HERD SIRE EDITION
ABHA STAFF
Executive Vice President Ernie Dominguez (512) 567 - 7840 ernie@blackhereford.org
Registration, DNA, membership & supplies
Jennifer or Stephanie (816) 431 - 6960 service@blackhereford.org
Communications Coordinator Brianna Chavez brianna@blackhereford.org
For information regarding invoicing: Gregory LeCure GregLecure@schwartzlecure.com
The goal of the Southwest Black Hereford Association is to connect buyers with our members on a local level. A regional association reaching grass roots of the breed.
OBJECTIVES:
Communication
Connecting Buyers to members
Networking of breeders
Providing member assistance on subjects such as Digital Beef
Marketing
Furnishing ranch information on state levels
Conducting SWBHA Sales
Supplying information on animals for sale
Social media and website appearance
CONTACTS:
President
Carla Bacica (903) 530 - 8551
Texas State Director
Jolene Bean (254) 248 - 5810
Oklahoma State Director
Troy McWhirter (405) 249 - 6925
Arkansas/Louisiana State Director
Bill Treece (501) 454 - 8789
Ernie Dominguez
Executive Vice President
ernie@blackhereford.org
(512) 567 - 7840
Registration, Membership, DNA & Supplies
Jennifer or Stephanie
(816) 431 - 6960
Communications Coordinator
Brianna Chavez
brianna@blackhereford.org
For information regarding invoicing:
Gregory LeCure
GregLecure@schwartzlecure.com
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Greetings ABHA Members and Friends,
I hope your spring is off to a good start! Spring calving and Black Hereford sales are in full swing now. The interest in Black Hereford cattle and sales over the last couple of months has been on fire! The quality and presentation of the Black Hereford cattle in recent sales has been top notch and as a result, buyers are digging in and paying top dollar to get the best of the best. There hasn’t been a better time to be in the cattle business and especially in the Black Hereford breed!
I hope everyone who attended NCBA’s CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio enjoyed the event and seeing the ABHA displayed on a national level. The event underscored several key themes that are critical to the future of our industry and work sharing. First and foremost, we must remain united-not only within our breed, but across the entire beef industry, working together to ensure our collective success. Technology was another major focus, as innovation continues to drive progress and efficiency in our operations. Additionally, it was clear that we must be open to change and new ideas if we want to keep our industry and breed moving forward. And perhaps most importantly, investing in the next generation is essential.
Speaking of exceptional cattle, this Spring issue we have once again included our popular annual AI Sire Directory. I’d like to thank all our members/ breeders/advertisers for choosing to showcase your programs in our Spring/AI Sire Directory issue. I encourage you to use this valuable resource to help with your breeding decisions. The bulls featured in this directory are Approved Herd Sires with the ABHA and represent some of the very best genetics in our breed. Whether you are selecting sires to complement your females or advance your herd’s goals, you can do so with confidence knowing this directory highlights top-tier Black Hereford genetics.
Before I wrap up this column, I’m excited to remind everyone of our 2025 ABHA Junior National event, which will be held June 11-14 at the Darr Agricultural Center at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. This will be our 9th annual Junior National. Our Junior’s Committee has been working hard planning this year’s event to keep building on the momentum from years past. We invite anyone who would like to attend this year’s event to join us in Springfield! Also, do not forget our junior scholarship program for those that will be continuing their education or trade after high school. To date, the support, and contributions to the scholarship fund by the membership has been amazing. If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, we are always accepting contributions.
I hope you enjoy this Spring issue in addition to the AI Sire Directory. Please reach out if you have any questions or ideas for how we can continue to make a positive impact for the breed. We truly have some of the most dedicated, selfless people in the cattle business that support the ABHA and its members. Let’s continue to show the industry what the American Black Hereford has to offer.
Ernie
ASSOCIATION UPDATES
BLACK HEREFORD FOUNDATION
This entity is a 501c3 non-profit organization formed to allow supporters to make tax-deductible donations to support Junior/youth scholarships, education and research opportunities. For more information please contact ABHA Staff.
UPDATE MEMBERSHIPS BY APRIL 15TH
To be included in the membership directory listing, ABHA annual memberships must be paid by April 15th. Please ensure your membership dues are paid, and your contact information is up to date. For assistance, contact Jennifer at service@blackhereford.org or (816) 431-6960.
INVOICING
All registrations and testing fees are billed through Digital Beef and should be paid on that platform. All other invoices for advertising, sponsorship, etc. should be paid using the invoice sent by email or by check mailed to ABHA, P.O. Box 936 Elgin, TX 78621.
