News Update
Dec. 31, 2009

First-Ever Angus Broadcast to Air Monday Evening

The American Angus Association® invites you to tune in to its first-ever nationally televised program on Monday, Jan. 4, at 9 p.m., EST, on RFD-TV.

Titled I Am Angus, the one-hour documentary features the stories of people whose lives are defined by Angus cattle and Angus beef.

The program also includes two informational segments about Association programs and services designed to strengthen the economic position of cattle producers.

Film footage from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s – narrated by radio great Paul Harvey in 1949 — will feature Angus farms and ranches, and showcase the dramatic changes in beef production, selection and marketing during the last 60 years.

In total, the program includes footage taken in more than 15 states.

“Whether you’re currently in the Angus business or not, there’s something for you in this program,” says Eric Grant, Association director of public relations and communications. “Everyone in agriculture can relate to the stories being told here — the shared passion for the land and cattle.”

I Am Angus will air at 9 p.m. EST, Jan. 4, 2010, on RFD-TV. Check local listings for more information.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association’s programs and services, visit www.angus.org.

Two Calving Seasons Have ‘Pros and Cons’ For Cattle Producers

Spring and autumn have become the seasons of choice for calving seasons in Oklahoma, but tremendous differences exist as to what months within each of those seasons are primary times for most of the calves to be born.

“Deciding on the use of one calving season or two is a big first step, with many fall calving seasons having arose from elongated spring seasons,” said Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University (OSU) cattle reproduction specialist. “Two calving seasons fit best for herds with more than 80 cows.”

To take full advantage of the economies of scale, a ranch needs to produce at least 20 steer calves in the same season to realize the price advantage associated with increased lot size. Therefore, having 40 cows in each season as a minimum is a general recommendation by animal scientists.

“Using two seasons instead of just one can reduce bull costs a great deal,” Selk said. “Properly developed and cared-for bulls can be used in both the fall and the spring, therefore reducing the bull battery by half.”

Another small advantage to having two calving seasons is the capability of taking fall-born heifers and holding them another few months to go into the spring season, and vice versa.

“Because of this, replacement heifers are always 2 1/2 years at first calving instead of 2 years of age,” Selk said. “These heifers should be more likely to breed early in the breeding season and have slightly less calving difficulty. Research has shown that these differences are very small, therefore the cost of the additional six months being fed must be minimal to make this a paying proposition.”

Many producers have reported they like dual calving seasons because of the spread of the marketing risk. Having half of the calf crop sold at two different times allows for some smoothing of the “roller coaster ride” often associated with cattle price cycles.

Heifers that are exposed to the bull or the insemination gun for the first time when they are about 18 months of age will be too old to go directly to the feedlot if they fail to breed.

Selk cautions that the culled, open heifers will be marketed as young cows and will sell for a much lower — about $30 per hundredweight (cwt.) lower — price than culled heifers scheduled to be bred at 13 months to 15 months of age.

“Ranchers that use two breeding seasons need to consider this price discount when deciding to hold the heifers the extra six months before putting them in the breeding pasture,” he said.

Selk added there are always “pros and cons” to two breeding seasons. His suggestion: Ranchers should do applied research to find out what makes the best sense for their specific cattle enterprise. After all, there are plenty of successful cow-calf operations that utilize either one-season or two-season breeding management models.

— Release provided by OSU.

Gardiner Angus Ranch Contributes to KJAA and NJAS

The Gardiner Angus Ranch consignment to the Bases Loaded Sale, scheduled for Jan. 12, during the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo., is a heifer named GAR Promise 2908. Her dam, GAR Objective 2345, was the high-selling female at Gardiner Angus Ranch in their 2008 production sale.

GAR Promise 2908 sells safe in calf to B/R New Day 454 and is due 8/30/2010.

Proceeds from the sale of GAR Promise 2908 will be donated to the Kansas Junior Angus Association (KJAA) to co-host the 2010 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) scheduled to take place July 11-17 in Denver. Young Angus breeders from around the U.S. gather for a week of exhibiting cattle. In addition, these young men and women compete in a variety of educational and leadership activities, including public speaking, cook-off, quiz bowl, photography, creative design, writing and team sales contests; scholarship, mentoring programs and more. The NJAS is the largest, single-breed, beef cattle show in the world.

For further information, contact Anne Lampe, secretary/manager for the Kansas Angus Association and 2010 NJAS co-chairman, at 620-872-3915; cell: 620-874-4273; e-mail: kansasangus@wbsnet.org, or Mark Gardiner, Gardiner Angus Ranch, 620-635-5095; e-mail: gar@ucom.net.

Go to www.gardinerangus.com for GAR Promise 2908 photo and video. Go to www.angusjournal.com/salebooks/basesloaded011210api/ to view Bases Loaded Sale Book.

— Adapted from Kansas Angus Association release.

Happy New Year from Angus Productions Inc.!

The American Angus Association and Angus Productions Inc. offices will be closed Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, in observance of the New Year holiday.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.