Galen, Lori & Megan Fink • 15523 Tuttle Creek Blvd. • Randolph, Kansas 66554
785-293-5106 (phone and FAX) • finkbull1@twinvalley.net
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Fink Beef Genetics News
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 Megan Fink showed the Champion Charolais Female at the 2008 Sunflower Classic Spring Beef Show held in Hutchinson, KS. |
 Megan Fink showed the Reserve Champion Charolais Female at the 2008 Northern Exposure Show held in Belleville, KS |
 Megan Fink showed the Reserve Supreme Champion Heifer at the 2008 Cowboy Classic Spring Beef Show held in Dighton, KS. Her September 2007 bred and owned heifer had been earlier named Champion Charolais Female. |
 At the recent 2008 Membership meeting of the AICA in Kansas City, Missouri, members were recognized by area for the top numbers in Charolais registrations. From left to right area: Marilou Wegner, AICA Recording Secretary; Roger Curfman, Area 10: Lee Eaton, AICA President; Arnold Wienk, Area 7; Megan Fink, Randolph, Kansas, Junior registrations for 2007; Dean Churchill; Area 8; Mitch Thomas, Area 5; and Neil Orth, AICA Executive Vice-president. Megan also won this same award last year. |
 Megan Fink won Intermediate Champion Showmanship honors at the 2007 KSU Block and Bridle Kick-Off Show held in Hutchinson, KS. |
 Megan Fink showed the Reserve Champion AOB Female at the 2007 KSU Block and Bridle Kick-Off Show in Hutchinson, KS. |
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 Megan Fink won Intermediate Champion Showmanship honors at the 2007 Kansas Angus Futurity Junior Show. Ty Goosen, Hillsboro, was Reserve. |
 Megan Fink showed the Reserve Champion Composite Charolais Female at the 2007 National Western Stock Show. The heifer, MS Romona 06152, was bred by Triple S Farms, Marysville, KS. |
 Megan Fink showed Megans Legend 5717 to Sr. Bull Calf Champion honors at the 2007 National Western Stock Show in Denver. This fall 2005 son of Wyoming Wind was a bred and owned ET bull that Megan raised. |
16th Annual Fink Beef Genetics Angus and Charolais Bull Sale Results
 Galen Fink (second from left) visits with out of state bull customers prior to the start of the Fink Beef Genetics Annual Bull Sale held November 15 at the new sale barn facility near Randolph, Kansas.  Viewing Angus bulls prior to the start of the Fink Bull Sale.  Bull sale dinner served in new sale facility.  Larry and Sharon Wickstrum, Westmoreland, attended the Fink Beef Genetics Bull Sale. Wickstrums also consigned several head of commercial Angus heifers to the Fink Commercial Female Sale held the night before. |
A cold blustery day didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 400-plus buyers and onlookers at the 16th Annual Fink Beef Genetics Bull Sale held November 15, 2006, near Randolph, KS. A total of 276 head of fall yearling Angus, Charolais, and F1 Angus-Charolais bulls sold in just under 3 1/2 hours to buyers in 14 states. Over 90% went to repeat buyers. Cattlemen appreciated the Fink program of growing bulls for the 2# per head per day gain, full BSE exams at 12 months assuring fertility, plus emphasis on sound feet and legs. The high accuracy, balanced approach to EPDs in all traits resulted in dependable genetics that work in all environments. The new sale facility allowed cattlemen to view the bulls in large pens for their selections. 186 head of fall yearling Angus bulls averaged $3,489. 