A winning formula

August 19, 2011

As is often the case, I took a trip this week to talk to cattlemen about producing Angus cattle that will meet the specifications for the Certified Angus Beef® brand. This time my destination was Mitchell, South Dakota for the annual Dakotafest Farm Show.

This is a popular and large farm show with a great crowd of farmers, many of which are cattlemen, so it wasn’t hard to find likely targets for conversation. I was teamed up with Pfizer Animal Genetics at this particular venue, so we placed some focus on the latest in DNA technology and how the information gleaned from the genetic tests is factored into expected progeny differences (EPDs) at the American Angus Association to improve the accuracy of those EPDs.

One progressive commercial cattlemen that cornered me shared some of his genetic strategies and management practices. Besides an initial foray into DNA testing some of his commercial Angus cattle, he mentioned that he’s been finishing a good number of steers and heifers at his small feedlot facility and selling them to a packer on a value based grid. He’s already getting about 50% CAB® brand qualified carcasses today, and he quizzed me on what I thought he could do to get more Prime carcasses. I’d say here’s a guy that is tuned in and understands the business of marketing finished cattle!

After I learned more about some of the feed conversion and average daily gain history for his cattle as well as dressing percentages and yield grade figures, I told him that if I were him I wouldn’t change much of anything. I’d hate to see him mess with a winning formula, but increased accuracy of EPDs in yearling bulls (enhanced with DNA results) will possibly get the extra little bit of marbling that he’s looking for if he chooses to increase his marbling focus to get more Prime carcasses.

Otherwise, his breeding program is really balanced with cows that he’s happy with and he’s getting twice the national average in the percentage of his cattle that make CAB®. Pretty neat to hear about a guy that’s found a winning combination for his success and his pocketbook. What’s your formula? Have you looked into the opportunities DNA technology hold for commercial cattlemen? I’m always interested to hear more stories like this gentlemen’s.

The other great part of my trip was driving through the beautiful country in southern South Dakota and the Nebraska Sandhills. That’s always a treat for the eyes this time of year with all of the great ranching country and Angus cows that a person encounters.

I had to stop once in awhile and take a photo while I inspected a bunch of cows from the roadside. It’s hard to find the ranch headquarters in most of that country. You sure can’t see most of them from the highway. Some of the signs a person sees kind of make me chuckle too, like this one at Sparks,Nebraska, a little bitty town near the Niobrara River that lays claim to being the “Canoe Capital of Nebraska”.

The Angus cows in the photo were just west of town.

Next week, I’ll be heading to eastern Nebraska for the Feeding Quality Forum in Omaha. We’re sure to uncover a few new secrets for success in the feeding business there, and we’ll be sure to share those with you here.

-Paul

Paul Dykstra is a  beef cattle specialist for Certified Angus Beef LLC. He works closely with current and prospective licensed feedlots and ranchers in north-central and western states of the U.S to help them profitably meet the demands of a high-quality marketplace through breeding and managing Angus cattle to their utmost potential.

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