Dear Beefmaster Breeders:

The Central States Beefmaster Breeders Association would like to invite you to consign your 2014 spring born bull calves to the inaugural CSBBA Beefmaster Performance Bull Test and Sale.  Our goal is to place 200+ bulls on test and sell 150+ bulls on sale day.

The 300 day test will begin on January 3, 2015 at Rose Bud Feeders, LLC. located in Rose Bud, AR. The sale will be held on Friday November 6, 2015 at the Cleburne County Livestock Auction located in Heber Springs, AR. The Cleburne County Livestock Auction has a great facility and will be very user friendly for the sale activities and auction. We invite all breeders to be part of the CSBBA sponsored sale.

As Beefmaster breeders and consignors, we encourage you to raise the bar and consign your best genetics. We are looking for performance pedigreed cattle with good EPD’s and exceptional quality. This sale will offer a variety of Beefmaster genetics including blacks, reds, Purebreds and Advancers.

Remember this is an opportunity to promote your breeding program and to promote Beefmaster cattle. So offer your best to make the sale a big success! We are looking forward in seeing each of you in Arkansas. The enthusiasm and interest in Beefmaster bulls is stronger than ever, so again we encourage being a part of the CSBBA Beefmaster Performance Bull Test and Sale, support your association by consigning.

If you have questions as to whether your bull calves qualify for the test and sale contact Justin Rhodes at 785-969-7619.

Please complete the attached Bull Sale Field Sheet and Bull Sale Entry Form. All animals must have registration papers prior to delivery to Rose Bud Feeders. If you have any questions, please call CSBBA President Davin Vaughn at 417-793-1830. Again, please consign your best to make the CSBBA Beefmaster Performance Bull Test and Sale a positive and successful event.

Cordially,

Davin Vaughn, President

Central States Beefmaster Breeders Association

Bull Test & Sale Specifics

*Receiving Date:  January 3, 2015

*Receiving Location: Rose Bud Feeders

Contact: Keith Cagle for directions 501-940-0299

*Sale Date: November 6, 2015

*Sale Location: Cleburne County Livestock, Heber Springs, AR

*Criteria

Bulls entered into test must sale if they qualify (no test only option)

• Purebreds and Advancers
• DOB-group 1: January 1-March 31, 2014;  group 2 April 1-June 30, 2014
• Sheath score- no greater than 3+
• Horn status- Polled, Scurred, Dehorned (must be healed prior to arrival)
• Color- Solid colors preferred, no paints See guideline (Sale Management to have final say)
• Registered with BBU as purebred or advancer
• BW or Calving Ease must be on file with BBU
• WW and 205 must be on file with BBU

*Vaccination Schedule

• 2 rounds (live or killed)
• IBR, BVD (types 1 and 2), PI3, BRSV, Clostridials, Pasturella, Clostridium chauvoei, Cl. Septicum, Cl. Novyi, Cl. Sordellii, Cl. Perfingens types C and D, and H. Somnus.

*Weaned 30 to 45 days prior to receiving

*Test

• Fed twice a day
• Ryegrass/Oat Silage + corn + soy hull + DDG + Gluten + Purina Vitamin pack
• Warm up 10 to 14 days
• Push 100 to 120 days
• Collect YW, carcass data and BSE at end of push
• Sale ready starting 60 days prior to sale date.

*Test Costs

• $125/bull deposit (to be applied toward test costs)
• $0.09/lb for silage (variable to be determined by market prices)
• $1.00/day yardage
• $15.00/animal for scan data
• Miscellaneous day labor and veterinarian expenses if so needed.
• Estimated total Test Costs per animal of $950.00
• Invoiced monthly for feed and Misc costs
• Total feed fed to group divided by # bulls on test equals feed costs/bull/month

*Sale Management

• American Marketing Services, LLC  www.amscattle.com
• Mark Cowan-Sales Manager 903-495-4522

*Sales Consultants

• Keith Cagle 501-940-0299
• Justin Rhodes 785-969-7619

SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 4, 2014) – The 54^th Annual Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) Convention wrapped up on Sat., Nov. 1, 2014, with the annual awards banquet and open Beefmaster show. The annual convention “Beefmasters, Blues and BBQ on Beale Street” was hosted in Memphis, Tenn., from October 30 – November 1, 2014. The convention kicked off with BBU hosting a Farm to City Day, in coordination with the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Beef Industry Council and the Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA). The farm to city day welcomed over one-hundred students from a Memphis public school and the students were taught about agriculture through interactive “ag in the classroom” stations. This event was created to give back to the convention host city.

