Blog

Brenham, Texas

2-27-2021

• 18 Bulls $101,660 Avg $5644
• 7 pair $24,350 Avg $3478
• 12 Bred $83,350 Avg $6945
• 22 Open $115,150 Avg $5234
• 1 Open with Embryos $8100
• 60 Total Lots $332,550 Avg $5543

Top Bulls

• Lot 45- Sire, WPR’s Empire, consigned by Wallen Prairie Ranch, Lockwood, MO;  Sold to Farm and Ranch, San Isidro, TX for $15,000.
• Lot 57- Sire, WPR’s Chick Magnet, consigned by RTR Bo Johnson, Neosho, MO; Sold to Russell Simpson, Mo for $14,500.
• Lot 55- Sire, Red Bull, consigned by 7C Anderson Cattle Co, Victoria, TX:  Sold to Luciano Martinez, Mexico for $12,000.
• Lot 44- Sire, L2 Crimson, consigned by L2 Ranch, Beeville, Tx ; Sold to Noel Ramirez, Mexico for $8,250.
• Lot 48- Sire, Cain 613A, consigned by Roger Holden, Springfield, Mo; Sold to Hillside Farm, Hamilton, MS for $7250.

Top Females

• Lot 61- Open, sire, CF Riptide, consigned by Collier Farms, Brenham, TX;  Sold to Jeffrey Sanchez, Rio Grande City, TX for $30,000.
• Lot 23- Bred to CF Bravado, consigned by Tyler Gwosdz, Orange Grove, TX;  Sold to Anderson and Britten, Amarillo, TX for $20,000.
• Lot 29- Bred to CF Bravado, consigned by Tyler Gwosdz, Orange Grove, TX;  Sold to Jim Colvin, Seguin, TX for $13,000.
• Lot 33- Bred to SWB Peterbuilt, consigned by Swinging B Ranch, Axtell, TX;  Sold to Anderson and Britten, Amarillo, TX for $13,000.
• Lot 5-  Open, Sire CHRK First Class, consigned by Rick Seeker, Brenham, TX;  Sold to Southern Grace Beefmasters, East Dublin, Ga for $9000.

Volume Buyers-  Anderson and Britten, Amarillo, TX; Jeffrey Sanchez, Rio Grande City, TX;

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

Co Sale Manager-  3G Cattle Sales and Consultation, Franklin, GA

Stephen F. Austin State University will be hosting an artificial insemination clinic on two different days this Spring.

Clinic I – April 29

Clinic II – May 6

Cost $500 (non-refundable)

Click here to learn more >

The Southern Beef Performance Center is located in Williston, FL. Their mission is to promote the seedstock cattle industry by feeding and testing cattle to isolate top performing, efficient genetics. By testing genetic lines for efficiency, seedstock producers can provide data to back their bulls. In an industry measured in pounds of product, there’s little room for uncertainty with genetics. Take the guess work out of how your calf crop will perform and help your bottom dollar.

At the SBPC they have the capability to test 280 head per year, having four regularly scheduled tests a year. Their pens are 150’ x 100’. Each pen can hold up to 35 head, giving each head 425ft² of space & plenty of shade. Their test will be a 70 day gain test with a 21 day diet adaptation period and a cool down period. SBPC has a roughage-based ration that is developed by their nutritionist. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Be sure your herd’s genetics are on the cutting edge of the seedstock industry.

Costs:

I. The total all-inclusive fee for the full 133 days is $800 per bull.
• Includes: feed costs, entry vaccinations, tagging, yardage, weighing, carcass ultrasound, yearling measurements, Smart Feed efficiency data & progress reports.
II. A non-refundable entry fee of $100 per head is due by May 1, 2021 with entry forms.
• No charges will be due when receiving cattle.
• There will be four (4) installments of $175 per bull that will be billed at the end of each month.
III. Veterinary expenses will be charged as occurring.

