2 www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATIONNOT FOR HUMAN USE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. This product contains material that can be irritating to skin and eyes. Animals intended for human consumption must not be slaughtered within 38 days of treatment. This product is not approved for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, including dry dairy cows. Use in these cattle may cause drug residues in milk and/or in calves born to these cows. A withdrawal period has not been established in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Do not use in animals that have shown hypersensitivity to � orfenicol or � unixin. Not for use in animals intended for breeding purposes. The effects of � orfenicol and � unixin on bovine reproductive performance, pregnancy, and lactation have not been determined. When administered according to the label directions, RESFLOR GOLD may induce a transient local reaction in the subcutaneous and underlying muscle tissue. Brief summary available on adjacent page.merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767Copyright © 2016 Intervet Inc., doing business as Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.55154-1 7/16 BV-RG-53719

Consumers count on the care you provide to make sure that your

animals are healthy and comfortable. And when an animal does get sick,

Res� or Gold® (� orfenicol and � unixin meglumine) helps you do both of

those things. Res� or Gold effectively targets the most common causes

of BRD – and it provides relief from the fever that comes along with it.

High-quality food starts with the right care. Visit ResflorGold.com/HighPlainsJrnl to learn more.

Young people who use Angus genetics in their commer-cial cattle breeding program or whose parents use Angus genetics are eligible for one of three $1,000 Allied Angus Breeders scholarships from the Angus Foundation. Empha-sis is placed on applicants’ knowledge of the cattle industry

and their perspective of the Angus breed.“Providing outstanding young people with scholarship

dollars toward their higher educations is one of the key tenets of the Angus Foundation mission,” said Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “There are so many young people in the commercial beef cattle industry who are connected to Angus genetics, it just makes sense for the Angus Foundation to support their continued involve-ment in the industry.”

Scholarship applications are available online at www.angusfoundation.org, and are due May 1. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or enrolled at a junior college, four-year college/university or other accredited institution and have a minimum 2.0 grade-point average. Recipients are announced in July.

Applicants or their parents/guardians must currently be a member of the American Angus Association or have an affiliate member code and the applicant or their par-ent/guardian must have transferred or been transferred an Angus registration paper in the last 36 months (on or after May 1, 2014). The scholarship is applicable to any field of study. (Applicants having received or applied for Angus Foundation undergraduate scholarships using our standard general application this year or in past years will not be considered for this scholarship.)

In 2016, the Angus Foundation awarded more than $212,000 in undergraduate and graduate student scholar-ships to more than 50 students.

For more information, contact Jenkins at 816-383-5100 or mjenkins@angusfoundation.org. u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 3D

PRODUCT INFORMATION

NADA 141-299, Approved by FDA.

(Florfenicol and Flunixin Meglumine)

Antimicrobial/Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug

For subcutaneous use in beef and non-lactating

dairy cattle only. Not for use in female dairy

cattle 20 months of age or older or in calves to

be processed for veal.

BRIEF SUMMARY: For full prescribing information, see

package insert.

INDICATION: RESFLOR GOLD® is indicated for

treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated

with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida,

Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis, and control of

BRD-associated pyrexia in beef and non-lactating dairy

cattle.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Do not use in animals that

have shown hypersensitivity to florfenicol or flunixin.

WARNINGS: NOT FOR HUMAN USE. KEEP OUT

OF REACH OF CHILDREN. This product contains

material that can be irritating to skin and eyes. Avoid

direct contact with skin, eyes, and clothing. In case

of accidental eye exposure, flush with water for 15

minutes. In case of accidental skin exposure, wash

with soap and water. Remove contaminated clothing.

Consult a physician if irritation persists. Accidental

injection of this product may cause local irritation.

Consult a physician immediately. The Material

Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) contains more detailed

occupational safety information.

For customer service or to obtain a copy of the MSDS,

call 1-800-211-3573. For technical assistance or to report

suspected adverse reactions, call 1-800-219-9286.

Not for use in animals intended for breeding purposes.

The effects of florfenicol on bovine reproductive

performance, pregnancy, and lactation have not been

determined. Toxicity studies in dogs, rats, and mice

have associated the use of florfenicol with testicular

degeneration and atrophy. NSAIDs are known to have

potential effects on both parturition and the estrous

cycle. There may be a delay in the onset of estrus if

flunixin is administered during the prostaglandin phase

of the estrous cycle. The effects of flunixin on imminent

parturition have not been evaluated in a controlled

study. NSAIDs are known to have the potential to delay

parturition through a tocolytic effect.

RESFLOR GOLD®, when administered as directed,

may induce a transient reaction at the site of injection

and underlying tissues that may result in trim loss of

edible tissue at slaughter.

RESIDUE WARNINGS: Animals intended

for human consumption must not be

slaughtered within 38 days of treatment.

Do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months

of age or older. Use of florfenicol in this

class of cattle may cause milk residues. A

withdrawal period has not been established

in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in

calves to be processed for veal.

ADVERSE REACTIONS: Transient inappetence,

diarrhea, decreased water consumption, and injection

site swelling have been associated with the use of

florfenicol in cattle. In addition, anaphylaxis and

collapse have been reported post-approval with the

use of another formulation of florfenicol in cattle.

In cattle, rare instances of anaphylactic-like reactions,

some of which have been fatal, have been reported,

primarily following intravenous use of flunixin

meglumine.

Made in Germany

Intervet Inc. Roseland, NJ 07068

©2009, Intervet Inc. All Rights Reserved.

May 2009 US 3448_IV

Scholarships available to allied users of Angus geneticsEDUCATION | Applications now available for three undergraduate stipends, available through the Angus Foundation

By Sarah Hill, Angus Media

Multi-trait selection is not a new concept to the beef cattle industry, but with continued innovation of technolo-gies, cattle producers have an abundance of information to sort through when selecting cattle for their operations.

For years, Angus producer Bill Rishel has used lots of data points to select cattle for his program. The addition of genomic information, however, has allowed for even more precise selection.

According to the American Angus Association, genomic-enhanced EPDs are important because they add genomic test results in addition to pedigree, performance and prog-eny data for increased reliability. Depending on the trait, genetically enhanced EPDs on unproven bulls have the same accuracy as if they already have sired seven to 24 calves.

University of Illinois animal science professor Dan Shike said the genomic addition to the EPDs improves the data in areas that are harder to measure until later in life.

Rishel, whose ranch is south of North Platte, Nebraska, looks for as many optimal traits to fit the economic needs of his customers as possible when selecting a herd sire for his operation. Each cow is mated using varying decisions to make a complementary mating. In other words, he finds a bull that will help improve the deficiencies a cow may possess.

“We want to optimize the most traits and achieve uni-formity and consistency in our calves,” Rishel said. “That consistency hopefully leads to a more uniform calf crop for our customers whether they market pounds at wean-ing or retain ownership and need consistent carcass merit at harvest. This is always challenging with the number of traits involved and the amount of data we need to consider in our decision making.”

Shike said selecting a bull to use is not easy. “With so many tools available, producers need to know how to use all of them. Even if they are a commercial producer buying a bull, at the very least they must know how to read EPDs and know what they want in their herd. Fortunately, the genetic progress in the Angus breed is excellent.”

Bull Sale - Thursday, March 2, 2017 • 12:30 PM MSTAt the JMB Angus Ranch - 9 miles southeast of Sharon Springs, KS

Angus Sires: JMB Traction, Sitz Top Game, Sitz Ready Money, KM Broken Bow, Connealy Black Granite,

Payweight 1682, CCA Emblazon 702, E&B Cahoots, EXAR Consensus

JMB Angus

Joel Bunker & Mary Myers

Sharon Springs, KS

785-852-4229 • jmbangus.com

JMB Angus Rains Simmental

• 55 Angus Bulls • 10 Elite Angus Heifers

Rains SimmentalMike & Celeste Rains

Oakley, KS

785-672-0010

JMB Traction 292

Simmental Sires: Mr NLC Upgrade,Beef King, Allegiance, Longevity,

Sweet Answer (Sweet Meat/Final Answer son)

• 35 Simmental/SimAngus Bulls• 20 Simmental/SimAngus Heifers

Upgrade

4D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

Many tools used for bull selection Story and photos by Jennifer Carrico

See Bull selection 10D

Bill Rishel, of Rishel Angus, south of North Platte, Nebraska, believes in using as many tools as possible when selecting bulls to use in his herd and to sell to his customers. His cattle must perform on paper and be functional in the pasture and the feedlot. (Journal photos by Jennifer Carrico.)

