SOUTHERN LIVESTOCK STANDARD
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019
PAGE 1B
Brought to you by American Simbrah Breeders
Simbrah-SimGenetic Summit provides producers with information on carcass project testing, feeding cattle and more By Martha Hollida Garrett The second annual Simbrah-SimGenetic Summit was held Oct. 18th at Graham Land and Cattle, Gonzales, Texas and drew a crowd representing four states. The day featured information on the American Simmental Association’s (ASA) Carcass Expansion Project (CXP) and keys to understanding the feedlot business and a tour of Graham Feed Yards. The event coincided with the drop-off dates for the next CXP at Graham, so several attendees brought their cattle for the current test. Luke Bowman , ASA’s director of member events and international operations opened the day’s events with introductions, a preview of the day’s schedule and the importance of events like this for the breed. Vaccinations and health
protocols for herds was the first topic of discussion. Keith Hedemon, area Zoetis representative, presented options and walked producers through various practices and answered questions about vaccination programs. He provided insight on why vaccinations are important, the difference in dollars returned per head relative to number of treatments and the advantages of using modified live vaccines versus killed vaccines. Dr. Joe Paschal, Texas A&M University beef specialist, who evaluated the carcasses from the Graham CXP 2019-2019 test, provided results to the crowd and discussed the attributes of the Simbrah breed in this sector of the industry. He reported 85 head from participating Simbrah breeders were fed at
The feed yard tour included live cattle handling and processing.
Graham Feed Yards. The cattle were sold and the data was collected in June and July of 2019. Although harvested at a small size, the cattle had an average carcass weight of 798 lbs., and ribeye area of 15.0 sq. inches. This resulted in an astonishing 1.89 REA/ CWT. The average dressing percent was 61.6%, and the average marbling 448, resulting in a QG 707 making more than 40% of the cattle Choice or higher. But yield is certainly the advantage the average Simbrah brings to the table and the resulting average was a remarkable Yield Grade 1.9. He also walked the breeders through some of the procedures in harvest and how the carcasses were handled and the various measurements achieved. He also presented a section on drought time nutritional management and outlined various scenarios feeding different protein sources, relative to hay quality. He encouraged attendees to think outside the box on supplementation and to always have their hay tested. “Supplement requirements should be based on weather, pasture and grazing conditions, physiologi-
cal status, supplement supply, fecal pads and body condition scores, ” he stressed and he presented information on how to combine feeds and to determine costs for the coming winter months. Following lunch, Jay Gray, Graham Land & Cattle general manager, talked about the history of the Graham operation and the feedlot business. He provided information on joint ownership and how tests like this one conducted by the ASA provide education. He did a walkthrough of the test procedures and how the CXP cattle would be handled at their location. “Our best cattle come from people like you— people who own the bull and female that produced them. You care about everything that goes into your calves and that sets them on the road to have
Jay Gray, general manager of Graham Land and Cattle was a presenter at the SimbrahSimGenetic Summit.
better carcasses and higher feed efficiencies,” he said. Bowman concluded the classroom portion of the Summit with a discussion on EPD accuracy and the benefits of genomics. “The ASA has invested several hundred thousand dollars, more than any other breed association, into discovering more on the genetic information on
carcass cattle through a new program called the CXP,” he stated and added, “Genomic testing young or virgin cattle accelerates our decision making on which animals to keep and which to cull. There is an upfront cost in collecting and submitting the samples, but the savings on resources by earlier culling pays for the
Dr. Joe Paschal with Texas A&M University Extension was one of the featured speakers.
Luke Bowman with the American Simmental Association was on hand to facilitate the SimbrahSimGenetic Summit and speak.
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A tour of the Graham Feed Yard concluded the Simbrah-SimGenetic Summit.