‘Steer party mix’ yields top quality beef
by Jackie Eager
Cattle enjoy snack foods as much as people; Herr Angus Farm, Nottingham, Pa., uses that as an advantage.
Their 600-head feedlot is an extension of the farm’s Angus breeding program that began when Herr Foods Inc. was looking for a way to make the most of snack food byproducts.
“In the daily production of snack foods there is a percentage that does not meet quality specifications for the consumer,” manager Dennis Byrne says. “That product is fed to our cattle.”
These byproducts are high in energy and extremely palatable. As part of a feeding ration, they promote fast gains and high-quality carcasses. Cattle like it so much that the feedlot crew calls the ration, ‘Steer Party Mix.’
Meanwhile, they’re all business when it comes to quality. “We pay extremely close attention to the details of our rations, health programs and implant strategy to produce as many Certified Angus Beef carcasses as possible,” Byrne says.
The focus and results make Herr Angus Farm a perfect fit for the Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Feedlot Licensing Program (FLP), a network of 65 yards across the United States.
The FLP is designed to reward producers for high-quality cattle that meet Certified Angus Beef ® brand specifications. Partner feedlots enroll cattle with CAB and licensed packers pay premiums for those that qualify for the brand.
“From the beginning we have always worked to hit the Certified Angus Beef ® target,” Byrne says.
Byrne knows that it takes more than just feeding snack-food byproducts to produce for the brand. The feedlot ships cattle directly to CAB-licensed packers to receive carcass data, which is then analyzed and used to help customers build more value into their Angus herds.
“In the future I hope to increase the number of producers who are serious about beef quality in their breeding program,” Byrne says. “I want to be able to get them carcass information so they can correct their programs and we can continue to move toward a higher percentage of CAB quality cattle out of our yard.”
Certified Angus Beef is the world’s leading brand of fresh beef. Since 1997, packers have paid producers more than $250 million in value-based grid premiums for cattle accepted into the brand. For more information on CAB product and recipes, visit www.certifiedangusbeef.com. Cow-calf producers and feedlots can learn more about the CAB Program by visiting www.cabcattle.com or by contacting Gary Fike at 785-539-0123.