Blog

March 6, 2020 – NRG Park, Houston, TX

• 32 Bulls $160,700  Avg $5,022
• 2 Pair $16,400  Avg $8,200
• 17 Bred $70,200  Avg $4,130
• 23 Open $104,000  Avg $4,522
• 2 Picks $6,300  Avg $3,150
• 1 Semen/Embryo Lot $3,210
• 77 Total Lots $360,810  Avg $4,686

Top Bulls

• Lot 50- Sire, CF Sugar Britches, consigned by Wallen Prairie Ranch, Lockwood, MO:  Sold to Beto Perez, Mexico for $26,000
• Lot 67- Sire, McAlester, consigned by Nextgen Cattle Co., Paxico, KS;  Sold to C-M Ranches, Kershaw, SC for $24,000
• Lot 73- Sire, CF Sugar Bear, consigned by New Relic Ranch, San Antonio, TX:  Sold to Carlos Rascon, Mesa, AZ for $7,000
• Lot 61- Sire, EMS Fire and Smoke, consigned by Steven and Lyn Anderson, Amarillo, TX:  Sold to Phillip Edwards, Lake Charles, LA for $6,750
• Lot 58- Sire, CF Sugar Britches, Consigned by Tyler Gwosdz, Orange Grove, TX:  Sold to Clay Mills, Mt. Airy, NC for $6,600

Top Females

• Lot 15- Open, Sire, McAlester, consigned by Nextgen Cattle Co., Paxico, KS; Sold to Luciano Martinez, Progreso, TX for $18,000
• Lot 11- Open, Sire, Panhandle Dream, consigned by Steven and Lyn Anderson, Amarillo, TX: Sold to Luciano Martinez, Progreso, TX for$17,000
• Lot 46- Pair, Sire CF Fusion, consigned by Collier Farm, Brenham, TX:  Sold to Jeff Garner, Blue Ridge, TX for $14,000
• Lot 40- Bred to CF Troubadour, Consigned by Tyler Gwosdz, Orange Grove, TX: Sold to Ken Walther, Houston, TX for $10,500
• Lot 42- Bred to WB Solution, Consigned by Tyler Gwosdz, Orange Grove, TX:  Sold to Octavio Garcia, Mexico for $9,250

Volume Buyers:  Octavio Garcia, Mexico;  Luciano Martinez, Progreso, TX;  C-M Ranches, Kershaw, SC

Auctioneer and Co-Sale Manager-  Anthony Mihalski, San Antonio, TX

Sale Manager-  3G Sales and Service, Franklin, GA

By Lance Bauer, Director of Breed Improvement

Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) is releasing new reproductive Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs).

Beefmasters are known for being a maternal breed and these new EPD tools will help us to select for more maternal animals. The first new Beefmaster EPD is Age at First Calf and the second new EPD is Stayability. Age at First Calf (AFC) is for heifers and Stayability (STAY) is a lifetime measurement.

Age at First Calf is defined as the difference between a heifer’s birthdate and the birthdate of her first calf. When looking at this number, a lower number is more favorable indicating that a heifer is having her calf at a younger age. Contemporary groups for this are broken by utilizing yearling weight groups and the service type with a 120-day calving window. This helps to separate animals that are bred to calve at 24 months from those bred to calve at 30 months. Since AFC is a reproductive trait, the heritability is low, but statistically significant from zero. This means that the trait can be selected for but is going to take more time to change than traits with higher heritability, such as growth and carcass traits.

Stayability is defined as the probability that a female would be reported as calving in the herd at age five or greater. For STAY, a higher number is more favorable because this indicates that a female has a higher probability of remaining in the herd past five years of age. To calculate this, animals enrolled in Whole Herd Reporting (WHR) were used and the use of disposal codes were used to determine if an animal was in the herd and had a calf at the age of five. The age of five is used for this calculation because this is an industry standard and research suggests that animals have paid for themselves by the age of five, on average. Again, the heritability of this trait is low, but improvements can be made with selection.

These two new EPDs are tools that can be used to help select more maternal animals and they will eventually be incorporated into $M as we work to prove ourselves as the most maternal breed in the industry. When using these tools for selection try to select for animals with a lower AFC and a higher STAY, but do not forget or neglect other traits. Another trait that would be beneficial for the maternal selection would be a mature cow weight, these can be collected along with a Body Condition Score when calves are weaned. As a breed we are continuing to move forward with proving our value as the source for maternal genetics.