SUBMIT UPCOMING SALES & EVENTS
Do you have an upcoming sale or event that needs to be listed on the ABHA event calendar? Send this info to ernie@blackhereford.org and we will add it to our upcoming events listing as well as on the ABHA website. This is a free service to our members.
DNA REMINDERS
This is the busy season for DNA sample submissions. Expect turnaround times to be longer than the typical time after samples are received. The USPS is also experiencing delays in sample delivery. For assistance with ordering, please contact Jennifer at service@blackhereford.org or (816) 431-6960.
GE-EPD DESIGNATION IN DIGITAL BEEF
Any animal that has genomically enhanced EPDs will receive the ABHA GE-EPD logo on their profile in Digital Beef. As a reminder, it could take up to 2 weeks after the test results are banked in Digital Beef for the enhanced EPDs to be reflected and to see the logo on the animal’s profile.
PERFORMANCE DATA
Inputting performance data into Digital Beef is free, can be updated anytime, and helps to keep accurate records. For assistance inputting data, please contact Jennifer at (816) 431 - 6960 or service@blackhereford.org or (816) 431 - 6960.
BLACK HEREFORD CATTLE FOR SALE
Looking for cattle to purchase or consign? Do not forget to check out our consignment sale list located at the top of the Digital Beef Cattle search screen Active breeders may use this tool at any time to consign or post cattle for sale as long as you have a login for Digital Beef.
Rod Garman
ABHA Board President
ABHA OFFICERS
Vice President
Matt Marsh (912) 425 - 0365
Treasurer
Todd Hampton (523) 302 - 4293
Secretary
Dirck Hoagland (816) 225 - 1246
ABHA BOARD
Mike Hamilton (618) 410 - 4293
Mark Ipsen (208) 681 - 4794
Chad Jones (913) 731 - 3428
Jeremiah Malone (931) 302 - 6805
Jacob Moreno (417) 763 - 4233
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
It is a great time to be an American. I’m very proud and honored to be just a tiny speck of such a great country that God has blessed beyond our own imaginations. I want to say a big thank you to all our military men and women who currently serve or have served this great country. Just last night Jamie and I went into a restaurant to eat and there was an older gentleman with a WWII Vet hat on. I asked the waitress to bring me his check and not to tell him who got it. She grinned at me, and said you are the third person that has asked for his check. It made my heart feel good. You know, at times you think the world is going to hell and there is no hope but just look around and there are still good people who want to do the right thing. Again, thank you to our Vets. Thank you for bravely serving, so I can do what I do safely.
Also, what a great time to be in the cattle business. Just when you think it can’t get any better, it does. These are times nobody has ever seen before, and they are saying they are going to be here awhile. The cattle numbers are very low and not catching up anytime soon, which means continued high prices.
There is a lot of excitement in the cattle industry today. A group of us went to San Antonio to attend NCBA in February and set up our ABHA booth. We talked to hundreds of people that walked by. There are some who still haven’t heard of us, but many have. Several who came by had Black Hereford bulls and were very satisfied with them. They told us how much more value the bulls brought to their program, and they all said they would be replacing them with other Black Hereford bulls. That tells me we are turning the corner. I want to thank ABHA staff and Carla and Mike Bacica for helping us run the booth. Carla and Mike were there to help launch the new Southwest Black Hereford Association. If you are in one of those four states, don’t forget to join the SWBHA.
I was headed home from a long trip the other night and got to thinking about this. As most of you have heard me say many times, “Buy better bulls and use the best genetics you can afford”. Well guess what? I know of 3 red Hereford bulls that ABHA members have purchased or have partnered with in the last few weeks. The purchase price for those 3 bulls totaled over $335,000. Do the math on that. The days of people saying the ABHA is a hobby breed are over. These kinds of investments make me feel like people are seeing the benefits to better genetics. I know everyone can’t afford a $100K bull, but the good news is you don’t have to. There will be semen available, and calves and cows that can move your herd to the next level. I am so excited to see where we are in a year or two. I know there are many of you already doing this and reaping the rewards. Remember this - it is not a sin to use a Red Hereford or heterozygous bull. You can literally change the quality of your herd in ONE generation by using a better bull. And that may mean using a red bull. All other purebred breeds have to breed inside themselves. Guess what - we don’t. Go get yourself a better bull and see what it does for you. I don’t want to see any of our members left behind but if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got. In this business, the cream always rises to the top and unfortunately, the cattle business doesn’t have a program called “No ranch left behind”.
The last thing I would like to share with you is I attended the J&N Ranch sale where the bulls averaged over $8K a head. The buyers didn’t run out and they didn’t run out of money. I’m sure that is a record for them. That tells me two things, the demand for ABHA bulls is high and the quality was there. The good ones will sell. There are several more Black Hereford sales coming up. Come out and support our breeders and their sales. The quality just keeps getting better and better.
