Town Creek Farm Since 1993
WINTER 2018
Vo l u m e 6 , I s s u e 1 • P u b l i s h e d b y To w n C r e e k Fa r m , We s t Po i n t , M i s s i s s i p p i • B r a n g u s a n d U l t r a b l a c k
The Invisible Cow M S BY
FOR MANY YEARS WHILE LOOKING THROUGH OUR BRANGUS COWHERD, I COULDN’T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT THEIR BRAHMAN ANCESTORS LOOKED LIKE, PARTICULARLY ON THE DAM SIDE. To a fault, I have felt that I would know what they looked like if I could breed-up to the perfect first generation 3/8 - 5/8 Brangus female from purebred Brahman and Angus. Someone told me that perfection is the enemy of good. I know this to be true, but all my life I’ve had a hard time with “good enough.” I was about to accept “good enough” several years ago when Joy and I had dinner with a highly respected beef cattle consultant from Australia. That night I ran by him my idea of producing first generation Brangus. He said, “You will never make it work. There are not any
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 662.494.5944 www.TownCreekFarm.com Joy Reznicek, President 205.399.0221 Joy@TownCreekFarm.com Clint Ladner, Bull Development 662.812.8370 CLadner@TownCreekFarm.com South American Representative Ing. Agr. Federico Maisonnave (011) 595 981 362 898 Skype: federico.maisonnave Maisonnave.Federico@gmail.com TOTAL COMMITMENT
25TH ANNIVERSARY
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ILTON UNDBECK
Brahman cattle in the U.S. that are fertile enough or sound enough to make it work. U.S. Brahman genetics are too big, have unsound feet and legs, and are mostly bred for the show ring.” I respected this gentleman’s opinion. Over time I learned that he might be correct. So I put the first generation outcross idea on the back burner, but it never really got out of my head. As I have gained a better understanding of our commercial bull buyer’s needs and objectives, I’ve learned they have real concerns about the direction of the Brangus breed. Town Creek Farm bull market is primarily in the Southeastern states with Florida being the largest. Lots of ranch visits have let me see firsthand what they were talking about. Over time Angus influence in black cattle has moved far to the right in many Southern herds. This has come about over time from subtle changes in purebred herds and from purposeful use of bulls primarily derived from Angus genetics by commercial cattlemen. Benefits from heterosis, adaptability, mothering ability, and heat and insect tolerance have diminished along the way. There are 30 million acres of Kentucky 31 (K-31) fescue in the Southeast that when grazed drive up the body temperature of cattle by one to two degrees F. This occurs from endophytes that protect the grass from insects and allow it to flourish. Cattle with sufficient Brahman blood tolerate this grass very well. About half of the grass on our ranch is K-31 fescue. This grass is critical forage for fall and winter grazing throughout the Southeast. For several decades a subtle trend has evolved in the Brangus breed that has made the Invisible Cow become even more invisible. This trend has occurred naturally by selecting Brangus phenotypes that show less ear, and have cleaner underlines and less “leather.” Cattle that express more pronounced Angus characteristics. Genomic testing has revealed that leading Brangus herd sires we thought to be true 3/85/8, (37.5% Brahman - 62.5% Angus) composition are closer to 30% Brahman and 70% Angus. I recently saw results of genomic tests on a group of leading Brangus sires that supply export semen. Only two Brangus sires on the list had greater than 30% Brahman blood. Breeding up to Brangus from Ultrablacks and use of Ultrablack bulls on commercial herds in the Deep South, on top of the natural divergence away from Brahman blood in registered Brangus bulls through selection pressure, has pushed Brahman blood to much lower levels in many commercial herds. Dr. Raluca Mateescu, with the University of Florida has recently published important research data on variations in body temperatures of crossbred Brangus-type cattle as a function of Brahman content. Her data appears to be in line
with similar data generated in the early 1950’s by Louisiana State University Jeanerette Research Station in the development of Brangus cattle. Both sets of data demonstrate that at least 3/8, (37.5%) Brahman blood is required to obtain meaningful heat tolerance. Heat stress affects daily functions of cattle, many aspects of reproduction including embryo development and survival, pregnancy rate and sperm quality, along with feed efficiency and conversion. Real world results, sound research and our own observations has convinced Joy and me that we must breed Brangus bulls that offer our customers genetic compositions which provide optimal breeding results in their herds. Regulating percentage of Bos indicus is one of the few strategies for ensuring sustainable beef production in increasingly hotter climates. In 2015, Joy introduced me to Henry Kempfer at the Houston Livestock Show. I asked Joy, “What does he do?” She said their family had a large cattle ranch in central Florida and had been ranching for more than 100 years and raised registered Brahman cattle. Then I asked, “What do their Brahman cattle they look like?” She said she didn’t know. We decided we needed to take a look. Three years later, 86 half-blood (½ Brahman, ½ Angus) yearling calves on the ground at Town Creek Farm and Cow Creek Ranch, we now have seen the Invisible Cow. She is beautiful! Utilizing in vitro fertilization on a year-to-year basis, we have found a route to improve the odds of producing the perfect first generation True Brangus (3/8 - 5/8) outcross. And, to our prediction there is a high level of interest in our half-blood bulls to correct Brahman deficiencies and impart higher levels of heterosis in commercial herds. We have bred half-blood bulls to some of our True Brangus (3/8 - 5/8) females to produce a new product line for our customers. They will be 7/16 Brahman and 9/16 Angus; 1/16th more Brahman blood than traditional Brangus cattle. These animals will provide tools to commercial producers to make more precise breeding decisions to sustain proper Brahman/Angus balance in their herds. Joy and I are excited about the positive response and interest we have received in our breeding program. Our plans are to offer meaningful quantities of Half-Blood Bulls in our October 20, 2018 Sale; 7/16 - 9/16 Bulls in our 2019 Sale; and new genetics First Generation Brangus (3/8 - 5/8) bulls in our 2021 sale. We will continue to publish the Brahman and Angus content of all our bulls in our sale catalog so that breeders can make the right breeding decisions for their herds and to buy our bulls with confidence. Come see our Invisible Cows at the ranch in October.