"The Grit" Fall 2023 - Town Creek Farm Newsletter

Town Creek Farm

2023

The Grit welcomes your inquiries and feedback. The Grit is published by Town Creek Farm, West Point, Mississippi.

Town Creek Farm

Milton Sundbeck, Owner

Office: 32476 Hwy. 50 East West Point, Mississippi 39773-5207 www.TownCreekFarm.com

Joy Reznicek Sundbeck, President (205)399-0221

Joy@TownCreekFarm.com

Cody Glenn, Ranch Manager (601)508-8689

Cody@TownCreekFarm.com

Representatives:

Clint Ladner • (662) 812-8370

Logan Perry • (863)634-4810

Michael Agar • (336)406-4143

South American Representative

Ing. Agr. Federico Maisonnave (011) 595 981 362 898

Maisonnave.Federico@gmail.com

TOTAL COMMITMENT

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE THE MOST UPDATED SALE INFORMATION AVAILABLE. EMAIL JOY@TOWNCREEKFARM COM TO JOIN OUR FOLLOWING. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.

92 Percenter

BY JOY REZNICEK SUNDBECK

ON A HOT AFTERNOON THIS SUMMER CODY AND I RODE THROUGH OUR BULL OFFERING. IT WAS A CHANCE FOR US TO REFINE OUR OBSERVATION SKILLS AND GET A PERSPECTIVE OF OUR BULLS AND GENETICS AS A WHOLE – NOT IN A CHUTE, ALLEYWAY, ON A SCALE OR IN A HURRY.

Of our 12 bull development pastures, only one has a collection point where rainfall gathers in gullies. That day, the gully was full and in it stood a single bull belly deep in water. Turns out he was the 92 percenter. A bull with the highest Angus content in our entire sale offering – 92 percent Angus and 8 percent Brahman. No other bulls were in the water.

If Mother Nature has ever pounded a lesson in us, it was this summer. Days of extremely high daytime temperatures with little relief overnight caused thousands and thousands of cattle to die across the US. No matter what we believe is the cause, the reality is that we are in a cycle of warmer temperatures.

Years ago, I heard a well-respected cattleman from Alabama tell a story of using Angus bulls. They built up their bull battery to 15 Angus bulls. As they used the Angus bulls, they began to see their operation go in the wrong direction. The calves were getting smaller, steers were lighter, and keeping-heifers were smaller. Environmental constraints had affected calf performance. After much thought, they decided to go back to Brangus bulls. Brangus worked for them in the past. Out of the same cows, same inputs, same everything, the Brangus-sired calves weaned calves 100 pounds heavier than their Angus-sired calves. Brangus bulls and their daughters were much better suited to their environment.

Town Creek Farm’s perseverance to innovate spawned a first-of-its-kind DNA profiler that shows the actual percent Brahman and percent Angus. These percentages are listed on every bull lot in our sale catalog. We believe that knowing the percent breed composition is a powerful tool for cattlemen to improve their herds, profitability, and match adaptability. The 92 percenter is a powerful example. We all want our cows to be marathoners, not sprinters. Select bulls to use on your cow herd whose daughters fit your environment. Bulls that are comfortable and content will be more active and aggressive and cover more cows. Replacement heifers are likely to have long, productive careers with less inputs and more tolerance to heat and humidity. Our 30 years of operations have helped us to understand

that the true manual for animal production is written by Mother Nature.

Who Gets to Be Mothers of Bulls in the Sale

To address this topic in detail would take more space and pages than this newsletter allows. So, I will address the most essential constraints to our program.

We stipulate that our cows have sound foot and leg structure. An animal’s four legs spur the locomotion that allows them to perform their daily activities. Structural soundness and mobility are crucial for cows to travel in pastures for nutrition, water and breeding, and longevity in the herd. Unsound cows are removed from our herd – no exceptions.

We never make excuses for open cows. Every single open cow is eliminated from our herd. You’ll be surprised how uniform your cowherd will become by culling open cows. Cows that survive the test of bringing a calf to the weaning pens every year are cows that fit and thrive in your environment. Fertility cannot be treated as a secondary trait specifically if you are supplying breeding animals to customers.

Dry cows are culled from the herd. A dry cow is one who was palpated pregnant but later lost her calf either before or during calving season. These expensive freeloaders do not stay in our system. A seasoned cattleman once told me that a cow who loses one calf has a high likelihood of losing another one during her lifetime. We have not let cows stay around to prove that statement. Our cows never have a chance not to be in production.

