November 2022 Brangus Journal

Brangus

Genetic Defects

Genetic defects caused by mutations are a fact of life. They have always been present in cattle populations and always will be. With modern DNA testing tools, breeders can make informed decisions and calculate the risk of using a carrier animal or a potential carrier as a trade off for the other genetic traits they seek from such an animal. It is important for a breed association to have realistic policy on how to deal with genetic defects (otherwise known as genetic conditions).

Vern Suhn, of Suhn Cattle Company

Thousands of pedigrees in the IBBA herdbook and in Brangus herdbooks globally contain the word “Suhn’s”. From very humble beginnings, Vern Suhn’s tenacity, clear vision and cowman’s common sense created a brand that is synonymous with quality Brangus. Any young breeder who reads the story of Suhn’s ascent to international recognition should come away with the notion that they can do it too. Read how Vern did it.

Meet the New Director of Field Services

Board of Director Candidates

These members have been nominated to represent your interests on the IBBA Board. They will dedicate a lot of time serving you. It is truly a selfless commitment that IBBA Board members make. Please get to know the candidates and, when the ballots arrive in your mailbox, please vote.

IBBA has completed a successful search for a Director of Field Services and Strategic Projects. IBBA’s Long Term Plan is not sitting on the shelf. It is being implemented. As the pace quickens, we need more horsepower to keep the momentum going. Please welcome a person that you will see much more of at sales, events and bouncing through your pastures.

The DNA Q&A

Our DNA team has put together the five most frequently asked questions they receive. Read more about these common questions and their responses as you too may find your answer amongst the group.

Now’s the Time to Vote!

By Jeremy Jackson, International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) president

It’s November and that means it’s election season. Not only is it election time for our government officials, it’s election time for our IBBA board of directors. We have four open board seats and one candidate running for each open seat. In the East, no one was willing to run against the incumbents in myself and Rob Singleton. The same was true in Texas where Mary Douglas is running unopposed. In the West, Dr. Warren Young was nominated and he accepted. There were no other candidates in the West that both were nominated and accepted.

I view the fact that no one ran against the incumbents as a thumbs up from the membership on the job that the current board of directors are doing. We appreciate it. One could easily look at this and say “why vote, there’s only one candidate running”? The reason we ask that you all please vote is that each ballot will have the option of a write-in candidate. If any of you so choose, you may enter any member in good standing in your region as a write-in candidate. If you think that the candidate listed on the ballot is doing a good job, please put a checkmark by their name

and send your ballot back in. In the past, even in heavily contested elections, only about 25 percent of our membership votes. Ballots will be mailed out around Thanksgiving.

Please take the time to fill out your ballot and send it back in.

We will also soon be voting on a few bylaw changes. The biggest issues on the changes are in Article Five and clarify some wording where the bylaws appear to contradict themselves. The Breed Improvement Committee and the International Committee both spent many hours working on Article Five to make sure that we are protecting the integrity of our great breed. The bylaws subcommittee, led by Brandon Belt, did an excellent job of putting the new document together and presenting it to the IBBA board.

By the time that you are reading this, we will most likely have a new employee to fill the new spot as the Director of Field Services and Strategic Projects. That’s a big title and also big expectations to live up to. From the applicants I’ve seen, we have some top-end candidates. Thanks again for believing in me and all the support you have shown for our organization this year. Go BRANGUS!

Islands are for VacatIon

by Darrell Wilkes, Ph.D., International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) executive vice president

In my humble opinion, one of the reasons that the beef industry currently enjoys robust demand for our product is the fact that we, as an industry, made great progress moving beyond the island mentality that once plagued us. Earlier in my career, I gave a lot of speeches on the problems I observed in the interaction between the seedstock, cow-calf, feeder, packer and retail/restaurant segments. I actually got in trouble a few times (many times, actually) for being too candid and too critical. But what I observed was an industry that was incapable of improving because each segment lived in its own little world and didn’t much care about the challenges of those on the other islands. In a nutshell, we were totally disconnected.

At the time, it was almost unheard of to precondition calves before they left the ranch of origin, for example. Millions of immunologically naïve bawling calves were loaded on trucks, hauled to salebarns or other co-mingling sites, eventually making their way to a feedlot where a third of them got sick. From the cow-calf producer’s perspective – back then – the sick

calves in the feedlot simply weren’t their concern because, well, that’s not my island. Feedlots would trade off good pens of cattle to a packer if the packer would agree to take the pen of junk cattle in the next pen – same price. The inconsistency and lack of quality was the feedlot’s problem only until he accepted the bid from the packer and then they became the packer’s problem – again, not my island, not my problem

The seedstock industry has been guilty of living on its own island too. Any honest person will admit that the seedstock industry has chased fads that made no sense whatsoever – just living on its own island and having great parties! How did the stubby little belt buckle cattle of the 50’s and 60’s that the “leading” seedstock firms offered contribute to the efficient production of quality beef? Anybody? How many commercial cow-calf producers actually wanted the over-framed, railgutted cattle of the 80’s that were taller than the guy holding the halter in the champion line-up photos? It only takes a few photos from those days to illustrate how ridiculously out of touch many in the seedstock sector were – just playing games on their own little island. Not a moment too soon, the segments of the industry started actually working together with a focus on the consumer –realizing that every single dollar that floats through the cattle

industry ultimately comes from a person who eats beef. When we listen to our beef consumers and take actions to please them, it strengthens us. What are consumers telling us now?

If the stock price of the fake meat companies is any indication, consumers are telling us that they like real beef, not a slurry of plant material doctored up to look like beef (from a high of $235, Beyond Meat stock price is under $15 as I write this). And, if the price spread between Choice beef and Select beef is any indication, consumers are telling us that they want high quality beef with the extra flavor that marbling brings to the table (pun intended). I doubt there has ever been a time in the beef industry when we’ve had a $30/cwt price spread between Choice and Select while producing over 80% Choice-or-better product. That’s the situation now. This is astonishing. Even with more than 80% of beef grading Choice or better, the marketplace is saying loud and clear that 80% isn’t enough. If 80% was enough, the premium for Choice over Select would disappear.

The seedstock segment of the beef industry exists for one reason and one reason only – to drive genetic improvement for the commercial users of its genetics. The cattle in the

first round of the Brangus Value Project graded over 90% Choice-or-better with 95% of the beef classified as either “very tender” or “tender”. These great results came from steers that performed well above the industry average in the feedlot. They grew faster and converted feed better. The Brangus breed is contributing to the quality revolution in a major way. We can produce high quality beef from highly productive cows in hotharsh environments. Is there another breed that can make that claim? Great beef. Productive cows.

Islands are great for vacation, but we never want to go back to the days of living on our seedstock island and ignoring the others. We must never again lose sight of the fact that we are in the BEEF business. As long as I have the honor to work for you, we will continue to reach downstream to the feedlot and packing sectors to prove the value of Brangus genetics. The ultimate goal is to boost demand – and price – for the feeder calves produced by your commercial bull customers. Nothing will drive demand for Brangus seedstock more than a robust market for Brangus-sired feeder calves. Anything that you as an individual breeder can do to ensure your genetics are moving your customers forward in the quality-focused beef industry is a good thing. If you can do more, do it. GO BRANGUS.

EPD-OLOGY RATIOS AND EPDS, HOW DO THEY CORRELATE?

by Darrell Wilkes, Ph.D., International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) executive vice president

I get a lot of questions from breeders wondering why the weaning weight EPD of a calf didn’t increase even though he had a weaning weight ratio of 105 – or even 110. Ratios and EPDs are not necessarily correlated. A good ratio will not necessarily cause an EPD to improve, and a below average ratio will not necessarily cause an EPD to decline.

sired by different sires and, of course, each calf is from a different dam. Before a calf even has a weaning weight, its weaning weight EPD is essentially an average of the WW EPDs of its parents.

where you have two sire groups represented in a contemporary group. One sire has a high WW EPD and the other has a low WW EPD. The dams of the calves in the contemporary group also have WW EPDs ranging from low to high. If one of the calves from the group earns a WW ratio of 110, the first question we should ask is: “was the higher weaning weight expected, or was it a surprise?”