During the general membership meeting BBU members elected new Board of Director members and officers. The BBU president is Loran “Mackie” Bounds of Axtell, Texas and Steve Carpenter, Tecumseh, Okla., was elected BBU vice-president. The following individuals were elected to the BBU Board of Directors with a three year term: Chris Kauffman of Searcy, Ark., Tony Psencik of San Antonio, Texas, Sue Pierson of Vacaville, Calif., and JC Thompson of Bedias, Texas. Lastly, the general membership approved the proposed language change pertaining to the position of Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer located in section three of the BBU By-Laws.

Beefmaster breeders from throughout the United States attended this year’s convention. Attendees enjoyed seminars and fellowship with other cattlemen and women in the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. This year’s convention participants learned about new genomic technologies in the seedstock sector during the Zoetis Cattlemen’s Marketplace, as well as learned about emerging selection technologies from Dr. Matt Spangler, Associate Professor / Beef Genetics Extension Specialist at the University of Nebraska. Several more educational seminars sponsored by the Beefmaster Educational Endowment Foundation were held during the convention and focused on marketing, crossbreeding and heterosis. Dr. Robert Wells of the Noble Foundation educated convention attendees on how to effectively use planned crossbreeding and heterosis.

In addition to seminars, luncheons and galas the convention attendees interacted with JBBA members that presented award winning speeches and exhibited award winning cattle. The convention was concluded with the annual awards banquet where top honors were announced. Neal C. Hiatt of Salisbury, N.C., was selected as new member of the year. T5 Beefmasters, owned by JC and Teri Thompson, of Bedias, Texas, was selected as Beefmaster breeder of the year. Dave Loftin of Nixa, Mo., was announced as member of the year and environmental member of the year was awarded to Farm and Ranch Beefmasters, owned by Kito and Leti Saenz of San Isidro, Texas. Performance breeder of the year was awarded to Skelton Farms, owned by James and Mary Ann Skelton, of Springdale, Ark. A new award category was created to recognize commercial cattle producers that utilize Beefmaster genetics and the commercial producer of the year was awarded to Wes and Tracy Carlton of Fort Pierce, Fla. The BBU commercial producer will compete at the national level at the 2015 annual Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) convention in Biloxi, Miss.

On behalf of the BBU staff, officers, board members and the convention committee, thank you to all our generous sponsors, trade show partners, auction participants and knife buyers. Join BBU at their 55^th Annual Convention held in Galveston, Texas on October 29 – 31, 2015.

For more information about Beefmaster Breeders United and its convention please contact the BBU office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org. Stay connected to BBU through Facebook, view our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and receive our news updates through joining our mailing list.

SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 3, 2014) – On September 15, 2014 Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) and RFD-TV’s The American Rancher premiered an episode featuring the Beefmaster cattle breed and it received positive feedback by Beefmaster breeders, RFD-TV viewers and the general public. Due to the huge success of the episode’s premiere, the two groups have decided to re-air the episode once again on Mon., November 17, 2014 at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST). The Beefmaster feature will also be broadcasted on the Wed., November 19 episode of The American Rancher at 12 a.m. CST and on Sun., November 23 at 11 a.m. CST. BBU invites the public, cattle industry professionals, all BBU members, Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA) members and potential Beefmaster breeders to learn more about the Beefmaster breed and how the breed is positively influencing the beef cattle industry. The episode is also available for viewing 24 hours a day online at the BBU website www.Beefmasters.org, BBU’s Facebook page and BBU’s YouTube channel.