Our cows must have good teats and udder suspension, adequate milk, and be a good and protective mother to remain in the herd. A cow’s milk delivery system is one of the most important functional traits of a cow. Teat and udder conformation scores are recorded on every cow and heifer at calving.

Cow docility and behavior shape our herd. Disruptive cows leave the ranch. Bad dispositions are either genetic, learned from the herd or evolve from mismanagement. We can control all three of these.

Every cow that becomes a dam of a sale bull tested negative for Johnes. Any positive cows and their calves have been removed from our herd. Cows that meet all the criteria get to be the mothers of bulls. Disciplined metrics may eliminate a few good cows over time, but we know for a fact that it eliminates all inferior cows. We owe this to our customers.

FALL

Lot 124 - 007KUltrablack bull (UB1)

More pounds over a longer period

Town Creek Farm bulls hold up, out-work, out-last and out-perform their peers. Fewer bulls to replace. More pounds sired over a longer period of time!

3

Quality Assurance always comes

are backed by generations

productive

Our2023 bulloffering has moregeneticpotentialand valueto ourcustomersthan anywehaveeveroffered. Here’show earlylookersofour bullsaleoffering have

FirstGen Pen Display

Lookforourdisplayoffirst generation (5/8 x3/8)Brangus calvesduring oursale.Each yearwedevelop new Brangus genetics asapartofour

Breeding Up to Brangus program from foundation breeds,Brahman and Angus. Thecalveswillbeon sightfor visualappraisalon Friday, October20 and Saturday, October21,2023.

I am very impressed with your set of bulls and what you’ve accomplished with your genetics. “

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023

TOWN CREEK FARM SALE

12 NOON • AT THE TOWN CREEK PAVILION

NEAR WEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI

Providing Tools forSuccess –Quality Assurance Aways Comes First

■ 90 bulls AI sired or ET bulls.

■ Every lot has been 100K tested and parentage verified.

■ 40% of bulls selling are full 2-year-old bulls (Born Fall 2021).

■ 48% of bull offering has received a “user friendly” designation.

■ Bull selection includes many full, half and three-quarter brothers.

■ Dams of sale bulls average age of at first calving is two years. 92% of dams of bulls selling have calving intervals of 365 days or less.

■ Bulls are fault-free, clean-hocked and sound bulls developed slowly on high roughage, grass haylage-based ration to ensure durability, longevity, soundness and weight maintenance.

■ Heat and humidity tolerant bulls. Percent Angus and Brahman stated on each lot.

■ Bulls sell guaranteed Johnes-free.

■ Bulls are trich and BVD tested.

■ Bulls have individual EID tags.

■ Bull lots are ultrasounded for carcass traits at approximately one year of age.

BullVideos Available Online Linkto videosofbullsareavailable onlineatwww.TownCreekFarm.com. Heifervideoswillbeonlinein selling groupson October20,2023.Bulls maybeviewed attheranch between now and saleday.PleasecallCodyat (601)508-8689 orJoyat(205)3990221forshowings

Obtain BuyerNumberOn-Line Go to www.TownCreekFarm.com to sign up forabuyernumber.Online bidding requiresbuyernumberto be obtained from DVAuction.com.

Absentee Bidding

Bidding optionsforbuyersunableto attend thesaleincludeonline bidding.ContactDV Auctionsat (402)316-5460 orgo to DVAuction.com.Or,bycontacting Joy orCodyand allowing usto workwith you on cattleneedsand budget

Lot 70 - 14K2Brangus bull

-

bull

-

-

Brangus bull. Full 2-year-old.

Lot.1 6 - 6633J5 Brangus bull. Full 2-year-old.

Lot 98 - 698KBrangus bull

225 COMMERCIAL BRANGUS BRED HEIFERS

SELLING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023

12 NOON AT THE RANCH

Since 1993

■ LOTS 200-250 –RiverOaks Farm,John McKnight, Searcy,Arkansas• (501)281-1040 - 23-Year Sale Consignor

Group 1:Brangus heifers sired by Town Creek Farm bulls and out of Town Creek Farm Brangus dams. Bred to low birthweight TCF Integrity 9733G, TCF Integrity 057F, TCF Integrity 130F and TCF Integrity 036F7. Calving from 11/5/23 to 12/31/23.

Group 2:Ultrablack heifers sired by Town Creek Farm bulls and out of Ultrablack dams. Bred to low birthweight TCF Integrity 9733G, TCF Integrity 057F, TCF Integrity 130F and TCF Integrity 036F7. Calving from 11/5/23 to 12/31/23.