If the 110-ratio calf was sired by the high WW sire, and out of one of the high WW dams, then we would expect that calf to beat the average of his contemporaries and his WW EPD will not likely go up much if at all. After all, he started out with a higher WW EPD simply because his parents had high WW EPDs. Stated simply; he was a heavy calf, but he was expected to be heavy based on his pedigree. No surprises. No change in his EPD – which was already high.

Let’s look at the other extreme. Let’s assume that a calf sired by the low WW sire and out of a low WW dam turned in an awesome weaning weight and had a ratio of 110. In this case, prior to the calf making its own weaning record, it was stuck with a fairly low WW EPD simply because its parents both had low WW EPDs. His 110 ratio is certainly a surprise. The calf was able to outgrow contemporaries who had much better preliminary WW EPDs. In this case, the WW EPD of the calf would be expected to increase after his weaning example to round out the explanation. Assume that all the sires represented in the contemporary group have high WW EPDs, high WW EPDs. In other words, every calf in this contemporary group has stiff competition. In that case, if a calf turns in a 110 ratio, his WW EPD (which is already high) will go even higher when his weaning record is incorporated into the next monthly EPD

Great ratios make for limitations as it pertains to genetic evaluation. A ratio is, by its very nature,

comparative number. The key question is: relative to what? -- compared to what? EPDs factor in virtually everything which makes them infinitely more powerful as a tool to drive genetic change compared to ratios.

If one of the calves from the group earns a WW ratio of 110, the first question we should ask is: “was the higher weaning weight expected, or was it a surprise?”

HISTORICAL CATTLE CYCLE TRENDS

When it comes to cattle cycles one rule of thumb to remember is each cycle lasts about 10 to 12 years from peak to peak and low to low, according to historical trends. The main drivers of cattle cycles are profitability, specifically at the cow-calf segment, and grazing resources. Compared to the pork and poultry industries, the beef industry is much more at the mercy of what Mother Nature provides. When there is no economic incentive to expand, or worse, when financial losses hit cow-calf businesses, producers are left with no choice but to liquidate the cowherd. On the other hand, there are periods throughout history when operations capitalized on the elevated calf market to grow the cowherd. These forces are expected to continue to impact the beef industry in the future.

Before trying to predict the future it’s important to understand where the industry is within the current cycle. With virtually no profitability the past several years for cow-calf producers, the cowherd peaked in 2019 before liquidating 1.57 million cows as of January 2022. This year, the calf market is on pace to average about $30/cwt above 2021. However, rising costs are offsetting a large portion of the increase in revenue to where margins will only slightly improve. The biggest challenge for many producers has transitioned from financial to now environmental. With drought plaguing the South Plains and much of the western United States for the last several months, lack of feed resources has led to aggressive culling. To put in perspective how impactful the drought has been, CattleFax measures how much of the cowherd is suffering from drought. Through the first seven months of the year, 48 percent of the cowherd, on average, was in moderate or worse drought conditions. There are

only four other years that averaged a higher percent from January through July. Bottom line, the severity of the drought is the main reason why beef cow slaughter is running 14 to 15 percent above 2021. The beef cow inventory is forecast to decline more than 600,000 head from January 2022 to 2023.

While precipitation and market conditions can alter the outlook, the cowherd is expected to marginally decline again through 2023 to find a low near 29 million cows in January 2024 – matching the bottom in 2014. To some degree, the die is cast with fewer replacement heifers being retained over the last six to twelve months. If the forecast were to come to fruition, the beef cowherd would lose roughly 2.7 million cows, or 8 percent, from the peak in 2019. Compared to the previous three liquidation phases, the projected 8 percent reduction would be tied for the smallest decline when the cowherd decreased from 1996 to 2004. The 1980s experienced an extreme liquidation from 1982 to 1990 when numbers dropped roughly 17 percent. In the most

recent contraction, the cowherd decreased 11 percent from 2006 to 2014 and was fueled by drought the last few years. If the average decline of 12 percent from the last three liquidations was applied to the 2019 high, the cowherd would make a low at roughly 27.9 million, which would take out the 2014 bottom. While a 12 percent break is currently not forecasted, it has happened

will make a new record and could certainly create a new and higher trading range. The average change of 96 percent added to the 2020 annual average of $159/cwt equates to a cycle high of roughly $312/cwt. This would take out the previous record high set in 2015 by about $61/cwt. Again, a move above $300/cwt is not currently projected to occur over the next few years but historical trends suggest it is possible.

The higher price trends into the middle of the decade will be welcomed by producers, especially to offset the recent increase in expenses. However, if the past is any indication of the future, the market will roll over at some point. Prices will get high enough and grazing resources will improve, incentivizing producers to rebuild the cowherd. Using the rule of thumb that cycles last about 10 to 12 years, the next price low would occur around 2030.

in past cycles. Mother Nature will have a big say in how things transpire.

The cowherd liquidation is setting up a bullish supply scenario the next few years. How deep producers cull and how strong beef demand is will dictate how steep the price uptrend is into the middle of the decade. When analyzing the last three cycles, the increase in prices has a wide range from the annual low to high. This reinforces that supply is not the only component that drives the market. Nonetheless, the calf market experienced significant appreciation in all three uptrends. While it’s a fairly small sample with just three timeframes, it is interesting that the percent increase from low to high has grown progressively larger with each cycle. In the last two periods, the cattle markets transitioned into higher trading ranges. It is hard to say whether a new range will develop with the current cycle, but both wholesale and retail beef prices already moved into a higher trading range the last couple of years. If the average percent increase from the last three cycles is applied to the annual average low in 2020, it implies the calf market

If producers have the ability to expand, mostly dependent on feed resources, it is recommended to begin this process as soon as possible to stay ahead of the market trends. Not only will the calf market increase significantly into the middle of the decade but so will female prices. When calf prices correct, likely in the late 2020s, it will be very difficult for the expensive females to ever pay for themselves. Incorporating this strategy is easier said than done. Nonetheless, producers need to have a long-term outlook of the markets and a business plan, even if adjustments are made periodically.

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INTELLECT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES

(continued from page 47) and received the Breeder of the Year award in 2003. Suhn says he realizes the importance of data and performance information. In an effort to support and better the industry, he joined the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF).

BOARD OF DIRECTOR Candidates

He attends the annual BIF Convention, and he has been a participant in a panel discussion at their convention.

In 2009, Suhn and a group of Brangus breeders put together a marketing alliance called GENETRUST that markets 650

TEXAS Mary Douglass

MaryDouglass and her

husband, Chris, operate Two Hearts Brangus in Seguin, Texas. Along with their ranching enterprise, they operate Dent Masters, an automotive dent repair service. They formed Triune Enterprises Inc. in 2000, where Mary serves as the secretary/ treasurer and office manager.

Mary’s early professional career was spent in the banking industry. She had the privilege to be mentored by some of the most prominent women bankers in El Paso. With their tutelage, she advanced to the position of banking officer and then on to manager of the Loan Operations Department of InterFirst Bank El Paso. She held a similar position with the Bank of the West and Surety Savings and Loan, which was in receivership with the Resolution Trust Corporation. In 1991, Chris and Mary decided to

plus Brangus and Ultrablack™ bulls each year. With a successful first decade guided in large to his intuition, experience, tutelage, Vern has backed from his role as President on his own Brangus herd.

