Typesetter

As you study Beefmaster sale catalogs, you will notice cattle throughout pedigrees with anywhere from one to three little stars beside their names. What does all this mean? These are designations of cattle that qualify for the Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) Pacesetter and Typesetter programs. Animals with one star are designated Pacesetters (more on this program at a later date). Sires and dams with two stars are Typesetters, and those lucky enough to have three stars are both Pacesetter and Typesetter qualifiers. In this article, we will focus on what it takes for an animal to become a Typesetter sire or dam.

The Typesetter program allows breeders to identify cattle who have consistently produced offspring that achieved certain scores for conformation and underline in the BBU Classification program. Many Beefmaster breeders see Typesetter cattle in a pedigree and immediately think predictability. The ability of a sire or dam to consistently produce quality offspring and become a Typesetter adds documented proof of performance and value to their offspring.

For a bull to become a Typesetter sire, he must have 50 offspring that have been classified 'U' with a conformation score of 1 or 2, with an underline score of 1, 2, or 3. There are several opportunities for a cow to become a Typesetter dam. Females who only have natural calves can qualify, as well as cows used as donors in an embryo transfer program. For a cow to reach the Typesetter designation, she must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Three natural offspring that are classified 'U' with a score of 1 or 2 for conformation and an underline score of 1, 2, or 3.
  • One natural and four embryo offspring that are classified 'U' with a score of 1 or 2 for conformation and an underline score of 1, 2, or 3.
  • Two natural and two embryo offspring that have been classified 'U' with a score of 1 or 2 for conformation and an underline score of 1, 2, or 3.

As you can tell, the key to having your animals designated as Typesetters is to participate in the BBU Voluntary Classification program. In order to be classified with conformation and underline scores, cattle must be at least 13 months of age. Registration certificates or applications for registration must be available to the classifier at the time of classification. If at all possible, cattle should be penned in a working corral, to make it easier to evaluate animals up close.

Fees for classification are $350 or $5/head, whichever is greater. If you and another nearby breeder would like to work together and schedule a visit at the same time, fees for visits can be split between both parties.