There’s always something more to do.After the holidays, things will slow down. Nah,

maybe after calving, branding and breeding. But then summer comes and there’s all that hay to make when the sun is shining, fences to build and cedars to eliminate (or insert your own region-specific fair-weather task).

It can be easy to review the mental project list and get discouraged, to feel like you can barely keep up.

The rat race is real, even on the ranch.Sometimes you have to take a wider view to see the

progress you’ve made. That old shed wears new tin or your grazing system now allows for 20 percent more cows on the same ground.

Beyond just your gate, there are many calling for change. This beef business needs to get more coordinated and better able to address consumer demands. We need to use fewer resources and bet-ter document the many improvements we’ve made.

I bet you’ve heard, “We need to tell our story,” a time a two.

Yes, yes and yes. Those are goals worthy of time and energy.

But I’m not going to try to add more to your to-do list—at least not today.

Cattlemen and women everywhere have done good work. Darn good. Survey the past few decades and you’ll see.

You might even laugh to think of some of the chal-lenges that used to be.

This past summer, Robbi Pritchard, a South Dakota State University animal scientist, told a meeting room full of cattle feeders that ranch-level improvements have made their jobs easier.

“Calving seasons are getting tighter. Calves are healthier,” he said. “We no longer need (back-grounding) time to get the skeleton to grow, we no longer need time for things to average out like we used to when management wasn’t nearly as good. Time solved a lot of problems with cows. With quality-managed cattle today, we don’t have to fiddle around with that time. We just have to be able to manage what we have to its best advantage.”

You’ve been listening and making decisions and improvements, and people are noticing.

A quick look at quality grade trends shows the same sort of upward momentum.

In 2006, just 51 percent of the fed cattle graded Choice, and less than 2.5 percent Prime. Fast forward a decade and 2016 totals will close some-where around the 70 percent Choice and 5.5 per-cent Prime mark. Along with that, the value spread between yesterday’s level of beef quality and today’s keeps growing, paying you more premiums.

“Consumers have our attention,” Pritchard told the crowd. “We are doing things about quality assurance. We’re doing things about food safety. We’re doing things about animal care and well-being.”

We still need to address the question of the ideal carcass size and dozens of other challenges, but I’ll save them for another day.

Today, I say, thank you for a job well done. u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 5D

The payoff from progress By Miranda Reiman, Certified Angus Beef LLC

The Beef Leaders Institute is a premier leadership experience for American Angus Association mem-bers that provides a look into the entire beef supply chain, while enhancing participant knowledge of the Association and strengthening their leadership skills.

Now in its 10th year, Angus producers between the age of 25 to 45 are invited to apply for the five-day tour hosted June 19 through 23. Applications are due by March 1.

“BLI gives Angus producers an inside look at all aspects of the beef industry,” said Chelsey Smith, association assistant director of events and educa-tion. “We connect producers with feeders, packers, processors, retailers and experts in the fields of genetics, reproduction and industry, so they leave the program with knowledge and information to better their operations.”

Thanks to generous support from the Angus Foundation, BLI offers producers an opportunity to tour all facets of the beef production line. With a trip to the association, tours to feedlots, har-vesting and packing plants and industry leading genomic companies, all the way to Certified Angus Beef LLC in Wooster, Ohio, Angus cattlemen and women receive elite hands-on learning and insight into quality cattle production.

“Events like this are truly priceless,” said Lindsey Grimes, 2016 BLI participant. “They bring every-thing back into perspective; you learn what is truly important, and you get a refresher on everything from the seedstock side to the packer. It makes you recognize and understand the big picture.”

The American Angus Association and CAB will provide transportation, lodging, meals and materi-als for all BLI participants. Attendees are respon-sible for transportation to Kansas City, Missouri (if flying) or Saint Joseph, Missouri, (if driving) on June 18, and their departure from Cleveland, Ohio, on June 23. The association and CAB can assist in planning for specific travel arrangements for the selected BLI participants.

Contact the association’s events and education department at 816-383-5100 for more information. Applications are available online, and you can learn more about the BLI experience at www.angus.org. u

6D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

Carcass Plus Bull Sale

Wednesday, March 1, 2017•1 p.m. - Isabel, KS

• Poland Angus Ranch

• CB Farms

Sires represented: EF Complement, Quaker Hill Rampage, Sedgwicks Outlaw, VAR Discovery, KCF Bennett Fortress,

EXAR Resistol, Baldridge Waylon, Poss Total Impact.

Poland Angus Ranch Richard Poland

(620) 739-4587- home (620) 886-1720 - cell

www.polandangus.com

CB Farms Berry Bortz

(620) 656-4425 - home (620) 546-6077 - cell

www.cbfarms.org

•RepeatBuyerDiscount•VolumeBuyerDiscount•SaleDayPickupDiscount•FreePostSaleBoarding

Performance Tested,

Ultrasound Measured,

Semen Tested. Ready

to go to work for you!

Selling: 75 Angus Bulls 25 Fall Yearling Angus Bulls

50 Spring Yearling Angus Bulls

Beef Leaders Institute reaches 10-year milestoneBLI | Applications now available for leadership experience offered to young Angus breeders

The Beef Leaders Institute has reached a 10-year milestone and applications are now available for the next class. (Courtesy photos.)

By JD Rosman, Angus Media

Beef producers seeking to expand their cowherd should add fertile females with good genetics in order to supply a growing demand for high quality beef.

“We have seen continual improvement in genetics to produce more beef, but an actual increase in cow numbers is needed to be able to keep up with beef demand,” said Rick Funston, University of Nebraska beef cattle reproductive physiologist. “Reproduction is the single most important factor for profitability in beef production.”

Funston said keeping heifers should include some important factors to ensure they are in the herd for an extended amount of time. Be sure to cull daughters of cows that continually need help calving, calve late, fail to wean a calf, have udder problems, wean light weight calves and have attitude problems.

Cull heifers with light weaning weights and large birth

weights. Cull the youngest heifers that are born later in the calving season, as their mothers have had an issue with fertil-ity. However, select daughters of the oldest cows in the herd, as they have stayed in the herd because they are fertile. Select replacement heifers with a good phenotype—depth of rib, chest width, and sound feet and legs.

“The replacement heifers kept for the herd need to be functional and possess the needed char-acteristics to have stayability in the herd,” said Funston.

Producers who choose to develop their own heifers must have an ideal mature weight goal and select heifers with the potential to get to that point. Funston suggests having heifers at 65 percent of their mature weight when they are bred, which increases the likelihood of getting calves on the ground.

Adding weight to heifers after weaning suggests they will

have better conception rates and stay in the herd longer. However, Funston said not to get heifers too fat prior to breeding time. Reproduction is better when heifers are no less than 55 percent of their mature weight at breeding and no more than 65 percent of their mature weight.

Cow longevity is a relatively low heritability trait. There-fore, Funston said heifer development and management strategies have a greater potential to impact cow retention in the breeding herd. Other factors contribute to longevity such as the use of expected progeny differences in selecting for growth, milk and carcass characteristics, he said.

“As long as heifers are at pubertal age, synchronizing heif-ers by feeding MGA didn’t show to bring more heifers into heat if they hadn’t already cycled,” Funston added.

Industry recommendations show heifers have a higher pregnancy rate when bred on their third estrus as opposed to their first estrus. However, this does not mean produc-ers should wait for the third estrus to breed heifers. Heifers should be bred at 13 to 15 months of age.

