August 28,
2018
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
For more
information contact:
Clint
Mefford, director of communications
(816)
383-5143
American Angus
Association® officially launches
Angus LinkSM
New feeder cattle program now
accepting enrollments.
Angus LinkSM, the new
feeder cattle program from the American Angus Association®, is
officially live and open for enrollment. Backed by the world’s most
comprehensive beef cattle genetic database through Angus Genetics, Inc. (AGI), the
simple tool validates genetic performance potential of feeder cattle, which
delivers value to segments across the supply chain.
Designed for the commercial sector,
Angus Link has minimal requirements that must be met for calf crops to be eligible
to enroll. At least 50 percent of the bulls used to sire the enrollment group
must be registered Angus bulls, up to 50 percent of the bulls used to sire the
enrollment group can be registered with other breed associations, and no more
than 25 percent of the bulls used can be non-registered bulls. Producers
enrolling their calves must also provide details about the genetic makeup of
their cow herd. It can be as simple as a breed composition description, or they
have the option to provide greater detail on the genetic merit of their cow
herd by including historical bull use.
“Angus Link serves as a useful tool for commercial cow-calf producers to effectively
communicate the genetic performance potential of their feeder calves to buyers
across the nation,” said Chris Engel, director of Angus Link.
In addition, the program serves as a benchmark to measure and track
genetic progress and help ensure the next calf crop is better than the last.
“Angus Link offers cattle feeders and buyers the ability to incorporate
genetic merit into their buying decisions to help further manage risk and aid
in making profits more predictable,” Engel said. “Whether they are paid on
gain, grade or a combination of the two, Angus Link can be used to identify
cattle that have the genetic ability to perform successfully in their system.”
Three scores will be given to each group of calves that are enrolled:
beef score, feedlot performance score and grid score. The foundation of the
scores are the Association’s dollar value indexes — $B (beef value), $F
(feedlot value) and $G (grid value), respectively. The three Angus Link scores
are presented on a scale of 0 to 200, with the industry average feeder calf
scoring 100 for each of the three scores.
Pricing is $4.50 per head enrolled. As an incentive to encourage early
enrollment in Angus Link, participants contributing to the first 50,000 head
enrolled will have an introductory enrollment fee of $4 per head, and the 50
cent-per-head savings will be reciprocated for each of their sequential
enrollment groups if they continue to enroll their calves into the program each
year.
Special pricing is available for
participants who elect to dual-enroll their calves or yearlings in Angus Link
and AngusSource®. To learn more about the program, go to www.AngusLink.com, or you can read more about Angus Link
in the latest Angus Beef Bulletin here.
— Written
by Clint Mefford, Angus Communications
ANGUS MEANS
BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is
the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members
across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an
extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The
Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others
who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality
beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and
the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.
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