AREA 7 Mary Douglass

Mary Douglass and her husband, Chris, operate Two Hearts Brangus in Seguin, Texas. Along with their ranching enterprise, they operate Dent Masters, an automotive dent repair service. They formed Triune Enterprises Inc. in 2000, where Mary serves as the secretary/treasurer and office manager. Mary’s early professional career was spent in the banking industry. She had the privilege to be mentored by some of the most prominent women bankers in El Paso. With their tutelage, she advanced to the position of banking officer and then on to manager of the Loan Operations Department of InterFirst Bank El Paso. She held a similar position with the Bank of the West and Surety Savings and Loan, which was in receivership with the Resolution Trust Corporation. In 1991, Chris and Mary decided to undertake the opening of their own business venture. They established Dent Masters in El Paso, Texas, and then worked to move it to San Antonio in 1992.

Seguin, Texas

Dent Masters in El Paso, Texas, and then worked to move it to San Antonio in 1992.

helping put on the TJBBA State Show. In 2000, she was chosen to serve as International Junior Brangus Breeders advisor, where she served until 2010. In recognition of her efforts on behalf of the IJBBA, Mary received the prestigious Georganne Myers National Supporter of the Year Award in 2005. Mary Douglass has served as a director on both the Hill Country Brangus Breeders Association and the Texas Brangus Breeders Association boards. She has also served on the IBBA Show Committee.

Association boards. She has also served on the IBBA Show Committee.

Mary’s love of Brangus officially began on April 22, 1995, with the purchase of six head of registered Brangus at the Leaning H Ranch Sale. Since that day, Mary has been an enthusiastic supporter of Brangus cattle, Brangus breeders, and especially junior Brangus exhibitors. She quickly plunged into volunteering as an adult advisor for the Texas Junior Brangus Breeders Association (TJBBA) where she served for several years

Mary’s love of Brangus officially began on April 22, 1995, with the purchase of six head of registered Brangus at the Leaning H Ranch Sale. Since that day, Mary has been an enthusiastic supporter of Brangus cattle, Brangus breeders, and especially junior Brangus exhibitors. She quickly plunged into volunteering as an adult advisor for the Texas Junior Brangus Breeders Association (TJBBA) where she served for several years helping put on the TJBBA State Show. In 2000, she was chosen to serve as International Junior Brangus Breeders advisor, where she served until 2010. In recognition of her efforts on behalf of the IJBBA, Mary received the prestigious Georganne Myers National Supporter of the Year Award in 2005. Mary Douglass has served as a director on both the Hill Country

She is proud to have served as an IBBA staff member from 2006 until 2010. While an employee of IBBA, she never hesitated to help the membership wherever she could. Answering the phone and helping the membership with their requests was her favorite job assignment. While she was the Director of the IBBA Open Shows, she traveled as the association representative to the various national shows to insure adherence to IBBA show policies. She also was responsible for most aspects of DNA sample submission and reporting.

She is proud to have served an IBBA staff member from until 2010. While an employee of IBBA, she never hesitated help the membership wherever she could. Answering the and helping the membership their requests was her favorite assignment. While she was Director of the IBBA Open she traveled as the association representative to the various national shows to insure adherence to IBBA show policies. She was responsible for most of DNA sample submission reporting.

Mary and Chris have two adult sons, Derek Russell and Denny Douglass. They have one grandson Landon Douglass, who will be showing his first Brangus heifer this coming show year. If elected, Douglass will honorably serve the members of the IBBA to the best of her ability.

Mary and Chris have two sons, Derek Russell and Denny Douglass. They have one Landon Douglass, who will showing his first Brangus this coming show year. If Douglass will honorably serve members of the IBBA to the

PeteDeLeeuw and his

family operate

Pennridge Ranch in Paige, Texas, about an hour east of Austin.

Pennridge Ranch is truly a family operation, with son, Pete Jr., as the general manager, and daughter, Diann, running most of the marketing efforts, registrations and breed paperwork.

In 1978, DeLeeuw purchased 12 Brangus heifers soon after acquiring a small ranch in Brenham, Texas. For many years, he ran a small registered operation of 40 females. In 2011, DeLeeuw and wife, Kay, purchased a larger ranch in Paige and expanded the herd to around 175 registered females, in addition to several commercial recipient cows. Pete works at being a progressive breeder with an embryo transfer program, and all females not being used as donors for E.T. will be artificially inseminated. He has made substantial improvement in the quality of his herd over the last five to eight years by using premier bulls in the breed through A.I., alongside purchasing a few excellent bulls for Pennridge cleanup pasture use. Additionally, all cattle are DNA tested at weaning to

AREA 7 Pete DeLeeuw

create genomic enhanced EPDs.

Jeremy Jackson

Jeremy Jackson grew up on a rural Benton County Arkansas farm. His family owned a registered Holstein dairy and also a broiler chicken operation for Peterson Farms. When he was 10 years old, his family began the process of transitioning the dairy into a commercial BRANGUS operation. After High School, Jeremy chased his other passion, the fire service. Jeremy received degrees in Paramedic Science and Fire Service Leadership. He was also awarded a Congressional title after graduating from the National Fire Academy’s prestigious Executive Fire Officer Program. Jeremy has also been published multiple times at the National Fire Library.

Jeremy served in many different roles during his career in the fire department. Aside from the every day work of the fire department, Jeremy served on multiple committees and boards within the fire service. He spent a significant amount of time in the latter years of his career teaching for several colleges as well as the fire department. Jeremy also gained experience developing and administering municipal budgets while overseeing large groups of personnel.

DeLeeuw has a business background and has been in the chemical industry with senior executive positions at Shell and as the CEO of Sterling Chemical – both out of Houston. He has also been active in his community and served on the Tomball School Board for nine years. In the IBBA, he has served on the Breed Improvement Committee and the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee (LRSPC) since its inception. DeLeeuw believes the LRSPC group is enacting some exceptional work in improving, and ultimately growing the association. DeLeeuw’s rationale for serving on the IBBA Board of Directors is as follows:

Gentry, Arkansas

we should and could be a leading growth breed.

Jeremy transitioned the commercial herd to a completely registered herd and formed Jacksons Double J Brangus. In 2011, Jeremy left the fire department and came home to the farm full-time.

Jeremy and Michelle are blessed to be raising two amazing kids, Wyatt and Emily. The kids are both IBBA Jr. members and enjoy showing their BRANGUS cattle. Wyatt and Emily both enjoy judging livestock and hope to go to college to judge as well.

1. He has experience in serving on several boards over his business career and would work to ensure that the IBBA had one of the most effective boards in the industry.

Jeremy married his best friend Michelle in 2004 and they immediately started their own commercial Brangus operation. In 2010, Jeremy contacted an old family friend at Hatfield Brangus and bought several registered Brangus heifers. Over the next two years,

3. Currently, the IBBA is making good progress in becoming a more progressive breed in the use of genomics and is sponsoring important research work in thermo-tolerance. Pete would work to prove, through data collection with feedlots and packers, that Brangus cattle yield among the very best on the rail. Brangus should be recognized for quality carcass and great maternal traits.

Currently, Jeremy manages his family’s farming and ranching operations. They produce around 1.7 million chickens per year and market around 100 feeder calves as well. The registered operation, Jacksons Double J BRANGUS, is Jeremy’s true passion. Jeremy has tried to become a student of the BRANGUS breed and push his herd and himself to succeed. His family was named Benton County Farm Family of the Year in 2018. Jeremy has served on the IBBA board of directors for the last three years. He is currently the sitting president.

