My guess is that when you embarked on the journey as an Angus breeder, you had a vision of what success looked like. You likely had some pretty important goals, and I’d guess at least one of them had to do with breeding “your kind” of cows.

Your commercial customers should also have those same kinds of goals. The success of any cattle breeding program hinges on one crucial factor: a clearly defined breeding objective. Without a well-established goal, genetic progress can be inconsistent, and producers may find themselves chasing traits that don’t align with their long-term vision. As a seedstock provider, you can help guide customers in correctly using the tools the Association provides. 

Operations vary greatly across this country, and even within regions of the country. While “make money” is a commonly held goal, “how we make money” is the more elusive topic that takes planning and discipline. 

In the world of Angus genetics, the American Angus Association offers a suite of dollar value indexes ($Values) to help commercial producers tailor their genetic selection to specific production and marketing goals — and make money. These indexes include traits that produce revenue (weight, quality grade, etc.) and some also consider the inputs that generate cost (feed intake, feet, reproductive failure, etc.) The indexes start with a specific breeding objective and then apply national average economic statistics to appropriately weight things like carcass weight, cow maintenance cost and quality grade. 

Understanding how the index breeding objective aligns or differs from your customer’s, as well as considering differences in the revenue and expenses from their outfit, are key to making informed breeding decisions that fit with their needs. The $Values are built on national averages, so it may require you to look at some of the individual component traits and establish independent culling levels on things like milk or mature size.

A breeding objective serves as a road map for a herd’s genetic progress. It should reflect the operation’s environment, feed and labor resources, management style, and market endpoint.  

Maternal weaned calf value ($M) is based on a model where replacements are retained and all cull females and male progeny are sold as feeder calves. 

Beef value ($B) is a terminal index that predicts profitability due to postweaning and carcass traits. 

Combined value ($C) is built with the breeding objective of keeping replacement heifers and feeding out the cull heifers and steer calves through the feedlot and selling them on a quality-based grid. 

Using the right index ensures progress toward the traits most valuable to the operation.

Failing to define an objective can result in unintended consequences. For example, focusing solely on growth traits might lead to larger mature cows, increasing maintenance costs and potentially more open cows. Prioritizing calving ease without considering growth could limit pounds at weaning.

Solely focusing on cow traits could produce a calf that doesn’t fit the needs of the feeder, packer or consumer. By establishing a clear objective, producers can balance multiple traits to optimize both performance and profitability while avoiding making a bull purchase that doesn’t fit the plan. 

Ultimately, the most successful breeding programs are built on consistency and purpose. Helping your customers define their breeding objective and appropriately using the right Angus selection tools also makes you an invaluable resource that helps them meet their operational goals.