Agricultural News
Angus Cattle Dominate the Market, But Is It the Right Breed for Your Operation?
Fri, 06 May 2016 17:28:11 CDT
With the popularity - and profitability - of branded beef programs like Certified Angus Beef, it can be tempting for producers to overlook other breeds of cattle. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Livestock Specialist Dr. Joe Paschal says that while Angus cattle have some advantage in the marketplace, it's important to consider your geographic location and your personal bottom line before going all black.
"If you look at what it cost to run a cow, about a third of it is forage cost, and about a third of it's feed cost and a third of it's everything else," he says. "So if you're having to feed your cows, that means they don't match the environment.'
Paschal says your calf crop is also a good indicator of compatibility between a breed of cattle and the environment.
"If you don't have top production - I'm not talking 100 percent calf crop - buy if you're not up there around 88 to 90 percent calf crop, and if you don't have really high weaning weights, there's some problems in terms of the match of your genetics with your location," he says.
If producers are located in a suitable area, raising Angus or Angus-influenced cattle to meet the required CAB genetic and carcass traits could be a smart marketing move.
"When Certified Angus Beef came on board and buyers started paying a little bit of a premium for those black-hided cattle, it seems like every breed kind of went black overnight," Paschal says. "And I can't blame them because that's another 25 or 30 bucks per head."
To find more information about the Certified Angus Beef program, go to CABPartners.com.
Paschal talks more about pros and cons of America's dominant Angus breed during the latest edition of the Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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