May God bless you, your family and the ABHA.
Junior Show
2025 Cattlemen’s Congress Show Results
Champion Cow/ Calf Pair Anna’s Legacy Exhibited by Chloe Mack Kinta, OK
Champion HX Female
GZF CW Loretta 0104 130 1LX
Exhibited by Rylee Phillips Watts, OK
Reserve Champion Percentage Female
SKLN Flamingo 2403M
Exhibited by Rory Birney Cadiz, OH
Champion F-1 Female F&S Primo Cookie Exhibited by Sami Neff Oconomowoc, WI
Reserve Champion HX Female
BCR Sweet Red Wine 039 M114 ET Exhibited by Ace Ashely Fort Payne, AL
Champion Purebred Female SNS 3C’s Was Only A Kiss L23 Exhibited by Landon Ellison Lexington, AL
Reserve Champion F-1 Female SKLN Ursula 2405M
Exhibited by Rory Birney Cadiz, OH
Supreme Female Champion Percentage Female SKLN Twinkle 2404M
Exhibited by Nora Birney Cadiz, OH
Reserve Champion Purebred Female SKLN Melody 2406M
Exhibited by Nora Birney Cadiz, OH
Champion Senior Showman Jake Cox Haskell, OK
Champion Intermediate Showman Landon Ellison Lexington, AL
Champion Junior Showman Mac Murray Watts, OK
Open Show
Champion Cow/ Calf Pair
Anna’s Legacy
Exhibited by Chloe Mack
Bred by Chloe Mack
Champion HX Female
SCC Madonna 40H 304M
Exhibited by Skyline Farms Inc
Bred by Singleton Cattle Company
Reserve Champion Percentage Female
SBH Honky Tonk Flame 36 ET
Exhibited by Smith Black Herefords
Bred by Smith Black Herefords
Champion Percentage Miniature Female
CBD Girlsjustwannahavefun
Exhibited by Saphira Uptergrove
Bred by H&R Cattle Company
Supreme Female
Champion F-1 Female
F&S Primo Cookie
Exhibited by Sami Neff
Bred by F&S Cattle Company
Reserve Champion HX Female
GZF CW Loretta 0104 130 1LX
Exhibited by Rylee Phillips
Bred by Colin Wilson
Champion Purebred Female
SBH 7437 2245 Candi 45 ET
Exhibited by Smith Black Herefords
Bred by Smith Black Herefords
Supreme Bull
Champion Percentage Bull
SFF1 3C’s Last Man Standing 583
Exhibited by Landon Ellison
Bred by Shyann Smith
Champion Purebred Bull
SFF1 3C’s Last Night L22
Exhibited by Landon Ellison
Bred by JM Cattle Company
Reserve Champion F-1 Female
SULL Belle 4642M
Exhibited by Smith Black Herefords
Bred by Sullivan Farms
Champion Percentage Female SKLN Twinkle 2404M
Exhibited by Skyline Farms Inc
Bred by Skyline Farms Inc
Reserve Champion Purebred Female
SKLN Melody 2406M
Exhibited by Skyline Farms Inc
Bred by Skyline Farms Inc
Reserve Champion Percentage Bull BF The Son 421M
Exhibited by Burns Farms
Bred by Burns Farms
Reserve Champion Purebred Bull BCR 018 The Bachelor K92 M116
Exhibited by Ace Ashely
Bred by Bear Creek Ranch
WHAT IS A GOOD BULL WORTH IN 2025
Mark Z. Johnson
With spring bull buying season here, producers should understand their goals for marketing calves and the genetic value to make replacement females.
The spring bull buying season is here, so it’s time to revisit the age old question. The question has been asked forever, or at least as long as we have been breeding cattle with a notion of trying to make the next generation better. It is a classic and timeless question. It is an important question. At this time of year, when many bulls are being marketed and we are planning ahead for spring breeding season, it is a question that is asked a lot!
THE ANSWER
I remember first hearing the answer nearly 40 years ago as a student at OSU.
“A good bull is worth the value of five calves he sires.”
I’ve heard that answer again many times over the years. It is a good answer and a good rule of thumb to follow, the problem is it doesn’t exactly narrow down the range. If we do a little “cowboy math,” this answer may in fact lead to more questions.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED A “GOOD BULL”?
For this discussion, qualifications to meet “Good Bull” status are:
A bull that sells with a registration paper, which includes pedigree information and a complete set of genetic values (including EPDs and Bio-economic indices) to be considered in the selection process.