Caring for heifers after breeding is important for when calving time comes around. Producers should know how much nutrition heifers are receiving and supplement as needed.

“If nutrition following breeding is inadequate, poor reproductive performance may result,” said Funston. “Post breeding nutrition is the key to embryonic survival.”

The time of calving can affect the heifer’s progeny. Earlier calves cycle sooner and have a high-er pregnancy rate. Cows and heifers calving in the first part of the calving season have a higher return.

Funston recommended determining a heifer’s adapt-ability to the herd early on in order to keep the cow herd functional and fertile.

“Heifers need to continue to grow after having their first calf, in order to get them to their mature weight and con-tinue to be part of the herd,” said Funston.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at 515-833-2120 or jcar-rico@hpj.com. u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 7D

Fertility, phenotype important when selecting replacement heifers Story and photos by Jennifer Carrico

Several factors are important when selecting heifers as replacements in the cowherd. (Journal photo by Jennifer Carrico.)

The nation’s cattle producers are answering the call from consumers for high quality beef, as reflected in recently released figures from the American Angus Association.

Registrations for Angus cattle grew by 4.5 percent and totaled 334,607 head in fiscal year 2016, which ended Sept. 30, 2016. That’s the 15th largest number of registrations in the association’s 133-year history.

Also during fiscal year 2016, Angus breeders increased their sale offerings and participation in performance programs, and the Certified Angus Beef brand achieved a major milestone fol-lowing more than a decade of consecutive sales records.

“2016 was another outstanding year for the American Angus Association and its members,” said Allen Moczygem-ba, association CEO. “The past year was a story of growth and unprecedented success for the Angus breed and its leadership position within the beef industry.”

The membership organization reports registered Angus bulls averaged $5,605 per head in fiscal year 2016, from Oct. 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2016. Sales of registered Angus females reported to the association averaged $5,036 per head.

Angus genetics remained highly valued despite almost 10,000 more animals marketed by members vs. the prior year. Average prices in fiscal year 2016 remained 12 percent higher for reg-istered Angus bulls and nearly 40 percent higher for registered Angus females than average prices received in 2014, for example.

“It’s important to keep the cattle market in perspective, following the record-setting prices of 2015,” Moczygemba said. “Angus cattle sales have remained strong despite mar-ket fluctuations. That signals a growing demand for quality genetics, and quality beef, worldwide.”

The association and its four entities experienced growth across all business metrics, and total assets for the organiza-tion reached more than $60 million.

Commitment to progress

Of the nearly 335,000 calves registered with the Associa-tion in fiscal year 2016, more than 53 percent were produced by artificial insemination and embryo transfer calves repre-sented 11 percent of total registrations.

Total females in the MaternalPlus program are up more than 56 percent at 37,895 head enrolled in the association’s inventory-based reporting system designed to capture repro-ductive trait data.

The organization also witnessed an across-the-board increase in weight records submitted in fiscal year 2016, including birth weights, weaning weights and yearling weights. Carcass records are also up 26 percent, year over year.

Performance records and phenotypic data help pave the way for genomic technologies.

At Angus Genetics Inc., genomic profile testing for Angus seedstock increased by 45 percent in fiscal year 2016, and uptake exceeded 100,000 tests annually for the first time. Cattle that have been genomically tested represent about 33 percent of total Angus registrations.

The team of AGI scientists and researchers are also well positioned for the future. With the addition of AGI Genetic Research Director Stephen Miller and AGI Genetic Services Director Kelli Retallick, the organization now has the most talented education, research and customer service team in the beef genetics business, Moczygemba says.

Promoting and growing the breed

A for-profit entity of the American Angus Association, Angus Productions Inc. is home to Angus Media and an exten-sive offering of communications and marketing capabilities. The company posted strong growth in audience engagement in fiscal year 2016, an indicator of thriving interest in registered Angus animals and pertinent news and information.

Digital sale books, produced and hosted by Angus Media, attracted 620,000 users who viewed almost 28 million online pages promoting cattle for sale by Association members—an increase of 65 percent.

Angus Journal and the Angus Beef Bulletin continue to lead the industry for both quality editorial content and advertising value.

The Angus Report celebrated its five-year anniversary on RFD-TV in September 2016 and, during that span, has reached more than 11.5 million viewers nationwide. The 30-minute news program is the only one of its kind to share weekly breed information applicable to the entire beef business.

As the nonprofit arm of the American Angus Associa-tion, the Angus Foundation generates support for the future of Angus education, youth and research.

In fiscal year 2016, the Angus Foundation awarded more than $265,000 in scholarships for Angus youth, and outstand-ing educational and leadership-based programs were hosted for both adults and junior members. These included sessions for both beginners and advanced producers in Cattlemen’s Boot Camps, the Beef Leaders Institute, Leaders Engaged in Angus Development, Raising the Bar and Women Connected confer-ences. In addition, the nonprofit invested in key research con-ducted with industry partners on heat tolerance, product tender-ness, environmental adaptability and reproductive performance.

1 billion, and counting

Perhaps the greatest headline for the Angus breed in fis-cal year 2016 is this: Certified Angus Beef LLC surpasses 1 billion pounds of CAB brand product sold.

The world’s largest branded beef program recorded its first 90-million-pound month in July, only to have sales exceed that mark in both August and September. Fueled by growing demand for quality beef both domestically and abroad, producers responded to growing incentives for rais-ing quality Angus calves sired by registered Angus genetics.

Higher acceptance rates allowed graders to certify a record of more than 75,000 carcasses per week, totaling 12.6 percent higher, or 3.92 million for the year to set an annual CAB accep-tance rate of 28.9 percent. That record is more than double the rate of 10 years ago when it was barely above 14 percent.

“The increase in carcasses qualifying for the brand is a true testament to the value ranchers receive for their Angus-sired calves and the unending commitment of our members toward continuous genetic improvement,” Moczygemba said. u

8D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

Angus growth reflects true demandANGUS | Reports point to growth for registered Angus genetics, demand for Certified Angus Beef

Cattle producers have been answering the call by consumers for high quality beef and Angus cattle are at the forefront, according to the American Angus Association. (Courtesy photo.)

By Jena McRell, Angus Media

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 9D

The Angus Foundation Heifer Package has been the pre-mier fundraiser for the Angus Foundation to generate funds for Angus youth, education and research efforts. Generous Angus breeders from across the country stepped up as buy-ers on Jan. 11 at the National Western Stock Show Angus Bull Sale in Denver, Colorado, to raise $265,750 in support of the Angus Foundation.

It was standing room only in the historic Stadium Arena when the Angus Foundation Heifer Package sold for $170,000 to longtime Angus supporters, Charles W. and Judy Herbster of Herbster Angus Farms, Falls City, Nebraska.

“We are honored to support the Angus Foundation by once again purchasing the Angus Foundation Heifer Pack-age,” said Charles W. Herbster, Herbster Angus Farms CEO and president. “We strongly support Angus youth activities, and this is a great way to ensure a bright future for youth who want to be involved in the Angus business.”

The heifer that headlined the 2017 Angus Foundation Heifer Package was Basin Lucy 6265, donated by Doug and Sharon Stevenson, Basin Angus Ranch, Joliet, Montana. Herbster’s purchase of Basin Lucy 6265 marks five years running that Herbster Angus Farms has bought the Angus Foundation Heifer Package.

“The unrestricted funds raised by the sale of the Angus Foundation Heifer Package will be put to good use increas-ing opportunities for Angus youth through scholarships and leadership development activities, supporting educational events for Angus breeders and funding important research that will impact the Angus industry,” said Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president.

Since its inception in 1980, the heifer package has raised more than $2.25 million for education, youth and research investments through the Angus Foundation. Members of the National Junior Angus Board presented this year’s heifer package before the start of the auction.