74 head of fall yearling Charolais bulls averaged $3,317; and 16 head of Charolais-Angus composite bulls averaged $3,016. Top sellers in the Angus division included Lot 19, a son of New Design 036, going to CA Ranch, Montana, for $9,000. CA Ranch also purchased an Alliance 6595 son for $8,000 for their well-known operation. Smith Angus, Nebraska, selected a Boyd New Day son for $6,750 and Hilliard Brothers, Florida, selected a Bushwacker 41-93 son for $6,750. Mike Renfro, Kansas, chose a son of Bon View New Design 878 for $6,250. Three Charolais bulls tied for top-selling bull honors. Lot 197, a September 2005 son of Wyoming Wind 4020, brought $5,000 going to Cliff Raile, St. Francis, KS. Hilliard Brothers, Florida, purchased Lot 209, an August 2005 son of Eatons Predictor, for $5,000. Crusier Crews, Florida, selected Lot 211, a son of M6 Grid Maker 104, for $5,000. Many Fink customers took advantage of the many marketing programs started in 1995 for customers, along with affliations of many alliances that benefit Fink customers. Fink customers sold nearly 800 head of open and bred females on November 14th, the evening preceeding the bull sale before a crowd estimated at 500. Bidding was also available by the internet on Superior Productions. Col. Ted Odle sold the offering in this 10th annual sale sponsored by Finks. The bull selling duties were handled by Col. Jim Birdwell and Col. Ted Odle. Fink Beef Genetics is owned by Megan, Lori and Galen Fink who were recognized in 2006 by the NCBA as the 18th largest seedstock operation in the U.S. Customer service reps are Gene Barrett and Barrett Broadie. |
Finks Host First Charolais Female Production Sale
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October 6, 2006, was the date for the First Fink Beef Genetics Charolais Female Production Sale held at Randolph, KS. A warm and sunny fall day greeted the large crowd of Charolais enthusiasts who attended the event. Galen, Lori and Megan Fink hosted the first ever Charolais female production sale with the help of Anna and Gene Barrett. Greg Clifton, TX, served as auctioneer. Cattle sold into 14 states. 72 female lots grossed $179,050 to average $2,487. The breakdown was 1 flush on the lot 1 female, Swegle Creek Olympia, going for $2,500 to Lisa Dunnaway, Dover, DE. 39 bred cows averaged $2,146; 26 pairs averaged $2,919; 6 donor females averaged $2,825; 8 frozen embryos averaged $500; and 244 units of semen averaged $72/straw. The top-selling female was Lot 2, Finks Perform 4909 ET, a 2004 daughter of Eatons Predictor, selling one-half interest for $10,000 to C5 Charolais, Plaucheville, LA. Lot 11, an open donor female, Finks Miss 1806 3575, a 2001 daughter of HCR Flash 5074 Polled, brought $6,000 from joint buyers, Brunner Polled Charolais, TX, and C5 Charolais, LA. Lot 67 and 67A were the next high-selling lots. The Lot 67, Miss JV Impressive 05, brought $3,200 from Good Ranches, Barnard, and her January 2006 bull calf brought $2, 500 from Everett Shepard, Stuart, IA, for a total value on Lot 67 of $5,700. C5 Charolais selected a bred heifer, Lot 10 female, Finks Miss 4851 1804 EB, for $4,500. RBM Livestock, Florance, SD, selected Lot 12 and 12A pair for $4,200. The Lot 12 female was a 2001 daughter of HCR Flash 5074 and her September 2006 bull calf was sired by M6 Gain and Grade. Good Farms, Barnard, also selected Lot 9 and 9A, a 2001 daughter of HCR Flash 5074 with an August 2006 heifer calf at side by M6 Gain and Grade, for $4,000. In the semen auction part of the sale, Lot 78, 6 straws of LHD Ali Mark T214 sold for $250/straw to Rod Trash, Ashdown, AR. Brunner Polled Charolais, Grandview, TX, purchased Lots 76 and 77, 16 units of semen on LT Wyoming Wind 4020 for $225/straw. Lance Bruna, Barnes, selected 4 frozen embryos for $500 each on Lot 106, eggs out of M6 MS E46’s Duke 248 sired by M6 Grid Maker 104. Bruner Polled Charolais, TX, selected 4 frozen embryos out of the same female, only sired by WCR Sir Duke 761. |
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 Megan Fink, Manhattan, showed her May 2005 heifer, JASR Sahara 50R, to Reserve Champion Charolais Heifer honors at the 2006 Wild Bill Beef Shoot Out Spring Beef Show held in Abilene. Megan was also named Champion Senior Beef Showman.
November 1, 2005 (Topeka) The Kansas Beef Council has announced its new winners of the KBC Beef Backer Awards. The Little Apple Brewing Company won the “Best Beef Appetizer” category with “Steak and Black Bean Steak Nachos.”