A bull that has passed a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) and selling with a breeding soundness warranty (terms will vary).
When are we marketing our calves? What is their value?
According to the most recent (Jan. 21, 2025) Oklahoma Market Report:
524 lb. weaned steer calves (Large, 1) are worth about $3.50/lb. for a value of approximately $1,834 per head. Therefore, if my future marketing plan is to sell weaned steers, $1,834 x 5 = $9,170 is the answer.
912 lb. yearling steers (Large, 1) are worth about $2.53/lb. for a value of over $2,300 per head. Therefore, if my future marketing plan is to sell yearling steers, $2,300 x 5 = $11,500 is the answer.
1,500 lb. finished beef steers are worth $2.00/lb. live for a value of $3,000 each. Therefore, if my future marketing plan is to retain ownership through finishing and sell fed cattle on a live weight basis, $3,000 x 5 = $15,000 is the answer.
So, in the current market, a good bull is worth somewhere between $9,000 - $15,000 to a commercial cow-calf operation. Where exactly in that range depends on your marketing plan and the market conditions at that time. Not an exact number because there are many variables in play.
One key point illustrated here is that the longer you own the offspring before marketing, the greater the value of the bull to your operation. Retained ownership gives you more time and opportunity to capture the value of your investment in genetics. It is noteworthy that we haven’t considered the value added to replacement females a bull will sire. Bulls used to sire the next generation of cows have an even greater long-term economic impact on the profit potential of your operation and should be valued accordingly.
I encourage cow-calf operations to consider their production system and marketing plan. Doing so should dictate where to apply selection pressure. Genetic values pay when you purchase bulls capable of improving genetic potential for the specific traits that will translate to added value at your intended marketing endpoint.
Keep the following chart in mind as another way to evaluate ownership cost of bulls on a per calf sired basis.
SALES DIGEST
J&N Ranch 41st Production Sale
Leavenworth, KS Feb. 8, 2025
Auctioneer: Andrew Sylvester
102 Black Hereford Bulls $7,411
TOTAL $755,922
Buyers from 16 States gathered at the Birthplace of Black Hereford Cattle in Leavenworth, Kansas on a sunny winter day in early February. Bleachers in theJ&N Ranch sale facility were full to overflowing, leaving a standing room only crowd engaged in active bidding. On DV Auction, there were 615 viewers watching the sale online with 261 bids placed. Prices ranged from $14,500 to $5,000. Twenty-two bulls sold for over $9,000 and 14 bulls brought over $10,000. Volume buyers purchased up to seven bulls.
Ipsen Cattle Conpany Online Production Sale
Dingle, ID Mar. 4, 2025
SALES DIGEST
Triple T Farms Black is the Color Annual Production Sale
Nancy, KY
Mar. 15, 2025
Auctioneer: Duane Stephens
LOTS
Black Hereford Bulls
F-1 Bulls
3-in-1s
Spring Bred Cows
Spring Bred Heifers
Fall Bred Cows
$5,645
$4,300
$4,085.72
$4,475
$4,246
$3,300
$3,367 Fall Bred Heifers
$3,092 Fall Bred Commercial
Show Prospects
Open Heifers
TOTAL
$3,767
$3,100
$287,400
Midwest Back in Black Bull & Female Sale Vol. 2
Paola, KS
Mar. 16, 2025
Auctioneer: Dustin Layton
LOTS AVERAGE
56 Black Hereford Bulls $5,370
Heavy Bred Black Hereford Heifers $5,175
Fall Bred Black Hereford Heifers $4,555
Open Black Hereford Females $3,516
2 Flushes
Semen Packages $1,050 Embryo Packages $2,200
TOP BULL LOTS
$536.36
$18,000 - Lot 1: CHBH Endurance 3A ET Sold to Kimball Black Herefords
$15,000 - Lot 20: CHBH Genesis 3225 Sold to Hodges Cattle
TOP FEMALE LOTS
$8,250 - Lot 99: CHBH HRR D50 Victoria 413 Sold to Wolf Black Herefords
$7,000 - Lot 81: CHBH GWC 839 Mystique 315 Sold to Wolf Black Herefords
TOP GENETIC LOT
Lot 109: Flush of MH Miss Makers Mark 3524L1 ET Sold to Burns Farms
BREEDER DIRECTORY ALABAMA
TENNESSEE
PRINT DIGITAL / WEBSITE
EMAIL BLAST
BANNER ADS
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NEW MEMBERS
ALBERTA, CA
JD HEREFORDS
John Dmetruik
Willingdon, AB (780) 220 - 4805
FIRE RIDGE FARMS LTD.
