2005 National Angus Conference & Tour

Back to the Basics

Tools for Success
The American Angus Association offers a wealth of selection tools to help commercial and seedstock producers evaluate the merit of individual animals.

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Sally Northcutt, director of genetic research for the American Angus Association, offered an overview of the dollar value indexes ($Values) offered by the Association and insights into prediction tools of the future.

The American Angus Association’s dollar value indexes ($Values) offer a simplified means of multi-trait selection that can help commercial producers avoid the pitfalls of single-trait selection, said Sally Northcutt, director of genetic research. Northcutt spoke before a crowd of about 175 producers during the “Back to Basics” session of the National Angus Conference & Tour Sept. 27, 2005.

The value of an index, Northcutt explained, is that they provide a combination and weighting of multiple traits and their relative economic impact into one value that can be used to rank animals. The Association currently offers four $Values:
• Feedlot Value ($F);
• Grid Value ($G);
• Total Beef Value ($B); and
• Weaned Calf Value.

A component of $W that offers producers further insight into the efficiency of their herds is the Cow Energy Value ($EN), Northcutt said. This index considers the revenue and costs associated with mature cow size and milking ability.

Customizable $Values, which allow producers to change certain assumptions to fit a particular scenario, are also available online, Northcutt said. The Optimal Milk Module allows producers to input cow size, current herd milking ability, annual cow costs and the risk of available feed resources to derive an optimal range of milk expected progeny differences (EPDs) to use in bull selection.

Northcutt also shared insights into genetic prediction tools of the future. Reproduction indexes are a top priority, and Northcutt encouraged producers to submit their breeding records. Research on biological efficiency, which includes cow efficiency, is also a priority.

For more information on decision-support tools available through the American Angus Association, log on to www.angus.org.

— by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.
© Copyright 2005 Angus Productions Inc.

Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270 or shermel@angusjournal.com.

Online Tools
Lou Ann Adams overviews online services and encourages members to provide feedback to help make the site even more useful.

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The American Angus Association continues to expand the resources available to members at www.angus.org. Lou Ann Adams, director of information systems for the Association, presented an overview of some of those services during the Back to Basics session at the 2005 National Angus Conference & Tour in Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 27-29.

As general tips for using the site, Adams pointed out that any words in red indicate you can click on the words to link to a page with more information. Arrows indicate a drop-down menu with more-specific pages from which to select.

By clicking the “Data Searches/Tools” link in the left-hand navigation bar of www.angus.org, producers can find access to several helpful pages, including the $Value Search, the EPD/Pedigree Lookup, Member Lookup, the Optimal Milk Module, the AngusSourceSM listing of feeder calves available for sale and the Bull Listing Service listing of bulls available for sale. Also available are a gestation calculator and an age-in-days calculator, which Adams demonstrated for attendees.

Adams introduced the Angus Education Center, a recent addition to the Web site. The site lists several informational and learning tools. “As you scroll down the page, you’ll see all sorts of modules that you can click through and listen to,” Adams said, using the Tattooing Module as an example.

The Angus Information page (available by clicking the “Angus Info” link in the left-hand navigation bar of www.angus.org) contains links to online versions of several publications offered by the Association, as well as clip art that producers can download for use in promotional materials, Adams explained. By clicking the red “Literature” link at the top of the page, producers can see all the literature available to order through the Association’s communications department. Clicking on a title brings up a page showing a photo of the piece with a description. Clicking the “Add to Cart Button” allows a person to start the process of ordering literature online with a credit card.

“We get ideas for this from our members,” Adams said. “As they ask for things, we try to get them on the Web.” Adams encouraged participants to try out the features and provide feedback.

The above is only a representative sample of the information Adams presented to producers at the Back to Basics session. Adams also demonstrated many of the features of AAA Login. For more information, view the PowerPoint® available now. An audio recording of her presentation will be available on this site Monday, Oct. 3.

— Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.