Group 3:Brangus and Ultrablack heifers sired by Town Creek Farm bulls and out of Town Creek Farm Brangus dams. Bred to TCF Integrity 9733G, TCF Integrity 130F and TCF Integrity 036F7. Calving from 2/1/24 to 3/30/24.

River Oaks Farm develops some of the most sought-after, ranch-ready replacement heifers in the industry. This is a fancy and solid set of powerful, functional heifers.

■ LOTS 251-265 –CP BarBrangus,Pauland Chad Gray, Holcomb,Mississippi• (662)809-9988

24-Year Sale Consignor

Brangus heifers sired by TCF Rapid Reward 14D4 and TCF Sleep Easy 1144C3. Heifers bred to calving ease bull TCF Integrity 2G4. Calving from 1/30/24 to 3/30/24. This is the most moderate framed, thickest, and easiest fleshing set of heifers ever consigned by CP Bar Brangus. Gentle, forage developed and broke to handle with a four-wheeler or on foot. These heifers are backed by generations of Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch bloodlines.

■ LOTS 266-285 –Megehee Cattle Company, Jacob Megehee,Macon,Mississippi• (662)361-1941

20-Year Sale Consignor

Brangus heifers out of sons of BRB Rapid Reward 99W11. Heifers bred to TCF Integrity 994G2 and TCF Rapid Reward 743H. Calving from 11/7/23 to 1/7/24.

Solid, stout set of heifers weighing +/- 1300 pounds. Generations of Brangus in this herd. Bull selection focuses on easy to handle bulls with calving ease traits and other profit traits. Heifers are gentle and bucket broke. Average pelvic measurements in May 2023 – 226 sq. cm.

■ LOTS 286-300 –Montgomery Farms, Mark Montgomery,Moulton,Alabama • (256)476-1268

15-Year Sale Consignor

Brangus heifers are daughers of TCF Rockstar 546Z2. Heifers bred to TCF Integrity 96J2. Calving from 11/25/23 to 1/24/24. Gentle, easy fleshing heifers that are bucket broke.

■ LOTS 301-315 –B&B Farm,Gerome Burrell, Linden,Alabama • (334)216-2292

11-Year Sale Consignor

Town Creek Farm generational heifers sired by TCF Sleep Easy 067Z5 and TCF Ultrablack 1749Y5. Bred to calving ease bull TCF Sleep Easy 610J3. Calving from 11/12/23 to 1/10/24. Strong set of uniform, moderate framed, set of heifers. Bucket broke.

■ LOTS 316-345 –Longino Ranch,CliffCoddington, Sidell,Florida • (941)737-7859 -9-Year Sale Consignor

Group 1:Brangus Heifers representing 14 generations of Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch genetics. Heifers bred to TCF Integrity 241J, TCF Rapid Reward 024H2 and TCF Rapid Reward 743H5. Calving from 11/23/23 to 1/12/24.

Group 2:Brangus Heifers representing 14 generations of Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch genetics. A.I.’d to TCF Integrity 4861F7. AI ECD: 11/25/23 to 11/28/23 Determined by ultrasound to be safe to A.I. breedings. Heifers are hand-selected and easy to handle on horse, foot and ATV. Heifers are out of highly productive, maternal, moderate cows. Heifers are functional and versatile and will make fertile, long-lasting cows.

Note:These heifers carry a swallowfork ear notch, a means for identifying calf vaccinations marked at herd workings.

■ LOTS 346-395 –LowellDollarFarms,LowellDollar, Bainbridge,Georgia • (229)254-1110 -7-Year Sale Consignor Heifers sired by generations of Town Creek Farm Brangus and Ultrablack bulls. Heifers bred to TCF Integrity 546J, TCF Rapid Reward 956H14, TCF Rapid Reward 036J8, TCF Ultrablack 06528E, TCF Integrity 741G4 TCF Integrity 513E5 TCF Integrity 211F8, TCF Integrity 3241F, and TCF Rapid Reward 057G. Calving from 12/14/23 to 2/12/24. This working set of heifers raised primarily on irrigated forage. Dollar Farms continually invests in top bulls.

