 86

JAMES ANGUS Ian James • 308-470-0247 PO Box 197 • Naponee, NE 68960

27951 S US Hwy 87 Canyon, TX 79015 www.halesangus.com Richmond Hales 806-488-2471 • 806-679-1919 (c) Rick Hales 50 Years of Breeding Angus cattle... 806-655-3815 • 806-679-9303 (c)

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 3

Continued from previous page

WW 66 M 22 YW 101.

Coming in second is lot 545, another Basin Payweight 107S son from Sunny Okanogan Angus in Omak, Wash. He had an ADG of 127 to pair with EPDs of BW 1.7 WW 63 M 24 YW 103.

Lot 490 of Wright Way Angus came in third with an ADG ratio of 126. This Dav-

eys 008-004-642 son has EPDs of BW 1.5 WW 45 M 20 YW 79.

Another Sunny Okanogan Angus bull comes in fourth with an ADG ratio of 125. He is sired by Rathbun Road Boss S634. He also had EPDs of BW 0.3 WW 53 M 21 YW 93.

And in fifth place is lot 606, sired by SAF Directive

One of two bulls putting up an ADG ratio of 131 is lot 544 a son of Basin Payweight 107S from Sunny Okanogan Angus from Omak, Wash.

Second place in the white tag division is lot 388, consigned by Emerald Lane Angus of Edgar, Wisc.

and consigned by Flat Mountain Ranch of Menahga, Minn. This bull had an ADG of 124 and EPDs of BW -0.3 WW 46 M 24 YW 81.

Angus White Tag Group 2

Setting the standard in the white tag division of the second set of Angus ADG is lot 603, consigned by Flat Mountain Ranch and sired

by GAR EGL Protégé. This bull had an ADG ratio of 144 to pair with EPDs of BW 4.2 WW 60 M 14 YW 110.

Following in second place is a TC Aberdeen 759 son, lot 388, consigned by Emerald Lane Angus of Edgar, Wisc. This bull had an ADG ratio of 139, as well as EPDs of BW 2.5 WW 55 M 36 YW 98.

A bull consigned by Kimmel Angus of Stoneham, Colo., lot 577, follows in third place with an ADG ratio of 133. This bull is sired by Schurr 77 527 2063, he also posted EPDs of BW 1.9 WW 60 M 29 YW 102.

Fourth place was locked up with an ADG of 128 by a son of Bensons Alliance 902, lot 340, consigned by Benson Angus Farms of Irwin, Iowa; his EPDs are BW 2.4 WW 44 M 27 YW 72.

Wrapping up the top five in the White Tag Division Group 2 is a bull consigned by Harrison Angus Ranch of Boyd, Mont. lot 558 is a son HARB Imus and had an ADG ratio of 126 to pair with EPDs of BW 0.9 WW 60 M 30 YW 101.

Top WDA in Angus Green Tag Group 1

The WDA category proved to be a tough competition, as not much separated the top counterparts in each division.

Leading the way in the

green tag division of the first set of bulls with a WDA of 3.79 is lot 283 of Abegglen Livestock of Garneill, Mont.

This bull is sired by Werner War Party 2417 and has EPDs of BW 1.8 WW 58 M 23 YW 106.

Following in second place is a Riverbend In Focus T1093 son consigned

by Pristine Spring Angus of Jerome, Idaho. Lot 280 had a WDA of 3.70 to go along with EPDs of BW 1.1 WW Continued on next page

Top Winning Performance!!

DG #2 An Tag e e r G oup 1 Gr

#3 W Green DA Grou Tag p1

Ab-Lvs Leverage112

Ab-Lvs War Party 115

#1 Gre WDA e Gro n Tag up 1

Lot 285

Lot 283 1-28-11 Sire: Werner War Party 2417

2-1-11

Sire: OA Dash 902

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

REA

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

REA

IMF

3.93

122

3.79

124

116

38.0

-1.98

136

3.42

106

3.66

119

107

58.0

110

105

Out of a Connealy Dateline granddaughter: 6 NR 103 • 5 YR 102

OA Dash 902 was purchased at the 2010 Midland Bull Test Sale.

He is doing an outstanding job for us.

Out of a daughter of Hyline Right Time 338.

Also Selling: Ab-Lvs 902 Dash 177 Lot 286 • 3-24-11 by OA Dash 902 ADG 3.05 • Rat 95 • WDA 3.24 • YR 106 • RFI -0.99

Abegglen Livestock Garneill, Mt

Kim Abegglen 208-351-2747

#5 Angus WDA Sire Group #2 ADG and WDA Red Angus Sire Group by PIE Code Red 9058 #2 WDA ag T Yellow

WPRA Blast Y131

Lot 831

by Riverbend In Focus T1093

A #2 WDTag n e e r G p1 Grou

PS Lucky Strike B36

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.95

127

3.65

107

113

39.0

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365da

103

3.70

118

108

36.0

1333

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

3.30

0.3

45

23

88

0.27

109

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

1.1

68

32

112

1.54

119

104

Dam produced #1 Green Tag WDA bull in 2009 and the #2 WDA Yellow Tag bull in 2010 6 NR 108 • Dam MPPA 106.1 #5 WDA ag T Yellow

Lot 280 3-24-11

Lot 826

WPRA Live Wire Y109 ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.81

128

3.46

103

109

38.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

-0.7

49

16

94

1.42

115

Dam MPPA 101.2 • 7 NR 101 • 1 YR 102

2-16-11 • Sire: Red Lazy MC CC Detour 2W WDA YR IND SC BW WW Milk YW 3.32 104 108 42.0 -1.1 28 25 65

ADG Rat 3.25 105

PS Lucky Strike B41 ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365da

3.07

95

3.49

112

110

36.0

1275

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

0.8

68

26

107

-2.13

98

142

YW 76

REA IMF 113 91

REA IMF 105 113

ADG Rat 3.83 123

REA IMF 99 83

Also Selling: 1 son of Red Bar E-L Ribeye 103 R • 2 Additional sons of PIE Code Red 9058

Jeff, Gail, Paige & Pierson Schneider W4954 Bernander Rd • Rio, WI 53960~ 920-992-6357 • 608-516-7005 (c) WelshPrairieRA@centurytel.net

Sire: Riverbend In Focus T1093

Also Selling 2 Sons of Riverbend Emblazon W161 Lot 276 1-31-11

Lot 830 • WPRA Smash Y124

2-22-11 • Sire: Red Lazy MC Smash 41N WDA YR IND SC BW WW Milk YW 3.33 99 106 35.0 0.8 45 23 88

Lot 281 3-27-11

Lot 828 • WPRA Black Code Y114

2-16-11 • Sire: PIE Code Red 9058 WDA YR IND SC BW WW Milk 3.31 99 103 35.0 -1.6 40 20

A #4 WDTag n e e r G p1 Grou

Out of a Traveler x Ambush bred dam 8 NR 109

Lot 827 • WPRA Design Y111 ADG Rat 3.42 110

Sire: Riverbend In Focus T1093

Out of a Bon View New Design 208 daughter 5 NR 112 • 1 YR 110

Lot 279 3-18-11

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.34

104

3.14

109

103

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

0.4

46

22

78

1.15

103

99

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.11

97

3.19

101

105

37.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

0.6

43

23

76

-1.89

116

82

34.0

Pristine Springs Curtis Gray (208) 308-8220 or (208) 733-1335 • Jerome, ID 83338

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 4

Continued from previous page

60 M 32 YW 112.

In third is lot 285, another bull consigned by Abegglen Livestock. This bull is son of O A Dash 902 had a WDA of 3.66 and EPDs of BW 1.8 WW 54 M

BW 0.8 WW 68 M 26 YW 107.

Wrapping up the top five in the green tag division of the first set of bulls is lot 199 of Miles High Angus of Altamont, Utah. This bull put up a WDA of 3.43 and

26 YW 89.

Coming in a strong fourth place is lot 281, another son of Riverbend In Focus T1093. This Pristine Springs Angus bull had a WDA of 3.49 and EPDs of

3 TOP ANGUS BULLS SELL La Beth Hoover Dam Fargo 130

Lot 568

2-19-11

Sire: Hoover Dam

Also Selling:

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365da

3.23

98

3.33

104

100

37.0

1241

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

1.7

45

31

87

98

103

-0.38

Out of a Sitz Alliance 6595 daughter.

Granddam Production 8 WR 103 5 YR 104 5 IMF 110

1 Son of Sitz Alliance 6595 1 Son of LaBeth 403 Hadley 938

LK BAR ANGUS RANCH 36351 Dublin Gulch Road • St. Ignatius, MT 59865 (406) 644-2801

Outstanding Prospects from

has EPDs of BW 0.6 WW 49 M 32 YW 90.

Top WDA in Angus White Tag Group 1

High mark in the white tag division of first group of Angus was lot 149, who posted a WDA of 3.52. This bull is consigned by Oetken Angus Ranch of Crawford, Neb. and is sired by SAV Net Worth 4200. He has strong EPDs of BW 2.5 WW 60 M 28 YW 113.

Second place belongs to two bulls, lots 60 and 67. Both of these bulls had a WDA of 3.49. Lot 60 is sired by Garrets Nationwide 8001. This bull is consigned

by Willekes Angus out of Choteau, Mont.; he has EPDs of BW 4.6 WW 60 M 23 YW 100. Lot 67 is a bull from SHB Angus out of Reardan, Wash.; he is a son of GPAR Weight Maker S15 and has EPDs of BW 3.5 WW 70 M 18 YW 118.

Coming in third place we have a son of SAV Net Worth 4200 and a son of

SCR Optimum Impact. Both of these bulls had a WDA of 3.47. Lot 97 the son of Net Worth is consigned by Brown Cattle Co. out of Brownsburg, Va. and had EPDs of BW 4.0 WW 50 M 27 YW 95. Lot 160, the son of Optimum Impact, is consigned by Lienemann Cattle Co. of Princeton, Neb. and has EPDs of BW 2.7 WW 62 M 27 YW 106.

Following very closely in another tie are lots 85 and 184, with WDAs of 3.46.

Lot 85 is consigned by Steve Smith Angus & Gelbvieh of Lehi, Utah. This bull is sired

by VNAR In Focus 7326 and has EPDs of BW 2.9 WW 43 M 26 YW 86. Lot 184, a son of High Prime 4037, is consigned by Bovagene from Lusk, Wyo.; he has EPDs of BW 1.9 WW 62 M 22 YW 107.

The fight for top five was very close, and wrapping up the fifth spot is lot 214 from Zeller Angus Farm out of Noblesville, Ind. This

Washington

#2 ADG Sire Group by Basin Payweight 107S #5 ADG Sire Group by Rathbun Road Boss S634 * 8 Bulls Avg. ADG 3.87 Avg. WDA 3.35 * DG #5 An Tag e Gre oup 2 Gr

DA #3 Wn Tag e Gre oup 2 Gr

SO Roadboss 429-11

SO Roadboss 917-11

ADG 4.07 BW 0.3 DG #2 An Tag e e r G oup 2 Gr

Sire: Rathbun Road Boss S634 Rat 125 WW 53

WDA 3.50 Milk 21

YR 117 YW 93

IND 113 REA 96

SC 51.0 IMF 88

365 1353 RFI -1.04

SO Payweight 333-11

Blue Ston Final Product 1009 ADG Rat WDA YR IND SC 3.65 115 3.39 110 106 39.0 BW WW Milk YW REA IMF 0.8 54 26 94 101 109

1-10-11 Sire: Rathbun Road Boss S634 ADG 3.77 BW 1.4

Rat 116 WW 61

WDA 3.56 Milk 21

YR 118 YW 109

IND 114 REA 111

SC 34.0 IMF 111

Continued on next page

GROWTH • CARCASS

Lot 542

Lot 541 1-7-11

Leading the way in the green tag division of the first set of bulls with a WDA of 3.79 is lot 283 of Abegglen Livestock of Garneill, Mont.

bull is a son of SAV Iron Mountain 8066 and has EPDs of BW 3.6 WW 58 M 20 YW 107.

Top WDA in Angus Green Tag Group 2

First place in the green tag division of the second set of Angus was a tie between a bull consigned by J M Angus Ranch LLC of Joliet, Mont. and a bull consigned

by Hidden Valley Ranch & Cattle of Delta, Colo. Both of these bulls had a WDA of 3.58. Lot 322 from J M Angus Ranch LLC is sired

by HARB Pendleton 765 JH and posts EPDs of BW 1.0 WW 52 M 28 YW 94.

Lot 305, sired by Woodhill Mainline, is consigned by Hidden Valley Ranch & Cattle out of Delta, Colo. and he has EPDs of BW -0.5 WW 54 M 20 YW 99.

Following very closely is lot 544, a Basin Payweight 107S son by Sunny Okanogan Angus; this bull put up a WDA of 3.57 to accompany EPDs of BW 1.2 WW 66 M 22 YW 101.

Coming in a close third place is a bull from Harrison Angus Ranch of Boyd, Mont. and another bull from Sunny Okanogan Angus out of Omak, Wash. These bulls had a WDA of 3.56. Lot 417 from Harrison Angus Ranch is a son of Kesslers Frontman R001 and has EPDs of BW -0.4 WW 60 M 26 YW 95. Lot 542 is sired by Rathbun Road Boss S634 from Sunny Okanogan Angus and

365 1360 RFI -1.96

Dam Production 4 NR 108 1 YR 102

SO Payweight 529-10

Dam Production: 4 NR 111 • 3 YR 108

Lot 200

12-17-10

Sire: Connealy Final Product

Blue Ston Brilliance 1021 #3 Gre ADG e Gro n Tag up 2

#2 GreeWDA n Grou Tag p2

Lot 544 1-3-11 ADG 4.24 BW 1.2

Sire: Basin Payweight 107S Rat 131 WW 66

WDA 3.57 Milk 22

YR 119 YW 101

IND 117 REA 101

SC 39.0 IMF 95

365 1383 RFI -1.74

Lot 545

1-5-11 ADG 4.11 BW 1.7

Sire: Basin Payweight 107S Rat 127 WW 63

WDA 3.41 Milk 24

YR 114 YW 103

IND 110 REA 107

SC 37.0 IMF 121

365 1321 RFI 0.37

Dam weaned 71% of her body weight 5 NR 104

Lot 543 1-21-11 by Road Boss ADG 3.60

Rat 111

WDA 3.02

YR 98

Lot 546 1-3-11 by Payweight IND 102

SC 41.0

RFI 0.15

Lot 548 1-11-11 by Payweight ADG 3.81

Rat 115

WDA 3.29

YR 108

ADG 3.94

Rat 121

WDA 3.26

YR 109

IND 106

SC 37.0

REA 108

Lot 549 1-20-11 by Payweight IND 110

SC 37.0

RFI -3.50

ADG 3.42

Rat 105

WDA 3.24

YR 106

IND 100

SC 37.0

Sunny

IMF 110

Okanogan

Craig Vejraska • (509) 322-2780

ADG Rat WDA YR IND SC 3.52 111 3.28 107 105 35.0 BW WW Milk YW REA IMF 2.6 50 29 90 114 90

Out of a “036” donor dam that sold to Whitestone Farm in Virginia: 4 NR 109 • 3 YR 100

Lot 203

12-20-10

Sire: SAV Brilliance

Also Selling Lot 202 1-30-11 Sire: Sitz Up Country 428W ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

3.50

111

3.37

107

105

39.0

3.0

61

31

110

115

128

Lot 204 1-13-11 Sire: SAV Heavy Hitter ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

3.71

115

3.24

104

104

36.0

0.5

48

30

88

118

119

Blue Ston Farms TJ Curtin

1942 E. 2400 N. Road • Blue Mound, IL 62513 217-825-3005 • bluestonfarms.com

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 5

Continued from previous page

this bull’s EPDs are BW 1.4 WW 61 M 21 YW 109.