2. Growth should be a priority. The Brangus breed has about the same number of cattle (in 2016) as listed in the early 1990s. Other breeds, such as Angus and Beefmaster, have had far more growth, and given the positive attributes of Brangus cattle, he believes

DeLeeuw believes Brangus is the best breed for a large share of the country, but it needs to be proven through data collection – a challenge he hopes to work on if elected to the IBBA Board. If elected, DeLeeuw assures members he will put in the effort to contribute towards overall breed improvement, leading Brangus to a premier status. DeLeeuw will work towards a data-driven advantage list, proving Brangus’ attributes to any progressive cattleman or woman. He humbly asks for your support and promises to be available to discuss issues with members whenever desired.

Jeremy wants the breeders in the Southeast to know that if reelected, he plans to continue to represent all of the breeders regardless of size. While he is friends with and holds great respect for many of the larger breeders, Jeremy understands the needs of all sizes of operations. He knows what it’s like to make tough financial decisions to try to make a small operation cash flow. Jeremy will accept advise equally from the folks that have five cows and the folks that have five hundred.

EAST Rob Singleton

AREA 11 Rob Singleton

Seville, Florida

My name is Rob Singleton. It is my privilege to be nominated as a candidate for the IBBA Board of Directors, and if elected, it will be

Rob Singleton is a lifelong cattleman and currently is General Manager at Phillips Ranch in Bunnell, FL. He was born into the beef cattle industry and grew up on his family’s commercial cow/ calf operation.

my pleasure to serve the members of this wonderful organization. Having spent most of my life in the seedstock business, I have learned that we are not in the cattle business, but in the people business and the cattle are merely

As he grew, so did his interest in the seedstock sector, pushing him to study animal science at the University of Tennessee. Upon graduation, Rob took a job managing a Limousin ranch for two years, after which he returned home to go into business for himself.

the vehicle we use to participate. I mention that to say, although Brangus have everything to offer the beef industry, it is the people involved in this breed that make it special. We can continue to (continued on page 50)

After 10 years of managing his own cows and providing services to other beef producers, he was offered the position of division manager at Three Trees Ranch, which was the largest seedstock producer east of the Mississippi River and the third largest in the nation. During his 14 years at Three Trees, his affiliation with Brangus begun. From Three Trees, his next career step was to accept a manager’s position at The Oaks Brangus and Genetix Cattle Plus in Grantville, Georgia.

It is now Rob’s privilege and pleasure to manage

Phillips Ranch, located in Bunnell, Florida, which is a aggressive and progressive Brangus ranch that he plans to be a part of for many years to come.

A deep passion for Brangus and wanting to see the breed continue to advance its place in the beef marketplace is the reason Rob is running for a second term on the IBBA Board of Directors. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my first term as a director, and I am proud of the work the board has done. With that said,

there is still much work to be done and I am asking for your vote for a second term to continue the work we have started”. Brangus is gaining market share and we don’t need to loose momentum.

Rob and his family are thankful for their past experiences in this industry, but even more excited for what the future holds. Rob’s love for the Brangus breed grows every day and he is thankful to be a part of it and extremely excited to see it move forward.

Warren Young

WEST

My name is Warren Young and I am running for a position on the board of directors for the IBBA. I believe I am a qualified candidate and would be an asset to the on going development and growth of the IBBA.

I grew up on a ranch in Conroe, Texas. As a youth, I was heavily involved with the local 4H. Upon graduating from high school, I attended Texas Tech University where I received my undergraduate degree. While at Tech, I became a national champion collegiate livestock judge.

From there, I moved to College Station, Texas and attended Texas A&M University School of Veterinarian Medicine. In total, I received five degrees culminating in a Doctorate of Veterinarian medicine with an equine specialty.

In 1998, I bought my first registered Brangus cattle. Young Land & Cattle was born as a result of that initial purchase, have spent the last 24 years

Blanchard, Oklahoma

developing my herd. Young Land & Cattle is located in central Oklahoma and is a seed stock operation. I am passionate about raising superior Brangus cattle. I research all available technology related to improving the breed and use all available testing in order to move the herd forward.

I am president and owner of Young Equine Services and Young Land and Cattle, Inc.

I am presently a director in the Oklahoma Brangus Association. I am a a founding member of the Power Source Genetic Alliance. I have served on many committees in the AAEP, AVMA, and state cattle associations. I have been married to my wife, Laura, for 30 years and we have three children, Madison, Brennan, and Christopher.

It would be an honor and privilege to be a cattleman’s representative on the national board of the IBBA.

t o o u r c u s t o m e r s o n a s u c c e s s f u l s a l e

IBBA Brangus Futurity 2022 Pen Show

Grand and Reserve Champion Pen of Bulls

MP Brangus, Waco, Texas

Grand and Reserve Champion Pen of Heifers

MP Brangus, Waco, Texas

Pen Show Judges: Grady Green, Webb Fields, and Doug Satree

Defects

by Darrell Wilkes, Ph.D., International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) executive vice president

The topic of genetic defects seems to elevate emotions among livestock breeders. I may elevate emotions even more with a statement that will make some people mad but will hopefully entice people to read this entire article: There is no such thing as genetic purity. There, I said it. Now let’s delve into it.

For the purposes of this article, I will mostly deal with the types of genetic defects that can be tied to a specific gene. There are other genetic defects, or perhaps better described as deficiencies, that probably cause a thousand times more economic loss, but they are not controlled by a single gene and, therefore, tend to be accepted as a nuisance that has to be dealt with. An example would be a pendulous udder. Every cattle breeder hates pendulous udders but since this trait is affected by many genes and cannot be tied to a specific

gene, it is not truly considered a genetic defect even though it is genetically influenced and causes significant economic loss (shorter cow life, lost weaning weight, etc.). For reasons that I cannot explain, cattle breeders get far more emotional about single-gene defects than they do about multi-gene deficiencies like pendulous udders – or bad feet, or nasty disposition, or shallow flanks, lazy prepuce, etc., etc. I think it has to do with the notion that a single-gene defect implies some sort of impurity.

There is not a single specie of plant or animal (or bacteria for that matter), that is free of deleterious mutations and, therefore, genetically “pure”. Moreover, there never will be so long as the chemical known as DNA must make copies of itself every time a cell divides. With trillions of cell divisions, and trillions of “copies” made, mistakes will be made and such mistakes are known as mutations. Many mutations are harmless. Some are absolutely lethal, and others cause problems ranging from minor to major. Some are advantageous. IBBA has a list of 17 known genetic defects. The list is worth the paper it’s written on because a new genetic defect could pop up tomorrow and, in an instant, the list would be outdated. We could consider a “genetic purity policy” in which every known carrier or inferred carrier animal would be banned from registration and their registration papers cancelled. This seems straightforward – albeit a bit draconian - until the “next” defect is identified, and then you’d have to start all over again testing the population and culling the carriers. I think this scenario is best described by a popular phrase know as the slippery slope. We all understand the meaning. Once you start down the slope, and you cannot find firm footing, you will slip and slide until you hit the bottom, wherever that is. In other words, you are no longer in control.

Genetic defects in cattle showed up long before we had DNA tests for them. Is anybody out there old enough to remember dwarfs? I recall the panic in the Angus business way back in the 70’s when syndactyly (mule foot) and osteopetrosis (marble bone) were diagnosed in Angus cattle. The breeders who were the unlucky owners of the initially diagnosed cattle were almost looked upon as criminals – as if they somehow polluted the Angus gene pool with some sort of foreign DNA. In reality, the mutation was there all along and they just had the misfortune of creating a homozygous animal that carried two copies of the “bad” version of the gene.

I hesitate to move to the math part of this story but understanding the math is critical to understanding the scope of the problem in a cattle population. There is a fundamental concept in population genetics known as gene frequency, and once you understand it the math gets very easy.

