BEEF Magazine survey highlights what producers want from their seedstock suppliers

In November 2024, BEEF Magazine conducted a reader survey to gain insight into what cow/calf producers look for in their seedstock suppliers, and how these trends have changed since the last survey conducted in 2019.

Survey respondents hailed from coast to coast and the majority indicated they were aged 55 or older. 

Eighty percent of respondents noted they run cow/calf operations with an average herd size of around 280 mother cows, while 13 percent run 50 cows or fewer and four percent run over 1,000 head. 

“Seedstock producers comprised 14 percent of those responding, but we recognize many operations dovetail between commercial and seedstock,” explains Clint Peck in a Jan. 30 BEEF Magazine article. “These numbers were virtually unchanged from a similar survey conducted by BEEF in 2019.” 

Cattle breeds and genetics

According to Peck, a whopping 84 percent of those surveyed utilize British genetics, 70 percent of which are Angus, followed by Red Angus at 20 percent and Hereford at seven percent.

“Forty-eight percent of our respondents said their herds are comprised of a ‘high percentage’ of British breeds or were straightbred British – a slight drift from those responding to the same question, at 55 percent, in 2019,” Peck says.

Producers who run British-Continental crossbred cattle said they mostly use SimAngus, Balancer and Lim-Flex genetics, at 60 percent, 21 percent and seven percent, respectively.

Additionally, only 13 percent of survey respondents noted they plan to make genetic changes in their herds over the next five years, the majority of which plan to increase percentage of British genetics.

Calves and marketing

Peck notes 48 percent of producers who took the survey admitted to running spring-calving herds, while only 17 percent said they exclusively calve in the fall. About one-third – 35 percent – calve in both the spring and fall and, on average, producers indicated their typical calving season lasts 46 to 90 days.

When it comes to marketing, producer strategies were scattered across the board, but the majority – 74 percent – agreed auction markets play an important role on their operations. 

Twelve percent of survey participants said they direct market their backgrounded calves, while 18 percent retain ownership through the feedlot. And, a large 91 percent raise their own replacement heifers.

About one third of respondents also indicated they use some form of value-added marketing, with the majority participating in preconditioning, source of origin and verified genetics programs. 

Breeding programs

Fifty-five percent of producers who participated in the survey said they utilize artificial insemination (AI), two-thirds of which AI both their heifers and mature cows. Sixty-percent of these producers use fixed-time AI, while the other 40 percent use heat detection methods.

For cleanup and/or natural service, respondents use, on average, a ratio of 27 mature cows and 20 heifers per bull.

The majority – 76 percent – purchase their seedstock, 23 percent raise their own bulls and only a small portion lease bulls.

The survey found bull buyers tend to be loyal to their sources, with three-quarters of respondents purchasing from the same supplier for over three years.

“Bull buyers heavily emphasize sires carrying easy calving traits,” Peck reports. “They also select for maternal traits – especially milking ability. Most want actual performance data on birth weight, weaning weight, scrotal measurement, yearling weight and disposition score.”

“Adjusted performance data for weaning weight, yearling weight and yearling scrotal measurement – in this order – were important. When asked about expected progeny differences (EPDs), 82 percent said they want calving ease EPDs, 80 percent want calving-ease direct and 68 percent want weaning weight EPDs,” he adds.

Seedstock information

The BEEF Magazine survey also inquired about seedstock information and preferences, with producers indicating they largely seek Angus, Red Angus and Hereford genetics, as well as SimAngus, Charolais, Simmental, Gelbvieh, Balancer, Shorthorn, Beefmaster and Wagyu.

Prices paid for bulls in 2024 varied greatly but, on average, producers said they paid roughly $4,750. 

Additionally, 60 percent of cattlemen indicated they would like bulls to have a breeding soundness exam, 22 percent said they wanted bulls to be tested for Johne’s disease and 11 percent noted pulmonary arterial pressure scores play a role in their herd bull selection. 

“They also expressed a need for some kind of warranty on their bulls through the breeding season and into the first full year of ownership,” Peck concludes. “One-in-five respondents use genomic tests to select replacement heifers and 30 percent of respondents use a formal in-herd genetic evaluation on their commercial cows.”

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.