Sealing up the fourth spot is lot 446, a son of O Bar X W Focus 493 consigned by O-X Angus out of Sheridan, Mont. This bull has a WDA of 3.55 to go with EPDs of BW 1.6 WW 71 M 20 YW 111.

Wrapping up the top five is a SAF Directive son consigned by Flat Mountain Ranch of Menahga, Minn.

Lot 606 has a WDA of 3.51 to accompany EPDs of BW -0.3 WW 46 M 23 YW 81.

Top WDA in Angus White Tag Group 2

The white tag category of the second set of bulls is dominated by a Harrison Angus Ranch consignment from Boyd, Mont. Lot 558 is a son of HARB Imus, and he recorded a WDA of 3.84 to pair with EPDs of BW 0.9 WW 60 M 30 YW 101.

In the second spot is

602, 603 and 605. These three sons of GAR EGL Protégé consigned by Flat Mountain Ranch of Menahga, Minn. put up an average ADG of 4.30.

Following in second place are three Basin Payweight 107S sons from Sunny Okanogan Angus of Omak, Wash. Lots 544, 545 and 546 had an average ADG of 4.10.

Sealing up the third spot are lots 456, 457 and 460 by 7X Angus Ranch of Alva, Wyo. These Granger 7X Big Sky 888 sons had an average ADG of 3.99.

In a close fourth place are lots 478, 480 and 482, who posted an average ADG of 3.97. These Laflins South Wind 5258 sons are consigned by Hay Cow out of Lincoln, Calif.

Closing out the top five are lots 541, 542 and 543 from Sunny Okanogan Angus. These bulls are sired by Rathbun Road Boss S6364 and posted and average ADG of 3.81.

Top Angus WDA Sire Groups

Paving the way for the lead in the WDA Sire Group division are lots 557, 558 and 559 with an average WDA of 3.70. These three sons of HARB Imus are consigned

by Harrison Angus Ranch of Boyd, Mont.

Coming in a close second are Flat Mountain Ranch consignments by GAR EGL Protégé. Lots 602, 603 and 605 posted an average WDA

a consignment of Raezer Ranch in Lingle, Wyo. Lot 464 is a son of SAV Final Answer 0035 and has a WDA of 3.80 that accompanies EPDs of BW 2.3 WW 62 M 28 YW 106.

In the third spot is lot 603, a GAR EGL Protégé son consigned by Flat Mountain Ranch of Menahga, Mont.

His WDA is 3.78, and that is paired with EPDs of BW 4.2 WW 59 M 26 YW 102.

Closing out the top five is another HARB Imus son from Harrison Angus Ranch in Boyd, Mont. Lot 557 put up a WDA of 3.67 to go with EPDs of BW 0.4 WW 57 M 28 YW 96.

Top Angus ADG Sire Groups

The ADG Sire group competition was tough, with the average ADG being very close.

Leading the Angus ADG Sire Group are lots

The white tag category of the second set of bulls is dominated by Lot 558 a Harrison Angus Ranch consignment from Boyd, Mont.

of 3.58.

In a tie for third with an average WDA of 3.52 are lots 517, 518 and 519

by DHD Traveler 6807 consigned by Willekes Angus of Choteau, Mont. and lots 522, 523 and 524 by Connealy

Mentor 7374 consigned by Bartels Angus of Riverton, Neb.

In fourth place are lots 29, 31 and 32 with an average WDA of 3.47. These GAR Retail Product sons are consigned by 6 Mile Angus

out of Mandan, N.D.

Wrapping up the top five are three Riverbend In Focus T1093 sons that had an average WDA of 3.46; these bulls are consigned by Pristine Springs Angus of Jerome, Idaho.

3 TREMENDOUS SONS OF OPTIMUM IMPACT H GAIN, CARCASS & EFFICIENCY H

#2 ADG g White Ta Group 1

LOT 160 • 2-16-11 ADG

RAT

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

4.14

131

3.47

113

116

39.0

1296

BW

WW

MILK

YW

REA

%IMF

RFI

2.7

62

27

106

102

105

-0.82

#3 WDA g White Ta Group 1

LOT 161 • 2-17-11 ADG

RAT

WDA

YR

IND

SC

BW

WW

MILK

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

3.79

120

3.38

106

111

37.0

2.7

50

26

94

111

93

-0.54

LOT 159 • 2-12-11 ADG

RAT

WDA

YR

IND

SC

BW

WW

MILK

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

3.25

103

3.25

103

105

41.0

2.3

55

27

91

104

131

0.12

This sire group is creating MBT Sire Group Avg. MBT Index: 111 an “Optimum Impact” at all WW Ratio: 112 performance levels and traits!

ADG Ratio: 118

L

LIENETICS

Trevor Lienemann

1020 Angus Blvd. • Princeton, NE. 68404 402-560-5385 • www.lienetics.com

H

YRL ratio: 107 RFI Index: 107 REA Ratio: 106 % IMF Ratio: 110 SC: 39

H

Selling 9 Top Angus Prospects • Growth • Calving Ease • Carcass SPA Credence 111

Featuring 5 Sons of VNAR In Focus 7326

1-13-11

#1 ADG ag White T 1 p u o r G

Lot 85 • Smit Focus Star 1163 ADG

Rat.

4.16

1-30-11 • Sire: VNAR In Focus 7326

#4 WDAg a White T 1 p u o Gr

131

WDA

YR

3.46

119

IND

Lot 258

SC

107

37.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

2.9

43

26

86

107

Out of a Sitz Alliance 6595 bred dam 2 NR 105

ADG

Rat.

3.47

110

WDA

YR

3.33

112

IND 105

36.0

WW

Milk

YW

REA

2.1

51

21

91

102

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.52

111

3.05

109

104

35.0

1247

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

2.0

68

32

111

1.85

101

113

SPA Dam Good 119 1-19-11

Sire: Hoover Dam

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.52

109

3.01

104

104

38.0

1177

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

0.9

50

32

96

1.11

100

125

Lot 262

SC

BW

ADG

Lot 258 combines a 4 generation calving ease pedigree with big spread performance: +68 W EPD +111 Y EPD and a 121 NR, $64.79 $B, $34.73 $W, +0.63 MB +0.43 RE. His sire is a breed leader for Pfizer DNA excellence. Out of an HARB Pendleton 765 JH x LCC New Standard bred dam.

ADG

Lot 88 • Smit Flat Pride 1168

Sire: SQ Credence 675

Out of a GAR Retail Product daughter 1 NR 110 Excellent scan data: Marb +.62 Ratio 108 +.87 REA 103 Ratio

Out of a Vermilion Dateline 7078 “VRD” Daughter

2-9-11 • Sire: Dutch Flat Focus 9608

4 Additional Sons of VNAR In Focus 7326 Avg. ADG 3.42 Avg WDA 3.23 Avg YR 110 1 son of SAV Final Answer 0035 ADG 3.32 WDA 3.10 YR 104

2 Gelbvieh Bulls by Manning Selma Alliance 11 • YR 105 and 106

Lehi, UT ~ 801-768-8388

Several bulls, including our 3 Credence sons and 2 Hoover Dam sons, were selected for the cutting edge Pfizer DNA 50K test which provides Breed Percentile Ranking for the various performance traits. All of our bulls did very well. Look in the catalog for the 50K Breed Percentile Ranking of our Lot 257, 258, 259, 262 and 268 bulls Offering 2 Additional Sons of SQ Credence 675 • 5 Additional Sons of Hoover Dam • 9 Bulls Average 111 Ratio for %IMF

Sioux Pass Angus Carter Miklovich PO Box 152 - Lodge Grass, MT 59050 406-639-2403

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 6

Red Angus bulls stand out as herd bull prospects at midland green tag division is a PIE Code Red 9058 son consigned by Rib Eye Ranches of American Falls, Idaho.

Lot 815 had an ADG ratio of 134 to pair with EPDs of

The Red Angus set of bulls has numerous standout herd bull prospects and tough competition for ADG leaders.

Red Angus Green Tag

Leading the way for the

BW -0.2 WW 43 M 13 YW 82.

Coming in second with an ADG ratio of 127 is a Lakeview Cattle Co. consignment. This LJC Mission

S elling 4 T op A nguS p roSpecTS DF Upward 1535 2-2-11

Statement P27 son, lot 813, has EPDs of BW-0.1 WW 39 M 17 YW 80.

Lot 818 follows in a close third, with an ADG ratio of 122. This Becton Nexus T691 son is consigned by Gibson Cattle Co. and has EPDs of BW -2.6 WW 32 M 14 YW 65.

Following in fourth

is lot 802, consigned by Lakeview Cattle Co. with an ADG ratio of 120. This Bieber Make Mimi 7249 son has EPDs of BW -1.6 WW 34 M 26 YW 63.

Rounding out the top five is lot 771, an AKO Total Dimension 520 son consigned by Hay Cow out of Lincoln, Calif. This bull

by Sitz Upward 307R

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.58

108

3.48

107

108

37.0

1275

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

2.0

58

32

114

-2.44

94

109

Lot 539

Out of a 1407 x Traveler 6807 dam $B 76.60

DF High Prime 1752 1-13-11 ADG

by High Prime 4037

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.58

108

3.49

BW

WW

Milk

109

100

41.0

1305

YW

REA

IMF

$B

1.4

51

23

94

109

106

68.31

Leading the yellow tag division is lot 796 consigned by Kukuipahu Ranch, LLC of Hawi, Hawaii.

Out of a Sitz Alliance 6595 x Rainmaker dam 3NR 101

Lot 536

~ A lSo S elling ~ Lot 534

2-24-11

Lot 537

2-22-11

Sire: High Prime 4037

ADG 3.15 • Rat 95 • WDA 3.61 • YR 111 • IND 106 • SC 40.0 • RFI -1.32 • REA 115 • IMF 89

Sire: Garrets Nationwide 8001

ADG 3.04 • Rat 92 • WDA 3.19 • YR 99 • IND 96 • SC 39.0 • RFI 0.69 • REA 105 • IMF 86

D rySDAle F ArmS , i nc .

Chelsey Mae Drysdale Wabasha, MN • 507-450-5841

Coming in second in the Red Angus green tag division with an ADG ratio of 127 is lot 813 a Lakeview Cattle Co. of American Falls, Idaho.

put up an ADG ratio of 119 to go along with EPDs of BW -1.1 WW 14 M 16 YW 32.

Red Angus Yellow Tag

Setting the pace for the lead in the yellow tag division is bull consigned by Kukuipahu Ranch, LLC of Hawi, Hawaii. An LJC Mission Statement P27 son, lot 796 put up an ADG ratio of 147 to pair with EPDs of BW 0.0 WW 45 M 13 YW 85.

Following in second is another LJC Mission Statement son consigned

by Holden Ranch of Reedpoint, Mont. Lot 750 had an ADG ratio of 139 to go along with EPDs of BW 0.2 WW 41 M 15 YW 87.

In third place is a Red Fine Line Mulberry26P son consigned by Hay Cow of Lincoln, Calif. This bull put up an ADG ratio of 132 to accompany EPDs of BW 0.1 WW 36 M 21 YW 77.

Following in a close fourth place was a 5L Tradesman 1715-6237 son, who is consigned by Hornung Red Angus out of Cottage Grove, Wisc. Lot 944 had an ADG ratio of 130 to go along with EPDs of BW 0.4 WW 37 M 18 YW 79.

Wrapping up the top five is lot 803 by Lakeview Cattle Co. This bull is sired

by Badlands Net Worth 23U and he had an ADG ratio of 129 to accompany EPDs of Continued on next page

Outstanding Set Of Angus Bulls Bred for Growth, efficiency, carcass sire: Gar retail Product

#4 WDA p ou Sire Gr

#2 WDAg a White T 1 p u o Gr

#3 WDA Sire Group by DHD Traveler 6807

HH 3 Flush Brothers HH BW: +2.4 WW +47 Mlk: +32 YW: +90 DW Nationwide 59Y

6 Mile retail design 101

Rat.

WDA

YR

3.42

108

3.49

116

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

SC

IND

SC

RFI

REA

3.85

116

3.52

105

34.0

112

38.0

-2.30

118

RFI

Index

REA

IMF

365

-0.54

110

114

111

1255

Dam is a 1407 daughter 6 NR 110 6 YR 106. Pathfinder dam who is in the top 1% of $Beef cows. She has 43 calves with 107 IMF ratio and 105 REA ratio.

Lot 29

ADG

Out of a SAV 8180 Traveler 004 daughter. 3 NR 107

Lot 60 1-13-11

Sire: Garret’s Nationwide 8001

3-20-11

6 Mile retail design 115 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

SC

4.05

122

3.60

107

35.0

RFI

Index

REA

IMF

365

-0.73

112

117

115

1275

Selling 3 Sons of DHD Traveler 6807 ADG Rat. WDA YR

SC

REA

Lot 517 3.45 104 3.48 108 36.0 127 Lot 518 3.47 105 3.49 107 33.0 105 Lot 519 3.02 91 3.58 110 34.0 112

Lot 519 3-28-11 Also Selling:

Lot 31 Also Selling: Lot 32

3-23-11

3-28-11

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

SC

RFI

Index

REA

IMF

365

3.19

96

3.29

99

33.0

-0.63

100

113

127

1179

Nevada Miller • Mandan, ND • 701-597-3935

57 58 62 63 301 302

2-7-11 2-7-11 1-28-11 1-31-11 2-3-11 1-8-11

Connealy Packer 547 Connealy Packer 547 Garret’s Nationwide 8001 Connealy Industry 5634 Mytty In Focus Mytty In Focus

ADG

3.20 3.65 3.07 3.17 3.22 2.93

Rat.

Sire: Willekes Traveler R186 2Y WDA YR

101 3.28 113 3.27 95 3.28 100 3.19 102 3.36 93 3.18

105 110 107 107 110 104

IND

102 105 102 103 103 100

SC

35.0 36.0 37.0 40.0 40.0 37.0

Willekes Angus 10 Cowboy Way • Choteau, MT 59422 Robert Willekes - (406) 466-2610

RFI

-0.06 0.59 0.57 -0.90 1.09

REA

107 103 102 104 95 104

IMF

112 86 111 101 91 162

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 7

Continued from previous page BW 2.6 WW 50 M 17 YW 92.

Top WDA in Red Angus Green Tag

The WDA category is led by a WDA of 3.74 by a bull consigned by Hay Cow of Lincoln, Calif. Lot 787 was sired by 4L Star Bando R141 and had EPDs of BW -0.8 WW 27 M 22 YW 53.

In second place with a WDA of 3.56 is lot 815 by Rib Eye Ranches of American Falls, Idaho. This bull is sired by PIE Code Red 9058 and had strong EPDs of BW -0.2 WW 43 M 13 YW 82.

Sealing up the third position is a 3 Aces Sideways son consigned by Majestic Meadows of West Friendship, Md. Lot 839 had a WDA of 3.48 and EPDs of BW -1.5 WW 37 M 26 YW 61.

Coming in a close

fourth place is lot 771, who had a WDA of 3.42. This bull is sired by AKO Total Dimension 520 and consigned by Hay Cow; he had EPDs of BW -1.1 WW 14 M 16 YW 32.

And rounding out the top five is lot 771, another 4L Star Bando son by Hay Cow. This bull had a WDA of 3.38 and EPDs of BW -1.6 WW 17 M 17 YW 36.

Top WDA in Red Angus Yellow Tag

Setting the bar high in the yellow tag category for WDA is Lot 784 sired by 4L Star Bando and consigned

by Hay Cow. This bull had a WDA of 3.78 and EPDs of BW 0.9 WW 43 M 12 YW 71.

In the second spot is lot 831 of Welsh Prairie Red Angus of Rio, Wisc. This bull, sired by PIE Code Red

The WDA gree tag category is led by lot 787 a bull consigned by Hay Cow of Lincoln, Calif.

Setting the bar high in the yellow tag category for WDA is lot 784, another bull consigned by Hay Cow of Lincoln, Calif.