■ LOTS 396-402 –SpurW Cattle Company,Corey and Bonnie White,Preston,Mississippi• (662)803-8815

2-Year Sale Consignor

Heifers represent decades of Town Creek Farm genetics. A.I.’d to TCF Integrity 4861F7, TCF Integrity 4861A3 and CCR Sleep Easy 355S4 on March 3, 2023. A.I. ECD: 12/10/23. A.I. breedings followed with pasture bull breeding to TCF Sleep Easy 46H. Calving after A.I from 12/10/23 to 2/10/24. Very docile. Worked on horse, ATV and foot. Gentle. Kid friendly.

■ LOTS 403-405 –Jadyn Collier,Preston,Mississippi

First Year Sale Consignor

Heifers represent decades of Town Creek Farm genetics. A.I.’d to TCF Integrity 4861F7, TCF Integrity 4861A3 and CCR Sleep Easy 355S4 on March 3, 2023. A.I. ECD: 12/10/23. A.I. breedings followed with pasture bull breeding to TCF Sleep Easy 46H. Calving after A.I from 12/10/23 to 2/10/24. Jadyn is a 16-year-old young cattlewoman. Heifers are very docile. She’s hand fed them, worked them on horse, ATV and foot. Very gentle. Kid friendly.

■ LOTS 406-437–Wells Cattle Company,LLC,William “Bill” L.Wells,Ridgeland,Mississippi• (601)940-7060

First-Year Sale Consignor

Heifers representing decades of Town Creek Farm genetics. A.I.’d to TCF Integrity 4861F7 on April 29, 2023. A.I. ECD Date: February 5, 2024. A.I. breeding followed with pasture bull breeding the TCF Sleep Easy 036J5. Calving from 2/5/24 to 4/4/24. Heifers passed reproductive breeding soundness exams prior to breeding.They were bucket feed and worked on horse, ATV and foot.

Replacementheifersfrom proven geneticsisthefastestpath to build acowherd and increase futurecalfvalue.Thecommercialbred heifersareoffered byTown CreekFarm bullcustomers.Ourheifer program providesmarketing opportunitiesforTown CreekFarm customerswith superiorquality replacementheifersbacked bymultiplegenerationsofTown CreekFarm genetics.Heifersareranchraised,source-verified,uniform and geneticallytracked to Town CreekFarm damsand bred to Town CreekFarm bulls.Saleheifersareblack.Thelikehood ofthesaleheifershaving blackcalvesare extremelyhigh,butno guaranteesaremadewith respectto calfcolor

Heiferswillbepenned atsalesiteand can beviewed atTown CreekFarm SaleFacilityThursday through Saturday,October19-21,2023.Heiferswillsellon video in groupsoffive(±)byconsignor

SALE INFORMATION

■ SALE CATALOGS

Salecatalogsweremailed September20,2023.If you havenotreceived a catalog,likelyyou arenot on ourcatalog listoritis lostin themail.To requestacatalog go onlineto www.TownCreekFarm.com or callJoyat(205)399-0221.

■ SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, October 20, 2023

• All Day – Cattle available for viewing

• 6 pm – BBQ Dinner and Social Celebrating 30 Years

Saturday, October 21, 2023

• 11am –Town CreekFarm BeefBurgers

• 12 noon – Town Creek Farm Brangus

Commercial Bred Heifer Sale followed by Town Creek Farm Bull Sale

■ HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Hampton Inn & Suites (662)494-7802

5821Hwy.45 Alt.South

WestPoint,Mississippi39773Hyatt Place Columbus (662)370-1800

101HospitalDrive

Columbus,Mississippi39701

Courtyard Columbus by Marriott (662)245-1540

995 6th StreetNorth

Columbus,Mississippi39701

Fairfield Inn & Suites Columbus (662)241-1990

20116th StreetNorth

Columbus,Mississippi39701

Americas Best Value Inn (662)494-7090

5714 Hwy.45 Alt.South, WestPoint,Mississippi

Foradditionalassistancewith rooms, pleasecontactJoyat(205)399-0221.

Heifersarevideoed in thegroupsin which theysell.Buyershavetheoption to rolltwo pensofheifersat theestablished priceaslong asheifersarefrom thesameconsignor Afterthreepens,thepriceis reestablished through thebidding process.

• Heifersaresecond (2nd)generation ormoreTown CreekFarm genetics.

• Heifersarebred to Town CreekFarm bullssuitableforcalving easewith heifers.

• Heifersarebred to calveat30 monthsofageoryounger

• Heifershavebeen certified safein calfbyaveterinarian orultrasound technician within 30 daysof sale.

These heifers sellfrom RiverOaks Farm. These heifers sellfrom Mcgehee Cattle Company.