Marketing Update by Katie Martin, Commercial Marketing Coordinator
Red Angus Females: The Future of Your Cowherd As we head into the fall, we are certainly coming off a summer of incredibly strong prices in the video auction market. As the marketing team traveled to video auctions across the country, most reported prices were $10 to $15 higher per hundredweight compared to similar lots marketed at the same time last year. I was reminded several times throughout this summer of the unique ability of Red Angus heifer calves to narrow the price margin compared to their steer mates, and at times, even surpass them. It’s a strength unique to the Red Angus breed and should not be overlooked when considering the return value of a Red Angus calf crop
compared to other breed types. This observation is validated in a study performed by Kansas State University using price data from Superior Livestock Auction summer video sales in the summer of 2020. The study showed Red Angus-sired heifer calves sold higher than heifers of any other breed type – $4.75 more per hundredweight than Charolais-sired heifers and with a $6.49-per-hundredweight advantage over Black Angus-sired heifers. With the Red Angus female as the foundation and profit driver of the herd, great care should be taken to retain only the best females. Replacement heifer selection is arguably one of the most challenging, yet also most
important, decisions to be made by cow-calf producers. For commercial producers raising their own replacement heifers, maternal traits significantly impact the bottom line and should be the primary focus of selection emphasis. Phenotypic selection for these traits at decision time is not only difficult but nearly impossible, given these traits are expressed later in life. An excellent solution to this conundrum is RAAA’s Red Navigator test, which grants commercial producers a glance at each female’s genetic potential. Red Navigator is a breed-specific DNA test trained against a population of commercial Red Angus females, and is recommended for use
Special FCCP Red Angus Feeder Calf Sale Calendar Date Oct. 1 Oct. 6 Oct. 7 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 15 Oct. 18 Oct. 19 Oct. 20 Oct. 21 Oct. 26 Oct. 28 Oct. 28 Nov. 1 Nov. 3 Nov. 4 Nov. 4 Nov. 4 Nov. 5 14
FCCP Sale Bagley Livestock Exchange - Bagley, MN Sidney Livestock Market - Sidney, MT Valentine Livestock - Valentine, NE Crawford Livestock Market - Crawford, NE Billings Livestock Commission - Billings, MT Crawford Livestock Market - Crawford, NE Rugby Livestock Auction-Rugby, ND Lewistown Livestock Auction Torrington Livestock Markets - Torrington, WY Valentine Livestock - Valentine, NE Mobridge Livestock - Mobridge, SD Ogallala Livestock Auction Market - Ogallala, NE Glasgow Stockyards Inc. - Glasgow, MT Faith Livestock Auction - Faith, SD Hub City Livestock - Aberdeen, SD Bagley Livestock Exchange - Bagley, MN Broken Bow Livestock - Broken Bow, NE Valentine Livestock - Valentine, NE LaCrosse Livestock - LaCrosse, KS
RED ANGUS Magazine October 2021
Contact Billy Bushelle Tim Larson Greg Arendt Jack Hunter Ty Thompson Jack Hunter Cliff Mattson Kyle Shobe Lex Madden Greg Arendt Jason Anderberg Dwayne Mays Iva Murch Dace Harper Glen Gaikowski Billy Bushelle Todd Eberle Greg Arendt Frank Seidel
Phone 218-694-3701 406-450-2666 402-376-3611 308-665-2220 406-245-4151 308-665-2220 701-771-8314 406-366-0472 307-532-3333 402-376-3611 605-845-3622 308-284-2071 406-228-9306 605-967-2200 605-225-3273 218-694-3701 308-870-1783 402-376-3611 785-222-2586
