The American Brahman Breeders Association Research and Breed Improvement Committee met on June 30th in Mercedes, Texas. The following is a summary of the meeting.
The 2023 ABBA Bull Test will be held at Texana Feeders in Floresville, Texas. The preferred date of delivery to Texana Feeders for bulls is from February 14th to 16th. Other topics regarding the bull test were also discussed, including the importance of the 14-day pickup window if a bull is culled from the program for any reason. It was suggested to add to the guidelines that if a culled bull is not picked up, or the owner has not made other arrangements with Texana management with-in the 14-day window of notice, that the bull will be taken to the sale barn. A guide line for minimum weights of bulls was also discussed in an effort to discourage the nomination of light weight bulls, as they could have increased compensatory gain which could unduly boost their ADG index. It was decided that HC Neel, ABBA Director of Association Services, will gather and provide more information to the committee at a future meeting as to the recommended minimum weights of bulls.
Ideas for best communication/marketing avenues for the bull test were also discussed. The general consensus was that Facebook, a letter to past and prospective participants, email blasts, and some form of print advertising through popular livestock publications may be the most effective means to get the information out directly to interested breeders. These communications will serve to both increase participation in the bull test, as well as make breeders aware of the subsequent sale that occurs at the end of the test.
The location and timing of the E.A.R. Program, which is a Brahman steer program designed to give the ABBA and American Brahman breeders a greater understanding of how genetics perform within the beef industry, was also discussed. However, additional information will be needed to have a successful program in 2023 and the committee decided to table the discussion until the next conference call meeting.
Ideas for incorporating Register of Renown points into ABBA performance programs (Bull Test, E.A.R. Program) were discussed at length. Following the discussion a subcommittee consisting of Chris Canninenberg, Benton England, HC Neel, IV and Wes Schneider was created. This subcommittee will look into this topic further and develop a proposal. This subcommittee will meet regularly via conference call between now and the November meeting to develop a proposal.
The potential for a performance issue in The Brahman Journal magazine was discussed. It was suggested that staff at the Brahman Journal be contacted by the Research and Breed Improvement Committee to better coordinate information requests and secure dates and deadlines for the information, so that a performance edition could be created. Along with this, it was highly recommended that in this future performance edition of the magazine committee members use and promote inclusion of non-show-based advertisements for themselves and other breeders.
The committee also discussed potential marketing ideas at length. It was suggested that a list of topics be developed through future conference calls and in-person meetings. This list of topics will then be provided to both the Communication and Marketing committees to help collaboratively develop marketing strategies for the future promotion of Brahman cattle.
For more information about these programs and what you can do to support the Research and Breed Improvement Committee contact either HC Neel, IV at hcneel@brahman.org or either of the Research and Breed Improvement Committee chairs, Todd Schindler at texastireandaccessory@gmail.com or Wes Schneider at schneiderbrahmans@gmail.com