LTJ ANGUS Selling at Midland

Lot 10

LTJ Game Changer 112 2/26/11 • Sire: GDAR Game Day 449

ADG

RAT

WDA

IND

SC

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

3.84

118

3.36

108

35

+0.5

+52

+18

+93

0.05

Also Selling Lot 11:

LTJ Cowboss 113

2/27/11 • Sire: BTR Yellowstone 318 ADG

RAT

WDA

IND

SC

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

2.93

88

3.30

106

35

+2.3

+40

+13

+76

-3.90

Tim & Julie Latham Powell, WY (307) 202-1356

9058, had a WDA of 3.65 and EPDs of BW 0.3 WW 45 M 23 YW 88.

Following closely in third is a Red Fine Line Mulberry26P son from Hay Cow. Lot 781 had a WDA of 3.61 to be paired with EPDs of BW 0.1 WW 36 M 21 YW 77.

In fourth place is lot 803, a Lakeview Cattle Co. consignment sired by Badland Net Worth 23U, who had a WDA of 3.50 and EPDs of BW 2.6 WW 50 M 17 YW 92.

Sealing up the fifth spot with a WDA of 3.46, is a son of PIE Code Red 9058, who is consigned by Welsh Prairie Red Angus of Rio, Wisc.

Red Angus ADG Sire Group

The ADG Sire group was very close this year, with the top three within a tenth of a pound.

In first place are lots 777, 779 and 781 with an average ADG of 3.69. These three bulls are consigned by Hay Cow and sired by Red Fine Line Mulberry26P.

In second place with

an average ADG of 3.37 are three bulls sired by PIE Code Red 9058. Lots 826, 828 and 831 are consigned

by Welsh Prairie Red Angus of Rio, Wisc.

Wrapping up the top three with a very strong average ADG of 3.63 are lots 816, 817 and 818, who are sired by Beckton Nexus T691 and consigned by Gibson Cattle Co. Red Angus WDA Sire Group

The WDA Sire Group set the standard high, with an average WDA of 3.63 setting the pace from lots 776, 784 and 787 by Hay Cow of Lincoln, Calif. and sired by 4L Star Bando R141.

Coming in second are lots 826, 828 and 831 from Welsh Prairie Red Angus sired by PIE Code Red 9058 with an average WDA of 3.47.

Closing out the top three are three consignments by Hay Cow. Lots 777, 779 and 781 are sired

by Red Fine Line Mulberry 26P and had an average WDA of 3.46.

Herefords have excellent set of bulls on test

The Herefords are back in force this year with an excellent set of bulls on test, and the top end will sell April 5.

Top Hereford ADG

Leading the way for ADG is lot 1112, a Mohican West consignment of Laurel, Mont. This C New Era son had an ADG ratio of 127 and EPDs of BW 6.6 WW 60 M 22 YW 95.

Following closely in second is a C J H Harland 408 son that is consigned by Craig Herefords of Phippsburg, CO. This bull, lot 1104, had an ADG ratio of 125 to pair with EPDs of BW 3.0 WW 52 M 32 YW 93.

The WDA division is led by a C New Era son out of Mohican West. Lot 1112 had a WDA of 3.28 to go along with EPDs of BW 6.6 WW 60 M 22 YW 95.

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 8

Strong set of bulls on test represents Salers in 2012

The Salers are a strong set of bulls this year with a lot of quality and herd bull prospects. The top end of these bulls will sell April 4 at noon.

Salers Green Tag

Leading the way for the green tag group of the Salers is lot 952 with an ADG ratio of 119. This bull is consigned

by Panther Country Salers of

Leigh, Neb. and sired by OPP Saber 847U; his EPDs are BW 1.8 WW 54 M 21 YW 90.

Coming in a close second is lot 990 of Effertz Key Ranch out of Velva,

Performance Plus #5 ADG g Ta White p 1 Grou

WRAF BEXTOR DENSITY 1401 ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.91

124

3.41

111

111

37.0

1263

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

2.1

55

27

95

100

91

0.47

Lot 175 2-3-11

Dam Production 6 NR 103

SIRE: SAV 004 DENSITY 4336

WRAF DESIGN FINAL ANSWER ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.36

106

3.23

105

108

36.0

1205

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

1.6

58

26

95

102

120

-2.06

Lot 173

Dam Production 4 NR 108

1-28-11

SIRE: SAV FINAL ANSWER 0035

Lot 172 • WRAF Stockman Durham 115 • 2-9-11

by Sitz Bull Durham 10308 ADG 3.42 • Rat 108 • WDA 3.26 • YR 105 • IND 104 • SC 40.0 • REA 102 • RFI 1.92 Lot 174 • WRAF Special Design Density • 2-1-11

by SAV 004 Density 4336 ADG 3.16 • Rat 100 • WDA 3.09 • YR 100 • IND 102 • SC 36.0 • REA 103 • RFI 0.68 Lot 176 • WRAF Right Time Great Divide • 2-7-11 by Limestone Great Divide 0254 ADG 2.84 • Rat 90 • WDA 2.89 • YR 95 • IND 99 • SC 33.0 • REA 105 • RFI 0.26 Lot 177 • Katrinas Universe Game Plan • 1-31-11

by GDAR Game Plan 893 ADG 3.11 • Rat 99 • WDA 2.92 • YR 95 • IND 99 • SC 35.0 • REA 102 • RFI 0.27

Louis, Kathy & Allison Dubs 4910 Custer • Billings, MT 59106 dubs@bresnan.net 406-652-7515 or 406-208-8643

N.D. This bull is sired by 5L Direct Fire 1641-6443 and has EPDs of BW 1.8 WW 43 M 17 YW 82.

Following in third place is a Pro-Char Clyde 79T son also of Effertz Key Ranch.

Lot 989 has EPDs of BW 0.2 WW 45 M 11 YW 88.

Closing out the top four is lot 966 with an ADG ratio of 114. This PS Western Addition E42 son is consigned by Lightning Creek Cattle Co. of Girard, Kan. and has EPDs of BW -1.2 WW 46 M 14 YW 91.

Salers Purple Tag

Setting the pace with an ADG ratio of 134 in the purple tag division for the Salers is lot 1015, an Elm Creek Ranch of Hebron, N.D. consignment. This SAV Pioneer 7301 son has EPDs of BW 0.6 WW 56 M 15 YW 102.

Effertz Key Ranch of Velva, N.D. has the consignment that holds the second spot. Lot 988, who is sired by Pro-Char Clyde 79T, had an ADG ratio of 130 and EPDs of BW 2.6 WW 47 M 11 YW 87.

In third place is lot 1013 of Elm Creek Ranch. This bull is sired by 7X Prime 59 and had an ADG ratio of 129 and EPDs of BW 2.5 WW 56 M 19 YW 109.

Wrapping up the top four with an ADG ratio of 114 is lot 1006, also of Elm Creek Ranch. This bull is sired by GGR P BK Enforcer 300U

He Did It Again!

High Prime 4037

has EPDs of BW 2.9 WW 58 M 26 YW 106.

Top WDA Green Tag Salers

The green tag WDA category in the Salers is won by lot 989, with a WDA of 3.38.

This bull is consigned by Effertz Key Ranch of Velva, N.D. is and sired by Pro-Char Clyde 79T with EPDs of BW 0.2 WW 45 M 11 YW 88.

Second place is taken by a Panther Country Salers consignment with a 3.32 WDA. Lot 952 is sired by OPP Saber 847 U with EPDs of BW 1.5 WW 54 M 21 YW 90.

A WDA of 3.27 takes the third spot by lot 990, who is sired by 5L Direct Fire 1641-6443 and consigned

by Effertz Key Ranch. This bull’s EPDs are BW 1.8 WW 43 M 17 YW 82.

Sealing up the fourth spot is an Elm Creek Ranch consignment with a WDA of 3.15. This bull, lot 1028, is sired by OPP Saber 616S and has EPDs of BW -0.1 WW 44 M 22 YW 99.

Top WDA Purple Tag Salers

The purple tag WDA category was led by a Parke Ranch consignment with a 3.67 WDA. Lot 1038 is sired

by SRS Wanted 0218W and has strong EPDs of BW 1.3 WW 56 M 18 YW 96.

Holding the second spot is a 7X Prime 59 son from Elm Creek Ranch. This bull, lot 1013, had a WDA of 3.61 to pair with EPDs of BW 2.5 WW 56 M 19 YW 103.

Following in the third spot is lot 994 from MJB Ranch in Lodge Grass, Mont.

This bull is sired by TSB Tulsa 82W and had a WDA of 3.52 and EPDs of BW 3.5 WW 57 M 20 YW 115.

Sealing up the final spot in the top four is a consignment of Cornwall Ranch Salers of Riverside, Utah. Lot 979 is a son of OPP 913W of 68T and had a WDA of 3.46 to accompany EPDs of BW 2.5 WW 51 M 25 YW. Salers ADG Sire Groups

The ADG sire group category is led by three Effertz Key Ranch consignments, who are sired by Pro-Char Clyde 79T. These three lots, 988, 989 and 991, had an average ADG of 3.58.

Following closely is an average ADG of 3.48, posted by lots 1004, 1005 and 1006.

These three Elm Creek Ranch consignments are sired by GGT P BK Enforcer 300U.

Following closely in the third spot are three sons of PS Western Addition E42 that had an average ADG of 3.43.

These three bulls are consigned by Lightning Creek Cattle Co. of Girard, Kan. Salers WDA Sire Groups

The WDA sire group is also led by lots 988, 989 and 991 of Effertz Key Ranch and lots 1005, 1006 and 1007 of Elm Creek Ranch, with an average WDA of 3.25. Lots 988, 989 and 991 are sired

by Pro-Char Clyde 79T and lots 1005, 1006 and 1007 are sired by GGT P BK Enforcer 300U.

Following closely in second are three Panther Creek Salers consignments sired by OPP Saber 847 U. Lots 951, 952 and 953 put up a strong average WDA of 3.20.

Closing out the top the WDA sire group are lots 974, 975 and 976, with an average WDA of 3.13. These three MAC Topeka 159T sons are consigned by Ahtanum Valley Salers of Yakima, Wash.

Lot 1401 tops Pinzaugers

The Pinzaugers sell on April 4. Taking lead atop both the ADG and WDA leader boards is lot 1401, a son of WPR Cayenne 904J. This bull is consigned by Wyoming Pinzgauer Ranch out of Sheridan, Wyo. He had an ADG ratio of 118 and a WDA of 3.32, to pair with EPDs of BW -3.3 WW 8 M -6 YW 3.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup Wyoming Livestock Roundup (USPS # 005-774) is published weekly by Maverick Press, Inc. P.O. Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 Periodicals postage paid in Casper, WY Fax 307-472-1781 • email: roundup@wylr.net

Phone 307-234-2700 800-967-1647 www.wylr.net

BW: +1.5 WW: +58 YW: +97 SC: +.67 M: +30 Marb: +.77 RE: +.53 Our Consignment of 6 High Prime sons and grandsons to the Midland Bull Test Ranked number one rib eye and number one Marbling 600 Contemproraries.

They Sell as lots 178 through 185 on Friday, April 6th, 2012 @ Midland

Also selling several sons at the WBCIA Bull Test Sale Saturday, April 7th, 2012 @ Shoshoni

To find out more about what this great sire can do for your program please contact:

~ Bovagene ~ Ben Lawson ~ (307) 334-5005

DENNIS SUN, Publisher • Cell: 307-262-6132 email: dennis@wylr.net

CHRISTY MARTINEZ • Managing Editor • christy@wylr.net SAIGE ALBERT • Editor • saige@wylr.net TRACY ALGER, Production Coordinator • 307-738-2399 • tracy@wylr.net JODY MICHELENA, Advertising Director • jodym@wylr.net CURT COX, Livestock Field Services • 307-630-4604 • curt@wylr.net ANDREA SUN, Circulation/Accounting • andrea@wylr.net DENISE OLSON, Classified Sales Manager • denise@wylr.net APRIL JONES, Account Executive • 307-632-5118 ECHO RENNER, Field Editor • 307-868-9232 • echo@wylr.net Subscription Rates: 1 year: $50; 2 years: $75; 3 years: $110 Postmaster: Send address changes to: paula@wylr.net Wyoming Livestock Roundup • P.O. Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 Member: Wyoming Stock Growers Association • Wyoming Wool Growers Association • Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation • Casper Area Chamber of Commerce • Wyoming CattleWomen • Wyoming Horse Council • Livestock Publications Council • Guardians of the Range Wyoming Renewable Energy Association United States Cattlemen’s Association

This publication is © 2012 by Maverick Press, Inc.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 9

Gelbvieh top end to sell April 4 at Midland

The top end of the Gelbvieh bulls will sell April 4 to kick off the 50th annual Midland Bull Test sale.

Gelbvieh ADG leaders

This year’s ADG leaders were dominated by Middle Creek Farms of Bozeman, Mont. Leading the way is lot 1218 with an ADG ratio of 138, this 113U the Man son has strong EPDs of BW 0.3 WW 47 M 22 YW 85.

Following closely in second is another Middle Creek Farms consignment, lot 1238, a son of Connealy Lead On, had an ADG ratio of 135 to pair with EPDs of BW -0.4 WW 44 M 22 YW 89.

Wrapping up the top three is lot 1233 of Middle Creek Farms. This bull is sired

by Kahuna S705 and had an ADG ratio of 123 to accompany EPDs of BW -1.6 WW 38 M 18 YW 84.

Gelbvieh top WDA

The WDA category is also won by a Middle Creek Farms consignment, sired by

Connealy Lead On. With a WDA of 3.69, lot 1238 had strong performance in ADG and WDA to accompany EPDs of BW -0.4 WW 44 M 22 YW 89.

Coming in a very close second is lot 1218 with a WDA of 3.68. This Middle Creek Consignment is sired by 113U the Man and has EPDs of BW 0.3 WW 47 M 22 YW 85.

Closing out the top three is another Middle Creek consignment sired by 113U the Man. Lot 1220 had a WDA of 3.60 and EPDs of BW 0.9 WW 50 M 18 YW 98.

Gelbvieh ADG Sire Group

The Gelbvieh ADG Sire group is won by three Middle Creek consignments that are sired by 113U the Man. Lots 1217, 1218 and 1220 had an average ADG of 3.76.

Gelbvieh WDA Sire Group

The WDA sire group is also won by lots 1217, 1218 and 1220 by 113U the Man, by Middle Creek Farms of Bozeman, Mont.

Strong set of Simmental bulls to sell

This year the Midland Bull Test had a strong set of Simmental bulls that will sell April 4.

Simmental ADG leaders

Leading the way in the ADG category is lot 1067 of Starling Simmental out of Auburn, Wash. This son of Mr NLC Upgrade U8676 had an ADG of 126 to pair with EPDs of BW 0.5 WW 59 M -7 YW 99.

Following closely in second place is lot 1079, a Promise Land Ranch consignment from Plummer, Idaho. Lot 1079 is a son of GW Premium Beef that posted an ADG Ratio

Simmental sire groups

In the sire group division, taking the title home for average ADG are lots 1050, 1052 and 1053 with an average ADG of 3.62.

These three sons of GW Ebonys Trademark 6N are consigned by Sundberg Farms out of Mendota, Ill.

Taking the title for Average WDA sire group are lots 1083, 1085 and 1086, sired by RC Club King 040R. These three bulls consigned by Elm Creek Ranch of Hebron, N.D. had an average WDA of 3.31 to dominate this sire group category.

of 124 along with EPDs of BW -3.4 WW 27 M 8 YW 65.

Simmental WDA winners

Winning the WDA category we have lot 1062, a son of RC Club King 040R who is consigned by Raezer Ranch of Lingle, Wyo. This bull put up a WDA of 3.79 to accompany EPDs of BW 0.3 WW 45 M 2 YW 82.

Closing out the top two is Lot 1076, a Nelson Family Farms consignment, a son of Duff New Edition that posted an WDA of 3.57 coupled with EPDs of BW 1.5 WW 31 M -1 YW 60.