In addition to the heifer, Herbster Angus Farms will receive 30 days of free insurance from American Live Stock Insurance Co., Geneva, Illinois; free transportation to the

buyer’s ranch provided by Lathrop Livestock Transportation, Dundee, Illinois; and an advanced reproductive technology package from Trans Ova Genetics and its cloning division, ViaGen, Sioux Center, Iowa.

In addition to the Angus Foundation Heifer Package, sev-eral other items were auctioned off during the sale to benefit the Angus Foundation, including:

Five heifer pregnancies from notable Angus breeders:• 44 Farms, Cameron, Texas—purchased for $10,000 by

McMahon Family, Belle Point Ranch, Fort Smith, Arkan-sas.

• Dameron Angus, Lexington, Illinois—purchased for $23,000 by Ron and Lisa Colburn, Colburn Cattle Co., Visalia, California.

• Express Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma—purchased for $17,000 by Rick Smith and Tari Hoagland, Lake View Angus, Mead, Colorado.

• Pollard Farms, Enid, Oklahoma—purchased for $11,000 by Robert Funk, Express Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma.

• Vintage Angus Ranch, Modesto, California—purchased for $19,000 by Dan and Patricia Vergith, Lylester Ranch, Martell, Nebraska.Several other packages were also auctioned off to benefit

the Angus Foundation:• Package No. 1: 2017 Angus Foundation Golf Tournament

Event Sponsorship—purchased for $2,750 by NuTech Biosciences and Kentucky Nutrition Services, Lawrence-burg, Kentucky.

• Package No. 2: Royal Caribbean Cruise—purchased for $4,500 by Charlie and Paula Boyd, Boyd Beef Cattle, May’s Lick, Kentucky.

• Package No. 3: One Day Ranch Photo Shoot—purchased for $2,500 by Goggins Family, Vermilion Ranch, Billings, Montana.

• Package No. 4: Relax at the Biltmore—purchased for $1,500 by James and LuAnn Coffey, Branch View Angus,

Angus Foundation Heifer and featured packages raise over $265,000 for youth, education and researchANGUS | Herbster Angus Farms, Falls City, Nebraska, purchases Basin Lucy 6265, donated by Basin Angus Ranch, Joliet, Montana

Angus Foundation Heifer Package has been the premier fundraiser for the Angus Foundation to generate funds for Angus youth, education and research efforts. More than $265,000 was raised, which included a $170,000 bid from Angus supporters Charles W. and Judy Herbster of Herbster Angus Farms of Falls City, Nebraska. (Courtesy photo.)

By Sarah Hill, Angus Media

See NWSS 11D

Set your expectationsRegardless of an operation’s size and how its

animals are marketed, Shike said goals must be set, and cows and heifers must be critically evaluated to know the strengths and weaknesses of the females. “Know where your herd is at, and where you want it to go, and find the bull that will work for your herd,” he said.

Rishel, who purchased his first registered female in 1966 and will have his 35th annual bull sale this spring, tries to select for balance of economic traits in his herd and have what his customers need for profit-ability when it comes to bull selection.

“I have some customers who sell all of their calf crop at weaning or after a short background-ing period. Those customers are more interested in pounds and growth,” he said. “Customers who retain ownership in their calves want better carcass numbers and feedlot performance. Docility is a trait that is very important in performance during the feeding phase.”

Just like Shike said it’s important to know what strengths the cows have, Rishel said, while effi-ciency comes in different sizes, he has tried to zero in on mature cow size that will produce bulls that help his customers produce cattle that fit the marketplace.

The Angus Association’s sire evaluation is a source of nearly 30 different EPDs to be used as a tool for selecting animals. Rishel looks at the numbers, but first decides what will keep the cowherd productive and efficient and then looks to have as many EPDs as possible in an acceptable range.

Shike agreed. “A producer may be using the same bull for cows and for heifers, so looking at calving ease is important. But knowing the genetics on the female side will tell you how much birth weight you can handle,” he said.

Rishel added that structured sire evaluation for carcass merit is important for his herd, because many customers retain ownership and sell finished cattle on a grid or partner with feedlots that do. In 1986, he had his first bulls tested for carcass merit. By 1988, the Angus Association had EPDs developed for carcass traits and by the mid-1990s, some of Rishel’s customers started selling finished cattle on grid systems and receiving premiums for

the higher quality carcasses.“We knew carcass merit was important. When a

substantial premium was available for these cattle, we wanted to be able to help our customers have the opportunity to benefit from these programs,” said Rishel.

Another new tool is the adoption of electronic identification tags to track the history of the calves for gain, efficiency and source verification.

“The excuse of breeders saying their customers sell at weaning doesn’t cut it anymore,” Rishel said. “Breeders must provide value for their customers and that value is being tracked electronically the length of the value chain. Cattle that do more things

EASIER CALVING.

MORE GROWTH. BETTER MARBLING.

That’s the power of the reliable, registered Angus bull.

Some breeds talk about superior genetic merit. Registered Angus bulls prove it.

They simply outperform the competition in calving ease, growth and marbling, according to USDA research.a

That’s proof that the registered Angus bull you purchase comes with power and predictability, backed by a better balance of the traits you need to get proitable results.

An extensive, multi-year study shows Angus calves earn you more at sale time than similar calves of all other breeds – nearly $7/cwt.b more, on average. In fact, packers pay Angus producers $1 million in premiums per week.c

That’s a lot of value brought to you by reliable, registered Angus bulls.

Anything else is just hype.

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS.

Here’s the Premium study, 2014, Certiied Angus Beef LLCPacker Premium Survey, 2015, Certiied Angus Beef LLC

10D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

Bull selection from 4D

(Journal photo by jennifer Carrico.)

right will be more valuable.”

Staying the courseShike warned it is risky to get caught up in a cur-

rent trend. It’s more important to meet minimum standards set by each breeder for genotype and phenotype.

“We cannot forfeit the cowherd genetics. Rather, we need to build on the cowherd’s genetics,” Rishel added. “There are very few secrets anymore. Tech-nology lets feedlot operators know what kind of animals they are getting. If they have to, feedlots will find what they want somewhere else.”

He encourages buyers to find balance when select-

ing bulls. That doesn’t mean when birth weight is far less than needed and yearling weight is far higher than needed, he warned. “As an Angus producer I want optimum calving ease, birth weight and year-ling weight and we know we have carcass merit.

“We use EPDs for genetic predictability and add ultrasound and genomics to increase accuracy in all of our calves. This enhances the EPDs and takes more of the guess work out of what we are looking for,” Rishel said.

Pre-sale buying tipsStill, visual appraisal to ensure cattle are func-

tional and sound. Shike encourages bull buyers

to first sort through a sale catalog by looking at the EPDs and pedigrees. After this sort is made, a visual appraisal can help make another sort on sale day. Finally, narrowing the group down to the number of bulls you are looking for and finding one in the right price range will help a producer find a bull to improve the herd.

“As much as we use numbers, EPDs and genomics for bull selection, it doesn’t tell us how functional the cattle are. We want cows and bulls to look a certain way,” Rishel said. “There are phenotypic traits we desire and some we will not deal with. We want our cattle to function and adapt to different climates and environmental challenges.”

Rishel said they are challenged by the sources of major inputs of labor and feed. Many of his custom-ers are also not over run with the inputs needed to raise cattle. “If the cattle work here, they will work nearly anywhere,” added Rishel.

Each year, Rishel Angus sends cattle to nearly 20 different states and sells semen and embryos to Aus-tralia and South America. He expects the industry is headed toward more genomic selection, which he hopes improves understanding of the novel traits including feed efficiency.

The selection of cattle to stay in the Rishel Angus herd will continue to include the common sense traits that impact the economic merit of cattle from the pasture to the plate.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at 515-833-2120 or jcarrico@hpj.com. u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 11D

balance of the traits you need to get proitable results.

3201 Frederick Ave.St. Joseph, MO 64506

www.ANGUS.org

To subscribe to the Angus Journal®, call 816.383.5200.

Watch The Angus Report 7:30 a.m. CST every Monday on RFD-TV.