Health Requirements Prior to Unloading:

I. Veterinarian or vet supplier approved & documented vaccinations for:
• Pasteurella within 30 days of delivery date
• Blackleg – 2 rounds prior to weaning
Preferably Vision 8 with spur
• Vibrio/Lepto/Respiratory – 2 rounds
Preferably Bovi-shield Gold 5
II. Must be weaned 45 days prior to unloading.
III. Two rounds of vaccinations with at least one of those rounds using a modified live vaccine.
IV. Horns must be smaller than 5” or dehorned prior to arrival

Feed Ration
The roughage-based ration is designed to optimize feed intake. The target weight gain throughout the test is 3-3.5lbs/day/head. The ration will be fed ad-libitum according to our nutritionist.

Eligible Birth Dates to Enter Summer 2021 Test
August 2020 – November 2020

Summer 2021 Testing Schedule
Receive Cattle: 6/7/2021
Start Feed Efficiency Test: 7/13/2021
End Feed Efficiency Test: 9/21/2021
End Test: 10/15/2021

More Information Contact: Colson Cannon
(352) 345-3716 – cannoncolson@gmail.com

Mailing Address:
19001 Raintree Dr., Brooksville, FL 34601

Test Address:
14451 NE 20th St., Williston, FL 32696

Click Here To Download Test Entry Form

BOERNE, Texas – Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) and DBL D BAR Beefmaster Ranch, Industry/New Ulm, Texas have successfully delivered 67 Beefmaster embryos to Kafkas University in Kars, Turkey. The embryos will be used to develop the foundation Turkish Beefmaster herd for crossbreeding with other native cattle such as; European Limousin, Charolais, Simmental and various breeds of dairy cattle. After four years of dedicated assistance from the Ankara Office of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the U.S. Embassy Agricultural Attaché, this project is now in full operation.

On Monday, January 18 the delivery was confirmed by Sinem Duyum, Agricultural Specialist in the Office of Agricultural Affairs at the U.S Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

“The Beefmaster embryos have just arrived in Istanbul and the shipment was successfully cleared from the Istanbul Airport custom,” said Duyum.

The Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MinFAL) granted final import permit approval under European Union (EU) regulations. This will allow a new Beefmaster project to proceed under the guidance of Dr. Yavuz Ozturkler, Veterinary & Animal Science Department Professor at Kafkas University in the Kars Province of Eastern Turkey.

“I would like to express my sincere special gratitude to Mr. Doyle Sanders and the BBU organization for providing a valuable grant to our university of these embryos,” said Öztürkler.

Marketing and education of the Beefmaster breed to Turkish agricultural leaders first started in 2016. The United States Livestock Genetics Export (USLGE) assisted BBU in funding articles and presentations to educate the Turkish beef industry on American beef genetics. This included focus missions to Texas for senior MinFAL officials and key veterinary geneticists. These missions included a delegation to the Texas A&M University Beef Cattle Short Course, visits to feedlots, packing plants and genetic collection centers in Texas. Other European Beefmaster breeders helped with field days near Rome, Italy to display Beefmaster cattle to key Turkish cattlemen, while discussing potential Beefmaster benefits for Turkey. Dr. Robert Wells, Noble Research Institute; and Dr. Joe Paschal, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension also assisted in educating the Turkish cattlemen.

In 2018, the Turkish Red Meat Producers Association board of directors recommended that Beefmaster become the Turkey national beef cattle breed. The membership, along with the Turkish Minister of Agriculture, accepted this recommendation for the industry’s future with Beefmaster cattle. Kafkas University agreed to manage the project of establishing the foundation herd in Kars. As the Beefmaster herd develops, their genetics will become distributed to other parts of Turkey to demonstrate adaptability to severely harsh environments and to educate Turkish farmers on the expected benefits of the Beefmaster breed in Turkey’s agricultural atmosphere. USDA FAS Ankara will monitor and report project progress.

While this project progresses in Turkey, DBL D BAR Beefmaster Ranch and BBU will continue to support these Turkish agricultural leaders, cattlemen and the surrounding regions of Europe and Asia.

