INNOVATION • FERTILITY • ADAPTABILITY • DISEASE-FREE ground over a longer period of time. They are hard, muscular bulls without excessive fat who have the ability to go out, hustle and get more females bred in the beginning of breeding seasons. The industry as a whole is shifting toward younger and younger bulls. These bulls are typically developed at an accelerated rate with tremendous stress on joints, feet and claws that compromise integrity and longevity.
TOWN CREEK FARM EXCLUSIVE IN-HERD SELECTION INDEXES Each bull lot lists in-herd selection indexes for Calving Ease, Growth, Fertility and Carcass. These indexes optimize selection on a number of traits in a particular productive scenario by optimally weighting adjusted phenotypic data, calving intervals, and age of first calving. Indexes represent a validation of the individual animal rankings of our bull offering. Our indexes facilitate simple, streamlined decision-making when selecting bulls. DNA SIRE PARENT VALIDATION All bulls in this sale have been sire parent validated through DNA. DNA confirms our artificial insemination breedings, pasture bull breedings and field notes. GENOMIC ENHANCED EPDS All bulls in the sale have Genomic Enhanced EPDs. DNA test results submitted on Lots 1-145 were used to enhance predictability and accuracy on EPDs for nonparent animals. Genomic-enhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs) utilize genomic test results in addition to pedigree, performance and progeny data for increased reliability of an animal’s EPD. PERCENT ANGUS CONTENT DETERMINED BY DNA PROFILER Percent Angus content is accurately revealed on each bull lot. Percentages are determined by genomic test results from Geneseek® Genomic Profiler™ Indicus by Neogen. The profiler product accurately delivers the percent Bos Indicus (Brahman) and percent Bos Taurus (Angus) in Brangus cattle through DNA testing. Disclosing the Angus content on bull lots provides the opportunity to know the underlying biology and breed composition with certainty to ensure our customers can make correct breeding decisions and stay on track in their respective cowherds. FREEZE BRAND FOR IDENTIFICATION All bulls are freeze branded with their own permanent herd identification on the left hip. Town Creek Farm holding brand is freeze branded on the left rib.
DISEASE PREVENTION – QUALITY ASSURANCE Town Creek Farm has invested resources and time into disease prevention and eradication. We’ve created a system of management protocols, annual herd testing and eradication to establish a safety net for our customers and us. Every bull selling has tested negative for Trichomoniasis and BVD-PI within 30 days of the sale. In 2018 we implemented surveillance testing for Anaplasmosis in our cow herds. CERTIFIED JOHNES-FREE BULLS Town Creek Farm began aggressively testing every cow for Johnes annually beginning in 2006. Johnes disease is a fatal gastrointestinal disease that was first clearly described in a dairy cow in 1895. A bacterium infection happens in the first few months of a cow’s life, but she may stay healthy for a very long time. The disease is contagious, which means it can spread from one cow to another, but it is predominately passed from mother to calf through fecal matter during nursing. Clinical presentation entails rapid weight loss and diarrhea while maintaining a healthy appetite. Since 2006, every cow and herd sire on Town Creek Farm and cows owned by our Bull Production Partners are tested by both “blood” ELISA and “fecal” DNA tests at weaning. If a cow tests positive by either test method, both the cow and her calf are culled from the herd. The level of certainty we get from both tests enables us to make hard culling decisions with complete confidence, and to ensure absolute eradication, to guarantee our bulls are Johne’s free, and that their mothers were Johne’s free when their bull calves were weaned. FORAGE-BASED GENETICS We believe efficiency of forage utilization is a key component to profitability. We develop cattle that are capable of high reproduction efficiency on a forage-based system through phenotypic data collection and feed efficiency testing. Future success of commercial operations will center on forage efficient cowherds from both a fertility and forage utilization standpoint. FESCUE TOLERANT GENETICS Brangus cattle are carriers of Brahman genes that deliver relief to heat stress caused by grazing fescue. Brahman blood supplies an internal cooling mechanism that dissipates heat produced by fescue toxins better than any other breed of cattle.
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