We’re accustomed to using upper case letters to identify dominant genes and lower case letters to identify recessives. When it comes to genetic defects, most are recessive. I’ll use the letters “B” and “b” to explain the concept of gene frequency. “B” and “b” are alleles – versions of the gene. They reside together at the same loci (loci is basically the location of the alleles within a long strand of DNA). The frequency is simply the percentage of cases in which a specific allele is present. The frequency of “B’ and the frequency of “b” must always add to 100%. So, if the dominant allele “B” is present 90% of the time, the frequency of “b” must therefore be 10%. To grasp this concept, you must think in terms of a population, not a specific animal.

Each individual animal will be either BB, Bb or bb. There are no other options. So, for an individual, the frequency of the “B” allele is either 100%, 50% or 0%. For a population, the range in gene frequency goes from 0% to 100%.

It is tradition to use the letter “p” to represent the frequency of the large allele, and “q” to represent the frequency of the small allele. We then use the equation (p + q)2 to compute the percentage of animals in a population that are BB, Bb or bb. When this equation is expanded, it produces the result: p2 + 2pq + q2. Sorry

for all the math, but it is important. It can be made easier with an example.

Assume that “B” and “b” have equal frequency of .50. In a randomly mating population, we can then predict the percentage of each genotype in the population. For BB, the frequency is .50 X .50 = 25%.

For Bb, the frequency is 2 X .5 X .5 = 50%, and for bb the frequency is .50 X .50 = 25%.

The table below shows the percentage of each genotype in a population based on the frequency of each allele.

This assumes a randomly mating population with reference to the allele under consideration. An example might be helpful. If the frequency of the red gene in the overall Brangus population was .20, and if breeders mated cattle without any consideration of color (i.e. random mating with regard to color), we

would expect about 4% of the population to be red. Sixty four (64) percent would be homozygous black and 32% would be black, but would carry the recessive red gene.

Red color is not a deleterious mutation. It is somewhat ironic that black Angus breeders once considered the red gene to be “bad”, which gave rise to the successful Red Angus Association of America. Go figure!

Now, let’s talk about the kind of genetic defects that people are concerned about. Let’s take osteopetrosis (marble bone) as the example. I do not know the exact gene frequency of this mutation in the Brangus population, but my guess is that it is less than 5%.

Based on the math illustrated above, if the frequency is 5%, we would expect about 25 animals out of 10,000 to be homozygous recessive and, therefore, AFFECTED with osteopetrosis. About 950 animals out of 10,000 would be carriers, and about 9,025 out of 10,000 would be OS-free. Since the affected animals are not fit for reproduction (most will die young), they will not become parents of the next generation. As a result, the frequency of the mutation in the next round of mating by that population would actually be slightly lower. It would decrease from .05 to about .048 for the next generation. Over many generations, if the homozygous recessive animals are not used as parents, the frequency of the mutation will continue to decline but never reaches zero. There’s a reason that deleterious recessives are rare in nature. The reason is that the affected animals do not pass the mutation on because they are not usually

able to reproduce – most die young.

It is naïve to think that we have identified all the deleterious recessive mutations in cattle since new ones occur on a regular basis. It’s called spontaneous mutation and is a fact of life. Before DNA tests were available, some breeders actually went so far as to breed a sire back to his daughters to create at least 20 pregnancies. If none of the resulting calves were affected, it established about a 97% probability that the sire was not a carrier of any deleterious mutations. I remember an Angus sire in the late 70’s being tested in this manner and was then promoted as “Mr. Clean Genes”.

I’ve been lobbied a bit lately to re-think IBBA’s policy on genetic defects. If there is a change in policy, it will come from the membership – not from me. Presently, IBBA policy allows registration of carrier animals and allows those animals to be used as parents. It is up to informed breeders to decide whether the risk of using a known carrier (or even a potential carrier) is greater than the benefit to be derived from the rest of that animal’s genes.

Finally, I have been asked repeatedly if a noncarrier offspring from a carrier parent is somehow different than a non-carrier offspring from non-carrier parents. The answer is an unequivocal NO. There is no difference. A non-carrier is a non-carrier, period. If a calf does not inherit the mutation from a carrier parent, it is just as “clean” as a calf created by two non-carrier parents. There isn’t some sort of lingering “genetic pollution” owing to the carrier parent(s).

VERN SUHN

Something Inspiring

by Jared Suhn and Jessica White

Take a drive down Highway 99 in south-central Kansas. Go through Hamilton and make your way south toward Highway 54--one of the major east-west arteries that crisscrosses the Sunflower State. Once you cross the twin bridges, by chance, you might notice a small, black sign that reads “Suhn Cattle Company” and points west on a narrow, unassuming gravel road. The sign is very typical of Kansas — small, and far from impressive — if you blink, you are sure to miss it. Two miles down that dusty gravel road sits a ranch which is home to Brangus cattle branded with the initials of their founders, Vern and Vicki Suhn, who are known worldwide throughout the purebred industry. There is no flashy entrance. No grand promenade. And that’s exactly the way Dad always wanted it.

If I heard it once, I heard it a million times, “they are coming for the cattle not the fancy trimmings.” The unassuming nature of the ranch hides something that was truly special and entirely fashioned from our Dad’s keen intellect, relentless determination and never-ending desire to always be better. And by his side was our Mom, who never missed something out of place, and who spent many hours in the bull traps creating a herd of cattle known for their docility and temperament.

“I certainly didn’t realize on my first trip to Eureka, Kansas what an impact on my life and special friendship would develop as a result. I was searching for a bull for my commercial cows. What I found over time to be typical Vern “fashion”, was he passionately commented on every bull’s good and not-as-good points, and the history behind them,” remarked Oklahoma Brangus breeder Mike Vorel.

To those in the purebred cattle industry or who know the Brangus breed, the Suhn cowherd needs no introduction. It’s known the world over and its distinction rose not from chasing fads but instead from remaining true to the most fundamental basics of genetic selection. While our parents sold the entirety of their purebred cowherd earlier this year, the legacy they left on the purebred industry will never be erased and will endure for generations. Their genuine love for the cattle industry and favorite breed of cattle was shaped by a diverse and storied background that weaves together multiple facets of today’s modern-day cattle industry.

“Vern’s drive to continually improve the cattle, stand behind the product we were producing and serve the Brangus Association with a passion had a huge impact on me. That first bull purchase for my

commercial cows, a Transformer son, has led to a very interesting, and what I consider successful, nearly 30 years with Brangus and Ultrablack cattle. I can’t thank Vern enough for always sharing his knowledge, passion, and time, not only with me but so many others; and most of all his friendship,” Vorel added.

Dad’s unique outlook was shaped initially from his background of being raised on a 10,000 head Angus commercial cattle operation on the plains of central South Dakota and ultimately prepared him to be one of the great visionaries of the Brangus breed. Growing up he had a tremendous role model in his father, “Junior” Suhn, who managed that ranch and was a pioneer of using Artificial Insemination. His Dad began employing AI, which was then a totally new concept, on this large commercial operation and had fresh semen flown into Pierre, South Dakota and used to inseminate the cowherd. So innovative that one beef cattle magazine headline of 1966 read “4000 Market Toppers from 4 Bulls” and described the benefits of AI’ing on the Hyland Angus Ranch, Highmore, SD.

With the base herd being Angus and the utilization of AI quickly expanding within the beef industry, the stage was set for other breeds to come to America. In the span of a few short years, Dad had first-hand knowledge of a variety of purebred breeds’ first steps in the United States. The first generation of Limousine, Simmental, Blonde A’quantane, Chianina, and Murray Grey produced as a result of artificial insemination were soon being born at Hyland Angus Ranch.

Another highlight of his days running so many cattle was that many show steer enthusiasts would trek to the large ranch to select steers from the operation. His young bride, Vicki, who had a background in horses, was always amazed at how the “steer jocks”

would come in and try to sort through 700 steers. Dad would let them wander around for a while, smile at their confusion, but being short on time and even shorter on patience, would eventually point out three or four that they ultimately were tickled with. Looking back now, it’s easy to understand how today, Dad can so quickly make his way through large sets of cattle and easily sort them for quality. It’s even easier to understand that his patience would run short.