7 Top Angus Prospects

Lot 1154 sweeps Murray Greys

The will sell ing both category

Murray Greys on April 5. TakADG and WDA is lot 1154, a

son of HD Trekker 98T consigned by Eagle Rock Murray Grey out of Idaho Falls, Idaho. This bull had

an ADG ratio of 117 and a WDA of 2.94, to dominate the Murray Grey ADG and WDA leader boards.

South Devons return with great set of bulls

The South Devons are back with a great set of bulls that will sell April 5 on the second day of the Midland Bull Test Sale.

South Devon ADG leaders

This year’s ADG category is led by lot 1317 with an ADG ratio of 149.

This bull is a consignment of MJB Ranch in Lodge Grass, Mont. and is sired

by BC Progress 315U and has EPDs of BW 1.9 WW 60 M 26 YW 102.

Coming in second is a BCC Freight-

liner2102-8540 son consigned by X-E South Devon Ranch of Moses Lake, Wash. This bull had an ADG ratio of 132 and EPDs of BW 1.4 WW 20 M 11 YW 39.

South Devon top WDA

The WDA category is also won by lot 1317, a BC Progress 315U son by MJB Ranch. This bull had a WDA of 3.65 and EPDs of BW 1.9 WW 60 M 26 YW 102.

Following in second with a WDA of 3.40 is Lot 1343, a Cimarron Big Shot

436P son by MJB Ranch who has EPDs of BW 4.2 WW 60 M 36 YW 114.

ADG, WDA sire groups

MJB Ranch owns the top sire group in both ADG and WDA with sons of BC Progress 315U. Lots 1317, 1318 and 1320 took both the ADG sire group and WDA sire group. These three MJB Ranch consignments had an Average ADG of 3.66 to dominate the sire group. They also had an Average WDA of 3.29 to take the WDA sire group category as well.

Top Braunviehs to sell April 5

The Braunviehs group of bulls have a strong set of bulls on test, and the top end will sell April 5.

Braunvieh ADG leaders

Leading the way for the ADG category is a Ranger 11R son from Diamond H Ranch in Childress, Texas. Lot 1361 had an ADG ratio of 121 to pair with EPDs of BW 2.5 WW 43 M 34 YW 64.

Following in a close second, a Brink Livestock consignment of Piedmont, Kan. was lot 1365 with an ADG ratio of 119. This son of Vista 11L E530 P588 also has strong EPDs of BW 2.6 WW 55 M 35 YW 79.

Top Braunvieh WDA

Lot 1365 wins the WDA category from Brink Livestock with a WDA of

3.04. This Vista 11L E530 P588 son also has solid EPDs of BW 2.6 WW 55 M 35 YW 79

Tying for second are two JBB 6465 sons consigned by J Bar Braunvieh out of Hedley, Texas, lots 1350 and 1351, with a WDA of 2.73. Lot 1350 has EPDs of BW 0.3 WW 31 M 29 YW 51. Lot 1351 also has strong EPDs of BW 2.9 WW 36 M 30 YW 36.

ADG, WDA sire groups

The sire group including sons of JBB 6465 dominated both ADG and WDA categories. Lots 1350, 1351 and 1352 had an average ADG of 2.43 and an average WDA of 2.71, to take home both titles for sire groups.

Quality • Performance

S S C7 Y82 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.75

119

3.18

104

108

37.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

2.6

57

39

105

99

95

Out of a Mytty In Focus daughter 2 NR 110 • 1 YR 112

Lot 189 1-27-11

Sire: Sydgen CC&7

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.63

113

3.06

98

103

32.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

1.5

54

30

99

107

156

Out of a Mytty In Focus daughter 3 NR 108 • 1 YR 108

Lot 195 2-13-11

Sire: B/R New Day 454

2 Additional Sons of Sydgen CC&7

Lot 190 1/29/11 ADG 3.38 Rat. 107 IND 103 SC 37.0 Lot 191 1/8/11 ADG 3.81 Rat. 121 IND 104 SC 37.0

REA 95 REA 105

RFI -0.59 IMF 107

3 Additional Sons of B/R New Day 454

Lot 192 3/4/11 ADG 3.66 Rat. 114 IND 108 SC 35.0 RFI 0.26 REA 116 IMF 99 Lot 194 2/2/11 ADG 3.57 Rat. 111 IND 105 SC 37.0 RFI -1.90 REA 107 IMF 121 Lot 196 1/16/11 ADG 3.83 Rat. 119 IND 109 SC 35.0 RFI -4.24 REA 101 IMF 114

SS

2-22-11 DKK Irresistible 169 Sire: Messmer Packer 5008

Stewart Select Angus 1601 N. County Rd. 200E ~ Greensburg, IN 47240 812-614-1082

Lot 868 2-8-11 DKK Bold 141 Sire: LJC Mission Statement P27

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365da

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365da

3.30

107

3.34

114

108

38.0

1221

3.50

113

3.14

104

108

34.0

1183

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

-0.7

44

19

80

105

102

-0.45

0.6

40

17

80

100

94

-2.84

Dam MPPA 109.5 • 4 NR 113 • 1 YR 112

S S New Day Y131 ADG

Lot 857

~ ALSO SELLING ~ • 2 Additional Sons of DKK Ultimate 9032 • 2 Additional Sons of Messmer Packer 5008 • 2 Sons of 5L Norseman King 2291 • 2 Sons of Red Crowfoot Ole’s Oscar • 1 Additional Son of LJC Mission Statement P27 • 1 Son of C-T Big Chief 0934 • 1 Son of C-T Thunderbird 0811

Dam MPPA 102.6 • 2 NR 105 • 1 YR 110

Lot 867 2-8-11

DKK Prestige 140 Sire: DKK Ultimate 9032

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365da

3.38

109

3.12

103

101

40.0

1175

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

0.6

40

17

80

94

103

1.48

Dam MPPA 106 • 2 NR 111 • 1 YR 118

Dave & Kay Klompien

8129 Amsterdam Rd • Manhattan, MT 59741 (406) 282-7537 • Cell (406) 581-4043

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 10

Source-verified products can give consumers confidence in beef production

The question of the value of source-verifying cattle has become even more important as high prices dominate the markets, and meat scientist Chris Calkins from the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources says source-verified products give consumers confidence about the production of beef.

“We did a project in collaboration with USDA and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture that deals with the source-verified question,” mentions Calkins. “If we are going to source-verify and market that way, there

are some associated costs.

The question is the best way to determine what the premiums should be to provide that financial incentive.”

Calkins notes that the project had three primary objectives: to organize a pilot project introducing sourceverified steak into restaurants; determine the value of source-verification to consumers; and identify the best method to communicate information to consumers.

Multi-phase approach

“We took two approaches,” explains Calkins.

“The first was in a series of online surveys conducted

with over 1,000 customers.”

Customers from six high-end restaurants were asked to participate in the online survey after dining.

To provide incentive, UNL offered a small gift certificate for desserts or extras at the restaurants.

Of the customers completing an online survey, approximately 200 from three restaurants were selected to participate in an exclusive “steak-tasting” event.

“Customers received a coupon good for $25 off the price of a steak,” explains Calkins. “As they chose steaks, some cost more than

the $25, and that was our intent – to make it real.”

Taste testing

In the second phase of the project, consumers were offered a choice of four steaks from a specialty menu, with the amount of information and detail provided about each steak being the primary difference in the products.

“One steak was a generic with no origin identified, and we had a second that was identified as from the Midwest. The third choice was a steak from Nebraska, and the fourth was source-verified to a particular ranch in Nebraska,” Calkins says. “We did the work to make sure that we could, in fact, trace the steaks all the way back – the information wasn’t fictitious.”

Calkins explains that, as more information for their source was provided with each steak, costs increased, and customers would be responsible for paying the difference in price above $25.

“We designed the project so we didn’t just get peoples’ attitudes, we got their behavior and what they would do in the real world,” Calkins notes.

The meaning of sourceverification

When asked to list the factors considered in choosing a steak, customers didn’t mention traceability of the product until fourteenth on the list, below tenderness, cut and price.

“If you look at just these results, you might have thought that source verification goes out the window,” says Calkins. “However, customers use source verification to indicate other things about that product, and that’s where the value comes.”

Calkins explains that the key observation from the

HERD BULL ALERT! LOT 947 113 WW Ratio 115 YW Ratio 106 %IMF Ratio 124 REA Ratio 102 Gain Ratio 109 MBT Ratio 87 BW 795 Actual WW 876 205 Adj WW 1316 Adj WW 3.82 %IMF 15.0 REA 3.18 ADG -1.26 RFI

CRUMP 300 ULTRA MAGNUM Y106 CED BW WW YW MILK TM ME HPG CEM 3 0.3 56 95 10 38 -1 14 7

STAY 12

MARB YG CW REA 0.3 -0.06 51 0.35

SELLInG AT Fat 0

APRIL 5, 2012

A Destination son out of a very moderate, low birth weight 554T daughter, Y106 was an attractive calf from birth with an unbelievable top and hindquarter. This calf comes from a sire known for a great disposition and Y106 excels in this area as well. This bull will be heavily used in our program for his phenotype, foot structure, disposition, deep flank, outcross pedigree and to add tons of power in a moderate package.

CRUMP RED ANGUS Jesse & Charity Crump ~ 307-736-2282 966 Middle Prong Rd. ~ Gillette, WY 82716

Conducting a steak survey

The object of a multi-phase project conducted by the University of Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the USDA was the importance of traceability in beef products, but the group recognized that consistency among the steaks served was important to achieve accurate results.

Regardless of origin, all steaks served in the study were 14-ounce strip loin steaks aged at least 28 days.

The steaks were classified as upper two-thirds Choice and shipped fresh to restaurants.

“The primary difference was the amount of information provided,” explains meat scientist at the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Chris Calkins. “The prices also varied.”

“We allowed the restaurant chefs to do the cooking, so we didn’t interfere with that process, but they were all cooked on gas grills to doneness as ordered by the patron,” adds Calkins, noting that each restaurant provided the associated side dishes.

The restaurants utilized in the project were classified as high-end steak restaurants.

“These restaurants were a destination where customers would go to order a quality steak,” he notes. “The restaurants provided us our target consumer.”

Of the consumers surveyed in the first phase, Calkins mentions that 76 percent of the participants consume beef on a weekly basis, and, of those, 52 percent prepare beef in the home one to two times each week, while 48 percent consume beef outside the home one to two times per week.

“Thirty percent of our target consumers dined out once or twice a month and 28 percent dine out every week,” says Calkins. “Most people don’t eat out quite that often. This is your average consumer of a high-end steakhouse – not your average consumer overall.”

study is in what consumers expect from a source verified product.

“If a steak says ‘Nebraska Source-Verified,’ consumers are convinced it will be premium quality, corn-fed beef that is highgrade, flavorful and tender,” he explains. “In other words, when beef is source-verified and there is accountability in to the system, consumers believe you have made a promise that they will get a high-quality steak.”

One in five consumers believe that a source-verified product confirms people who care about the land and the animals raised the product, according to Calkins.

Paying the premium

Calkins also mentions that consumers were willing to pay a premium for source-verified beef, as long as it was to either the state or ranch level.

“Two-thirds of the patrons who ordered steaks knew the state or ranch of origin,” says Calkins of the study. “When they could identify the ranch from which that animal came from, they were willing to pay an extra $8.75 at high-end restaurant prices. If you could tell them the state, that was worth $4.74.”

With a five- to nine-dollar premium for each steak, Calkins says he believes there is enough incentive to encourage source-verification in the system. However, verification above state-level wasn’t valuable for consumers.

“If we just said the steak came from the Midwest, that didn’t mean any value to the customers at all,” he notes. “It wasn’t better than a generic steak.”

When consumers were asked whether they would pay more for source-verified beef, 60 percent said they would, but Calkins adds that 65 percent of consumers were willing to pay more for the product.

After conducting the survey and analyzing data, Calkins concludes, “The project clearly indicates that customers care about where their meat comes from, they are willing to pay a premium for that, and they understand that source-verification can translate to a promise of quality.”

Calkins presented the results of the project at the Range Beef Cow Symposium in late 2011. Saige Albert is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Getting the information out

Chris Calkins, meat scientist at the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, notes that the wait staff at high-end restaurants may be a valuable tool that the beef industry doesn’t utilize as much as it could.

After conducting a study in cooperation with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and USDA, Calkins presented results at the Range Beef Cow Symposium in late November 2011.

“Though almost half of people don’t think they need advice in ordering, when people do need advice, 92 percent of the time they consult with the wait staff,” says Calkins.

“We think about the fact that we have our highest-priced items on the plate being prepared and served by the lowerpaid employees in the restaurant,” he continues. “The wait staff considers themselves to be professionals, and they were anxious, interested and open to learning more about the project and the product they were serving.”

The opportunity to utilize wait staff in educating the public about beef could be important, Calkins notes, adding, “We have a conduit to the consumers through the wait staff that we could do more with than we do now.”

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 11

Clear communication at the local level helps to get the ag message across

“I’m here to tell you that the problem isn’t what people don’t know about agriculture, but it’s that too much of what they do know isn’t so,” says sixth generation Nebraska rancher and agriculture advocate Trent Loos of LoosTales.

Loos emphasizes the importance of agriculture in America today, and the rising importance of attempting to correctly educate the public about what agriculture does every day.

“Ninety-nine percent of people don’t have a clue that what we do is protect the environment and convert natural resources into a consum-

able product,” Loos adds.

“That’s why each one of us has to accept responsibility to tell the story.”

Sphere of influence

Loos continues that, while it may not seem like an average farmer or rancher interacts with many people who aren’t familiar with the industry, the importance of making sure their local community is well informed is important.

“You may not – and probably will not – share your story in 28 states and three countries like I have, but it is correcting the misinformation that you hear in

your local community that is so important,” says Loos.

“When you hear information that you know is not true, you have two choices – you can do the easy thing and walk away, or you can turn around and say, ‘That’s not right.’

That’s all it takes to fix the situation.”

As the public remains uninformed, or misinformed, he points out that bad regulations and the onslaught of anti-agriculture movements will continue.

For example, Loos says, “Every misinformed regulation is there because someone was given bad information.”

Tough questions: hormones

Trent Loos, sixth generation Nebraska rancher and agriculture advocate of LoosTales, notes that in interacting with the public, one of the topics he is frequently faced with is the use of hormones in beef production.

Loos says that a number of women ask him, “What are you putting in the beef supply that is causing our girls to enter puberty 18 months before their mothers and 24 months before their grandmothers?”

The hormone used in beef production – estrogen – has been negatively portrayed as being detrimental to society.

“A three-ounce serving of conventionally produced beef has 1.89 nano grams of estrogen in it,” explains Loos. “The average amount of estrogen in a cabbage leaf is 2,000 nano grams.”

Loos continues, “The average birth control pill has 34,000 nano grams of estrogen.”

Because of the propaganda against hormones use in the beef industry, the American public is falsely worried about the

safety of the beef supply.

In the European Union (EU), where hormones aren’t utilized, the age of puberty for girls is the same – 18 months before their mothers and 24 months before their grandmothers, showing little correlation between hormone use and changes in health.

Rather, to explain the biological changes seen in youth, Loos looks to societal changes. Loos likens puberty in girls to that of heifers, asking, “What do we do if we want our heifers to reach puberty and calve by 24 months of age? We feed them.”

As heifers reach a high enough percentage of body fat, they are exposed to a prostaglandin, either by introduction of a bull or the hormone directly. If heifers haven’t reached the proper body fat percentage, they do not respond to the hormone.

“Our girls today have a higher percentage of body fat, and they have more exposure to sex,” says Loos, adding that, just like heifers, a higher percentage of girls are going to respond by entering puberty at a younger age.

Make a connection

As agriculturalists begin to share their story, however, Loos also mentions the importance of connecting with an audience. Establishing what agriculture is plays a role in educating and making a connection with the public.