© 2016-2017 American Angus Association®a Average 2014-born bulls, adj. to Angus base, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Across-breed EPD Adjustments, BIF 2016. b Here’s the Premium study, 2014, Certiied Angus Beef LLCc Packer Premium Survey, 2015, Certiied Angus Beef LLC

USDA analysis shows the superiority of Angus at every stage.

Angus 1.3 91 0.59

Hereford 5.6 50 -0.22

Red Angus 1.2 53 0.18

Simmental 5.1 80 -0.20

BREED BW YW MARB

• Hustonville, Kentucky.• Package No. 5: Vacation Experience in Jackson

Hole, Wyoming—purchased for $4,500 by Kyle and Amanda Conley, Conley Cattle, Sulphur, Okla-homa.The Iowa Junior Angus Association sold the follow-

ing packages to raise funds for the 2017 National Junior Angus Show in Des Moines, Iowa.• Package No. 6: 2017 NJAS-Amana Lily Clock—

purchased for $1,750 by Allan and Cecilia Teixeira, Teixeira Cattle Co., Pismo Beach, California.

• Package No. 7: 2017 NJAS-Original Art—purchased for $1,100 by Steve and Julie French, Beaverton, Michigan.“The Angus Foundation is so fortunate to have such

generous donors who are willing to invest in the future of the Angus industry,” Jenkins said. “Their gifts will make the Angus Foundation’s efforts in youth, educa-tion and research even more beneficial.”

For more information about the Angus Foundation or the sale of the annual heifer package, contact Jenkins at 816-383-5100 or mjenkins@angusfoundation.org.

Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth and research. The organization has presented more than $2.4 million in youth scholarships since 1998, and has also invested more than $1 million in beef cattle research throughout the past decade.

To learn more about the Angus Foundation and the programs it supports, call the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angusfoundation.org. u

NWSS from 9D

The week before Christmas 2016, the National Cattle-men’s Beef Association—despite its frequent battles with the Barack Obama administration—hailed the United States Trade Representative for reinstating retaliatory tariffs on European goods and products due to the EU’s unfair treatment of U.S. beef.

One month later, a new president is in command. While cattle producers support President Donald Trump’s decision to halt implementation of the “Waters of the United States” rule and other environmental regulations, plus the almost certain elimination of provisions of mar-keting rules and the federal tax code they find deleterious, the question remains: Will Trump be as supportive to the beef industry on trade issues as his predecessor?

The way things look so far, it’s questionable.NCBA, the nation’s largest organization representing

cattle producers, is a proponent of free trade, particularly of large, regional agreements. The administration of for-mer President Barack Obama defended free trade through development of the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (which were still under negotiation when Obama left office), and supported the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed into effect in 1992.

NCBA President Tracy Brunner, a Ramona, Kansas, rancher, said last spring in an NCBA news release that TTP not only levels the playing field for U.S. beef exports, but also supports U.S. economic growth.

Brunner cited an International Trade Commission report supporting TPP. Brunner added, “TPP would not only lower the taxes on U.S. beef into critical markets like Japan and level the playing field with our competitors, it would provide a boon to the entire U.S. economy.”

According to ITC estimates, overall U.S. beef exports would increase about $876 million once TPP is fully implemented and that it would have a moderate impact on U.S. beef imports.

Meanwhile, in the 21 years since NAFTA’s implemen-tation in 1994, U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico have more than quadrupled, growing from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38.6 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Ser-vice. In 2015, NAFTA was responsible for $1.225 trillion in trade in 2015 among the U.S., Canada and Mexico. That

includes about $42 billion in U.S. ag exports to those two countries and $43 billion in U.S. ag imports from Canada and Mexico.

Trump, on the other hand, has called for the U.S. to scuttle its part in NAFTA, TTP and T-TIP, under an entry on a revised White House website that includes the issue “Trade Deals Working for All Americans.”

Regarding trade policy, the White House website cites that, “with a lifetime of negotiating experience, the presi-dent understands how critical it is to put American work-ers and businesses first when it comes to trade.

“This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers. President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA. If our part-

ners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the president will give notice of the United States’ intent to withdraw from NAFTA.”

In a statement of congratulations to Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “Canada and the Unit-ed States have built one of the closest relationships between any two countries in the world. This enduring partnership is essential to our shared prosperity and security.

“Together, we benefit from robust trade and invest-ment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs. We both want to build economies where the middle class, and those working hard to join it, have a fair shot at success.”

Larry Dreiling can be reached at 785-628-1117 or ldreil-ing@hpj.com. u

12D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

Industry may have a beef with Trump on trade By Larry Dreiling

(Journal photo by jennifer Carrico.)

Anticipation was evident Nov. 7, 2016, as Angus breeders from across the country crowded into an Indi-anapolis, Indiana, meeting hall for the American Angus Association 133rd Annual Convention of Delegates.

The meeting was the capping event of the three-day Angus Convention, where about 2,000 Angus seedstock and commercial producers, academia and allied industry met for educational sessions and thought-leading keynote lectures—all largely based on leadership, innovation and business culture.

The annual meeting represents the culmination of the fiscal work of the world’s largest beef breed orga-nization as well as the election of officers and new board directors. This year, members also gathered to hear Association CEO Allen Moczygemba unveil the association’s Long-Range Strategic Plan.

“As an association, we’ve been blessed with strong leadership that has had the resolve to plan for the future, to make the right decision at the right time,” Moczygemba told delegates and attendees. “Those landmark decisions ensured our breed was posi-tioned for long-term growth. This new Long-Range Strategic Plan, led by the board of directors, repre-sents that same commitment to innovative decision-making so evident in Angus history.”

Angus board directors and staff pursued a long-range strategic planning process in 2016 to pioneer a new era of progress and to grow the already domi-nant position of the Angus breed and brand.

“Our leaders spent months establishing the plan, gathering important input from all sectors of the beef cattle industry, from seedstock to cow-calf produc-ers, from feeders to allied industry partners, from marketers to retailers and academia,” Moczygemba said. “The result was the most comprehensive and far-reaching effort of its kind for the organization.”

Extensive surveys, focus groups and market analy-ses resulted in a bevy of valuable insight that revealed

challenges and opportunities for the Association and registered Angus genetics in a rapidly evolv-ing business. Main themes included changing mar-ket dynamics; increased competition, technological and informational needs; and growing international opportunities and beef demand.

The assessment led association directors to iden-tify five core areas of focus for the organization in the next three years: genetics, commercial programs, leadership, product and research.

“The long-range plan will create new opportuni-ties and a framework for our future,” said Jim Sitz, Montana Angus breeder and outgoing Association president and chairman of the board. “It includes an expanded focus on commercial producers, and also strengthens our genetic evaluation capabilities. I’m proud to say that we have assembled a plan and a team that challenge a complacent status.”

In his opening remarks as the organization’s newly elected president, Kentucky cattleman Charlie Boyd said the association’s plans are aggressive and offer the possibility to define the breed’s future.

“I think this is one of the best plans this organization has ever developed, and I’m proud of it,” Boyd said. “It will solidify Angus as the worldwide centerpiece for genetic evaluation and position our organization for further leadership within the industry.”

Key points call for the establishment of the Genomic Education Center, a multi-use facil-ity that will expand the association’s Saint Joseph, Missouri, headquarters as well as its capabilities to conduct research, disseminate information and provide education to the industry; greater service and information sharing with the commercial cattle sector to drive the value of registered Angus genetics; an expanded industry leadership posi-tion; creation of recordkeeping platforms; global opportunities and brand awareness; and increased research emphasis on traits like fertility, feet and leg structure and other areas.

“This plan demonstrates that the board and the membership are not taking anything for granted,” Boyd said. “We’re moving forward because it’s our obligation to our past and to doing what’s right for the future of Angus.”