“We look forward to seeing Beefmaster calves on the ground in Turkey by the end of 2021,” said Sanders.

Special thanks to Dr. Anne Bea Kulp, Kulp Genetics in Manheim, Penn., who supervised the collection and processing of these EU qualified embryos at OvaGenix and completed the documentation for export. The genetics import firm of Anadolu Hayvancilik in Istanbul coordinated with the Turkish MinFAL and managed the tank import procedures through final customs clearance and delivery to Kafkas University. Sinem Duyum helped clear the hurdles for final customs acceptance, which officially allowed Beefmaster genetics to make their debut in Turkey.

For more information about Beefmaster Breeders United and its international program please contact the BBU office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org/international.

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Beefmaster Breeders United (www.beefmasters.org), located in Boerne, Texas, 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.

By: Lance Bauer, Director of Breed Improvement

2020 was a year to remember, or forget, if you would like. Items like toilet paper and meat disappeared from store shelves amid the COVID 19 pandemic. People learned to work from home, and most learned how to use Zoom for teleconference meetings, albeit some are better at it than others. Personally, I am excited that we are in a new year and hopefully we will be able to slowly get back to normal in 2021. One thing that 2020 did show us is how strong and resilient the cattle industry is. Producers kept producing through tough times and sales brought us together during the year. I hope everyone keeps a positive outlook and sets goals for this new year. When making your resolution to go to the gym, or to get organized and drink less; don’t forget your cattle operation. Make sure that you are planning for the year and trying to make this your best year in the cattle industry. I encourage you to make goals to keep better and/or more records, while also using everything you measured to improve your herd.

This year when you are weaning calves try to collect mature cow weights and body condition scores, as well as the weaning weights of the calves. A mature cow weight with a body condition score will allow the breed to develop a mature cow weight EPD, which will strengthen our maternal index ($M). Mature cow weight is part of cow efficiency and sustainability. It is a measure that other breeds have been using for a while. We are the premier maternal breed in the industry, and we need to do everything we can to continue to prove it. Commercial producers use Beefmaster bulls to produce replacement females, so it is the job of seedstock producers to do everything they can to produce what the buyer needs.

Also, when planning for this new year it is a good idea to make sure you keep up with the latest news and advancements from across the beef cattle industry. Sign up for daily newsletters that cover the beef industry and start your day off with this information. Hopefully this year we will be able to have more conventions and field days that people can attend and learn in person. In 2020, there were various webinars presented to all who wanted to attend, and they were packed with great information. The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) posts facts and information on Facebook every Wednesday that is educational and at the front end of the industry. Keeping up with the industry is important, so that you can make the best decisions possible.

2020 has ended and I am glad to see it go, it was a crazy year, but we persevered and made it through. The cattle industry is resilient and will continue to provide high quality protein to consumers for years to come. I hope that everyone has a great start to 2021 and will make some new year resolutions for your cattle, as well as for yourself. I encourage you to always strive to make your cattle better and keep yourself educated on the happenings in the industry. Our job is to produce cattle for the commercial cattle producer, so that they can produce the best beef possible. Let’s keep pushing forward as a breed and keep making the best momma cow in the industry better, as well as keep ourselves up to date on industry happenings. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year.

Third-generation Florida ranch builds better cows with Beefmaster genetics

Story and photos by Laura Conaway

A Beefmaster believer, Walton Cowart needs no convincing.

The third-generation cattleman, near Bunnell, Fla., has seen breed trends come and go; even tried a few himself. Now, with five years of Beefmaster bulls under his belt, he’s found the breed to keep.

The soft-spoken rancher isn’t one to push his opinion on another, though. In a room of opportunity, by choice his voice won’t carry.

“I think riding out here, looking at them says a lot more than I can say,” Cowart says, placing the burden of proof on the cows that graze his land. “Take a look and you’ll see what they [Beefmasters] can do in a cowherd.”