In one instance, as Loos addressed a group of 20 students, asking each of them to define what agriculture is, he notes that each student provided a different answer.

“We complain about people not knowing what it is that we do,” he says, “but we don’t send the same message ourselves.”

Conveying the goals of the industry is also important.

He adds that for many operations, one of the most important parts of agriculture is passing on the farm or ranch from generation to generation.

“Does a soccer mom in New York or even in Scottsbluff, Neb. care about the dream of passing our farming operation from one generation to the next? Absolutely not,” he says. “Until we learn how to share what it is that we are passionate about in a way that affects the audience and their life, we will continue to have a disconnect.”

Sharing a story that is relevant to everyone will help to bridge the knowledge gap between the American public and the agriculture industry.

Jargon gets us in trouble

As we share our mes-

“Until we learn how to share what it is that we are passionate about in a way that affects the audience and their life, we will continue to have a disconnect.” – Trent Loos, Nebraska rancher and agriculture advocate sage, Loos comments that too often, farmers and ranchers tend to get caught up in the lingo they use daily, but others are unfamiliar with.

As an example, Loos tells a story about talking to his wife on the phone while he was in an airport about their goatherd, which was kidding at the time.

“The lady sitting next to me was not impressed that my wife had just had triplets and I was on an airplane,” he comments, “and I started thinking about all the ways that we communicate and how people might never understand what we are talking about.”

For people unfamiliar with agriculture jargon, such as castrating calves or using semen, overhearing the terms in a conversation can cause confusion or even alarm.

Loos encourages producers to think about how they communicate every day and ask themselves, “Are people understanding what you are saying?”

Watch your language

The negative connotations of the industry are also prevalent, and Loos says that farmers and ranchers sometimes unknowingly perpetu-

ate that angle.

“I take great issue with broadcasters who talk about ‘slaughtering’ cattle day in and day out,” he says. “For those of us in animal agriculture, we are doing a tremendous job of respectfully harvesting animals.”

“It’s not about being politically correct,” Loos continues. “It is about the great respect that we have in taking an animal’s life. We respectfully take the lives of plants and animals so that we can improve human lives.”

Utilizing language that properly conveys the actions taken by agriculturalists may also improve the light cast on the industry and the public perception of agriculture.

At the end of the day, Loos says, “The absolute answer to dealing with this issue is getting the information to the people and making sure people get the correct information.”

Trent Loos addressed attendees of the Range Beef Cow Symposium held Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2011 in Mitchell, Neb. Saige Albert is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@uwyo.edu.

The Home of Granger 7X Big Sky 888 Connealy onward x Hyline SVF rito 1116 Big Sky was the high indexing bull on test at Midland in 2009! This young sire should transmit superior feed efficiency to his offspring as he is the second bull calf out of his dam to top the WDA competition at Midland along with possessing Genestar® MVP ratings of -2.0 for Tenderness (top 20%) and -1.46 for Feed Efficiency (top 40%).

HiS SonS WErE THE #3 ADG SirE GrouP AT MiDlAnD THiS yEAr! BW: +4.1 WW: +69 yW: +121 Milk: +29 SC: +1.05 MArB: +.15 rE: +.68 $W: +28.57 $F: +57.35 $G: +17.55 $B: +66.65

Lot 456 7X Big Daddy 241

1/16/11

Sire: Granger 7X Big Sky 888

Lot 457 7X Big Daddy 451 Sire: Granger 7X Big Sky 888

ADG

rat.

WDA

yr

ind.

SC

4.09

124

2.86

91

101

35.0

4.16

126

3.33

100

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

BW

WW

Milk

YW

I+2.1

I+58

I+29

I+105

1.92

1173

I+4.6

I+59

I+25

I+102

This bull has a NR of 102 Very docile moderate frame and high growth potential. his sire is the 2009 Midland high indexing bull.

HE should transfer good feed efficiencies and growth to any herd.

ADG

rat.

WDA

yr

2/2/11

7X Day Break 61r

1/7/11

Sire: MCC Daybreak

SC

ADG

rat.

WDA

yr

ind.

SC

109

37.0

3.99

123

3.15

108

108

32.0

RFI

365 da

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

-0.41

1308

I+1.3

I+68

I+27

I+119

1.13

1318

ind.

Dam has had 5 calves with an average NR of 101 and a average birth weight of 72 lbs. dam has always raised top notch calves with very good dispositions. this bulls NR is 103 and should produce the right kind of calves for anyone’s operations.

His dam is a first calf heifer competing at the top of the herd. Grand dams NR is 118. Sire is the Number one for profitability in the abs sire alliance. This bull is low birth High growth potential and boasts a huge $B value. You will not find them like this very often.

lot 454 7X Big Daddy 621 2/1/11 Sire: Granger 7X Big Sky 888

ADG rat. WDA yr ind. SC BW WW Milk yW rFi 365 da 3.62 109 3.14 94 105 37.0 +2.3 +55 +22 +98 -1.64 1121 This bull has a NR of 103. amd will make front pasture cattle. Dam is a good fushey beef cow with a docile personality and his sire is the 2009 Midland high indexing bull.

lot 452 7X Big Daddy 31 1/5/11 Sire: Granger 7X Big Sky 888 ADG rat. WDA yr ind. SC BW WW Milk yW rFi 365 da 3.69 111 2.94 93 100 34.0 +2.5 +56 +28 +102 0.86 1238 When this bull was born you could see his potential as a herd sire. His dam boasts a NR of 101 for 3 calves with a calving interval of 336 days. His sire was the Midland high indexing angus bull of 2009. This is an outstanding young sire prospect.

lot 455 7X Big Daddy 391 1/31/11 Sire: Granger 7X Big Sky 888

lot 453 7X Big Daddy 431 2/1/11 Sire: Granger 7X Big Sky 888 ADG rat. WDA yr ind. SC BW WW Milk yW rFi 365 da 3.69 111 2.93 90 100 33.0 +2.6 +53 +26 +96 0.79 1075 His half brother was the 2011 Champion ADG Bull here at midland. And a midland index score of 122. This the last natural calf out of this cow. She boasts an impressive NR of 9 at 108. Well built with the right genetics and the disposition, This folks is a bull built for the cowman that is looking to add more profit to his sale barn check.

Lot 458

Wayne & Kevie Morrison (307) 467-5475 Cell (307) 575-9555 wayne@7xranches.com

ADG rat. WDA yr ind. SC BW WW Milk yW rFi 365 da 3.51 106 2.96 91 104 35.0 +4.4 +61 +26 +106 -1.23 1096 His sire carried a -1.42 for RFI when he was here at midland in 2009. His dam is very fleashy even on lean pastures. This bull carries a 115 NR. This is the kind of bull that builds health free moving calves.

lot 460 7X Big Daddy 281 1/20/11 Sire: MCC Daybreak

ADG rat. WDA yr ind. SC BW WW Milk yW rFi 365 da 3.71 112 3.10 101 106 33.0 +2.4 +60 +22 +107 1210 Dam is a first calf heifer. Great udder attachments and tracks very well good maternal instincts. Dam bred back with ease. Sire is the Midland bull test high indexing angus bull of 2009. This bull NR 112 and has a good solid moderate birth weight.

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 12

USDA estimates that half of national cowherd is now in full-time beef operations

USDA’s annual estimates of the number of livestock operations in the U.S. showed surprisingly little damage to beef cow operations numbers in 2011.

“We say ‘surprisingly little’ because we had expected larger reductions due to the drought in Southwestern states last year,” says the CME Group.

The data, however, show little change from past national trends. There remain 734,000 beef cow operations in the U.S., down 8,000 from 2010. The 2011 number is just over

160,000 lower than in 1993.

The land-extensive nature of cow-calf operations and the fact that there are few other uses of grasslands are major reasons for the large number of beef cow operations.

State data would very likely tell a different tale, especially for Oklahoma and Texas, but state-level data for operations by size are now only available every five years in the Census of Agriculture, the latest of which was published in 2007.

Small herds dominate

When it comes to the

number of operations, small herds still dominate the U.S. beef cow sector.

There were still 583,000 herds with inventories of one to 49 cows last year.

That is down 5,000 from the 2010, but is generally on the same trend line that has existed since 2004.

The increase in small herd numbers in 2007 was primarily due to a change in estimation procedures at USDA. The increase in the smallest category of herds was largely offset by reduction in the next two smallest (50 to 99 head and 100 to 499 head) categories of operations. Both of those categories also lost numbers in 2011, with the number of operations having 50 to 99 head declining by 1,000 to 81,000, and those having 100 to 499 head falling by 2,100 to 64,200.

According to the USDA report, large beef cow operations are still rather rare. In the entire

country, there are only 50 operations with 5,000 or more cows, and only 280 with 2,000 to 4,999 cows.

An estimated 5,470 operations had between 500 and 1,999 beef cows last year, and numbers for all of those size categories have been very stable since 1998, when they were first estimated by USDA. Herd shares by size

A look at herd shares by size group shows a different picture, of course, but even here the stability of the beef cow-calf sector and the dominance of small herds are pretty remarkable.

First, consider that operations with fewer than 500 cows held 83 percent of all of the cows in inventory in 2011. That compares to a total share of 86 percent in 1993, indicating a substantial amount of staying power for these small herds. Those three smallest categories accounted for 99 percent of

Selling 6 Angus & 6 Simmental Bulls Growth

Carcass

•

SF Upward 131

A N G U S

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

3.40

106

3.07

BW

WW

Milk

1.7

57

35

all operations. The smallest herds (one to 49 head) account for 79.4 percent of all operations and hold 28 percent of the cows – not far off from the old 80 to 20 rule.

It is noteworthy, however, that within these three smallest size categories, it is the 100- to 499-cow category that has gained over the years (plus four percent since 1993), while the two smallest groups have lost a combined seven percent. We would characterize the 100 to 499 group as the smallest of the “professional” cow-calf operations, since they are more likely to be full-time pursuits, where smaller operations are generally part-time or hobby pursuits. There are very few, if any, families that

Bluegrass Emulation EXT 104 ADG

YR

Ind.

SC

3.58

111

3.27

108

106

36.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

REA

-0.2

45

20

84

1226

121

12-28-10

by N Bar Emulation EXT

Bluegrass Frontman 142

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

3.57

113

3.17

102

108

33.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

REA

1.4

52

26

87

1170

111

Lot 209

1-15-11 by S A V Bismarck 5682 Dam Production 1 NR 106

365

ADG

101

106

40.0

1141

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

111

111

116

-1.40

Rat

WDA

YR

3.81

120

3.38

BW

WW

Milk

0.4

54

29

Ind.

SC

Feed efficiency RFI -0.58

Out of a daughter of Bonny 6 NR 106 • 2 YR 105

Lot 223 1-17-11 by Kesslers Frontman R001

Bluegrass Rainmaker 118

IND

SC

365

108

111

39.0

1233

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

3.77

119

3.24

106

107

37.0

96

111

103

-1.31

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

REA

1.5

51

24

91

1210

104

Also 2 sons of BC Big Daddy 702-5, 1 son of Connealy Right Answer 746 and 1 son of Connealy Forward

Feed efficiency RFI 0.63

Out of a daughter of Bonny 8 NR 108 • 2 YR 104

Trademark’ SF Y134

#1 Simmental ADG Sire Group

12-18-10 by GWS Ebonys Trademark 6N

WDA

Feed efficiency RFI 1.03

Lot 221

SC

Lot 1050

Rat.

This is the last bull out of our Bonny 900 cow, the dam of the World Champion Pen of Bulls.

7 NR 109 • 5 YR 108

SF Bismark 176

IND

Trademark’s SF Y05

can live on the profits from 100 beef cows in today’s economy.

The flip side of this is that full-time cow-calf operations (in which we include the 100 to 499 category) now hold 54 percent of all beef cows.

That is an increase of five percent – but only five percent – since 1993. It still means that barely half of the national herd is in hands that depend upon those cows for a living.

We believe this leaves a substantial portion of the beef supply chain that may not respond predictably or quickly to economic signals. While smaller than in the past, this “slowresponse” sector is still large enough to complicate adjustments in the beef sector. – CME Group

Selling 8 Top BLUEGRASS Bulls

Efficiency

•

Lot 206

12-25-10 by Sitz Upward 307R Dam Production 2 NR 107 2 YR 103

“Barely half of the national herd is in hands that depend upon those cows for a living.” – CME Group

Lot 224

1-3-11

by Sitz Rainmaker 6169

ALSO SELLING:

S I M M E N T A L

LOT 222

12-26-10 by GWS Ebonys Trademark 6N

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.41

108

3.30

103

105

37.0

3.75

119

3.14

102

100

36.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

REA

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

REA

-0.8

32

-1

60

1208

109

-1.1

25

2

55

1196

105

Feed efficiency RFI -0.57

We will have joint owned ET bulls selling in the McDonnell Beef Country Sale May 8, 2012 Bowman, ND

SUNDBERG FARMS 906 N. 39th Rd • Mendota, IL 61342 John 815-866-4367 Michael 815-539-7836

Sire: Kesslers Frontman R001

WW

Milk

YW

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

REA

0.9

+51

22

87

3.44

109

3.02

99

104

35.0

-0.24

114

LOT 225

Lot 1052

1-3-11

BW

1-7-11

Sire: SAV Bismarck 5682

BW

WW

Milk

YW

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

REA

1.3

57

27

100

3.32

105

3.05

102

103

38.0

0.77

112

LOT 226

1-12-11

Sire: SAV Bismarck 5682

BW

WW

Milk

YW

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

REA

-1.4

58

25

101

3.52

109

2.96

104

106

36.0

-0.04

107

LOT 228

1-13-11

Sire: S Chisum 6175

BW

WW

Milk

YW

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

REA

2.9

64

27

111

3.43

108

3.19

105

106

36.0

0.80

107

LOT 229

1-22-11

Sire: Rito 707 of Ideal 533 70

BW

WW

Milk

YW

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

REA

1.6

24

15

49

3.57

113

3.06

98

101

38.0

2.82

96

BLUEGRASS ANGUS FARM Bill Riecken • (402) 687-2181 email: bluegrassangus@huntel.net 612 County Road U • Lyons, NE 68038

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 13

Marshall: Producers should focus on the top line to create and capture value

According to Troy Marshall of Marshall Cattle Company in Burlington, Colo., creating value in a calf crop is a two-part effort – creating the value in the first place, and then capturing it from the finished product.

“Creating value isn’t very exciting, because it’s pretty simple,” says Marshall. “Put the best genetics with the best management in nutrition, and market the calves as effectively as possible. The tough part is how to go about capturing that value.”

“It won’t be hard for cow/calf producers to garner high prices in the next several years,” says Marshall. “We’re in a situation where there’s a tremendous amount of overcapacity in the industry, which is good news for cow/calf producers.”

However, he says there’s a lot of competition for only a few calves, which creates a challenge in capturing value.

“The feeders have to have the lower-end calves, too, and they’ll pay to acquire them, so the better cattle will be caught subsidizing them,” explains Marshall. “We’re in a sellers’ market, with good prices, and it’s easy to sell calves to many willing buyers.”

Market demands uniform, consistent cattle

At the production level, Marshall says producers know what they need to do in terms of genetics, efficiency and production, both on the maternal and terminal side of things.

“With higher input costs, pounds continue to rule,” he says. “They will continue to feed these cattle to high weights, so we’ll have to have efficient growth that’s compositionally right, and I think we’ll see more heterosis and use of breed complimentarity.”

Marshall also expects to see more AI and shorter breeding seasons to reach a goal of uniformity and consistency, which he says will become more crucial to help manage risk and slot cattle to the right outcome groups.

He also says, on the feeding side, health is important in creating value.

“It affects performance, carcasses and the bottom line all the way through,” he notes.

“Proper vaccination, nutrition and mineral programs are crucial.”

Price spreads will widen

Marshall questions whether price spreads will

increase.