Moczygemba said the work now begins.“This isn’t a plan that will rest upon a shelf. In the

weeks and months ahead, we will set these initia-tives in motion in order to ensure success decades down the road,” he said. “It’s another right deci-sion at the right time that will enable each of our 25,000 members to achieve our collective mission of enhancing the genetics of the Angus breed, broad-ening its influence and expanding the market for high-quality Angus beef worldwide. We’re poised for a new era.” u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 13D

“CARCASS WITHOUT COMPROMISE”

13th Annual Production Sale

Wednesday,March22,2017•1:00PMMDTAt The Ranch - 14 Miles South Of Wallace, KS, 195 Road 26

All Bulls Are Performance Tested and 50K

SALE BROADCAST LIVE ON DVAUCTION.COM

LARSON ANGUS RANCHDan & Becky - 785-891-3748 • Dan Cell - 785-821-1098

Brady & Kyla Larson - 785-821-1580dan@larsonangusranch.com • www.larsonangusranch.com

Sires Represented: Payweight 1682, VR Discovery, All In, Ten X, Absolute, Comrade,

Progress, Prophet, VAR Reserve, Momentum, Resistol, Broken Bow, Advance, EXAR Signature

CEO Allen Moczygemba unveils the American Angus Association’s Long-Range Strategic Plan. (Courtesy photo.)

Angus unveils long-range plan

“As an association, we’ve been blessed with strong leadership that has had the resolve to plan for the future, to make the right

decision at the right time.” —Allen Moczygemba

CEO, American Angus Association

Annual Performance Tested Bull Sale

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017 • 6:00 PMAnderson County Sales Company, Highway 59, Garnett, Kansas

SF Farms, Inc.

Over 60 Head Sell - Yearling and 18 Month Old Bulls AI Sires: MOGCK Sure Shot, Connealy Capitalist 028, G A R Prophet, Connealy Black Granite, & R B Tour of Duty 177 Pasture Sires: JBF 0749 Final Answer 9035, SF 0319 In Focus 2762, SF 0221 Upward 0586, & JW 0421 Nebraska 6068

S F Farms Inc. • 3582 John Brown Road • Princeton, KS 66078 785-937-2433 ofice • 785-418-1986 Jodi • froggattefarms@hotmail.com

ww.sffarms.org (catalog available online)

Angus producers competed for top honors during the 2017 National Western Stock Show Angus Carload & Pen Show, Jan. 14 in Denver, Colorado. Six carloads and 45 pens-of-three were showcased in the Yards during the 111th NWSS.

Steven Harrison, Cameron, Texas; Doug Slattery, Chap-pell Hill, Texas; and T.J. Curtin, Blue Mound, Illinois, evaluated the bulls and selected champions.

Express Angus Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma, claimed grand champion carload, with 10 January 2016 bulls sired by 3F Epic 4631, EXAR EZX 3772B, EXAR Denver 2002B, GAR Prophet K243, Sitz Investment 660Z and EXAR Resistol 3710B. The group weighed an average of 1,443 pounds and posted an average scrotal circumference of 38.7 centimeters.

Krebs Ranch, Gordon, Nebraska, exhibited the reserve grand champion carload with January and February 2016 bulls sired by KR Status 4267, Barstow Cash, Bushs Tun-dra 602 and CFCC Black Jack 001. The 10 bulls posted an average weight of 1,388 pounds, and an average scrotal circumference of 37.5 centimeters.

Express Angus Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma, showcased the grand champion pen of three bulls with January and February 2016 sons of EXAR Resistol 3710B, Vin-Mar Johnny Cash 3513 and Sitz Investment 660Z. The trio posted an average weight of 1,338 pounds and an average scrotal circumference of 39.7 centimeters. The bulls first won early calf champion.

Krebs Ranch, Gordon, Nebraska, captured the reserve grand champion pen of three bulls after first claiming late calf champion. The February and March 2016 sons of May-Way Equity, KR Millionaire and Kramers Apollo 317 posted an average weight of 1,313 pounds and an average scrotal circumference of 34.3 centimeters.

Chestnut Angus Farm, Pipestone, Minnesota, show-cased the grand champion pen of three heifers with Feb-ruary 2016 daughters Chestnut Knock Out 204. The trio posted an average weight of 1,067 pounds. The heifers first won early calf champion.

McCurry Angus Ranch, Burrton, Kansas, captured the reserve grand champion pen of three heifers after first claiming champion yearling. The September 2016 daugh-ters of S A V Bismarck 5682, Connealy Thunder, And Penners-CC Double Black 2257 posted an average weight of 1,285 pounds.

2017 NWSS Angus Carload & Pen Show held on

Jan. 14, 2017 Denver, Colorado Carloads 6 Shown:

• Grand Champion Carload of Bulls: Express Angus Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma.

• Reserve Grand Champion Carload of Bulls: Krebs Ranch, Gordon, Nebraska. Pens 45 Shown:

• Late Calf Champion Pen of Three Bulls: Krebs Ranch, Gordon, Nebraska.

• Reserve Late Calf Champion Pen of Three Bulls: Chest-nut Angus Farm, Pipestone, Minnesota.

• Early Calf Champion Pen of Three Bulls: Express Angus Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma.

• Reserve Early Calf Champion Pen of Three Bulls: Chestnut Angus Farm, Pipestone, Minnesota.

• Champion Yearling Pen of Three Bulls: Trey Conley, Clarksdale, Missouri.

• Reserve Champion Yearling Pen of Three Bulls: Pollard Farms, Enid, Oklahoma.

• Grand Champion Pen of Three Bulls: Express Angus Ranches, Yukon, Oklahoma.

• Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Three Bulls: Krebs Ranch, Gordon, Nebraska.

• Late Calf Champion Pen of Three Heifers: J.T. Weber Family, Lake Benton, Minnesota.

• Reserve Late Calf Champion Pen of Three Heifers: Bobcat Angus, Galata, Montana.

• Early Calf Champion Pen of Three Heifers: Chestnut Angus Farm, Pipestone, Minnesota.

• Reserve Early Calf Champion Pen of Three Heifers: McCurry Angus Ranch, Burrton, Kansas.

• Champion Yearling Pen of Three Heifers: McCurry Angus Ranch, Burrton, Kansas.

• Reserve Champion Yearling Pen of Three Heifers: None.

• Grand Champion Pen of Three Heifers: Chestnut Angus Farm, Pipestone, Minnesota.

• Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Three Heifers: McCurry Angus Ranch, Burrton, Kansas. u

14D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

Angus genetics showcased at 2017 National Western Angus Carload & Pen Show

In a cattle market where every dollar counts, it’s important to consider ways to add value on your next set of calves. The American Angus Asso-ciation’s AngusSource program is a way to ensure Angus-sired calves generate the premiums they deserve.

A marketing option for any commercial pro-ducer who sells feeder calves or replacement heif-ers sired by a registered Angus bull, AngusSource is a USDA process-verified age-and-source program that documents a minimum 50 percent Angus genetics. During the past year, AngusSource has enrolled groups of calves ranging from six to 3,200 head, identifying high-quality cattle that are worth the added investment.

In a six-year study of Superior Livestock data, AngusSource calves received a $2.56 per hundred-weight premium over non-verified calves.

“When you carry that over a typical lot of 650-pound steers, you’ve got nearly $750 to add to your bottom line,” said Ginette Gottswiller, the association’s director of commercial programs. “The value of age and genetic verification remains strong in the cattle market, and we hope pro-ducers consider enrolling their next calf crop in AngusSource.”

AngusSource calves are identified with an ear tag and marketing document, which is distributed to a targeted group of more than 700 buyers who have expressed an interest in verified Angus cattle. When enrolling in AngusSource, you’re also harnessing the strength of the American Angus Association’s marketing network, performance database and unri-valed customer service.

Leland Browning, an AngusSource customer from Missouri, says he’s glad his calves are part of the program and has sold approximately 18 sets through AngusSource. He merchandizes cattle in both spring and fall, retains his own replacement heifers and buys new bulls every two years. Each set of feeder calves Browning sells ranges from 10 to 12 head and is enrolled in the program.