“We had a great response from our breeders who expressed that the episode did a wonderful job portraying the breed and educating the public about high performing Beefmasters,” said BBU Executive Vice President Bill Pendergrass. “We are excited that the episode will be re-aired and more cattle producers will be introduced to this outstanding breed.”

The Beefmaster episode on The American Rancher will explore the history of the breed and take an in-depth look at the Six Essentials – weight, conformation, milk production, fertility, hardiness and disposition; that the Beefmaster breed was founded on over 60 years ago by Tom Lasater. The episode will feature purebred and commercial cattlemen as they discuss how the Beefmaster breed’s hybrid vigor and maternal heterosis produces superior crossbred females. The show will also examine the importance of the Beefmaster breed to the cattle industry as a whole and how Beefmaster bulls are the best of both worlds through producing extremely fertile, functional and docile females to rebuild America’s cowherds, as well as producing profitable feeder calves that deliver results in the current market place. Tune into the re-airing of this outstanding episode to learn from true blue cattlemen and how their ranches embrace the Beefmaster breed.

“The show had an outstanding response. The Beefmaster office received several calls inquiring about crossbreeding with Beefmasters the day after the show premiered and our website also experienced increased traffic,” said Pendergrass “We hope to receive even more inquiries after the November episodes.”

This Beefmaster feature was made possible by these outstanding sponsors: Bounds Swinging B Ranch, Collier Farms, Emmons Ranch, Isa Beefmasters, Live Oak Beefmaster Breeders Association, Lyssy Beefmasters and South Texas Beefmaster Breeders Association. These sponsors are featured on the episode and can be contacted for Beefmaster genetics.

The American Rancher is in its tenth year of broadcasting on RFD-TV. The series began in the fall of 2004 and brings audiences in touch with the people and places that make ranching an American lifestyle. Show episodes premiere each Monday night at 8:00 p.m. CST on RFD-TV and re-air again on Sundays at 11 a.m. CST. Contact your local cable or satellite provider for RFD-TV channel information.

For more information about Beefmaster Breeders United please contact the BBU office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org. Stay connected to BBU through Facebook, view our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and receive our news updates through joining our mailing list.

The Beefmaster breed has emerged as one of the most popular choices for youth livestock projects. FFA and 4-H students from across the country have recognized the value of Beefmaster show calves.  In Texas and Mississippi the Beefmaster junior shows are consistently the largest or second largest breed exhibited. In Texas alone, over $1.2 million of Beefmaster show heifers will be sold in 2015.

Beefmaster docility, performance, structural correctness and eye appeal makes the breed ideal for 4-H and FFA project animals. Furthermore, the benefits of Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA) membership add value to the FFA and 4-H youth when one considers the scholarship, educational, leadership and fellowship opportunities. Simply put, the purchase of a Beefmaster show calf opens the door to a multitude of opportunities for a junior livestock exhibitor.

With this in mind, Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) is unveiling The Beefmaster Banner. This publication is designed to reach FFA and 4-H students at the grassroots level to promote Beefmasters in the FFA classroom and county 4-H extension office. Additionally, The Beefmaster Banner will be handed out at the major livestock shows and beef industry trade shows that BBU participates in. The Beefmaster Banner will contain articles the junior exhibitor will find useful on topics such as selection, nutrition and management. JBBA will be promoted to help draw new members, while promoting JBBA activities, participation in leadership roles and scholarship opportunities.

The Beefmaster Banner will feature articles about how Beefmaster genetics add profitability to the commercial cattlemen with a strong emphasis on maternal heterosis and planned crossbreeding programs. The targeted marketing approach that The Beefmaster Banner brings will allow BBU to be more effective in promoting Beefmasters at the largest, most important level: the grassroots.