“They haven’t up to this point, but as we move through the cycle and start to see herd numbers expand again, and as the industry gets rationalized from a supply and demand standpoint, we’ll start to see the price spreads widen again,” he predicts, adding, “The value differences between the good and bad cattle have literally exploded.”

“I was really excited 10 or 15 years ago when we started moving to grid marketing and seeing the value differences in cattle,” says Marshall. “That revolutionized the industry and sparked the whole carcass movement and selection for carcass merit. While we all read the reports of the set of calves that brings $96 per head premium, the average feedyard guy is pretty happy getting a $20 to $30 premium on those cattle when he sells them on a grid basis. Those are significant dollars, and they changed the industry. We’ll see those targets continue to tighten down, and see more price differentiation, so there will be more potential marketing on these grids.”

In addition to grids, Marshall says he also sees a shift to program cattle.

“These aren’t cattle that are superior in any way, but they’re cattle that fit the programs for retailers, the export market, etc. The program cattle see premiums run around $100 per head, so there is a

ber 45-cent costs of gain in the pre-ethanol days, even though they weren’t that long ago,” he notes. “Then, if we put 800 pounds on a calf, it cost about $360. If we put that same weight on today, we’re seeing costs of gain projected at $1.20.”

However, Marshall says value can be added with just a 10 percent increase in feed efficiency.

“With that increase, we’re seeing a value difference of $30 per hundredweight on a five-weight steer,” he notes.

However, he says those values bring added risk.

“At CattleFax the rule of thumb is that in a year prices will vary by 21 percent from high to low,” he states. “When we go from $80 to $110 per head in the fat market, that increases the amount of risk by $75 per head, which is pretty dramatic. Our customers and the people down the supply chain will look for ways to mitigate that risk, and uniformity and consistency will be big components.”

Spend time on the top line

“This market is changing and we have to remain flexible,” continues Marshall.

“There’s a lot of difference between three-dollar corn and a five-dollar Choice/Select spread and seven-dollar corn and a $20 Choice/Select spread, in terms of what kind of cattle you want. We saw that spread go from four dollars to $19 in just a 60- to 70-day window this fall. This

The Top Red Angus Gainer... ...Straight from Hawaii LOT 796

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

4.55

147

3.13

101

114

BW

WW

Milk

YW

SC

0.0

45

13

85

38.0

#1 ADG 12-16-10

Sire: LJC Mission Statement P27

LOT 799

KPHU 1001 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

3.59

116

3.11

103

103

BW

WW

Milk

YW

SC

0.5

42

14

79

37.0

Out of a Messmer Judge daughter

12-15-10

Sire: 5L Norseman King 2291

Also Selling: Lot 797 12-19-10 Sire: LJC Mission Statement P27 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

BW

WW

Milk

YW

3.13

101

3.08

106

101

38.0

-0.3

49

21

93

KuKuipahu Ranch LLc

Hawi, HI ~ 808-889-0002 • 808-345-8789

2 High Performers At Midland JDD Totus Medius 117

1/24/11

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.51

108

3.41

111

107

38.0

1285

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

REA

IMF

1.5

69

35

117

1.06

112

88

Dam Production: 3 NR 119 2 YR 107

Lot 443

Execution is key to marketing

“Even though there’s more opportunity to capture value, there’s also more competition, and we as producers will have to do a very good job if we’ll capture it,” says to Troy Marshall of Marshall Cattle Company in Burlington, Colo.

“Marketing is not rocket science, but it comes down to execution,” he continues. “How many producers spend 20 to 30 hours per year working on waters and chopping ice? How many spend that much time designing marketing programs and marketing their calves? That tells us a lot about our mindset – we’re very productionoriented and we have to put more time into differentiating ourselves, putting more into customer focus and asking ourselves what it will take to make a satisfied customer.”

Marshall mentions a quote from a former GE CEO: “The only truly sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to learn and adapt faster than your competition.”

“The key there is information,” he notes. “To capture value, we’ll not only collect information on cattle all the way through the system, but we also have to have the means to provide that information back to ourselves.”

KPHU 1007

Dam MPPA 101.0

“We in the industry spend a lot of time on the cost side of things, and on lowering our costs, which will remain crucial, but in the future we’ll spend more time focusing on the benefits and the top line to capture and create value in the future.” – Troy Marshall, Marshall Cattle Company lot of opportunity and there are value differences, so if we do a good job there’s potential to capture it,” he explains.

Efficiency whittles down costs

Where there used to be a $300 difference between the high and low in a set of cattle, Marshall says that now pens of cattle placed at the same time on the same market and going out on the same market now may see the average value differences in a pen approach $300.

“I can hardly remem-

Range Beef Cow Symposium in Mitchell, Neb. in late 2011.

Christy Martinez is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at christy@wylr. net.

future we’ll spend more time focusing on the benefits and the top line to capture and create value in the future,” he predicts.

Troy Marshall presented his information at the 2011

market has changed dramatically several times on us.”

“We in the industry spend a lot of time on the cost side of things, and on lowering our costs, which will remain crucial, but in the

Sire: Summitcrest Complete 1P55

JDD Total 145 ADG

2/5/11

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.90

118

3.32

106

BW

WW

Milk

YW

109

38.0

1268

RFI

REA

IMF

2.2

74

30

128

-0.11

107

152

Dam is a Mytty In Focus daughter: 2 NR 119 1 YR 105

Carcass&Conformation Without Compromise.

Jim & Debbie Davis Nocona & Jordan Cook Foss, OK ~ (580) 562-4361

Lot 444 Sire: TC Total 410

Davis Angus

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 14

Extension Education

By Scott Lake, UW Extension Livestock Specialist

Selecting the Right Bulls for Your Cows

It’s that time of year when your mailbox is full of sale catalogs and AI books. It’s bull season! During the next few months, there will be a bull sale just about every weekend somewhere nearby.

Decisions made during the next few months about what types of sire bulls or AI bulls to purchase can have a dramatic impact on your operation’s profitability for years to come. So, where do you start?

First, it’s important to understand the impact that bulls have on a herd’s genetic makeup. The simple question is: how much of any given calf’s genetics are from the bull? Obviously, the sire and dam each provide 50 percent of a calf’s genetics. However, half of the dam’s contribution came from her sire and a fourth comes from her dam’s sire, resulting in 87.5 percent of the calf’s

genetic makeup being derived from three bulls.

The lingering effect of a bull’s genetics within a herd underscores the importance of making sound selection decisions.

Below are a few guidelines to possibly help with the selection process.

Set Herd Goals

A good breeding plan is not only useful, but is also extremely important toward maintaining longand short-term goals. It is important to have a plan of what type of cattle you want to produce. In considering this, it is important to develop cattle that will maximize the production potential on your ranch.

What kind of resources does your ranch have?

How much energy or protein supplementation are required? What type of conditions and terrain do your cows need to be able to survive? These are all

questions to consider when developing a long-term breeding plan.

Another important question to ask is: how does crossbreeding fit into the breeding plan? Commercial cow/calf producers who do not utilize a good crossbreeding program leave a tremendous amount of production potential, and dollars, on the table.

Crossbred steer calves are heavier at weaning and replacement heifers reach puberty earlier and at a lighter body weight and have greater longevity.

Quite simply, crossbreeding is one of the easiest ways to increase profitability on the ranch.

Once a plan is in place, stick with it. It’s important to work toward a genetic and production goal, and not change directions with every hot new trend that comes along.

Selection

What traits should be emphasized during the selection process? This is a very common question, and it’s not easily answered.

Every year it seems as though new EPD values are available to aid in the selection process. There is more information available on individual bulls and pedigrees than at any other time in history. At the very least, information is available to make

an informed decision about the bulls that are ultimately selected.

A couple important questions should be answered to identify which traits are the most important to your operation. First, do the traits that you currently use for your selection criteria contribute to increasing profitability or reduce costs of production? If you have repeat buyers of your calves, or market them in a branded program, are the traits that you are selecting for your herd bulls important to the success and profitability of your customers?

Structural Soundness

No matter how genetically superior a bull is in any economically important trait, he should only be considered as a herd bull if he is structurally sound and physically fit enough to seek out cows in heat and breed them.

One of the problems faced with evaluating structural soundness is that it is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Very, very few animals have no structure defects. The key is to select animals with minimal defects that have little impact on his or future replacement performance.

Generally speaking, it is probably best to evaluate structural soundness of bulls from the ground up, keying on the bull’s

“Crossbreeding is one of the easiest ways to increase profitability on the ranch.” – Scott Lake, UW Extension Livestock Specialist feet, toes, pasterns, knees, hocks, sheath and testicles.

The bull should be able to move freely and strike the ground evenly with each step.

Fertility

No matter how good a bull looks in the pen or on paper, if he is not fertile he will not do your operation any good. It is important to have a breeding soundness exam performed on bulls.

This is a good recommendation for current bulls that are returning to the herd, as well. This is a small investment to assure a successful breeding season.

Scrotal circumference is an important indicator of not only his volume of semen and percentage of normal semen, but it also has an impact on attainment of puberty in replacement heifers. There is evidence to suggest that the earlier a heifer reaches puberty, the shorter the post-partum interval (period of time between calving and when she starts cycling again) she will have after calving. Therefore, selecting bulls with adequate scrotal circumference is extremely important. As a general rule, yearling bulls that are considered should have a scrotal circumference of 30 centimeters by one year of age.

Trait Selection

Individual traits of importance need to go hand in hand with the breeding plan and longterm goals. Producers with different resources and marketing strategies may place emphasis on different traits. For example,

calving ease is a trait most producers are concerned about, however, producers with very limited labor during calving may rank calving ease as their most important trait. Likewise, some producers may retain ownership and market their cattle on a grid to take advantage of their genetics and the potential to receive premiums. These producers will place a higher value on growth potential and carcass traits than perhaps a producer that would sell calves at weaning.

However, it should also be kept in mind that single trait selection or “chasing” certain traits can have disastrous effects on reproductive performance, carcass quality and the longevity of cows with the herd. No single trait should be the lone selection criteria, rather it should be considered along with other traits to fit within the parameters of your longterm goals.

The bottom line for producers should be profitability. Research has shown over and over again that reproduction is the single most important factor for the economic success of the cow/calf producer.

Therefore, I will always recommend that the focus of a producer’s long-term goal and bull selection criteria should be on developing sound females that will reproduce on a yearly basis and remain in the herd for a long period of time.

For more information, contact Scott Lake at 307766-3892 or scotlake@ uwyo.edu.

5 Outstanding Prospects

Lot 371

WPR Protege 113Y

2-11-11

ADG

RAT

WDA

IND

SC

BW

WW

MILK

YW

RFI

4.08

123

3.37

105

37

+3.5

+55

+18

+93

2.10

Lot 370 • WPR MR • 1-30-11

ADG 3.62 Rat 111 WDA 3.16 IND 106 SC 34 BW +0.3 WW +65 Milk +26 YW +114 RFI -0.90

Lot 372 • WPR MR MIGHTY 108Y • 2-8-11

ADG 3.77 Rat 116 WDA 2.97 IND 100 SC 34 BW -0.6 WW +46 Milk +25 YW +84 RFI 1.80

Lot 373 • WPR IN TIME 117Y • 2-18-11

ADG 3.15 Rat 97 BW +1.0 WW +41

WDA 3.16 IND 99 SC 37 Milk +26 YW +78 RFI 0.92

Lot 374 • WPR IN TIME 118Y • 2-18-11

ADG 3.10 Rat 95 BW +0.9 WW +37

WDA 2.93 IND 95 SC 36 Milk +24 YW +72 RFI 0.24

WPR ANGUS DIVISION LANCE & ALICE FLETCHER SHERIDAN, WY • 307-672-7289

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 15

Genomic details explained

With the influx and importance of genetic information available in the form of EPDs and genetic tests for traits, CSU Extension Beef Specialist Jack Whittier says understanding the available information, how it can be used and how it is collected is important for producers.

“Back in 2003, there “Good genetics will was a lot of funding and not overcome a effort put toward underpoor environment standing the bovine genome,” says Whittier. and poor manage“A line one cow, with a ment. This is not very well known pedi- a silver bullet.” – gree, was the first canJack Whittier, didate for identifying the extension beef genome of a cow.”

He continued that, specialist, CSU utilizing a host of new tools, the gene map of a cow was determined and the industry continually makes great strides based on that information.

A look at the biology

DNA is made of a sugar phosphate backbone with side chains, which vary, explains Whittier. Four primary bases compose the side chains of DNA, called adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine, and they pair specifically.

“The sequence of the bases becomes the genetic code, and code for various amino acids and proteins,” explains Whittier. “The sequences and how they are arranged becomes a driving factor.”

Whittier adds that, in the DNA, a series of genes code for specific physical aspects of cattle, including hair coat color and the presence of horns, for example.

“Cattle have 30 chromosomes,” he says. “The chromosomes contain various base pairs, and they create different proteins. They control the output and the phenotype of the animal itself.”

As scientists delve further into the realm of genomics, it is at the base pair level that differences can be seen between animals.

“Along the coding areas, there are specific places called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs,” continues Whittier. “In simple terms, that is a flag along the chain of information that indicates or has been referenced to more information to specific genes about how the animal behaves, grows or reproduces.”

The SNPs represent differences in the genetic code from that of the general population and become the key to referencing information for genomic tools.

Using SNPs

Utilizing chemical and electrical engineering techniques, a tool has been developed to recognize SNPs, called SNP chips.

“They are a chip that is available to detect the genetic variation among cattle,” he says. “The SNP chip has a specific receptor with an affinity for those sequences, and, as that happens, the SNP chip ‘lights’ up.”

Whittier also mentions that the technology has continued to improve as more SNPs have been discovered and more information has become available.

He notes, “The more beads and the more SNPs that are discovered, and how they relate to particular characteristics, the higher chance I have of finding the associated genes that allow a decision.”

Genetics in selection

“We all understand certainly that the main driver has been, and will continue to be, EPDs,” says Whittier of the utilization of genomic information. “We’ve made a lot of progress in understanding that independent of any DNA information, but the challenge is that the process becomes fairly slow and meticulous because it involves proving progeny.”

He continues that cost-prohibitive progeny testing, at around $25,000 per bull, combined with the statistic that only one in eight bulls becomes an active bull, has made marker assisted selection (EPDs) attractive in industry.

One additional benefit is that tests can be done at an earlier age to save money, as well.

“This doesn’t mean we don’t need to continue to do the conventional comparisons,” Whittier cautions.

“DNA is based on relationships with phenotypes, but the number of bulls that are progeny-tested may be less.”

“As we have more information, and as more of that information is understood and quantified, our ability to make good decisions improves,” he notes.

“A word of caution: we need to not go too far, but we have the opportunity for continued growth,” Whittier adds. “Good genetics will not overcome a poor environment and poor management. This is not a silver bullet. There is a learning curve, and we will see that in the industry.”

Jack Whittier addressed attendees of the 2011 Range Beef Cow Symposium in Mitchell, Neb. in late 2011. Saige Albert is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

High Altitude PAP Tested Angus With Growth • Carcass • Efficiency

4 Sons of Woodhill Mainline • 3 Sons of Kesslers Frontman ROO1 These bulls were PAP tested at 8800’ elevation

#2 WDA ag Green T 2 p u ro G

HVR Mainline 1309 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

365

3.90

120

3.58

112

108

31.0

1291

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

IMF

RFI

-0.5

54

20

99

119

98

1.25

Out of a Blue Moon x VRD bred dam PAP Score: 39 Lot 305 3-9-11 Lot

304 306 307 308 309 310

Sire: Woodhill Mainline

Birth

3-8-11 3-10-11 3-10-11 3-10-11 3-11-11 3-15-11

Sire

Mainline Frontman Frontman Mainline Frontman Mainline

PAP ADG Rat.

39 40 38 40 39

3.02 3.58 3.19 3.29 3.42 2.87

93 110 98 99 105 87

WDA YR

2.98 3.02 3.04 3.18 3.12 3.12

Ind.