BOERNE, Texas  – Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) is excited to bring a new addition to the Beefmaster staff. Jon Garza will serve as the Director of International Programs and his duties include coordinating our international programs, as well as helping grow more interest in Beefmaster genetics on the international and domestic fronts.

Jon comes to us from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), where he most recently acted as Director for International Programs and Livestock Export Pens. His duties consisted of directing, developing and implementing and being the primary information source for the agency relative to all international programs and livestock export.

“I am excited to be a part of the Beefmaster family and working for all of you through expanding our current markets and opening new markets around the globe,” said Garza.

Garza is originally from Laredo, Texas and attended US Army Chemical School in Fort McClellan, Ala., and graduated from Texas A&M Kingsville with a Bachelor of Science in Range and Wildlife Management. Shortly after graduating he started working for the TDA as a field investigator/inspector in Corpus Christi and then served as TDA Coordinator for the Grain Warehouse Program in Austin. Garza served a total of 25 years and seven months with the TDA and served six years in the military.

Garza’s volunteer work consists of serving on the United States Livestock Genetics Export Board of Directors and is an officer in Post 1805 of the Catholic War Veterans of Austin.

Garza and his wife, Denise, have three grown children and eight grandchildren. His family has used Beefmaster bulls on their South Texas cattle ranch for over 30 years. They still own and operate two ranches, which date back to 1808 through the Spanish land grant.

“Jon is well respected in the international cattle market and we look forward to him working with Beefmaster breeders to expand the demand for Beefmaster genetics throughout the United States and abroad,” says BBU Executive Vice President Collin Osbourn. “Let’s all welcome Jon to the Beefmaster family.”

Garza can be contacted at (512) 517-5163 or by email at jgarza@beefmasters.org.

For more information or to contact the BBU staff members call the office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org. Stay connected to BBU through Facebook, follow us on Instagram, view our videos on YouTube, and follow us on Twitter. Receive our news updates through joining our mailing list.

Click here to download a photo of Jon Garza.

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Beefmaster Breeders United is a not-for-profit breed registration organization that provides programs and services for its members. Beefmaster, Beefmaster Advancer and E6 cattle are selected on the “Six Essentials” of disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, milk production and hardiness.

BOERNE, TEXAS – Oklahoma State University (OSU) Department of Animal and Food Sciences in Stillwater, Oklahoma is initiating a new research cow herd and they are using Beefmaster genetics as their crossbreeding tool. The research effort, led by Dr. Ryan Reuter, will focus on precision ranching for improved long-term sustainability of ranches in Oklahoma and the Southern Plains.

“Our research will focus on incorporating cutting-edge technology such as automated supplementation equipment, on-animal sensors to monitor behavior and stress, and virtual fencing. This technology will allow real-time decision making and better implementation of best management practices. We need a base herd of approximately 70 cows to conduct this research effectively and sustain our research into the future,” said Reuter, Beef Range Nutrition Associate Professor.

OSU is in the process of building a commercial cow herd to facilitate this exciting research. They currently have cows of predominately Angus breeding and will incorporate Beefmaster genetics into their crossbreeding program.

“We hope that alumni and stakeholders who have an interest in both OSU Animal and Food Sciences, as well as Beefmaster genetics, will be excited about contributing to this effort. To that end, we are seeking donations of Beefmaster breeding females,” said Reuter.

OSU is currently seeking quality, problem-free, moderate framed Beefmaster influenced females of any age that are either purebred Beefmaster or Beefmaster x Red Angus breeding that can be delivered to Stillwater between March – May 2020. Donors would be eligible for a tax deduction for the value of the donated animal.

This is a tremendous opportunity for the Beefmaster breed to become a part of a leading agricultural university’s quest to build a premier Beefmaster herd. In addition to their use in the OSU research program, this herd will be used to teach students about ranch and grazing management, precision technology, and will be the subject of numerous tours and field days in the future.

Reuter says, “we think Beefmaster genetics can be an important component to achieving long-term sustainability and we look forward to the impact this research could have.”

To serve as background to this project; Beefmaster breeder Joe Kreger, an OSU alumnus and managing partner of Kreger Ranch, began a dialogue with department head Dr. Clint Rusk, a few years ago with the concept of including Beefmaster genetics in beef cow research at OSU. Joe Kreger, along with Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) Executive Vice President Collin Osbourn and BBU President Bob Siddons, toured the OSU ranch near Stillwater with Dr. Reuter and in that meeting a general concept was developed to include Beefmaster genetics in Dr. Reuter’s range nutrition research. The goal of this partnership is to create cutting edge grazing research involving Beefmaster genetics, as well as many other levels of advanced beef cattle production educational content. Joe Kreger, Wes Hood and Bruce Robbins are leading efforts to assist BBU and OSU in sourcing this cow herd.

