Commercial Connection AMAA National Feed Trial Fall 2012 by Dave Steen, commercial development director
I’m sure most everyone has enjoyed the winter months due to the uncommonly warm weather. This has created an environment for most cow/calf operations to flourish and succeed in calf livability. As a producer said to me a few weeks ago, “I’ve never sold calves this high and had so much fun! Every calf that I have saved is worth a thousand dollars. It kind of makes raising cattle fun again.” Hopefully this has been the story for everyone as this calf crop could be the most valuable in history. Beginning with the Denver sale, our MaineAnjou bull sales have been outstanding with many sale averages reporting all-time highs. Having had the opportunity to attend most of these sales, the demand for Maine-Anjou genetics has been grand. Throughout all of these sales the vast majority of the demand has come from the commercial industry. Producers are looking for cattle that have the ability and the genetics to add value to their programs. In the six previous feed trials that the American MaineAnjou Association (AMAA) has held, results have shown that Maine-Anjou genetics can create the “Added Value” that is so sought after today. A few days ago I was looking through some old feed trial results and came across some things that might be of interest to you. In the second annual AMAA National Maine-Anjou Feeding Trial the results are quite evident that the consistency, power and predictability exist in this breed. Here are the results from two producers. The champion individual steer was consigned by Green Valley Cattle, Dennis Garwood, Atkinson, Neb. This purebred steer was sired by Pokemon (son of Fear This) and out of a registered purebred cow by Rock’s Pursuit. This was a superior individual based on the performance and carcass results. The outstanding results of the steer’s “winning” stats are: -Beginning Test Weight 730 lb. -Ending Live Weight 1,330 lb. -Avg. Daily Gain 3.55 lb. per day -Carcass Gain/Day 2.35 lb.
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May/June/July 2012
-REA -Carcass Weight -Back Fat -Quality Grade -Yield Grade -Carcass Premium Earned -Total Premium -Steer Placed Overall
15.5 sq. inch 8.38 lb. .1 in. Choice + 1.47 $19.20/100 $160.89 8th - Carcass Gain 1st - Carcass Premium The champion group of five steers was consigned by Opperman Cattle Co., Jim Opperman family, Manning, Iowa. These five steers were sired by Oppy’s Maximizer 226M, which is a son of Fear This. The dams of the steers were all registered purebreds with one cow being a Cornerstone Dam. Here are the average results of the “winning” group of five steers: -Beginning Test Weight 672 lb. -Ending Live Weight 1,345 lb. -Carcass Weight 8.47 lb. -Avg. Daily Carcass Gain 2.278 lb. -REA 13.3 sq. inch -Back Fat .36 in. -Quality Grade 4 Choice and 1 Select -Yield Grade 2.84 -Ave. Daily Gain 3.468 lb./day -Carcass Premium Earned $10.76/100 -Premium Per Head $91.14 -Group Placing Overall 1st - Avg. Daily Gain 1st - Carcass Gain 5th - Carcass Premiums 1st - Combined Carcass Gain and Carcass Premiums Two things are obvious. All of these winning steers were PUREBREDS and all were grandsons of KGST Fear This. Here are the carcass EPDs of KGST Fear This: -Carcass Weight 14.9 (.61) 9* -Percent Retail Cuts 0.26 (.36) 4* -Marbling 0.21 (.37) 7* -Fat 0.00 (.38) 5*