93 94 95 96 97 95

SC

98 102 99 100 101 98

32.0 33.0 34.0 38.0 33.0 34.0

BW WW Milk YW

-0.2 0.5 0.5 -0.2 0.2 -0.2

45 51 51 45 54 45

19 26 26 19 26 19

79 87 87 79 96 79

REA

RFI

106 -1.18 109 0.24 98 0.05 111 -0.68 119 0.14 111 -1.94

Hidden Valley Ranch & Cattle Delta, Colorado • Doug Frazier • 970-640-1998

Selling 3 Angus and 3 Simmental Bulls At Midland Raezer Club King 26Y ~ 1/24/11 Sire: RC Club King 040R

Raezer Club King 58Y ~ 1/16/11

1 0 6 3

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

3.52

112

3.79

121

114

38.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

+0.3

+45.1

+1.9

+82.5

-3.97

1423

H Champion WDA Bull H High Efficiency RFI Award Winner Bull H Highest Yearling Ratio Bull on Test H Highest 205 Day Weaning & YW on Test

Lot 1062 L Sire: RC Club King 040R o t ADG Rat. WDA YR

ADG

Raezer Rito 6I6 Son ~ 2/2/11

Ind.

SC

3.03

96

3.15

104

95

35.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

+0.6

+35.8

-3.4

+63.2

2.49

1218

L Sire: Rito 6I6 of 4B20 6807 o t ADG Rat. WDA YR 1 0 6 6

Ind.

SC

3.36

117

3.51

114

101

35.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

-2

+23.8

+1.0

+56.4

0.14

1339

50/50 SimAngus Bull H Highest SimAngus YW on Test H 2nd Highest WDA SimAngus Bull on Test

RAEZER RAnch LingLE. WY 307-837-2450

Simmental/SimanguS Sell april 4th anguS Sell april 6th

Raezer Final Answer 188Y ~ 1/19/11 Sire: S A V Final Answer 0035 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

3.62

109

3.80

125

110

38.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

+2.3

+62

+28

+106

0.24

1494

H Highest Yearling Ratio on Test H Highest 205 Day WW & YW on Test H 2nd Highest WDA Bull on Test

Lot 464 L o t 4 6 2

Raezer EMBLAZON 54Y ~ 1/5/11 Sire: O C C Emblazon 854E ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

2.95

89

3.16

105

97

35.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

+2.0

+44

+17

+78

-0.09

1254

L o t 4 6 3

Raezer EMBLAZON 58Y ~ 1/14/11 Sire: O C C Emblazon 854E ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

2.89

89

3.19

110

99

36.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

+1.7

+48

+21

+82

-0.20

1268

performance reports at MidlandBullTest.com video at Frontier Stockyards.com

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 16

Stika: Responding to beef demand is critical at every level from cow-calf to retail

Charting a course in the beef industry means acting on market signals and being ready for the reactions to those actions.

“The message of con-

sumer demand is more complicated than it has ever been,” John Stika said at the Kansas State University Cattlemen’s Day earlier this month. Regardless of

position in the beef industry, “we must interpret and respond by balancing those needs and expectations of consumers with our need to make a profit.”

4 ANGUS BULLS SELL Growth • Efficiency • Carcass Lot 144

Blue & Gray Dash A09 Out of a Wulf EXT dam that goes back to Hyline Right Time 338 ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.48

108

3.20

102

106

37.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

REA

RFI

-0.1

50

28

89

107

-0.94 2-17-11

Sire: Sitz Dash 10277

2-26-11

by Sinclair Standard Bearer

2-17-11

by Sinclair Entrepeneur

2-23-11

by Whitestone Widespread

ADG: 3.36

Lot 145

WDA: 3.08

ADG: 3.07

Lot 147

WDA: 3.05

ADG: 3.09

WDA: 3.04

Ind: 104

SC: 37.0

Ind: 100

SC: 36.0

Ind: 101

SC: 36.0

RFI: -0.25

Beef

RFI: -0.92

Pork

Robert Whitacre Winchester, VA • 540-247-4282

Selling 6 Red Angus At Midland

Lot 885 2/25/11

Sire: Larson Sundown 823 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365

3.69

119

3.33

109

108

33.0

-0.9

+31

+19

+65

-0.96

1241

Lot 886

Six Sunset Y53

Lot 887

Six Sunset Y61

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

2.87

92

2.92

96

97

33.0

3.07

99

3.03

107

104

35.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

-0.8

+29

+20

+57

-0.12

1097

-0.3

+38

+19

+77

-0.07

1150

2/25/11

Sire: Six Sunset Y54

Lot 888

2/26/11

Six Sunset Y93

Sire: Larson Sundown 823

Lot 889 Six Fire Blaze Y10

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

Ind.

SC

2.97

96

2.82

99

97

32.0

3.59

116

3.22

109

108

33.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

-2.4

+31

+24

+65

-

1070

+1.1

+38

+18

+79

-0.37

1244

3/3/11

Sire: Larson Sundown 823

2/2/11

Lot 890 Six Fire Away Y81 ADG

Rat.

WDA

2.84

92

2.91

94

99

36.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

RFI

365 da

+33

+20

+68

-1.95

1075

+1.2

3/1/11

YR

Ind.

Sire: SLPC Fire Away T101

SC

top reason consumers buy beef, said Stika, who admitted it seems a distant goal for many producers.

“Eating satisfaction is a lower priority and a challenge to focus on,” he said.

“That’s because there are so many other factors weighing into their decisions. But producers must hedge those factors against long-term beef demand.”

Stika acknowledged the real need for increasing efficiency amid high input costs, but progress there would ring hollow if the source of demand walks away.

“We must always consider the wants and expectations of the consumer, who brings the only sustainable flow of dollars into our businesses,” he stated.

- Information courtesy Certified Angus Beef

RFI: -1.20

Blue & Gray Angus

Six Sunset Y53

in recent years,” he noted.

“The only way to explain this is that folks were careful where their dollars were spent, and they didn’t gamble in the meat case.”

So, he said consumers are willing to pay more for a product that they know is worth more (see chart), and they may be willing to pay still more.

“But there is an end out there somewhere,” Stika said. “For consumers to accept higher prices, we as producers must continue to increase quality.”

That way, retailers who have responded by offering more high-quality beef will be able to maintain that strategy and satisfy consumers who want their money’s worth.

The response must come from an entire industry that focuses on taste, the

Stressing the Price: Value Relationship

ALSO SELLING Lot 146

The president of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) said that response is critical at every step from the cow-calf to retail level.

“Being the closest to the consumer, retailers are the first to detect these changing preferences,” he said.

Trend lines in 2011 clearly show a retail shift toward higher quality beef, with many of the largest companies making room for Choice product in their meat cases.

“Wal-Mart didn’t create a quality demand move,” Stika said. “They responded to it.”

He said consumers today consider a price-value relationship rather than price alone.

“We as an industry have experienced record sales of premium Choice beef during the worst economy

Sire: Six Fire Blaze P35

SIX IRON RANCH (Junction US 26-789 - Wyo 134) Shoshoni, WY Robert & Paige Pingetzer – 307-856-4401 George & Velma Pingetzer – 307-856-3003

Also selling at the WBCIA bull sale April 7th, 2012

Chicken

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 17

Beef improvement Federation serves to establish consistent beef industry guidelines

In February 1968, an organization called the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) was founded with the goals of educating producers and working toward uniformity, development, cooperation, education and confidence in the beef industry.

“BIF is an all-volunteer group here to serve the beef cattle industry,” says BIF Executive Director Joe Cassady.

Cassady, also an associate professor of animal science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, has served the organization for four years and says, “I’m very proud of the organization.”

Organizational structure

“We are a federation by definition,” explains Cassady. “We are competitors working together for a common pursuit.”

“This is a group of individuals who have come together under BIF and worked together very successfully for a common purpose,” he says. “It’s an allvolunteer army.”

Volunteers hold all positions in the organization, with the exception of a single paid employee who serves as assistant to the executive director.

“This is truly a group of people dedicating their time and effort to working together for the betterment of the beef cattle industry,” comments Cassady. “We are very proud of that.”

Membership in BIF is held by provincial, state, national and international organizations that actively conduct performance programs for beef cattle. Association and Sustaining memberships are available, based on a direct interest in beef cattle or contributions made to BIF.

The BIF Executive Board is composed of producers and breed association representatives. The board also includes members of academia, but, Cassady says, “The academics on the committee are non-voting, exofficio members.”

The Executive Board consists of 16 voting and seven ex-officio members.

Cattle breed registry associations elect six board members, the National Association of Animal Breeds appoints one member and the

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association appoints one person to the board.

The remaining eight voting memberships on the board are held by state or provincial beef cattle improvement associations – two from the central region, two from the western region, two from the eastern region and two at large. Dividing the U.S. and Canada into three sections forms the regions.

The seven ex-officio members include one appointee of the USDA Extension Service, one appointee of the USDA Agricultural Research Service, one appointee from the Canadian Beef Breeds Council and one secretary from each region. The BIF executive director also serves as an ex-officio member.

Voting rights

States who pay dues are eligible to vote for board members from their region.

Though Wyoming wasn’t a voting member of BIF for nearly five years, dues have been paid and a representative from the state will be eligible to vote at the April meeting this year, says Cassady.

Many of the states surrounding Wyoming are also active in the organization, according to Cassady, who adds, “The point is, if your organization doesn’t pay their dues, they don’t get to vote.”

Standardized evaluation

“A part of BIF’s original purpose was to create standardization for cattle evaluations,” says Cassady, adding that the uniform methods and techniques for obtaining cattle data is published in the BIF Guidelines, and, as a result, many aspects of the cattle industry that are recorded today are now standardized.

“Take weaning weight as an example,” says Cassady. “Today, the standard weaning weight is adjusted to 205 days weight.”

Prior to the standard measures introduced by BIF, weaning weight, for example, was measured at a wide range of ages, and the difference in data greatly affected research studies.

“If you are doing a postweaning gain test on bulls, the data matters,” adds Cassady.

Many measures commonly used in the industry today have been standard-

BIF Guidelines today

The Beef Improvement Federation Guidelines, a document for which the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) is well known, was first published in 1970, and since then eight more editions have been made available. The most current ninth edition was published in 2010 and is available only in electronic form. The BIF Guidelines are a set of recommendations that standardize programs and methodology for beef cattle performance evaluation.

“We put out our recommendations to the best of our knowledge today,” notes BIF Executive Director Joe Cassady. “It is a living document, and if someone comes along with a better approach, we won’t hesitate to change.”

He also adds that, if members express concerns that the document may be outdated, the Guidelines will be evaluated and revised. Cassady notes that he envisions that, rather than evaluating the entire document, the BIF Guidelines will be evaluated on a chapter-by-chapter basis to accommodate the most recent research available.

ized in the BIF Guidelines, including hip height, pelvic area and frame scores.

The BIF guidelines not only address how to measure these quantities, but also include the mathematical formulas for calculating other evaluation data.

“The Guidelines cover information like hip height and pelvic area that I would consider to be fairly elementary at this stage of the beef cattle industry down to how we are going to use the genomic information that has been collected to improve the accuracy of EPDs,” says Cassady.

He notes that the information is becoming more computationally intensive, but breed organizations, for example, are actively incorporating it and need to know

what is out there.

“BIF has worked with the best and brightest beef cattle scientists in the country, and around the world, and have come up with recommendations for the best practices,” Cassady comments.

Scientific data

Because of the small budget of the organization, Cassady says BIF doesn’t fund research, but rather takes advantage of research done at USDA and universities around the world.

“We want to get the best information we can,” says Cassady. “We do play a role in identifying the future direction of research, as well.”

Cassady notes that as breed associations or other member groups express interest in issues they are struggling to address, BIF works

“This is a group of individuals who have come together under BIF and worked together very successfully for a common purpose. It’s an all-volunteer army.” – Joe Cassady, Executive Director, Beef Improvement Federation to find answers in research.

“If we bring issues into the forefront and get people talking, it is more likely that funding will be directed in those areas,” explains Cassady. “We don’t fund research, but we see BIF as having a role in trying to help communicate the needs for future research so we can continue to provide these Guidelines.”

“It’s the producers who volunteer their time and the academics who volunteer that make BIF successful,” says

Cassady. “It is really impressive to me all that the group has accomplished in a short time without a tremendous amount of formal structure.

I’m very proud of this organization.”

For more information on the Beef Improvement Federation or for an electronic copy of the BIF Guidelines, visit beefimprovement. org. Saige Albert is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to saige@wylr. net.

T H E H A R R I S ON B RA N D OF QUA L I T Y #1 WDA Sire Group by HARB Imus

#3 WDA ag T Green p 2 Grou

HARB HOME FRONT 171 JH

HARB STUR-D 191 JH

L O T 4 1 7

1-31-11

by Kesslers Frontman R001

2-21-11

by Leachman Right Time

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

Ind

SC

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

Ind

SC

3.56

110

3.56

118

111

36.0

3.53

107

3.60

112

108

36.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

RFI

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

RFI

-0.4

60

26

95

1365

-0.79

1.7

42

24

80

1335

-1.93

Out of a SAV 8180 Traveler 004 daughter 3 NR 103 • 1 YR 106

HARB FRONT ROW 173 JH

2-3-11

by Kesslers Frontman R001

HARB SUPER DUTY 193 JH

L O T 4 1 9

2-24-11

by TC Aberdeen 759

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

ADG

Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

115

3.38

110

106

35.0

3.34

103

3.92

109

104

39.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

RFI

BW

WW

Milk

YW

364

RFI

0.4

53

24

89

1273

1.27

1.0

47

43

87

1265

0.93

Dam Production: 6 NR 106 • 3 YR 104

#5 ADG g Ta White p 2 Grou

3-15-11 ADG

by HARB Imus

Sitz Alliance 6595 dam: 4 NR 108 • 3 YR 107

HARB CC&7 071

L O T 5 5 8 2-28-11

IND

SC

ADG

119

116

38.0

YW

365

RFI

101

1415

-1.13

Rat

WDA

YR

4.18

126

3.84

BW

WW

Milk

0.9

60

30

L O T 4 3 5

3.73

HARB IMUS 117-341

4 3 0

Maternal brother to HARB Windy 702 JH

ADG

#1 WDA ag T h W ite p 2 Grou

L O T

by Sydgen CC&7 Rat

WDA

YR

IND

SC

3.59

109

3.23

100

102

38.0

BW

WW

Milk

YW

365

RFI

1.8

42

38

83

1188

-0.38

L O T 5 6 0

Dam is a Lead On daughter: 3 NR 116

~ Selling 27 Bulls Featuring ~ 6 Sons of Kesslers Frontman R001 5 Sons of TC Aberdeen 759 3 Sons of Basin Yellowstone R178 3 Sons of HARB Imus

Jason Harrison (406) 962-3149 • Jason Cell (406) 855-2692 • Doug Harrison (406) 962-3867 Boyd, Montana • HARB@earthlink.net

2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 18

Spangler: beef industry should utilize genomic selection more frequently

When genomics first came to the marketplace of bull selection, there was a plethora of information available in bull sale catalogues, but beef genetics specialist Matt Spangler from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says most of that information was useless.

“The seedstock industry still provides adjusted measurements, ratios and EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences), which we need to use, but before the advent of genomics there wasn’t a nickel’s worth of accuracy amongst yearling bulls,” he explains.

Exploring complex traits

Before genomics began to be used for bull selection, Spangler notes they were mainly used for the “low-hanging fruit,” like genetic defects and parentage testing.

“Then we focused our attention on the complex traits – those that are controlled by numerous genes for which we have EPDs,” he says.

However, he says a question arose, asking why adjusted IMF (Intramuscular Fat) didn’t match up with its EPD and seemed to disagree with the results from the genomic test.