BBU staff will be selling advertising space for The Beefmaster Banner. This is the only publication that specifically reaches into the classroom and county extension offices for the promotion of the Beefmaster breed. Every FFA Chapter in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi will receive a copy of The Beefmaster Banner. Every county extension office in the Southeastern United States will receive a copy. Needless to say, The Beefmaster Banner will be the most direct and cost effective advertising method to promote your Beefmaster program.

The advertising deadline is December 1, 2014, so be sure to secure your space today. Please call BBU Field Representative Matt Woolfolk at (210) 464-0923 or BBU Junior Program Coordinator Allison Wells at (979) 251-0325 to secure your space today.

By: Matt Woolfolk

Fall sale fever has spread across Beefmaster territory!  Starting with the Southeastern Beefmaster Breeders Association (SEBBA) sale in Tunica, Miss., through this past weekend at Beef on Forage in Brenham, Texas, Beefmaster breeders have seen excellent prices and a strong demand for their genetics.  I have no doubt that this momentum will carry into Memphis and the President’s Council Sale to be held Nov. 1, 2014 .  After seeing many of the consignments headed to Beale Street, I think you will be impressed with the offering!

While times are good throughout the cattle industry, I think this is only the beginning for the Beefmaster breed!  Now is the time to begin putting yourself in prime position for the future.  With feeder calf prices at record highs, it’s tempting to sell heifers at weaning.  However, I think now is the time to keep quality replacement heifers.  Producing the right kind of bull starts with a strong, high-quality cow herd built on young, strong replacements.  As sales have indicated, “the right kind of bull” is in high demand!  Bulls with complete performance records are the kind that attract the progressive commercial cattlemen.  Collecting data from birth through sale day is very important.  Measuring weights, gains on test, ultrasound data and scrotal circumference, while paying close attention to Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), will go a long way in improving your bull market. Performance records and EPDs are the tools to utilize for making breeding decisions to continually build and improve a cow herd.

As I continue to travel the country this fall, please give me a call at 210-464-0923 to schedule a ranch visit.  I’m looking forward to seeing you all in Memphis for what will be a great convention and I would be glad to visit with you about what I can do to help your operation.

Upcoming sales I will be traveling to include:

10/28- 11/1  – BBU Convention and President’s Council Sale, Memphis, Tenn.

11/6-11/8  -  Louisiana BBA Cowboy Classic Sale, Lake Charles, La.

If you’re unable to attend and would like for someone to evaluate sale lots for you, do not hesitate to give me a call.

SAN ANGELO, TX – Isa Beefmasters, LLC’s 53rd Beefmaster bull sale was held October 4 in San Angelo, TX. It was an excellent sale; with 32 buyers from 7 states and Mexico taking home 110 Beefmaster bulls at an average of $4386. Isa’s President, Lorenzo Lasater, stated the sale was extremely strong from beginning to end. Auctioneer Joe Goggins of Billings, MT sold the 110 bulls in the blistering time of 1 hour, 25 minutes.

The high-selling bull, L Bar 2401, sold to Doyle and Dorothy Sanders of Double D Bar Beefmasters for $11,000. This awesome young herd sire prospect is the son of L Bar Essential and goes back to L Bar Automatic on the cow side. He was the overall performer in the offering.

Volume buyers included: Alamo Ranch, NM -15, Lykes Brothers, FL – 14; The Wedgeworth Family, TX – 12, A. Duda and Sons, FL – 9. Other volume buyers included Wingate Ranch – TX, Philip Henigan – TX, Jones Ranch – TX and Matt Rudnianyn – FL.

The sale was dedicated to the company founders, Laurie and Annette Lasater, who are retiring after 50 years of incredibly innovative leadership and service.

Current Isa president, Lorenzo Lasater, represents the 3rd generation of the family dedicated to breeding performance Beefmaster genetics. The breed was founded by Lorenzo’s grandfather, Tom Lasater, in 1937.

According to Lorenzo, “This set of bulls represents nearly 80 years of consistent, balanced selection for economically viable cattle. These bulls will produce excellent feeder calves and replacement heifers in any environment, but especially the tougher ones. With more pounds at weaning, lower input costs and the best mother-cow on the planet, Beefmasters can’t be beat.”

