Oct.
15, 2009
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Laura Nelson, Industry
Information Specialist at 785-539-0123 or lnelson@certifiedangusbeef.com
From
Average to Almost Perfect
AngusSource® Carcass Contest winners continue
to raise standards.
It may be
their first entry in the AngusSource® Carcass Contest (ASCC), but
cattle that grade 97.7% premium Choice and Prime and meet Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand standards
have nothing to do with beginner’s luck.
Osborn
Farms, Savannah, Mo., topped their northeast region in the third quarter with
carcass results that have been in the making for more than a decade. This year
marks Osborn Farms’ first one partnering with the CAB Feedlot Licensing
Program, but for owner John Osborn and consultant Pete Mitts, it was just
another step toward perfecting their Angus herds.
In
Lindsay, Neb., Beller Feedlot repeated its second-quarter win in the north
central region with CAB and Prime acceptance rates at 81%. It again relied on
the high-quality aim of Homedale, Idaho, rancher Jimmy Thomas to score big in
the carcass contest.
Osborn
and Mitts have also long relied upon each other to create near-ideal carcass
results. The first cattle finished at Osborn Farms came from the Mitts herd.
The two sold the cattle on a value-based grid in what they call their
“discovery year” of 1998 with disappointing results.
“We found
out we weren’t any better than anyone else,” Osborn recalls. Since then, the duo
have been focusing on genetics, stacking superior carcass traits in succeeding
generations of females.
“Those
first couple of generations we made some pretty big strides,” Mitts says. “We
went from industry average to making quite an impact that next generation. The
second generation was even better. Now the strides are a little smaller — we’re
narrowing our range down a little bit.”
But, it’s
pretty difficult to improve from 97.7%. That doesn’t stop these Missourians
from trying. “I’m not going to be satisfied until the whole pen is Prime,”
Mitts says. “When we get them there, then we’re on to something. They’re all
supposed to be that way, and we’re getting there. If we could pick through
them, I think we could have done it.”
That is,
Mitts says, because none of the pens sent in to the ASCC were specially
selected to win a contest — they’re a true cross-section. “You’re just getting
the data on all 500 head of cattle we have on feed,” he says.
Of the
eight pens of calves Osborn entered in the third-quarter contest, only two were
slightly below 80% CAB or Prime, and three of them averaged in the upper 90%
area. The winning pen was a heifer/steer mix, owned primarily by Osborn and
Mitts. A handful of neighbors buy Osborn’s Angus genetics then sell the calves
back for finishing in his yard, contributing to the winning pens as well.
AngusSource
director Sara Snider points out last year’s overall winner in the ASCC was a
pen with an 80.7% CAB acceptance rate, already bested by both third-quarter
regional winners. “The acceptance rates of the two winning pens of cattle are
outstanding. It is evident that these breeders and feedyards are committed to
producing high-quality Angus cattle,” Snider says.
The guys
at Beller Feedlot have been targeting those Angus cattle for years now, sending
in strong competition in the ASCC each quarter of the year. The north central
region has been dominated by calves sent to them by Thomas for the last two
quarters.
“The
quality was there, just like we expect from Jimmy,” says Mike Beller, quality
assurance officer at the feedlot he and brother Terry run. “We expect nothing
less from him — that’s why we continue to want to partner with him. When you’re
getting numbers like that, you’ve got to keep doing it.”
Beller
says when it comes to the feedlot’s relationship with Thomas, it’s all about
communication. “He’s very meticulous in what he does,” Beller says. “He’s
always after the detailed data so he can know what he can do to make his cattle
even better.”
Cattle
from Thomas’ mixed pen of 42 head were ultrasound scanned and sorted for
quality. But, just like at Osborn Farms, those numbers reflect the quality of
the entire yard. The Bellers were recently recognized for reaching the gold
level in the CAB Thirty-Aught-Six (30.06) program, signifying more than 2,000
head in harvest groups with at least 30% CAB brand acceptance or Prime grade
and no more than 6% outliers.
“Each
quarter we are impressed with the data that we see on the pens of AngusSource
calves,” Snider says. “We are happy that through the AngusSource Carcass
Challenge we have found a way to recognize their achievements.”
Only one
more group of regional quarterly winner will be recognized before the final
overall winners will be tabulated at the end of the calendar year. Regional
winners from each quarter will be eligible for the $500 cash award. For more
information on AngusSource or the ASCC, call 816-383-5100 or visit www.angussource.com.
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