“The answer is that I don’t expect them to line up perfectly – they’re different,” he says. “One is an adjusted phenotype that has the influence of environment, one is and EPD, which separates the wheat from the chaff in terms of genetics only, and the other is a results of a marker test which, if it has any efficacy at all, only accounts for a fraction of the genetic variation, so they’re apples, oranges and pineapples.”

Three genomic strategies

To incorporate genomic information into national cattle evaluation through EPDs, Spangler says there are three general approaches.

“One is called blending, which is making an index of the traditional EPD and the genomic information, which is what the American Hereford Association (AHA) is doing,” he says.

The second approach is to use a genomic rela-

tionship, which is what the dairy industry uses.

“They use the 50,000 gene markers to supplement pedigree information,” notes Spangler. “To do that, industry has to have access to those genotypes.”

The third strategy, used by the American Angus Association, treats the molecular information as a correlated trait.

“The Angus Association is out front in the adoption of genomic predictions, and other breeds are quickly following,” says Spangler, noting that AHA is geared up to release genomic-enhanced EPDs, and that Simmental is quickly behind them.

Does it work?

“The adoption of genomic predictions has to center on the gain in EPD accuracy, and more accurate EPDs on younger animals,” states Spangler.

“The gain in accuracy is directly related to the proportion of genetic variation

OUTSTANDING RED ANGUS PERFORMANCE from Lakeview Cattle and Rib Eye Ranches Lakeview Make Mimi 1001

Lot 802

Lakeview Net Worth 102

Lot 803

#5 ADG #4 WDA Yellow Tag

#5 ADG Green Tag

1-1-11

Sire: Bieber Make Mimi 7249

7249 is a full sib to Feddes Big Sky • Dam MPPA 108

1-2-11

Sire: Badlands Net Worth 23U

Out of a Glacier Chateau 744 daughter

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

IMF

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

3.71

120

3.23

110

110

37.0

-0.24

137

3.99

129

3.50

113

109

35.0

113

Lakeview Statement 1030

Lot 813

#2 ADG Green Tag

2-17-11

Also Selling: 1 son of PAR Dude A384N 1 additional son of Badlands Net Worth 23U 1 son of Glacier Chateau 744 1 additional son of LJC Mission Statement P27 2 sons of PIE Code Red 9058 1 son of Beckton Julian P040 G2

Congratulations to Rib Eye Ranches (daughter Peyton)

Sire: LJC Mission Statement P27

Dam MPPA 101.6 Production: 7 NR 102 3 YR 107

ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

RFI

IMF

3.95

127

3.36

113

111

36.0

-0.22

119

Ribi Ferdinand 122 ADG

Rat.

WDA

YR

IND

SC

4.14

134

3.56

123

111

38.0

RFI

REA

BW

WW

Milk

YW

1.40

116

-0.2

43

13

82

For Lot 815 #1 ADG Green Tag

RIBI FERDINAND 122 #2 WDA Green Tag

2593 Lakeview Rd American Falls, ID 83211 208-251-1193 info@lakeviewcattlecompany.com www.lakeviewcattlecompany.com

2-3-11

Sire: PIE Code Red 9058 Dam MPPA 100.3

explained.”

He adds that the answer to the question as to whether the technology works is always yes, but it’s a matter of how well it works.

“The adoption of this technology follows the breeding pyramid,” says Spangler. “This fundamental concept isn’t as wellaccepted in beef cattle as other species, but the beef industry is still structured as nucleus breeders, multipliers and the commercial sector.”

“The nucleus breeders should first utilize new technology, and the benefits will trickle down through genetic lag,” he says, mentioning the four pathways of selection: sires of sires, sires of dams, dams of sires and dams of dams. “We need to focus on sires of sires – the breeders who produce the bulls that produce other bulls used in the seedstock industry – they drive your genetic change. As newer technologies come out, like genomic sequencing, they need to start in those nucleus herds.”

Genetic potential

“Why do we want to increase accuracy?” asks Spangler of genomic predictions. “Think about flush mates, which have identical pedigree index EPDs, and how many different genetic combinations there could be among them. We want to increase EPD accuracy at a young age to differentiate among those animals.”

“A sire passes a random half of his alleles to the next generation, and a dam does the same thing, and we’re unsure of what’s been passed on. If we get some information on a phenotypic record on that animal, like ultrasound, the EPD accuracy increases. If the animal stays in a seedstock herd and records progeny, the EPD accuracy increases more, but if that animal goes to a com-

mercial herd, we never see a change. We want DNA information early in life so we can see the young yearling bulls change, and get a better idea of their true genetic potential,” explains Spangler.

Genomic list to grow

“We’ll see new traits in the genomics era, whether it’s healthfulness of beef, disease susceptibility, adaptation, reproduction, and the list will continue to grow,” says Spangler.

“That’s why using economic indexes for multiple trait selection will become more critical.”

He says traits like reproduction could benefit the most from genomic selection.

“So why did we start with weight and carcass instead? We need phenotypes to develop these tests, and there are a lot of phenotypes for weight and carcass, but not for reproduction and feed intake and efficiency,” he explains.

“We need those phenotypes to do discovery, or training, and we also need them for validation before we send it out for commercial use.

Collecting phenotypes is critical.”

“We have more technology available to us in beef cattle than other species, and we probably utilize it the worst,” he comments. “In an era of genomics where we’re rushing forward, we don’t have time and we shouldn’t waste time, resources and effort and leave money on the table by not utilizing what we already know to work – EPDs, economic indexes and crossbreeding.”

Matt Spangler spoke at the 2011 Range Beef Cow Symposium in Mitchell, Neb. Christy Martinez is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at christy@wylr. net.

Testing increases accuracy L O T 8 1 5

Lakeview Cattle Company

“In an era of genomics where we’re rushing forward, we don’t have time and we shouldn’t waste time, resources and effort and leave money on the table by not utilizing what we already know to work – EPDs, economic indexes and crossbreeding.” – Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Currently, when an Angus producer gets a DNA sample it’s sent to the breed association, then to Pfizer or Merial IGENITY, and the company sends back the molecular breeding value, or the genomic prediction, and the association then incorporates it into the National Cattle Evaluation and releases a genomic-enhanced or marker-assisted EPD.

“That product is what we’re interested in,” says beef genetics specialist Matt Spangler from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “I don’t care about the molecular breeding value, all I care about is the marker-assisted EPD.”

“Better tests explain 40 percent of genetic variation, and that’s what we’re seeing in Angus and Hereford now,” says Spangler. “That impacts the low-accuracy animals – the yearling bulls. Even if a bull has a couple progeny, it still gives them increased accuracy.”

Even highly accurate animals, like AI sires, are genotyped so they can be used in the training process and to refine genomic predictions.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Page 19

Prove it: without a history, premiums paid don’t mean profit made

In most investment situations, you get a chance to evaluate the risk and rewards, do some research and make an informed decision. But when cattle pass through the sale barn in 30-second intervals, it’s not always easy for buyers to base decisions on anything more than appearance.

Data from Oklahomabased Professional Cattle Consultants (PCC) shows that challenge could make the difference in whether feeders make or lose money on individual sets of cattle.

“You’d think premiums in the marketplace are being based on factors that will ultimately pay off when you’re going to sell those cattle,” says Dillon Feuz, ag economist with Utah State University.

This analysis, taken from five years of closeout data on millions of cattle from across the feeding belt, shows otherwise.

To get at the answers, actual purchase price was subtracted from the USDA Cash Feeder Price Index. All weights were standardized to a 750-pound (lb.) average using a five-cent slide, and then sorted into four quartiles: heavy discount, light discount, light premium and heavy premium price.

The main finding? “Just because cattle look pretty doesn’t mean they’ll perform,” says PCC analyst Ron Hale.

The top profit-getters were those with the heaviest discount, at -$20.90 per head, followed by those in the light discount (-$9.39) group. They earned $86.92 and $27.44 per head, respectively.

“If you pay a premium just because they look good or they have the hide color that you think is best, there’s enough variation in those groups that you’ll come out short on those premiums,”

says Feuz.

The PCC numbers illustrate that point. The quartile with a light “premium,” so slight the average came in barely negative at -$0.79, lost $17.15. The most expensive calves – purchased for $12.37-per-head above the market – lost $101.83 on feed.

Does this mean cattle are never worth a premium?

Hardly; but it takes information to make them pay.

“If we could correctly identify the cattle that make the most money in the feedlot and grade the best, if we could identify those as feeders in the auction market,” says Feuz, “then the premiums aren’t big enough.”

The most expensive cattle in the analysis had the worst feed conversion at 6.56 lb. of feed/gain, compared to 6.38 lb. for the most efficient group. They ranked third for average daily gain.

Although grade wasn’t part of the dataset, previous PCC work pointed out a highly favorable correlation between gain and grade, so chances are those cattle with the highest premiums didn’t live up to quality expectations either.

Danny Herrmann of Ford County Feeders says he’s willing to pay more for cattle that stay healthy, gain and convert and grade.

The best chance at those is recruiting repeat suppliers

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into his Kansas feedlot.

“If I have a pretty good history, I’ll try to buy those cattle again,” he says. In the long run, partnership pays off for ranchers, too. “Those people probably get more of a premium than the person who is just taking the highest price every year from a different person.”

Hale says producers who want to ensure cattle top the market year after year should make certain they deserve to.

“For a cow-calf man to do the best at marketing his cattle, he needs to know how his calves have performed and graded in the feedyard and how their health has been,” he says. “Then he can make changes and improve his cattle and develop a history.”

Communication is the key, says Herrmann – that and an extra dose of concern for the entire industry.

“If you do all the vaccinations and everything you can to give it 100 percent, I’ll

“There are times that discounts and premiums are worth it, but it all comes down to some kind of history.” – Ron Hale, Professional Cattle Consultants be more interested,” he says.

“But if you’re complaining about a 50-cent shot, then you’re telling me you don’t care about me. You need to be concerned about how the cattle perform for the next guy.”

Paying more for highgrading or source-and-age verified cattle, but selling them on the average live or dressed price, is a flawed business model.

“If you’re paying a premium for cattle that you think will grade above average, but you’re not selling in a market that rewards that,” says Feuz, “then you’re just wasting money on a [calf] premium.”

At the ranch level, lack of knowledge on how cattle gain and grade after weaning makes it hard to know if it’s worth paying a premium

for breeding stock, he adds.

Through the years, premium levels in the feeder-calf market have remained fairly consistent, but what they’re paid on has evolved.

“Feedlots are paying premiums based on perceived feedlot performance or end-carcass merit,” says Feuz. “What we’ve thought would deliver that over time has changed.”

Black-hided, Angus influence animals used to fetch a discount, for example.

“The biggest impact on feedlot profitability is how much you pay for those cattle,” Hale says. “There are times that discounts and premiums are worth it, but it all comes down to some kind of history.”

- Article provided by Certified Angus Beef.

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Lot 406 • 2-14-11

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2012 Midland Performance Edition

Page 20

Roberts: cow efficiency will be most influenced by environment interactions

According to USDA Agriculture Research Service research scientist Andy Roberts, the beef industry may not be right in emphasizing feed efficiency to the extent that it does, because of what he calls the status of and the problems with the approaches being used.

There are four ways to express feed efficiency, through ratios – pounds consumed per pound gained and pounds gained per pound consumed – and residual feed intake (RFI) and residual gain.

“One problem with feed efficiency data is that any time we try to use one number to demonstrate a relationship between two traits, it usually doesn’t work very well,” says Roberts.

“A limitation in the industry today is that most feed intake data is collected on an individual trial basis, and you really can’t make comparisons across studies, or even across feeding trials at the same location,” he says. “In contrast to many other traits, where we standardize some of the known sources of variation, that’s not happening well for the feed efficiency trials in the country at this time.”

Cowherd efficiency and economics

Speaking of feed efficiency in cowherds, from an economic standpoint, Roberts says feed sources should be considered.

“If we look at efficiency with respect to the amount of energy input per amount of edible pound output, we stand no chance to ever compete with other livestock species on a one-to-one basis,” he says.

However, he says cattle can use feed sources that

won’t work in the other livestock species.

“Rather than look at efficiency in respect to feed efficiency, let’s look at efficiency in terms of what type of feed we’re putting in those animals, and use the economic driver rather than a biological driver,” he says.

Also, he says lifetime production becomes important in minimizing the impact of overall energy needed.

“For efficiency in the cow, we need to look at the input – maximizing utilization of inexpensive resources – and the output, which is lifetime productivity,” says Roberts.

Compared to other meat species, Roberts says that cowherd inputs vary due to season, location and management, and that requirements will differ due to genetics and their impact on mature size, as well as the stage of production through the annual cycle and the environment.

“All those things considered, efficiency of the cow, more than any other trait, will be influenced by an interaction with the environment,” he says. “A bull might have a better EPD in Nebraska than Montana for growth, because of the environmental effects.

The genotype-by-environment interaction isn’t very significant in most things we measure for EPDs at this point in time.”

“I would propose that, if we get a cow efficiency EPD, it would be important to consider the environmental interaction, and some cows will be better for some environments than other cows,” he states.

Pushing the system

Roberts cites data that

RFI: one number, two traits

USDA Agriculture Research Service research scientist Andy Roberts says that, in his opinion, the RFI scale is backwards.

“Biologically, we usually put the factor having the effect on the bottom, and the response variable on the side,” he states. “Residual feed intake looks at that backwards, asking ‘At a given level of gain, do the animals eat more or less than average?’ In this case, a negative number is more desirable, and a positive number is less desirable.”

“Something that really scares me about RFI is that it’s strongly correlated with how much an animal eats,” says Roberts. “Anyone who has anything to do with a feedlot doesn’t want an efficient animal that won’t eat. If you look at RFI data, keep in mind that, for a slaughter or market animal, you have to have an endpoint. Efficient animals that don’t eat much won’t reach that endpoint very fast, and the total feed put into them will be high because they use a lot of feed for maintenance.”

In evaluating animals by the four approaches to measure feed efficiency, Roberts says they can end up with very different results, depending on the strategy.

“It boils down to the problems with trying to use one number to account for variation in two traits,” he explains.

“We need to use feed intake as one trait, and growth as another, not try to use the two together to come up with a magic number.”

indicates the age of a cow accounts for variations in weaning weights more than any other factor.

“We’re losing a lot of our animals way before they reach their maximum efficiency,” he says. “There is a 20 percent difference in output between cows and heifers, with little difference in input. Twenty percent is a big number, and probably way larger than the impact we’ll see with any changes in feed efficiency.”

To make that happen, Roberts says a manifold system should be used.

“A finite amount of feed goes into the animal, and if they’ve been selected for RFI they may not eat much, but if we select for a larger input, they have the opportunity to push the system and make all the possibilities work. Deciding which traits to select for can become daunting.”

Taking the EPD for mature size and milk production, Roberts says he

thinks the EPD is good, but he says it’s limited because it assigns the maintenance energy requirement on the average of animals at a given mature size and milk production.

“Very few animals are average,” he says. “The EPD does not account for the biological variation around the average for a mature size and level of milk production,” he notes.

Efficiency through longevity

Roberts says some breeds do have an EPD for stayability and longevity.

“To me, that may be an indicator of longevity due to sustained reproductive function,” he explains. “I’m not aware of research to see how much genetic progress can be make selecting for this, because not many people want to dedicate the lifetime it will take to get that done.”

“We need to make use of the technologies we have available,” says Roberts, giving 25 percent greater

“Efficiency of the cow, more than any other trait, will be influenced by an interaction with the environment.” – Andy Roberts, USDA Agriculture Research Service lifetime production as an example. “How will selection for feed efficiency compare to that? I’d be interested to see how much progress we could make that would equate to that. We need to think about prioritization.”

“In addition to genetic mechanisms chasing efficiency, we have an opportunity to improve efficiency

through looking at the alternatives management strategies we could use,” he says.

Andy Roberts presented his information at the 2011 Range Beef Cow Symposium in Mitchell, Neb. in late 2011. Christy Martinez is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at christy@ wylr.net.

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