Megan showed the Champion Charolais Female in the State Fair 4-H Junior Show with Swegle Creek Olympia ET, a February junior yearling. |
 Megan won Reserve Grand Champion Owned Heifer honors at the National Jr. Charolais Show with her February 2005 heifer, Swegle Creek Olympia ET. |
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 Megan (right) was a member of the Reserve Champion Intermediate Fitting Team from Kansas at the recent National Jr. Charolais Show held in Hutchinson, KS. Megan also placed third high individual in the Intermediate Showmanship Contest. Megan Fink Earns Junior Bronze & Silver Awards
Megan Fink, Manhattan, Kan., has earned the National Junior Angus Association’s (NJAA) Bronze and Silver Awards, according to James Fisher, director of activities and junior activities for the American Angus Association in St. Joseph, Mo. Megan, the 14-year-old daughter of Galen and Lori, is a freshman at Riley County High School. She is active in the NJAA and the Kansas Junior Angus Association. She has also shown her Angus in numerous shows at the local, state, and national levels. She has participated in mentoring program and photography, poster, graphic design and the quiz bowl at the National Junior Angus Show. Megan is active in the Kansas 4-H program, and has earned the Riley County beef award the past two years. She is a member of the Kansas Junior Angus Association and has been a member of the NJAA since 1990. The Bronze and Silver Awards are the first two levels of the National Junior Angus Association Recognition Program that began in 1972. Junior Angus breeders must apply for the awards and then meet point requirements in many areas of participation before receiving the honors. Applicants are evaluated in the areas of junior Angus association activities, participation in showmanship and leadership competitions, using performance testing to improve their herd and their progress in producing and merchandising Angus cattle. The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle, while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for nearly 11,000 members nationwide. © 2004 American Angus Association, all rights reserved. |
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For the fourth year in a row, Little Apple Brewing Co. was voted the "Best Steak" by area residents in the Manhattan Mercury's Reader's Choice Awards in February 2005. Broadie Joins Fink Beef Genetics As Customer Service Rep
Manhattan, KS (March 19,2004) - Fink Beef Genetics (FBG), a Black Angus and Charolais seedstock company, has added Barrett Broadie as a Customer Service Representative for FBG effective immediately.
“Barrett brings a wealth of experience and a solid reputation in the beef industry to Fink Beef Genetics,” Galen and Lori Fink, owners of FBG, said in making the announcement. “That experience and reputation will serve FBG well as we continue to develop strategies to promote and market our Angus and Charolais genetics to current and prospective customers.
Broadie has served as a full time sales representative for Superior Livestock Auction since 1992 and will continue in that capacity in addition to working with FBG customers.
“In addition to being a fifth generation stockman in Clark County, Kansas, Barrett’s work with Superior Livestock has enabled him to meet beef producers from across the United States and given him a better understanding of the genetic needs of commercial cow-calf producers,” Galen Fink added. “He has helped producers market approximately 130,000 head of cattle through Superior Livestock. In this new position for Fink Beef Genetics, Barrett will have responsibility for working with current and prospective FBG customers to develop genetic and marketing plans as well as for overall customer service.”
Broadie and his wife, Lori, own and operate a commercial cow herd and stocker operation near Ashland, KS, along with their children, Raegan, 15; Colt, 9; and Austin, 1. He will continue to office out of his home.
Fink Beef Genetics is a leading supplier of Black Angus and Charolais carcass trait genetics to the U.S. commercial cow industry. It is a Qualified Seedstock Supplier member of U.S. Premium Beef, Ltd., and has had customers market cattle through Angus marketing programs including Angus America and Angus GeneNet. In addition, FBG has alliances with numerous commercial feedlots including Lane County Feeders, Pratt Feeders, Decatur County, CSA Cattle Company, David Feedlot, Triangle H Cattle Company, and Kearny County Feeders to assist customers with maximizing the genetic potential from FBG-sired calves. FBG has also sponsored feeder calf sales since 1995 at the Manhattan Commission Company along with commercial female sales since 1996 for customers.
Broadie will be coordinating services with Gene Barrett who has been an FBG commercial rep since 1999.
For more information call Galen or Lori Fink, Fink Beef Genetics, Manhattan, KS, at 785-776-9385, Gene Barrett at 785-286-1891 or Barrett Broadie at 620-635-6128.
Galen Fink Featured Speaker at 2003 KSU Cattleman's Day, Manhattan, KS.
Galen Fink is okay with thinking that he may have stirred up a debate during the 90th annual Cattlemen's Day at Kansas State University, held March 7, 2003.
The way Fink sees it, he's all for anything that helps cattlemen succeed. Fink's tactic was to challenge his fellow producers to think "outside the box." The way cattlemen do business today don't necessarily make then successful tomorrow.
"Get up and do things differently than you do every other day," said Fink, the owner of Fink Beef Genetics of Manhattan.