“It allows me to sell small groups of cattle at the same price as non-sourced large groups,” Browning said.

As an added bonus for 2017: The first 50 cattle producers who enroll 100 head of Angus-sired calves will receive a complimentary VetGun, a first-of-its-kind system that provides precise fly control, remotely in the field, with a simple pull of the trigger.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with Angus-Source and the American Angus Association to provide cattlemen and women an added tool for more efficient herd management,” said Michael Coe, SmartVet vice president of business development. “The VetGun is an innovative system for fly control, when and where you need it.”

Begin your 20-minute enrollment process today by contacting the association at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angus.org/angussource. u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 15D

Hales Angus Farm21st Annual Production Sale

March 18, 2017 • 1:00 P.M.At The Farm, Canyon, TX

Selling: •100RegisteredAngusBulls

•50FemalesFor information and catalog:

RICHMOND:806-488-2471•806-679-1919CellRICK:806-655-3815•806-679-9303

www.halesangus.comhalesangus@midplains.coop

Broadcast Live on Superior Auctions

100 Bulls Sell

27th Annual Production SaleMarch 1, 2017 • 1 p.m.

Agra, KS (at the ranch)

Lynn & Lori Ferguson878 E. Santa Fe RdAgra, KS 67521Cell: 785-476-5345

Brice & Vicki KorobkaCell: 785-533-1530

svferg@ruraltel.netwww.FergusonAngus.com

Sires Represented: Basin Payweight 1682; Connealy Black Granite; VAR Discovery; WMR Infinity, Future Force; Tour of Duty, Patriot; Connealy Iceman; Connealy Comrade

Request a sale book bye-mail, text, phone or mail

Basin Payweight 682

Manage risk, ensure valueANGUS | Verification program delivers premiums for Angus-sired calves

Every dollar counts and a verification program can deliver premiums for Angus-sired calves as part of the American Angus Association’s AngusSource program. (Courtesy photo.)

By Jena McRell, Angus Media

LITTLEROBEANGUS • RANCH

22nd Annual Production SaleMarch 25, 2017

or 4th Saturday in March

90 Head - 60 Bulls • 30 FemalesDuane & Donna Jenkins

Higgins, TX

806-852-4171Dale and Brenda Jenkins

E-mail: lilrobe@wildblue.netwww.angusjournal.com/littlerobeangus

16D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

The national anthem echoed through the historic Sta-dium Arena during the National Western Stock Show as the crowd stood at attention and cowboy hats were drawn in tight. Rows of Angus breeders, commercial producers and stock show attendees filled every corner at the official start of the National Western Angus Bull Sale.

The all-new evening event, hosted Jan. 11 by the Ameri-can Angus Association, was a celebration of the breed’s impact on Western ranching and a look to the future for quality genetics and beef production. Sponsored by Merial, the event combined the association’s annual bull sale with an Angus Foundation fundraiser.

“The new format for the National Western Angus Bull Sale is another step forward for the breed, for the Associa-tion and it is something we are all very proud of,” said Allen Moczygemba, American Angus Association CEO. “We want to celebrate our heritage and the expansion of Angus, yet look to our future and what is possible. Through events like this, our association continues to grow in relevance and to connect with our ultimate customer, commercial cattlemen.”

The only sale managed by the membership organization, the National Western Angus Bull Sale is a longstanding tra-dition during the NWSS each January. Angus breeders from across the country travel to Denver, Colorado, to showcase their best genetics, and commercial producers shop for their next great herd sire.

The event was referenced as the largest cattle sale in the arena in recent memory, with nearly 2,500 people reported by the NWSS. The event was in the Stadium Arena.

“It is a great pleasure for Merial to be the headline spon-

sor of this first-ever event with the American Angus Asso-ciation and the Angus Foundation,” said Richard Jenkins, Merial head of national accounts. “What excites me so much about it, and why Merial is involved, is the opportunity to promote the best that the beef breed has to offer.”

Cattle producers of all types were invited to attend the evening’s activities, which also included live entertainment by Texas country band Jake Hooker and the Outsiders, and plenty of Certified Angus Beef brand product. The event was made possible thanks to allied industry partners Merial and Neogen GeneSeek operations.

“The Angus Foundation is one of the top agricultural foundations in the country, and it does so many great things for research, education and youth,” said Jim Gibb, Neogen GeneSeek operations territory manager. “We truly believe in supporting that kind of an activity, so it’s just natural for us to be involved. It’s a perfect fit.”

Angus in the West

The history and heritage of the National Western is one many Angus families cherish.

The stock show dates back more than 110 years, and the Angus breed has been active for nearly 75 of those years. Stadium Arena was built in 1909, and much of its historic charm remains within the old beams and green chairs.

“It’s important to remember why we came to Denver to begin with, which is to grow our presence in the West with commercial cattlemen, and that’s what the National Western Angus Bull Sale continues to be,” Moczygemba said. “We’re taking our modern-day genetics and tying them back to the history of this great event.”

The National Western Angus Bull Sale kicked off with the 2017 Angus Foundation Heifer Package, generously donated by the Stevenson family at Basin Angus Ranch near Joliet, Montana. Basin Lucy 6265 was in the spotlight, surrounded by members of the National Junior Angus Board, as the crowded sale arena came alive.

The winning bid for this year’s package was $170,000 from Charles W. and Judy Herbster, Herbster Angus Farms, Falls City, Nebraska. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Herbsters have purchased the elite female in support of Angus education, youth and research.

Up on the sale block, the association’s David Gazda, director of field services and bull sale manager, had a unique view of the audience for the evening’s events.

“The crowd during the sale was unbelievable,” Gazda said. “We had breeders from throughout the country here on the seats. I think this, by far, would be a record number of people we’ve had in attendance for the bull sale.”

The energy was high as the sale bulls entered the arena,

starting with the Grand Champion Angus Sale Bull, DBR Take Notice, exhibited by Jake Barnes, Broken Arrow, Okla-homa, selected earlier in the day.

The ringmen called out bids while the bulls were dis-played on a large video screen, providing the perfect view from all sides of the arena. More than 300 active buyers were registered on-site, and many more participated online through LiveAuctions.TV.

Behind the sale arena, the Angus bulls were on display and available for buyers to evaluate before entering the ring. At the final gavel drop, 45 lots averaged $6,805 per head. The sale grossed $306,250.

“The real value, the real endorsement of our breed is the participation you have from commercial cattlemen who attend each year and support this sale,” Gazda said. “It’s showing us that Angus cattle do work. There is a demand for them. We are producing a product that commercial cattle-men can merchandise, and merchandise for a profit.”

Forward momentum

Randy Stabler from Pleasant Valley Farm near Brookev-ille, Maryland, and his family have been attending the National Western and participating in the bull sale for several years. He said the event is an opportunity to market their genetics.

“Being from the East Coast and the tiny state of Mary-land, we come here to the heart of the livestock world and the beef business. We have more buyers here, and more numbers to enhance what we’re trying to do in our market-ing,” Stabler said.

Oklahoma State University’s Beef Herd Manager Jeremy Leister said they’ve been active in the National Western Angus Bull Sale for many years because of the added expo-sure they gain for their breeding program.

“Like years past, this year has been a wonderful experi-ence,” Leister said. “It’s a wonderful set of breeders, and a really good set of cattle. It was nice to visit with other breed-ers and receive compliments on our bull. That makes us, as a program at Oklahoma State, look even better.”

The National Western Angus Bull Sale is often considered the unofficial start to the bull sale season, as nationwide pro-duction sales fill the calendar for weeks to come. If the crowd in Stadium Arena is an indication, the Angus breed has much to look forward to in the months and years to come.

“While it’s important to celebrate our past, it’s even more important that we continue to look forward and keep our momentum going,” Moczygemba said. “Because at the end of the day, we want to sell more cattle, and we want to make sure they’re Angus cattle. We have the best breed in the world, and we need to continue to grow our market share.” u

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 17D

National Western Angus Bull Sale a ‘smash hit’NWSS | All-new evening event attracts nearly 2,500 to celebrate Angus in the West

Nearly 2,500 people attended the National Western Angus Bull Sale. (Courtesy photos.)

