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Association Perspective

State of the West and fall bull-buying resources.

by Terry Cotton, American Angus Association

Region 11, which includes Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah, is a vast and varied region of the United States that excels in multidimensional agricultural production. The American Angus Association plays a part in the multiple layers of food production here in the West. Cattle production is an important part of the agricultural cycle, but I would like to divert a moment and provide background on a couple of recent issues that ranchers and growers deal with in the far West.

In a recent newsletter published by the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, it was interesting how ranchers have played an important role in the growth of the sage grouse population by some 63% in Nevada, where approximately 80% of all land is owned by the federal and/or state governments. These ranchers play an important part of rural communities by not only tending to their own livelihoods, but also to the rangeland that supports their herds and wildlife.

Across the West, roughly 22,000 ranchers steward approximately 250 million acres of federal land and 140 million acres of adjacent private land. These ranchers are true stewards of the land, and with the vitality of the rangeland at stake, they continue to make it better.

Another summer of heat and extremely dry conditions has caused wildfires across the West with California being the state that has taken the largest toll on the landscape. Extreme heat for several weeks has raised the fire danger, and the Big Sur fire on the coast near the Big Sur area has consumed more than 32,000 acres and was expected to burn more than 170,000 acres before being contained.

Prepare for fall bull sale season
The fall bull sale season is fast approaching here in the West, and the following will offer some of the available programs from American Angus that may fit into the commercial producer’s management system:

1. 1. Buyers of registered-Angus bulls receive access to AAA Login, the Association’s online recordkeeping service. By using their customer code at www.angusonline.org, commercial producers are able to view weekly expected progeny differences (EPDs), manage their bull inventory, record calf records in the electronic calving book, enroll in AngusSource^® Genetic, and order and view results for GeneMax^® DNA tests. AAA Login also serves as a portal to accessing the commercial-based Beef Record Service (BRS), as well as MaternalPlus^®.
2. 2. MaternalPlus^® is a whole-herd reporting program that can be used by commercial producers, and the reports derived from individual dam and calf data add value for profit-driven cattle producers. Building a cow herd with longevity and fertility, along with superior genetics, requires a thorough herd analysis. Start building a solid foundation in your herd by enrolling in MaternalPlus.

3. 3. BRS provides a tool for serious producers who wish to link the end product to the animal by identifying genetics that work in their operations. BRS provides a system for commercial producers to keep performance records on their animals, regardless of breed composition. These records can help producers make selection decisions on their cow herds, while supplying information to help market calf progeny as steers and replacement heifers.

       Producers can submit information on their herds, including sire information, breeding records, calving and weaning data, and any additional performance or carcass data collected on their calves. This data can be submitted, viewed and sorted via computer online, or it can be submitted and returned on paper forms available through the Association.

4. 4. The Bull Buying Strategies publication available online at www.angus.org has the emphasis on bull buying, performance records, EPDs in sire selection and even gives tips on when you might sell your calves.
5. 5. Finally, ask for the registration papers! The registration paper you receive on a registered-Angus bull comes with the industry’s most reliable EPDs to advance your cow herd. When you ask for the papers you will know what you are purchasing.
6. 6. If you’re not receiving the Angus Beef Bulletin, all you have to do is sign up at http://angus.media/About/Angus-Beef-Bulletin, because it is free. It is published five times per year during the spring and fall sale seasons — three in the spring and two in the fall. The Angus Beef Bulletin is a publication for you, the commercial producer.

Give us a call if we can assist you with any questions you might have pertaining to Angus or the Association.

Editor’s Note:Vice President of Sales Terry Cotton covers Region 11, including the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.

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