Ginette GottswillerThe Source
Get in the driver’s seat by enrolling in AngusSource.
What do you see behind you? Pretty difficult to see, isn’t it? Do you ever get frustrated when you are driving down the road with large equipment? Do you wish the other drivers could get in the cab and sit in your seat for just a few minutes?
Do you ever sit in any other seats? Buyers who purchase your feeder calves may feel the same way you do in the tractor. Many times we’re looking at a pretty restricted view. I visit with seedstock and commercial producers who feel they should receive carcass data back from the feedlot on their cattle. Let’s think about that a minute.
Who owns the cattle? Many times the feedlot is the sole owner. The calves are not your property anymore. Let’s put that in context. Do you get protein information back from the co-op when you sell soybeans? Do they tell you what their crush value is? No, they hedge the crop and reap the profit from their knowledge and experience. Just like the feedlot does.
How can you get carcass value information on your feeder calves without retaining ownership? Consider using a commercial genomic test such as GeneMax® (GMX) Focus™ or GMX Advantage™. Both of these tests perform best on 75% or greater Angus genetics. Both tests give you scores from 100 to 1, with the higher number being the better score.
GMX Focus can be used on both commercial steers and heifers. It gives predictions for weaning weight, carcass weight, gain and marbling. It also provides sire match if the sire of the calf is HD50K or i50K tested. The GMX Focus test is economically priced at $17.
GMX Advantage is geared toward commercial replacement heifers that have 75% or greater Angus genetics. This test gives you several scores for your $39 investment. The Total Advantage score contains carcass, growth and maternal traits in a combined economic index with growth being weighted at 40% and carcass at 21%.
Producers who want to pick females that produce the calves with growth and carcass should utilize the Feeder Advantage score. This includes feedlot gain, dry-matter intake, carcass weight, yield grade and quality grade. The most emphasis is on the growth traits.
Cow Advantage utilizes heifer pregnancy, calving ease, weaning weight, milk and cow size. Want to improve the maternal traits in your herd? The Cow Advantage score may help you select your next set of replacement heifers.
These tools can help guide your replacement-heifer decision making. The cost to develop a replacement heifer can range from $400-$600. A low-cost genomic test is an effective way to weed out heifers that will not maximize your investment. Producers who feel technology is a little too sophisticated can dip their toe in the water by using GMX Focus to begin their genomic journey.
Remember that view from the tractor seat? Genomic testing can do more than help you pick your replacement heifers. GMX Focus and GMX Advantage scores can be used to help market your feeder calves.
Producers who enroll their calves in AngusSource® and test one-third of the enrollment group with GMX Focus or GMX Advantage can use those scores on their Marketing Document. The scores can give potential buyers a more detailed view of your calf crop’s genetic potential.
AngusSource is a marketing program geared toward feeder calves and replacement females. This program verifies the enrolled calves’ Angus sires, source and group age with an individual program-compliant ear tag. The backbone of the AngusSource program is a Marketing Document that is emailed to more than 700 potential buyers who want to know when and where Angus-sired calves are being marketed. The marketing document lists the sire’s expected progeny differences (EPDs) of the enrollment group, and if a producer chooses to GMX Focus or GMX Advantage test one-third of the enrollment group, those scores are included.
Not every black-hided calf is created equal. Use AngusSource to give potential buyers the time to research the quality genetics you used on the group of calves you are marketing this year. Call the AngusSource department or visit the website www.angussource.com for more information on cost and how to enroll.
Editor's Note: Ginette Gottswiller is the director of commercial programs for the American Angus Association.