18D www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

2017 Angus Breeders’ DirectoryKansas

Alcove Cattle Co.Springhill HerefordsG & R Polled HerefordsMarch 18, 2017Blue Rapids, KS785-556-0124www.OnTargetBullSale.com

April Valley Farms18432 Mt. Olivet Rd.Leavenworth, KS 66048Jerry | 913-683-0775Larry | 913-775-2130Mark | 913-683-4377Edmund | 913-682-4376avfarms@dishmail.netwww.aprilvalleyfarms.comProduction Sale | March 19, 2017St. Joeseph Stockyards

Bar S RanchKen Stielow5302 182nd St.Paradise, KS 67658785-483-9733Email | bars@gorhamtel.comwww.barsangusranch.comAnnual Production Sale | March 10, 2017

BJ Angus GeneticsJohn & Bonnie Slocombe4291 McDowell Creek Rd.Manhattan, KS 66502Home: 785-539-4726Mobile: 785-532-9777john@bjangus.comwww.bjangus.com Production Sale | March 9, 2017

Black Velvet CattleRichard, Deb & Seth Bartholomew1500 170 RdMankato, KS 66956785-378-3338 | 785-738-8940www.blackvelvetcattle.comEmail | blackvelvetcattle@yahoo.comAnnual Bull Sale | March 28, 2017

CB FarmsBerry Bortz110515 SE 60th StreetIsabel, KS 67065Cell | 620-546-6077Bull Sale | Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Crooked Creek AngusAdam JonesSt. Francis, KS 67756785-332-6206Registered Bulls and Females Delivery AvailableExcellent DispositionAffordable Prices2 Yr Olds Availablewww.crookedcreekangus.com

Dalebanks AngusThe Perrier familiesEureka, KSwww.dalebanks.com Tom | 620-583-6956 tperrier@dalebanks.com Matt | 620-583-4305 mattperrier@dalebanks.comAnnual Bull Sale | Nov 18, 201780 Bulls for sale private treaty

ENS CattleEarl & Erik Steffens55 West Road 120Dighton, KS 67839Earl | 620-397-3138Erik | 620-397-1688Email | esteffens@st-tel.netwww.enscattlecompany.com

Ferguson AngusLynn & Lori Ferguson 878 E. Santa Fe Road Agra, KS 67621 785-638-2857 svferg@ruraltel.net www.springvalleyfarms.comAnnual Production Sale | March 1, 2017

JMB AngusJoel and Mary Bunker1130 Rd. 23Sharon Springs, KS 67758785-852-4229Email | jmbangus@hughes.netwww.jmbangus.comAnnual Bull Sale | March 2, 2017

Kansas Angus AssociationAnne Lampe 5201 E Rd. 110Scott City, KS 67871620-874-4273Kansasangusus@wbsnet.orgwww.kansasangus.org

Laflin RanchR.D. Laflin14075 Carnahan Rd.Olsburg, KS 66520785-468-3529www.laflinranch.comAnnual Production Sale | March 4, 2017

Larson Angus RanchDan Larson Family195 Rd 26Sharon Springs, KS 67758Dan 785-821-1098Brady 785-821-1580www.larsonangusranch.com13th Annual Production Sale | March 22, 2017

Lazy H RanchMark Rohr 785-625-4650 or 785-432-1107Maurice Rohr 785-625-6490 or 785-432-0560747 240th AvenueHays, KS 6760115th Annual Bull & Female Sale | Mar. 5, 2017wwww.LHRBULLS.com

Lundgren Angus RanchLarry & Anita Lundgren & family3633 County Road IGove, KS 67736785-938-4404785-673-9047www.LundgrenAngusRanch.com Lyons Ranch 2481 McDowell Creek SpurManhattan, KS 66502Jan & Frank 785-537-7226Karl & Amy 785-499-5434jan@lyonsranch.comwww.lyonsranch.com Production Sale | March 6, 2017

Mill Brae RanchMark & Janice Nikkel“Predictable Genetics for Practical Cattlemen”15670 Cattlemen Rd.Maple Hill, KS 66507Home | 785-256-4327 Mark Cell | 785-256-3072 Janice Cell | 785-256-3523www.millbraeranch.comPredictable Genetics Bull & Female Sale | Saturday, March 11, 2017

2017 Angus Insert | www.hpj.com 19D

2017 Angus Breeders’ Directory

Kansas

New Haven Angus24181 187th StreetLeavenworth, KS 66048Brandon New | 913-680-4414Damon New | 913-727-1885Bill & Loris New | 913-351-1813Email | brandon@newhavenangus.comwww.newhavenangus.com Production Sale at the Farm | March 25, 2017 Rick Nemeth Angus7514 Road 27 Ludell, KS 67744785-322-5505 or 785-626-4309Private Treaty Saleswww.nemethangus.com

Poland Angus RanchRichard Poland11230 NE Harvest Rd.Isabel, KS 67065620-739-4587 | 620-886-1720Email | polandangus@havilandtelco.comBull Sale | Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Sankeys 6N RanchChris & Sharee Sankey1121 Lake RoadCouncil Grove, KS 66846Chris Sankey | 620-343-0456Sharee | 620-343-0288Email | sankeys6nranch@yahoo.comwww.sankeys6nranch.com

SF Farms Inc3582 John Brown RdPrincton KS 66078785-937-2433Jodi Cell | 785-418-1986froggattefarms@hotmail.comwww.sffarms.orgAnnual Production Sale | March 11, 2017 Sunflower GeneticsSteve & Mary GleasonJake, Becky, Ben, Joe, and Sam12410 Blazingstar RdMaple Hill, KS 66507glsunflower@juno.comOffice | 785-256-6461Steve | 785-640-8060Annual Production Sale | Friday, Mar 17, 2017www.sunflowergenetics.com

Woody Ranch AngusScott and Aliesa Woods2531 E Vine AveBarnard, KS 67418785-792-6330awoods@twinvalley.netwww.woodyranchangus.comBull Sale | March 12, 2017

Missouri American Angus Association3201 Frederick AveSt. Joseph, MO 64506816-383-5100www.angus.org

Circle A RanchNick Hammett41 Hwy KIberia, MO1-800-circleAwww.circlearanch.com nick_circlea@hughes.netAnnual Spring Bull Sale | March 18, 2017

Nebraska Jindra AngusNick Jindra82235 567 AveClarkson, NE 68629402-920-3171nickjindra@hotmail.comwww.jindraangus.comAnnual Production Sale | March 7, 2017

Ruggles AngusJeff & Kelcy Ruggles308-340-883138953 Road 725McCook NE 69001Rick & Tracy Ruggles308-340-9982ruggles_jeff@yahoo.com

Swanson Cattle Co.Jeff Swanson10908 724 RdOxford, NE 68967Cell | 308-991-0727308-227-2235Production Sale | February 25, 2017www.swansoncattleco.com

Oklahoma

Express Ranches Bob Funk, Owner Jarold Callahan, President 2202 N. 11thYukon, OK 73099 405-350-0044 www.expressranches.comAnnual Spring Bull Sale | March 3, 2017

Phil Light Rt. 2, Box 352Turpin, OK 73950 580-259-6285620-391-0544 Email | phil@ptsi.netSelling Bulls at Panhandle State, Goodwell, OK | February 27, 2017

Texas Hales Angus Farm27951 S. Hwy. 87Canyon, TX 79015Richmond Hales | 806-488-2471Rick Hales | 806-655-3815Bull and Female Sale | March 18, 2017

Littlerobe AngusDuane & Donna JenkinsRR 1, Box 15Higgins, TX 79046806-852-4171Dale & Brenda Jenkinswww.angusjournal.com/littlerobeangusAnnual Production Sale | March 25, 2017

X L

8 www.hpj.com | 2017 Angus Insert

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