A June afternoon spent doing so reveals the rancher’s modest nature. In the house he designed by hand, overlooking the land he’s managed well, he prefers his successes show off without him.

Under a canopy of oaks, where crickets and cicadas sing their song, you’ll find Cowart’s cows. Roaming 1,700 acres of pastureland, timberland and swampland, to scan the scene is to get a snapshot of native Florida, untouched. It’s just about 25 miles from some of the world’s most famous beaches, yet the cows pay no mind to that, content to graze the blankets of white clover and breathe in the ocean breeze.

“We’ll have mild winters, then cold winters, dry springs and wet summers,” Cowart explains, “but one thing that’s always consistent is the heat and the humidity through the mid-summer, into the fall.”

And if rain so happens to pour, the grass will surely grow.

It’s nice to have good Beefmaster cows to graze it when it does, Cowart’s brother, David, adds.

The men were born into the business their grandfather dreamed into fruition. Their father kick-started their passion by gifting each child their very own heifer calf to start a herd. Decades past, no matter the pressures of regulations or urbanization, the Cowarts have long set their sights on seeing more dreams come alive on that coveted land. Perhaps through the watchful eyes of grandsons already on the ground.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been a bed of roses,” David says. “Ranching teaches you there’s going to be highs and lows, but you’ve just got to maintain and do the best you can. You’ll make it through.”

Because when the dust settles, despite the ebbs and flows that seem to be the only constant of the modern cattle producer, it’s cattle, like the commercial pairs that roam the Cowart Ranch, that remain the steady pulse of operations near and far.

“It’s always important to have a good, dependable cow around,” Walton says. The good, dependable ones are the ones that are going to make you money in the long run, despite the market situation.

“If they’ll consistently reproduce and have a good calf every year, that’s the name of the game right there. These Beefmaster cows are doing that for us.”

The Cowart’s journey to the complementary breed wasn’t always so defined, though. In 2015 they were looking to increase mothering capabilities by adding outside genetics to their closed herd of Angus and Brangus cows.

“We wanted to improve our females,” Cowart says. “We had good cattle but felt like, if we’re going to stay in this business, then we needed to make our females even better.”

While taking stock of some older cows on the ranch, the brothers noted some 18- and 19-year-old cows that were offspring of Beefmaster bulls used in the 80s. With longevity and fertility topping their list, they headed to Savannah, Tenn., and drove south with two Beefmaster bulls in tow.

“We put those bulls on an isolated herd, and at weaning time the following year, the calves weighed heavier than all the rest,” David says.

Almost 50 lbs. heavier to be exact, Walton recounts.

“We sold our first crop of Beefmaster calves in 2016 and they were the heaviest set of calves that we had weaned, ever,” he says.

Thick, growthy calves at weaning became custom from that point forward. Feedlots kept coming back for more steer calves, while their heifer mates fit seamlessly into the Florida herd as replacements.

“We’ve had what we felt like were good cows all along,” Walton says, “but I firmly believe that if you don’t buy bulls that are better than what cows you’ve got, then you’re not making any improvements at that point.”

Beefmasters have made all the difference.

“They’re just good momma cows when you get right down to it,” Walton says. His comment doesn’t come off as surprised, rather, he’s still taken aback by what Beefmasters bring to the table all these years later.

The goal is to have something to either take to market or put back into the herd. A cow that raises good calves that wean heavy; one that’ll breed back every year.

A cow you can depend on is money in your pocket. A cow you can build on, like the Beefmaster, is a guaranteed pay day.

“If you’re going to stay in this business, you want the very best that does the best for you,” David says.

Honing in on adaptability and the maternal traits synonymous with the breed, the ranchers seem satisfied with the choices they’ve made as their proof grazes the morning dew.

Nestled along the tree line of towering Pines, a young calf rests near a patch of overgrown palmettos, cool and just out of reach. Riding through the herd, looking at cows with hearty calves by their side, that’s the life the Cowarts have known since birth, the passion shared by many just like them.

“It puts a smile on my face to see that we are making progress and we have a goal for the future,” David says.