Following their time at the home ranch in South Dakota they left to manage registered Angus ranches in California and Nebraska; and logged a great number of miles behind the wheel, showing cattle.

In early 1980, a single phone call radically altered our parent’s life.

“I first met Vern forty-two years ago after I called him regarding my need for a manager of our cow herd at Brinks Brangus,” remarked Glenn Brinkman, “At the time, Vern was working at an Angus ranch in Nebraska as their manager. Vern came highly recommended by Harold Arnte, the one-time manager of Ankony Angus in Highmore, South Dakota which was across the road from the ranch that Vern’s Dad managed. After hiring Vern, he and his family moved to Poteet, Texas. Vern completely understood the goals of our breeding program and worked with me in the breeding selection of both our foundation herd and our new genetics herd of cattle. Vern did an outstanding job in the management of these two herds.”

At that point in his life, having lived in predominantly northern environments permeated with non-Brahman influenced cattle—everything about this job was new to Dad, especially the breed of cattle. However, the visionary concepts Glenn and Lloyd Brinkman had for Brinks Brangus instantly appealed to Dad’s desire to push the envelope and try something new.

Dad wanted to challenge the conventional wisdom inside the Brangus breed that it was possible for ranches to only sell two-year-old bulls. With his background in developing yearling bulls, he worked within the Brinks breeding program to select earlier maturing Brangus that could be sold sooner and get to work in the pasture rather than simply adding to the feed bill. Brinks Brangus also employed the use of a breeding up program, to mate Angus to three quarter blood Brahmans to produce first generation Brangus. Dad joined Brinks in the heyday of the Texas oil boom during the early 1980s. Two short years after

joining the team, a Brinks sale became the first purebred sale of any breed to gross over $1 million. The next year, in 1983, they smashed that record and became the first ranch to gross over $2 million and averaged over $25,000 per head. Selling in that sale were breed greats that many of today’s Brangus cattle trace their ancestry back to bulls like Nugget, Extra and Bravo. Then in 1984, those previous records went by the wayside as the $4 million dollar mark was exceeded in Brinks’ January Bull sale—many remember that exciting day as Pride, Exacto, Tiny, Bob, Tremor, Caesar, King and Granada were sold.

Our Mom was a driving force behind our Dad, always being willing to lend a hand whether it be sorting cattle, breaking ice or managing all of the bookkeeping. Never one to stay idle, she quickly mastered the art of photography and was recognized as one of the best livestock photographers in the country.

Dad has always concentrated on breeding Brangus cattle that would be uniform in their kind while maintaining the great natural bred-in positives found in the Brangus breed. Those positives included great mothering ability, vigorous calves, heat tolerance, bred-in insect resistance, resistance to fescue toxicity and natural heterosis. When Brinks expanded north, first to Colorado, and then to a ranch in the Flint Hills of Eureka, Kansas in the mid ‘80’s, Mom, Dad and our

entire family followed the herd of black Brangus cows. Once in Kansas, Glenn started researching the newest cutting-edge technology of the day—ultrasound. In an effort to “see beneath the hide” Glenn was instrumental in purchasing one of the first ultrasound machines and put it to use to begin measuring, recording and utilizing ultrasound information for carcass merit. Glenn truly paved the way and led a new generation of purebred producers to begin employing ultrasound data, yet even today few recognize that the Brangus breed was one of the first to apply this technology to evaluate carcass merit.

Brinkman added, “If you know Vern, you know that he stands for integrity and sound judgement; he is a person on whom you can rely. Vern and I have been close friends for many years, and I respect him and his family immensely.”

In 1990, following the dispersal of the Brinks Brangus herd, Mom and Dad purchased their own ranch outside of Eureka. Their new challenge was quite simple—doing it their way, on their own and with just 15 cows. And most importantly, now Dad could spend a larger portion of his time doing what he does best—daily management. With the total responsibility of the daily work of heat detection, AI, calving and analysis of development of both bulls and heifers he was able to more fully be our herd’s most ardent critic.

Dad was never one to be “barn blind” always making each mating with a purpose and culling stricter than almost anyone. We can still remember so many of our “favorites” growing up falling victim to his rigorous culling standards.

Starting with only 15 cows, it was a slow, methodical and planned building process. Just two years after the ranch’s inception, they incorporated an embryo transfer program. But typical of Dad’s approach his whole life, he wasn’t content to just worry about his own program. Since they had such a small herd to begin with, they worked to solidify relations with other small Brangus breeders throughout the Midwest and started developing and merchandising bulls together. He also consulted for several breeders and still worked with the Brinks-Camp Cooley program assisting with their sales.

Dad was never content with the status quo and painstakingly took time, effort and energy to help countless new breeders or smaller operations that often would be overlooked by others. The co-op model Mom and Dad began employing in the early ‘90s is now a part of many large-scale purebred operations in America

today. But Dad’s philosophy and approach was to help these small breeders advance. He knew that they were the lifeblood of a growing breed and without their success it would deal a crippling blow to the breed. He was always one to encourage the broad use of AI. It was a win-win situation, as other breeders were able to compare genetics and watch the development of their bulls alongside others, thus aiding in further bull selection.

Longtime Suhn customer Delmar Snyder said, “Over the years Vern taught me the perfect bull doesn’t exist, but the secret was balancing all the traits to get what you’re looking for. Living in Southwest Kansas I am drier than Vern’s average customer, so it is important to me to keep my milk and mature size down and Vern has been a large part helping me identify those cattle, keeping me on the right track. In July, I sold two loads of heifers on Superior, the same day as a counterpart from Eastern Oklahoma who was selling Express Ranch sired program cattle. We outsold them by a dime, it made my year, and Vern Suhn’s guidance helped me get there.”

In April of 1993, we held our first bull sale in Eureka, Kansas. That first sale is easy to remember not just because of it being the start of a nearly 30-year tradition, but the morning of the sale, the entire southeast Kansas region was hit with a huge ice storm. Despite the treacherous road conditions that morning, the parking lot was full and the initial sale was a strong success. Since that first sale, we have weathered many types of natural phenomena – including a huge grass fire, a rainstorm, deluge, snow and even tornado watches. It became a bit of a running joke—wondering what freakish weather pattern would beset the Suhn sale this year.

Being located in Kansas, far from the epicenter of the Brangus world in the south, Dad’s main difficulty was being recognized within the Brangus breed as producing the quality of Brangus necessary to impact the breed. The breed first noticed Mom and Dad’s operation when the two flush mates, Affirmed and Alydar, sold in 2005.

Only a few years later, many were captivated by a young bull bred in Dad’s herd called Next Step. When the gavel fell at $28,500 for half-interest in the bull, no one would have imagined the impact this young sire would have on the Brangus breed. Today Affirmed, Alydar and Next Step combined have over 3,000 offspring recorded at the International Brangus Breeders Association. From a herd of less than 200 mama cows, the impact of Suhn Cattle Company genetics has been wide-spread and left an indelible mark on the future of the Brangus breed.

Less than a month after Next Step sold, Dad took the unprecedented step to sell one of the young donor females straight out of the heart of his herd. Suhn’s Miss Cadence 331L2 was one of his prominent female factory producers. Right in the prime of her productive life, Dad decided to sell her. From the moment she arrived at the Camp Cooley facility in Texas the high marbling trait leader captivated the cattleman in attendance. She ultimately sold for $60,000—and for years was the highest selling full interest female to sell in the 21st century in the Brangus breed.