The Lasater family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone in attendance, especially the many repeat customers, including several second generation buyers. We are already working hard to bring you our 54th set of Beefmaster bulls on October 3, 2015.

The 2014 Annual BBU Convention promises to be a standout Educational event for Beefmaster Breeders. Two days-worth of useful information that can be taken home and applied to every member’s home operation are well worth the Convention Registration fee.

Thursday afternoon October 30 will kick off with Zoetis Animal Genetics who is sponsoring and will lead a workshop titled “Genomics in the Seedstock Sector”. Genomics is rapidly becoming the most important field in animal agriculture and it is creating the most accurate genetic selection tools known to man. DNA technology is not just for parentage anymore. Learn about the exciting, rapidly advancing world of Genomics. Attending this session will prepare you for the future of Beefmaster performance selection.

Emerging Selection Technologies will be the topic for Dr. Matt Spangler of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Dr. Spangler is regarded as one of the leading Animal Breeders in the world and is serving as BBU’s Consulting Geneticist where he is assisting in the development of Beefmaster selection indices, the latest, most accurate and comprehensive addition to EPD selection tools. Dr. Spangler is a guiding force for the Beefmaster breed as he helps BBU bridge the gap from traditional quantitative EPD’s over to Genomic Enhanced EPD’s.

The final workshop for Thursday will be Using Multi Media to Market Seedstock. Jeralyn Stephens BBU Communications Director and Matt Woolfolk, BBU Field Representative will lead this interesting discussion and have live, real time examples of effective uses for websites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. A key emphasis point will be incorporating video into your marketing plans.

Halloween morning will kick off with Dr. Robert Wells of the Noble Foundation, Ardmore OK as he discusses “Utilizing Heterosis, Crossbreeding with Beefmasters”. One of the key demand drivers for Beefmaster bulls has been their use by commercial cattlemen on commercial Angus influenced females. Dr. Wells and the Noble Foundation have instituted a large scale, planned crossbreeding and marketing program for their Clients in OK and TX. Learning how progressive breeding and marketing programs such as the Integrity Program works gives valuable insight into the future of crossbreeding and how Beefmaster breeders can position their programs for success.

In keeping with the theme of Beefmaster Heterosis, Travis Brown, Cattle Manager of Lykes Bros. Inc. of Okeechobee FL will be discussing how this this top flight commercial operation capitalizes on Maternal Heterosis, which is enabled by Beefmaster bulls. A perennial Cattle-Fax Top 25 Commercial Herd, Lykes Bros. sets the standard for production and efficiency in cow calf production. After hearing how and why Lykes Bros. use Beefmaster genetics, you will be able to more effectively promote your herd to commercial cattlemen.

Halloween morning will conclude with a rapid fire panel discussion including all of the presenters from both Thursday and Friday. All topics are fair game and as everyone knows, panel discussions are the most entertaining and interesting way to quiz program presenters and engage them in discussion. This is a talented group on industry experts that can offer very sound advice for improving your program.

– Website Hits Going Great Across the Globe

By M. Doyle Sanders, BBU International Committee Co-Chairman

When Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) updated the www.beefmasters.org website a few years ago, one of the features that was included allowed for monitoring the performance of the website from interested internet readers who access the site.  By early 2013, BBU had received queries from over 100 countries around the world.  For this reason, the BBU International Committee launched a market study to assure proper focus on target countries and markets to benefit from the Beefmaster breed.  The results of that study have confirmed the importance of our existing markets but also highlighted other areas that could be lucrative to BBU.

By mid- 2014, the website attention has achieved very powerful results.  This is attributed to the RFD-TV documentary features on Beefmasters, the BBU public relations and media support, and our BBU advertising efforts.  The Beefmaster benefits to the beef industry is also providing a very powerful message when beef professionals seek improvement in beef quality and efficiency with strong heterosis.