He looks out at those Beefmaster females, young and thriving. “As long as we’re going forward and not encountering setbacks, then I feel like we’re achieving something.”

The 2021-2022 Live Oak BBA Bull Development Program to be conducted at: LANDAIR, INC., 2050 Brown Ranch Lane – Beeville, Texas  78102

It is highly recommended that anyone planning to consign bulls to the 2022 LOBBA Bull Sale participate in this program.

Mission:   Provide a bull development program for LOBBA members.

Will include the following:

• grow and condition yearling Beemaster bulls on a silage based ration
• record average daily rate of gain (100-120 days test)
• obtain weight per day of age
• collect scan data and scrotal measurement
• collect yearling weights
• maintain growing period through summer months
• conditioning and preparation for LOBBA Bull Sale 2022 -acquire rate of gain during conditioning period
• present a uniform, quality set of bulls to meet customer demand

Bull eligibility:  Ages September 15, 2019 through April 30, 2020

(Fall group: 9-15-19 through 12-31-2019;  Spring group: 1-1-20 through 4-30-20)

Requirements:

• Current LOBBA membership
• LOBBA entry nomination fee of $50.00 per bull will be included on first Landair, Inc. billing statement
• Signed contract/agreement with Landair, Inc.

When arriving at LANDAIR (Brown Ranch):

• Copy of BBU registration certificate
• Legible, permanent holding brand and ID (brand or tattoo) . All ear tags will be removed at arrival and replaced with LOBBA tag and an EID tag.
• Suggested health vaccination and protocol (see LANDAIR contract)

1. Modified Live (ML) viral vaccine such as Pyramid 5
2. 7 or 8 way blackleg
3. Deworm
4. Pasturella vaccine
5. Weaned minimum of 45 days

• All bulls will be given a booster vaccine on arrival (Pyramid 5) at consignors expense – approximately $3.00

Arrival Time/Dates

• Bulls may begin arriving at Landair after December 15, 2020
• All bulls must be in place by January 25, 2021

Contact at Landair, Inc.:  Must contact Austin Brown III prior to delivery of your bulls for entry to the property.  His number is 361-597-0373.  Entry gates are locked for security.  Visitors are welcome with proper notification.

Additional Information

• Gain test will start February 1, 2021 for a 120 day feeding period.
• First evaluation of bulls at conclusion of gain test – last week of May, 2021
• Scan data, yearling weights and scrotal measurements will be done at appropriate times for Fall and Spring groups.
• Fall bulls that have not been scanned prior to arrival at Landair, Inc. will be scanned on  January 29, 2020 to fit within the 500 day requirement.  Spring bulls will be scanned April 6, 2021.
• Bulls will be maintained at a growing rate of gain through the summer.
• A second evaluation of the bulls will occur prior to the finishing, conditioning segment of the program.
• Conditioning phase will be September through January.  Gain will be recorded.
• Bulls will be tagged, clipped, videoed and tested at the end of November or the first week of December.
• Hauling, fitting, testing will be done at consignors’ expense at a group rate.

For information & nomination contact:

• Melvin Scherer, Jr.: 361-877-2577  melvinscherer@yahoo.com
• Anthony Mihalski: 210-415-0888  aj1mihalski@aol.com

Bull delivery at LANDAIR (Brown Ranch): Austin Brown III

361-597-0373

361-358-6161

aebrown70@gmail.com

DOWNLOAD Bull Feeding Contract 2021

SFA Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce that they will host a Spring Bull Development Program. The bull development program is scheduled to begin January 2021. Reserve your spot today. Bulls will be charged $0.90/d for yardage + feed costs. Bulls will be fed from January 15 through November 30. Additional details in the attached packet here.

There is still time to deliver your heifers also. Producers needing to deliver cattle at an earlier date may do so by contacting farm manager Cobey Hendry.

For more information contact Cobey Hendry (985) 514-3516  or Dr. Erin Brown (936) 468-4433.