Bastrop, Texas: June 2004 - The Brahman Influenced Marketing Group’s (BIM) June 23rd sale in Bastrop, Texas continued the group’s emphasis on marketing Brahman cross feeder cattle. Like the others, this June sale featured preconditioned Brahman F-1 steers, co-mingled and sorted into uniform quality and weight groups but also included several other classes of Brahman influenced cattle as well as a group of Charolais sired heifers out of Brahman F-1 cows.

While this spring’s strong market didn’t do anything but help as far as prices were concerned it certainly didn’t help with overall numbers. The strong calf market took a large portion of the calves that were originally consigned in the weeks leading up to the late June sale date. The nine Louisiana and Texas consignors that held firm and brought their calves to Bastrop were well paid for their good genetics and the professional job they did in preconditioning. The groups with an average weight of 374 pounds averaged 129.00. The four weight steers, (one group averaged 438 and the other averaged 460), brought an average price of 123.50. Two groups of steers averaging 545 and 546 pounds brought 121.00 and 119.5 respectively. The six weight steers sold for over 110.00. The seven weight steers were in the 105.00 range and one group of heavy eight hundred pound steers brought 100.00. There were several 900 pound steers in that particular set! One feature consignment of 62 head of fancy Brahman x Hereford steers netted $772.00 per head. One group of nice pure Brahman steers weighing 600 pounds brought 97.00 and all of the Brahman steers averaged over 90.00.

The sale was well attended, and several buyers left empty handed. Previous buyers in attendance said that the steers they have purchased from the BIM group have performed exceptionally well.

BIM was founded by Dr. Charles Graham of Elgin, Texas and is dedicated to a marketing concept of a member-producer base that produces cattle of known (verifiable) genetics and management guidelines. The group’s goal is to provide buyers with steers that are “source verified hybrid cattle” produced under similar management conditions. Steers must be knife cut, de-horned or tipped, weaned a minimum of 45 days prior to the sale; vaccinated with a 4-way and a 7 or 8-way clostridial at weaning, then again within 14 to 21 days; and provided with high quality nutrition. In addition, the steers must be tagged with an electronic ear tag which is provided at cost. Participants must be paid members of BIM, but everyone is welcome to consign steers and have the cost for their membership and electronic ear tags held out of their sale proceeds.

Our fall sale will be held on November 13th. Last fall’s sale was a tremendous success with exceptionally high prices across all weights and classifications. The weaning deadline will be September 30th. Call with numbers and classification estimates. Remember that we now accept all Brahman cross and American breed steers as well as terminal heifers out of Brahman F-1 cows. Several of our members have reported netting up to and over $120.00 more per head through the BIM marketing program. More importantly this concept gives consignors an opportunity to compare their calves to the best produced in the Gulf Coast states. Watching these good steers move through the ring in truck load lots is inspiring.

For more information and to consign cattle contact BIM field representative Joe Brockett at 254/533-2722 or email him at jebrockett@earthlink.net.

In January 2003 a sample 36 head of Spring-born calves were available on a stocker-grazing program of native pasture with limited volunteer ryegrass. Supplemental whole cottonseed (2-3 lbs./hd/day) and free choice native grass hay were fed daily. Excessively wet conditions in October, November and December had limited effective pasture usage. Both steer and heifer calves were represented and the age was about 11 months as all calves were born in February and March. Calf breeding was either three-breed crossbred or a four-breed composite breeding. Two Angus bulls and a Simmental-Red Angus F-1 bull were used on Red Poll-Brahman F-1 cows to produce the calves. All calves were weaned, dewormed and dehorned in mid-September and received regular preconditioning vaccinations. Bull calves were castrated at birth and no implants were used on the ranch. In January a sample 7 head of the heavier steers and one freemartin heifer were sold at auction averaging 708 pounds with an average gross of $508 per calf after all marketing costs were paid. Since the BIM group was just newly formed a decision to retain the remaining calves and feed them was made to demonstrate that a small herd producer could feed cattle as a marketing alternative. Replacement heifers were selected from the short yearlings and 23 head (14 steers and 9 heifers) remained.

Jay Gray, Graham Land and Cattle Company, was contacted and arrangements made to ship the cattle and place them on feed under a fully financed program. No expenses were paid until all cattle were sold at slaughter. The cattle were shipped on February 5, 2003 at an average weight of 650 pounds at arrival at the feedlot. Prior to shipment a representative of a local sale barn appraised the cattle at $75 cwt. After expected commission costs this represented a $468 per head value.

The mixed sex lot was fed as a ranch group. Cattle were processed upon arrival, reimplanted at 64 days on feed and fed for 170 days. They were expected to sell at 160+ days but the arrival of a hurricane at the packing plant delayed shipment and extended feeding to 170 days. The mixed lot total gain was 545 pounds per head (3.2 ADG) with a DM conversion of 6.55. Off feed weight averaged 1244 pounds with a payweight of 1195 pounds per head. The cattle sold in the meat at $1.19 cwt and dressed 65.08%. This converted to a $77.36 value on payweight. Final closeout of the feeding account resulted in a feed cost of gain at $56.06 cwt and a total cost of gain of $60 cwt. This calculates into a realized value of $92 cwt on the original 650-pound weight. A net gain of $127 per head was realized over the appraised value of $468 had the calves been sold in January. The gross return per head to the ranch was $595 per head.

This example illustrates a very positive return. It also reflects cattle that gained well, stayed healthy and no adverse feeding problems or market changes impacted returns. It demonstrates a marketing alternative. However, as a producer the cattle were at risk for an additional 6 months. These cattle were above average in growth performance and this resulted in the positive returns. Individual carcass data were also available to the ranch at no added expense.

Bill Turner, BIM Commercial Cattle Representative (979) 828-4567

bimcattle@yahoo.com