Wyatt Robinson Bentley, AB (403) 396 - 5564
KUFFA FARMS
Kendrick & Craig Kuffa Athabasca, AB (780) 689 - 7875
ALABAMA
WARREN RANCH
William Warren
Cedar Bluff, AL (205) 335 - 3352
GREEN ACRES FARM & RANCH
Larry Green Tuscumbia, AL (256) 710 - 6406
ARKANSAS
TWIN BAYOU CATTLE CO.
Richard Gill
Stuggart, AR (870) 830 - 1316
TWIN CREEK HEREFORDS
Johnathan Wood Berryville, AR (870) 654 - 2421
BROKEN A RANCH, LLC
Jessica & Steven Anderson Beebe, AR (501) 438 - 5071
HODGES CATTLE
Jackie Hodges
Deleware, AR (479) 970 - 4602
HORTON FARM
Kelly Horton
Green Forrest, AR (870) 204 - 1609
CALIFORNIA
K/H LIVESTOCK
Kayla Hurl
Shandon, CA (805) 441 - 3804
COLORADO
DAHL’S HEREFORDS
Justin Dahl
Montrose, CO (970) 258 - 2043
FLORIDA
Scott Stephens Bascom, FL
ILLINOIS
7H CATTLE CO
Jeff Hutton
Greenup, IL (217) 821 - 1896
KANSAS
MCCAMMON & SONS
BLACK HEREFORDS
Colton Mccammon
Lacygne, KS (785) 521 - 5373
KENTUCKY
C & S FARMS
Chris Harlan
Sumer Shade, KY (270) 427 - 8846
SP HEREFORDS
Patrick Preston
Glendale, KY (270) 268 - 6930
MISSOURI
JAMES RIVER BLACK HEREFORDS
Josh Brown
Marshfield, MO (417) 861 - 2194
HILLER FAMILY FARMS
Johnathan Hiller & Family
Nelson, MO (660) 346 - 8363
SPRINGTOWN BLACK HEREFORDS
Steve & Laura Adkins
Plattsburg, MO (816) 898 - 6662
WINDY FARM
Dan Damitz
Linn Creek, MO (573) 216 - 0519
CIRCLE DJ FARMS
Justin & Branden Janes
Lonedell, MO (314) 486 - 3301
MISSISSIPPI
ROCKIN H FARMS
Dexter Herring
Beaumont, MS (601) 550 - 1323
NEW MEMBERS
WHITES CROSSIING
CATTLE COMPANY
Jeff White Wiggins, MS (601) 528 - 0969
Mike Bugg Corinth, MS (662) 664 - 0414
NEBRASKA
TNT RANCH
Connor Tullius Parks, NE (740) 434 - 8672
NEW YORK
Ken & Pat Worden OuaQuaga, NY (607) 655 - 2937
PENNSYLVANIA
SLATE ROCK FARMS LLC
Jordan Crouse Carlisle, PA (717) 448 - 8349
COOK’S CATTLE CO.
Jesse Cook
Boyertown, PA (484) 925 - 7941
TENNESSEE
BLACKBURN SPRINGS FARMSTEAD, LLC
April Blackburn
Santa Fe, TN (931) 901 - 6886
TEXAS
HAWK 6 RANCH
Steve Hawkins
Bogota, TX (903) 341 - 7925
TIEKEN RANCH
King Tieken
Anderson, TX (281) 703 - 8777
BOWLEY RANCH
Cody Bowley Carthage, TX (903) 692 - 0658
HERBERT HERMANN FARMS, LLC
Layne Anderson
Wichita Falls, TX (816) 665 - 3858
VIRGINIA
MORGAN CREEK FARM
John Morgan Glade Hill, VA (540) 537 - 2968
WEST VIRGINIA
FOX VIEW FARM
Paul Fox Danese, WV (304) 438 - 5800
SUNNYSIDE FARM
William Junkins Fort Ashby, WV (304) 790 - 9012
ADVERTISER INDEX
NEBRASKA
OKLAHOMA
WEST VIRGINIA
BUILT FOR HETEROSIS.
MORE POUNDS. MORE PROFIT.
Black Herefords produce o spring with unequaled feedlot feeder demand.
Black Hereford genetics increase +3.9% Weaning Weight Feed Conversion +2.2% BREED BLACK HEREFORD
LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT HERD BULL? – REACH OUT TODAY!
Available Now!
With a herd consisting of over 600 registered cows, and 400 commerical cows that are used for recipients and for commerical breeders, Ground Zero Farms is able to offer bulls YEAR ROUND private treaty!
Ground Zero Farms Sires