© Copyright 2005 Angus Productions Inc.

Angus Journal coverage of $Values
For some of the past Angus Journal coverage of $Values and AAA Login, click one of the
following links:

Association Presents Tools

Pinpointing Optimal Milk Levels

By the Numbers, February 2005

By the Numbers, August 2005

$Values Go Interactive

Log in to Angus

Expanding Angus Online

Jack of All Trades

Regional managers offer producers assistance in designing then marketing their seedstock programs.

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Regional Manager Don Laughlin explained to producers how to best utilize the services of their regional manager and how the roles of Association fieldmen have changed over time.

American Angus Association Regional Manager Don Laughlin kicked off the “Back to the Basics” seminar on the first day of the National Angus Conference and Tour in Kansas City, Mo. Laughlin’s talk centered around the role regional managers play and what they can do for Association members.

Laughlin offered a glimpse back into history, describing the first fieldman hired by the American Aberdeen Angus Breeders Association, M.A. Judy of Indiana. He discussed the progression and changes of Angus fieldmen’s duties, leading up to the role they play in today’s fast-paced Angus industry.

Laughlin also explained to the Angus producers present how best to utilize the services of their regional managers, and how to take advantages of the opportunities they present. While many Angus breeders only know them as the “tattoo guys” or ringmen at Angus shows and sales, regional managers, he noted, spend half of their time working on Association projects and services and half their time working with Angus Productions Inc., selling advertisements for the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin and creating interest in the Web Services and Special Services departments.

For new breeders, regional managers are there to help develop goals, avoid pitfalls and discuss unique circumstances about a producer’s region or situation. Regional managers also assist established breeders in projects such as formulating a marketing program or ad campaign and helping them define their breeding program.

With 13 regional managers currently on staff with the Association, Angus producers in the United States always have someone to turn to for help and advice. “We are here to serve you in any way possible,” Laughlin said. “We provide an unbiased source of information about Angus cattle and supporting businesses.”

To find the regional manager nearest you, visit www.angusproductions.com/api_regional.html.

— by Brooke Byrd, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.
© Copyright 2005 Angus Productions Inc.

Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270 or shermel@angusjournal.com.

Driving Demand
Commercial programs identify Angus vs. generic black cattle, helping producers capitalize on Angus equity.

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“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it confuses the marketplace,” said Ty Groshans, assistant director of commercial relations at the American Angus Association.

American Angus Association Assistant Director of Commercial Programs Ty Groshans brought the “Back to the Basics” seminar to a close Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2005, with a discussion of what the Association is doing to drive demand for Angus genetics. Groshans demonstrated how the Association begins increasing the value of Angus genetics, starting with Angus seedstock at the base and moving to Angus-sired feeder cattle and replacement heifers, then finishing with the final product — beef and beef products.

He drew attention to the predominance of the word “Angus” in the current marketplace, showing a series of ads from fast-food restaurants featuring Angus beef. “There is brand equity in the name ‘Angus,’” Groshans noted. “Angus equals beef.”

Because of this increase in popularity of Angus by the consumer, other breeds have started aiming for the Angus target as well, Groshans said. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it confuses the marketplace,” he explained. “What used to be visually identifiable no longer is.”

To differentiate purebred Angus cattle from simply black-hided cattle and to help seedstock producers create opportunities for themselves by creating opportunities for their customers, the Association Commercial Programs Department has developed several programs and services. AngusSourceSM, a tagging and marketing program developed by the Association to document information about Angus genetics, helps drive the demand for registered and transferred Angus bulls.

Groshans provided real-world data showing the advantages of proven Angus genetics and of using these Association programs. Finally, he noted that the Association will continue to look ahead for new opportunities to add value to Angus-sired cattle and, in turn, give that value back to the producers of those Angus sires.

— by Brooke Byrd, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.
© Copyright 2005 Angus Productions Inc.

Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270 or shermel@angusjournal.com.