headquarters Current EPD Profile (Active) MaineTainer Sires MaineTainer Dams Maine-Anjou Sires Maine-Anjou Dams
CE 6.5 6.8 7.2 7.2
BW 2.1 2.1 2.5 2.4
WW 35.8 37.6 39.5 39.8
YW 72.4 75.7 78.4 78.6
MCE 0.9 1.8 2.8 2.9
MM 19.3 19.7 19.4 19.4
MWW 37.1 38.5 39.2 39.3
CW -3 -1.1 1 1
FT 0.01 0.01 0 0
REA 0.13 0.14 0.18 0.17
MARB 0.18 0.2 0.19 0.2
%RT 0.26 0.26 0.32 0.31
by Blake Nelson, executive vice president
Blake Nelson, Executive Vice President
American Maine-Anjou Association (AMAA) Mission Statement The AMAA will promote Maine-Anjou genetics that provide superior, value added performance, docility and carcass excellence for the beef industry while also providing expanded membership services for adult and junior members. Hello everyone! As I pen my first editorial for the Voice I find myself having to choose what I would like to convey first. I think it is important to immediately express my sincere gratitude to the board for this opportunity! I am here for YOU! I am quick to recognize that without members/breeders we don’t have an association and I don’t have a job. I have already had the chance to meet many Maine-Anjou breeders and look forward to meeting many more. I would like to convey some thoughts about the past, the present and the future in this article. I believe in the Maine-Anjou breed. The past has shown the development of the breed from early on as an imported phenomenon to the more established breed that we see today. With any breed there are ups and downs and we have seen those cycles with Maine-Anjou. I think that we should recognize the work and energy that John Boddicker has dedicated to the breed. John has been at the helm throughout the cycles of the cattle industry and stayed true to his vision for the breed. The junior program has flourished and the breed has remained relevant even when some others have fallen by the wayside. In the Boddicker era the breed has seen many positive changes. Programs have been implemented that I believe will move us forward and solidify legitimacy to the breed. The MAPP program and the increased incorporation of DNA enhanced EPDs are two of the
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most recent additions. The work that Dave Steen has done with feed trials and collecting gain/carcass data is invaluable. To have the ability to present facts on paper about how profitable our cattle can be is a must! These programs will help document and track the production qualities of the breed. Presently, Maine-Anjou is without a doubt the breed that excels in phenotype. Whether it is showring success or just visual quality we have those traits covered. Maine genetics are the most potent phenotype enhancer out there! Docility is a trait that is becoming more important every day in the beef industry and that is a strong attribute of the breed. The calving ease of Maine cattle has seen drastic improvement over the last decade. From a yield grade and carcass standpoint our cattle can have a strong positive impact without diminishing marbling. All the previously mentioned traits are strengths we have in hand. They still have not been enough to capture more interest from the commercial cattleman across this country. Why? Some say that while chasing calving ease we have lost the punch or growth factor that we once had. Others claim the practical function of the Maine cattle was lost when the emphasis was placed on a heifer only having to look good and not do her job in production (fertility, milk, longevity…etc.). Regardless of the cause, the commercial industry view of Maine cattle today is not favorable.