For more information about this project please contact the BBU staff members at 210-732-3132 if you have questions about making cattle donations or getting involved in the OSU Beefmaster research herd. Producers are also welcomed to personally contact Hood, Robbins or Kreger with their questions and donations.

Houston, Texas – March 6, 2020

Auctioneer & Sale Consultant – Anthony Mihalski

Sale Manager – Robbins Cattle Consulting & Marketing, Bruce Robbins

ANIMAL ID PREFIX SELECTION FORM

Q: What is an Animal ID Prefix?

A: An Animal ID Prefix is a combination of letters and numbers that precede the name or ID number of an animal. For example: CRO 15/22 or CRO Big Red

Q: How short or long does the Animal ID Prefix need to be?

A: This prefix must be a minimum of two (2) characters and up to a maximum of eight (8) characters (including spaces). Your Animal ID Prefix can only be a combination of letters and/or numbers, symbols or punctuation are NOT allowed. Please remember that animal names are limited to 25? characters, including the Animal ID prefix.

Q: Why has the Animal ID Prefix been established?

A: To help recognize and maintain recognition of the original owner of an animal.

Q: I have been using an Animal ID Prefix for many years now, do I still need to submit the form?

A: Yes, every member including Lifetime, Annual, Associate, Junior and International MUST complete and return the Animal ID Prefix form to FORMALLY REQUEST their membership’s Animal ID Prefix.

Q: Can I submit the form early to ensure that I get the requested Animal ID Prefix?

A: The requests are not done on a first-come, first-serve basis. As long as the BBU office receives your form by January 31, 2020 then your request will be considered on the same parameters as the other forms received on or before January 31, 2020. Animal ID Prefixes will be assigned based on historical use and/or length of continual membership status. They are not assigned based on who sent the form in first.

Q: How do I submit the form?

A: Once you receive the letter in the mail, you can submit the completed form by returning it to 118 W. Bandera Road, Boerne, TX 78006. Mail is the preferred return option, but emails and faxes will be accepted. The BBU office must receive the completed form NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31, 2020.

Q: What if I miss the deadline or do not request an Animal ID Prefix?

A: If an Animal ID Prefix is not established, then a random prefix will be assigned to the membership account.

Q: How does the Animal ID Prefix work when registering an animal?

A: At the time of the animal’s registration, the registry system will automatically prepopulate the animal name with the Animal ID Prefix followed by the animal’s ID number (example: CRO 15/22). At that time of initial entry, you may replace the animal’s ID number in the name field with a name like “Big Red”, but the prefix will always stay at the beginning of the animal’s name (example: CRO Big Red). Please remember that animal names are limited to 25 characters, including the Animal ID prefix. ANY name change after initial entry will incur the appropriate name change fees.

ANIMAL ID PREFIX SELECTION FORM

So, you have purchased an animal with no name or you would like to change the name, so what do you do now?

To change a name on an animal, the office must receive written permission from the Breeder-Member-First Owner that is listed on the Certificate of Breeding in order to make the name change. Our rules state, that an animal has a name if there is anything listed in the “Named” section of the certificate, this includes an ID number. The fee to change an animal name for an animal with NO PROGENY is $20. The fee to change an animal name for an animal WITH PROGENY is $100. The best and most efficient way to change the name of an animal is for the member requesting the name change to directly contact the Breeder-Member-First Owner and obtain the written/emailed permission from them. Once the written/emailed permission is obtained, the letter/email can be mailed in along with the certificate for reprint (additional $10 fee) or the email can be forwarded along with payment information to our office staff members for update and billing. No new certificate will be issued unless the old certificate is returned. If the animal was purchased in a sale, the consignor may not be the Breeder-Member-First Owner of the animal. You will need to contact the Breeder-Member-First Owner for written permission to change the name and you will need to provide payment for the name change before it will be done. The BBU staff members will also need to know which sale it was purchased at.

To add a name for an animal with no name listed in the “Named” section of the breeding certificate, please return the certificate with the requested name written in the “Named” section and the office will add the name and reprint the certificate for a $10 fee. There is no fee to add a name to an animal with no previous name, only a fee to reprint the certificate. You can also email a BBU staff member the certificate number of the animal and the name you would like to add. The office will add the name into the system and the new name will print onto a new certificate when the original breeding certificate is returned for transfer or requested reprint.

November 9, 2019 – Nacogdoches, Texas