It was also in this time frame that Dad started to cross known Angus genetics on some of their Brangus females. While at Brinks he had seen the pitfalls of the breeding up through the use of ¾ blood Brahman genetics—mainly the high inconsistency and thus cull rates of these crosses. With his background in Angus, he knew this cross could be an asset to the Brangus breed—infusing new genetics and adding consistency. In addition, a less Brahman influenced animal for the northern climate would be more palatable to breeders in this area. This program continues to this day.

In the spring of 2009, Dad continued paving a new path forward. Following the Camp Cooley Ranch dispersal, Dad, along with nine other Brangus breeders, stepped out on a new path to create a unique genetic alliance; called GENETRUST. Unlike other ranching coops which caused smaller breeders to lose their own individual identity, GENETRUST was fashioned as a genetic factory designed to allow the ten founding partners to maintain their own identity but with integrated programs and goals. By uniting these breeders under one banner of opportunity, they created a unique alliance that brought together cattle from different regions and expanded GENETRUST’s reach into new areas and broader markets. The co-op was later refined to GENEPLUS in 2020.

The VS brand is recognized domestically and internationally today as one of the preeminent Brangus cowherds ever developed. Cow families like 30’s, 53’s, 331s, 416s, 894s, 918s and 919s gained their stature directly from Dad’s breeding program and a deep collection of herd sires tracing back to first being sold at their Eureka ranch.

Our Mom and Dad have devoted their lives to the Brangus breed and the cattle they love. It’s tough not to be proud of everything they have built and accomplished. But the values of faith in God, honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic that they helped instill in us kids is why we will always be the most thankful for. Dad never sought only to have the next great one or to have the highest performance sire or the biggest ribeye producer. His goal was, honestly, “that they all just look the same.”

Predictable. consistent.

Today, the proof of his planning, foresight and practical cattle sense is in the end product. That narrow gravel road might be unassuming but the cattle that once called Eureka home are far from it.

Summaries

Scamardo Brangus

October 1, 2022 | Bryan, TX

across the Southeast.

The highest selling lot MS. Boulder 000F16 with a heifer calf at her side, consigned by Vanna Farms, was purchased by L & K Farms for $26,000.

The volume buyer was Eagle Ridge Farms, Cottondale, Al -purchased 12 lots

All consigners and buyers are greatly appreciated. The 2023 Cut Above Sale will be in Cullman, AL on April 29, 2023 at 10:00 am

CAVENDER DRAGGIN’ M AND PARTNERS SPRING SALE

Registered Female Sale

1 Registered Brangus Herd Sire grossed $15,000 to average $15,000

7 Brangus and Ultrablack 3N1’s grossed $67,500 to average $9,643

10 Brangus and Ultrablack Donors grossed $79,500 to average $7,950

14 Spring Pairs grossed $45,750 to average $3,268

25 Fall bred Brangus and Ultrablack Heifers grossed $183,250 to average $7,330

65 Open Brangus and Ultrablack Heifers grossed $318,500 to average $4,900

3 Fall Pairs and Pregnant Recipients grossed $13,750 to average $4,583

Managed by Hi Point Sales + Marketing

125 Registered Lots grossed $723,250 to average $5,786 Commercial Females

Lots

Average

324 Commercial pairs with Brangus and Ultrablack calves at side grossed $890,500 to average $2,748

1 Proven Donor $10,000

59 Brangus and Super Baldy Bred Heifers grossed $140,950 to average $2,389

8 Open Heifers $9,875

11 Bred Heifers $5,545

29 Bulls $4,819

66 Open Brangus Heifers grossed $140,050 to average $2,122

High Selling Donor - Lot 1BWCC Ms. Rock Solid 111B2

449 Commercial Females grossed $1,171,500 to average $2,609

Sold to Greenwood Cattle Co. for $10,000

High Selling Open Heifer - Lot 4ASB Ms Business Line 313K15

Sold to Eris Basey/6B Brangus for $22,000

163 buyers from 12 states and Mexico were greeted by pleasant spring weather, mild temperature and welcoming hospitality from the hosts at Cavenders Neches River Ranch.

High selling Bred Heifer - Lot 7SB Ms Zeva 924J14

Sold to Cromwell Cattle Company for $13,500

High Selling Bull - Lot 20SB Risky Business 924J15

Sold to Villa Ranch for $38,000

at the 2nd annual CDP Spring Female Production Sale. The sale featured Registered Brangus and Ultrablack cattle from the CDP group as well as customers and included 450 commercial cattle, many with calves at side sired by CDP bulls. The bidding was fast paced and furious as demand for quality Brangus seedstock ran high.

The day’s top selling female, at $25,000 was Lot 85, PR MS Crossroads 129J7. This powerful open heifer was consigned by Pennridge Farms, Paige, Tx. Her dam is a full sister to the dam of Modello and Herndon Farms, Lyons, Ga was the winning bidder.

Briggs Ranch, Bloomington TX and Harris Riverbend Farms, Cleburne, TX teamed to eran the bid of $24,000 for Lot 107, MS DMR Resource 415J52. She was another stout open heifer and was consigned by CDP Partner, Draggin M Ranch, Eldorado, Arkansas.

B/K Beef LLC, Boerne, TX was the purchaser of the next high selling lot when they paid $22,500 to own Lot 42, MS DMR Empire 222H5. This bred heifer, safe to Growth Fund, was also consigned by Draggin M.

B/K Beef also purchased the day’s next high seller when they paid $20,000 to on Lot 41A, CB MS Capital Gain 117H20, another stylish bred heifer this time safe to Masterpiece. She was consigned by CDP Partner Cavender Brangus, Jacksonville, TX.

El Granizo De San Juan, Durango, Mexico purchased the next high seller when they paid $19,000 to own Lot 43, MS

Big D Ranch

SALESummaries

MP Brangus

October 8, 2022 | Center Ridge, AR

CUT ABOVE SALE, CULLMAN, AL – APRIL 30, 2022

Managed by Hi Point Sales +

59 Brangus & Ultra lots grossed $239,350 to average $4,057

Lots

11 commercial lots grossed $11,200 to average $1,018

Registered Females

The total sale grossed $250,550

18/mo

6 - sets of Embryos grossed $25,750, to average $4,292

Yearling

3 -3-N-1 grossed $13,950, to average $4,650

7 - bred cows grossed $25,400 to average $3,629

Females

14 – bred heifers grossed $42,350 to average $3,025

High Selling Lot - Lot 7 -

11 – pairs grossed $74,500 to average $6,773

BDR Ms Vegas 1420J11

20 – open heifers grossed $50,250 to average $2,512

Sold to Lake Majestik for $6,500

2 – bulls grossed $7,150 to average $3,575

Top Seller - Lot 10BDR Great Lake 889J16

Buyers from 6 states were on hand to compete for the high quality lots consigned by 20 breeders across the Southeast.

Sold to MidSouth for $17,000

2nd High Lot - Lot 56BDR Big Lake 541J11

The highest selling lot MS. Boulder 000F16 with a heifer calf at her side, consigned by Vanna Farms, was purchased by L & K Farms for $26,000.

Sold to Byrne Land & Cattle for $8,750 Volume Bull Buyer: Wahrmund Farms

October 15, 2022 | Smart Auctions

125 Registered Lots grossed $723,250 to average $5,786

Managed by Hi Point Sales + Marketing

Commercial Females

Lots

11 Bulls

Average

324 Commercial pairs with Brangus and Ultrablack calves at side grossed $890,500 to average $2,748

59 Brangus and Super Baldy Bred Heifers grossed $140,950 to average $2,389

High selling Bull - Lot 8MP Mr Overload 767J18 Sold for $8,250

66 Open Brangus Heifers grossed $140,050 to average $2,122

Sired by: CCC/DDD Unlimited 74C7 Dam: WCC Ms. Katy 767C

449 Commercial Females grossed $1,171,500 to average

163 buyers from 12 states and Mexico were greeted by pleasant spring weather, mild temperature and welcoming hospitality from the hosts at Cavenders Neches River

at the 2nd annual CDP Spring Female Production Sale. The sale featured Registered Brangus and Ultrablack cattle from the CDP group as well as customers and included 450 commercial cattle, many with calves at side sired by CDP bulls. The bidding was fast paced and furious as demand for

IBBA

Kyle Caldwell

TO THE TEAM

As Director of Field Services and Strategic Projects

at Texas A&M University where he earned a Master’s Degree in Meat Science. He has served as a member of and as coach of highly successful meats judging teams. He spent time with a branded beef program, bridging the gap between live animal production and beef marketing.