Using annual rates for 2012-2014 ending each July, the BBU website has grown in hits -just in the USA- going from 6370 in 2012, to 59,258 in 2013, and 74,830 in 2014.  As expected due to market share of the Beefmaster breed in the countries of Mexico and South Africa, these respectively provide the second and third largest number of hits around the world.

After USA, Mexico and South Africa, the number of hits on the BBU website are growing annually with highest rankings in order from Poland, Colombia, Canada, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Thailand.  Most recent trends reflect the growth of Beefmaster Breeder Associations in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Thailand.

Today, Australia is growing in interest and several European countries are expressing repeated interest in the Beefmaster breed.  These European countries include United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Turkey, with Poland and the Balkans in that mix.  Countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Nigeria, and Morocco are also interested due to the acceptance in South Africa.  The work in Thailand has led to interest in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and India.

This interest across the internet worldwide will continue to influence the growth and acceptance of the Beefmaster breed as the Best of Both Worlds – Worldwide.

By: Matt Woolfolk, Field Representative & Commercial Marketing Director

Although I’ve only been working for Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) for a few weeks, I’ve already been able to meet and visit with quite a few breeders. For those I haven’t had the chance to meet yet, consider this note my informal introduction.

I was raised on my family’s registered and commercial Hereford operation in Jackson, Tenn. We run about 175 mature cows, as well as approximately 30 acres of hay and 200 acres of crop land. Every spring I would select a couple heifers from our program and show them in state and national Hereford shows. I was fortunate to serve a three year term on the National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) board of directors, including a one-year term as Chairman.  It was my time serving the NJHA that helped me realize how much I enjoyed working with cattle people. I’ve yet to find a group of people that are more dedicated and passionate about their way of life than cattlemen. I knew being a part of the cattle community was how I wanted to spend my professional life, and I am fortunate that BBU has given me to opportunity to join the Beefmaster family. I’ve been blown away by how openly I have been received by everyone I have met so far!

When I was in San Antonio after accepting the position with BBU, Kathy Pendergrass asked me if I had any hobbies. I had to think a little to come up with something besides cattle (I do enjoy SEC football and baseball seasons), but the cattle business really is my favorite pastime. Reading the newest cattle magazine or sale catalog was my way to relax going through graduate school. The chance to travel the country visiting with Beefmaster breeders, touring their operations and attending sales every weekend is an opportunity to do something I love while trying to make a positive contribution to the Beefmaster community.

Whenever I am in your area, I would love to set up a time for any BBU services you may need, especially classification and herd visits. I encourage you to coordinate with breeders near you and set up visits at the same time. It helps me make the most of my travel time, as well as allows you to share the service fees with another breeder. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be attending the following sales:

September 19-20 – Arkansas BBA Sale, Conway, AR

September 26-27 – Live Oak BBA Sale, Three Rivers, TX

October 3-4 – Painted Springs Beefmasters, Thompson’s Station, TN

I have dates set aside to visit area breeders before or after each of these sales, but slots are filling up quickly!  Give me a call at 210-464-0923 to schedule your visit, or if you just want to talk cows (or SEC football).  I can also be reached via email at mwoolfolk@beefmasters.org.  I’m looking forward to formally meeting each of you real soon!

– Matt Woolfolk

The Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association (JBBA) A.I. program will be changing its format this coming fall. In the past we have relied on donations of semen from breeders across the country for our junior members. This fall we are asking breeders to nominate their top bulls to the JBBA A.I. program. Breeders will pay a nomination fee of $150 and fill out a form and return both back to the JBBA office. The JBBA office will then put a list of bulls that have been nominated with breeders contact information and pedigree and performance information together. JBBA members will in return contact the breeders/sales consultants/ranch manager to purchase semen from them on their bull(s) at a set price of $15 per straw. Paper work for nominating bulls will become available in October. We appreciate all of the breeders that have donated semen to our junior program. If you have any questions on how the new JBBA A.I. program will work please feel free to contact Allison Wells at amw4412@aol.com or at 979-251-0325.