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Maine-Anjou Voice ::
Kyla
Nesheim / Jeana Sankey ::
204 Marshall Road :: PO Box
1100 :: Platte City MO 64079-1100
Phone - 816.858.9954 :: Fax - 816.858.9953 ::
E-mail:
voiceeditor@kc.rr.com |
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May/June/July 2007 - Commercial Connection
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We
Can Compete
by Dave Steen, commercial marketing
director
At the time of writing this article,
Maine-Anjou sales are winding down and
the sales have been extremely good. The
acceptance and demand from the
commercial sector has been overwhelming
as an abundance of new faces have filled
the seats to buy Maine-Anjou genetics.
I've had the opportunity to visit with
many of these producers and ask them
about their cow/calf operations. Many of
these producers indicated they are
looking for more muscle, more
performance and cattle that will produce
additional value. To quote one producer,
"I'm looking for a little more kick in
my calves and these Maine-Anjou bulls
look like they can provide that kick!"
To quote another producer, "I saw some
of your feed trial results and it looks
like these Maine-Anjou cattle have what
I need, the ability to improve my
carcass results and add some performance
and still keep them black, but I don't
want any problems." Industry wide, we
often hear feedlot manager's goals of
attaining 70-80% Choice cattle, 70%
Yield Grade 1's and 2's, 0% out cattle
and 65% yields, while converting at a
5.5:1 or less ratio on a dry matter
basis and gaining at or near 3.5-4.5 lb.
per day. It is no small order to produce
cattle that meet all these criteria, let
alone keep the maternal side of the
equation in check. To achieve these
goals, industry experts agree that a
planned crossbreeding program is
necessary. To further substantiate the
value of Maine-Anjou genetics, continued
efforts are being made to collect
carcass and performance data through the
AMAA National Feeding Trials and the
National Sire Test. Results from four
years of trials indicate that
Maine-Anjou influenced calves have the
ability to grade 60-90% Choice, Yield
Grade 1's and 2's in the 50-70
percentile, gains from 3.5-4.5 lb. per
day or more and feed conversions from
5.5-6.5 lb. of dry matter feed per pound
of gain. Feeding trial harvest data from
over 900 head of Maine- Anjou influenced
calves consigned from more than 110
producers have proven that Maine-Anjou
sired cattle can meet or exceed industry
goals.
WE CAN COMPETE!
The Maine-Anjou breed will continue to
play a key role in helping producers
achieve their goals and position their
operations for success in the future.
Producers with the proper genetics who
will fit the market specs and produce a
high quality, consistent product
will be able to experience sustained
high returns like no other time in the
history of the beef industry. I believe
in order for a producer to demand a
premium, he will have to document his
genetics, his management and the past
performance of his cattle in the feed
yard and on the rail. The good news is
if he starts today, a producer can
easily position himself to take
advantage of the changing marketplace.
Source verified genetics will play a
major role in the coming years.
To our seedstock producers,
communication and staying in touch with
your customers are the keys to building
a successful program. Cattlemen are for
the most part very traditional in their
thinking and to make a change in their
commercial programs, they need to be
comfortable in the decisions they make.
Therefore, as seedstock breeders I
encourage you to continue to make
available the cutting edge genetics to
help your customers reach their goals.
Thank you and please call if I can be of
help in any way. Continue to breed with
commitment and direction!
Maines on the Move,
Dave Steen
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