Included in his services to IBBA members will be handling advertising sales for the Brangus Journal, the Frontline Magazine and the annual Sire Directory. “Kyle has a unique blend of sales experience. He has sold branded beef and he has sold packing plant equipment. He has learned how to service customers so that every sale qualifies as value-added”, said Dr. Darrell Wilkes, IBBA Executive Vice President.

Following an extensive search process which attracted stiff competition for this senior level position, Kyle Caldwell has been named the Director of Field Services and Strategic Projects for the International Brangus Breeders Association.

Mr. Caldwell grew up on a commercial cow-calf operation in Texas where Brangus genetics were used and appreciated. He selected Texas Tech University for his undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. He continued his education

“Kyle’s experience in the beef industry cuts across all segments”, commented Wilkes. “As we pursue our goals of reaching downstream to prove the value of Brangus genetics to the feedlot and packing segments of the industry, Kyle’s well-rounded background and education are a good fit. In his role with IBBA, he’ll need to be a good student and a good teacher. He has proven he can do both.”

Caldwell will work from his current location in Natchitoches, LA until the opportunity arises to re-locate to San Antonio, the headquarters location of IBBA.

Pictured: Kase, Jennifer and Kyle Caldwell

THE Q&ADNA

Why does my animal have a DNA prefix?

A DNA prefix can be for many reasons: parentage exclusions, sire is a MSG (multi-sire group), or parent is ET/AI service type and doesn’t meet DNA rules for registration (AI sires and ET donor dams MUST be parent verified). A majority of these DNA prefixes are assigned during initial registration and the system gives a warning when you are trying to register the animal.

How do I resolve a DNA prefix?

Depends on which situation above applies to you. Parentage exclusions must be resolved by determining the correct parent based on DNA parentage. Multisire groups will update after DNA is submitted to the lab and parentage is complete; the determined sire will become the sire of record and update the prefix accordingly. If the parent isn’t an acceptable ET donor dam or AI sire, you must determine why, and fix the issue. DNA is not on file for the AI sire; DNA is on file, but sire is only SV not PV; ET dam is only DV not PV….etc. There are many circumstances, but you need to look at your animal in question to determine how to resolve.

My sire is an enrolled Angus. Isn’t everything just copied over from Angus to Brangus? No. Enrolling a foreign pedigree such as Angus, Red Angus and Brahman is just that. The pedigree. No progeny information, performance data, DNA results, nor EPDs are brought into the system. If DNA is needed for ET/AI service type calves, please inform us so we can work with the other breed association and obtain that data when needed. This data transfer process between associations can take 1-2 weeks depending on the time of year and quantity of animals being requested. All AI sires and ET donor dams must be PV in regstr in order to have fully registered progeny, irrespective of breed. Animals with DNA results needed through AAA are passed on from the AAA with a $10 charge for the DNA data transfer.

How do I get the DNA supplies? DNA testing supplies can be ordered from the IBBA office. You do not have to go through the lab directly nor find another retailer. IBBA keeps blood cards, hair cards, TSU applicator guns, and TSUs in stock for our membership.

IBBA SEEKING MEMBER AWARD NOMINATIONS

Each year, the International Brangus Breeders Association awards four distinguished awards: Breeder of the Year, Pioneer of the Year, Commercial Producer of the year, and Top Hand of the Year. Nominations for the 2022 year are being sought, with a deadline of

30th.

To nominate a fellow breeder, nominations should include name, award for nomination, and a summary of why the nominee should receive the award. Nominations can be sent to IBBA awards chairman, Shiloh Hall, at shiloh518@yahoo.com.

Awards seeking nominations:

of the Year: The Breeder of the Year recipient is a current member of the IBBA deserving of recognition for his/her success and advancements made utilizing and promoting Brangus purebred cattle.

Pioneer of the Year: The Pioneer Award recognizes an IBBA member, past or present, for his/her service, loyalty, and contributions to the Brangus breed.

Commercial Producer of the Year: The Commercial Producer of the Year award highlights a commercial producers achievement incorporating Brangus genetics into their breeding program.

Top Hand of the Year: Top Hand of the Year award is our newest addition, and recognizes a current member of the IBBA who has gone “above and beyond” in service to the fellow breeders and the Brangus breed in the current year.

For more information, contact IBBA membership coordinator, Mandie Sadovsky at msadovsky@ gobrangus.com, or IBBA awards chairman, Shiloh Hall at shiloh518@yahoo.com

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Bushley

Midsouth

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MEXICO

Lawman

Miller Brangus

Hearts Brangus

Brangus

Elite,

Ranches

Cavender-Draggin’

Excalibur Brangus

OKLAHOMA

TENNESSEE

Cattle 13,61 Diamond K Ranch

61 Drake Land & Cattle

61 E3 Ranch, LLC  62 Elgin Breeding Services, LLC  12,59 Farris Ranching Company  62 G Bar Brangus 62 Gardner Cattle Co. 62 Garry Clem Brangus

62 Genesis Ranch

51 GKB Cattle  34-35,62 Hi Point Sales + Marketing  30-31,39,52,55,58 Indian Hills Ranch 62 Jackson Family Brangus 62 JLS International  62 K & L Brangus

62 KTS Cattle

55 Lambert, Doak 59 Mound Creek Ranch 62 MP Brangus 62,BC Oak Creek Farms 62 Oakley, Lakin 59 OK Farms

62 Old Colita Ranch

62 Pennridge Ranch 9,62 Pumpjack Cattle Co. 62 Rafter 2 Ranch 63 Ramro LLC/RJ Cattle Co. 15 Reagan, Terry 59 Red Alliance

55 Rio Ranch..................................................................................................... 63 Santa Rosa Ranch 3,63 Scamardo Brangus 63 Schmidt Farms 63 Sendero Red Brangus 55 Star G Ranch 63 Starwood Ranch

63 Tajo Ranch

55,63 Texas Brangus Breeders Association 52 Texas Drovers 7 TRIO Cattle & Genetics 63 Triple Crown Ranch 63 Triple JR Cattle Co. 63 Tuna Rosa Ranch

63 Turner Brangus Farm

63 Union Ranch Cattle Company 63 Villa Ranch 39,55,63 Vineyard Cattle Co., Inc. 63 Wild M Brangus 63 Williams Ranch Company 63

Texas 78263, monthly except February, June, July, and September. Periodicals

paid at San Antonio, Texas and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address change to Brangus Publications Inc., P.O. Box 809, Adkins, Texas 78101.

The Brangus Journal is the official publication of the International Brangus® Breeders Association (IBBA). The Brangus Journal is published eight times annually. The purpose of the Brangus Journal is to serve the best interest of IBBA members by showcasing breeding programs, efforts, and achievements to other Brangus® seedstock producers. Lastly, the Brangus Journal serves as an outlet for the IBBA to provide updates by directly communicating with the membership. The claims made by advertisers in this publication are not verified by BPI or the IBBA.

subscriptions, email info@gobrangus.com, or call 210.696.8231. Domestic periodicals (one year) $25; first class $55; foreign periodicals (one year) $25; air mail to Canada or Mexico $70; air mail to other countries $115.