Fink noted that change in the cattle industry still must be determined by consumers' demands.
"They want a product that tastes good every time and is consistent in size portion, tenderness and flavor," Fink said. "It needs to be fast preparation, easy cleanup and competitively priced."
"Cattlemen," Fink added, "can't assume that consumers will automatically turn to beef for protein in their diet".
"If we don't deliver, they have plenty other protein options, " Fink said. "The consumer will decide if you stay in business - not you. That's not a popular thought among cattlemen," Fink said. "One of cattlemen's most sacred traditions is to protect their independence."
By the year 2010, Fink predicts that many influences - including government intervention, increasing attention to food safety, electronic grading and collecting DNA information on cattle - will make it even more important for cattlemen to develop partnerships and think collectively for the success of their industry.
Fink grouped several potential changes cattlemen will have to consider in the future:Little Apple Brewing Company wins 2002 Beef Backer Award
The Kansas Beef Council has named Little Apple Brewing Company winner of the state's 2002 Beef Backer Award for its dedication to high-quality beef and commitment to offering and merchandising beef. Little Apple also won the Best Ground Beef Menu items with its Black and Bleu Burger.
Little Apple Brewing Company was the overall winner of the contest in 2000 and received honorable mention in 1996.
It has based its success on the consistent premium quality of the Certified Angus Beef® brand and excellent service. Since re-opening in 1995, the restaurant's owners decided to feature only Certified Angus Beef® brand steaks. This summer it upgraded to the Certified Angus Beef® brand for all of its ground beef offerings.
Little Apple Brewing Company's beef menu includes:"The new menu (created this year) has been a smash hit," said Russ Loub, co-owner and general manager. "We added six new beef items, incorporating a lot of the new value-added products from the Certified Angus Beef® brand. With the weaker economy, we are finding that value is a strong motivator for a lot of people. For us, that is premium beef. We added non-beef items too, but the Certified Angus Beef® brand continues to be the dominating item in our sales."
The Certified Angus Beef® brand accounts for 42% of Little Apple Brewing Company's total sales and 50% of its food sales.
The restaurant has 85 staff members and is owned by eight partners, located throughout the United States. Russ Loub has been a co-owner and general manager since April 1995. Majority owners are Galen and Lori Fink and Russ and Kelly Loub.
Galen Fink Awarded 2002 B.I.F. Continuing Service Award
(Manhattan, Kansas)
Galen Fink and his wife, Lori, started in the cattle business in 1977 with one Angus cow and the determination to develop a respected source for quality beef cattle genetics.
Today Fink Beef Genetics is known worldwide as a source for outstanding Angus, Charolais and F1 genetics. Their business incorporates all segments of the beef industry from conception to consumption, including a heifer development business and ownership of a restaurant licensed to sell Certified Angus Beef® products.
The use of high-accuracy proven sires through AI has been important in the development of their herd. They rely on cooperator herds for recipients for more than 1,000 embryos each year to produce calves that are sold private treaty and through an annual production sale. Customer service is also a priority, including feeder calf sales for customers, commercial female sales and relationships with feedlots and alliances.
The Finks have received numerous industry honors, including the 2000 BIF Outstanding Seedstock Producer Award and being honored as the 2001 Kansas State University Alumni fellows for the College of Agriculture.
Fink Genetics Earns Regional Intervet/NCF Vision Award
August 30, 2001
(Denver) - A Kansas beef operation is among three industry leaders named regional winners of the 2002 Intervet/National Cattlemen's Foundation (NCF) Vision Award. The award is given by NCF and sponsored by Intervet.
The 2002 Intervet/NCF Vision Award recognized beef industry leaders who take innovative steps to make their operation more profitable and efficient. Nominees for the award were evaluated primarily on the basis of effective use of available production technology; impact on the cost of production; ingenuity in implementation; successful and innovative marketing; benefit and impact on beef industry; and optimum resource management.
Galen & Lori Fink, Manhattan, Kan. were selected the winner from NCBA Region VII, which covers North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Fink Beef Genetics operates entirely with rented land, purchased feeds and basically no outside labor. The operation has used artificial insemination exclusively since 1977 and implants more than 1,000 embryos each year. In addition to their seedstock operation, the Finks operate a heifer development business and host feeder calf sales for their customers. The Finks opened the Little Apple Brewing Company Restaurant in Manhattan, Kan. nearly 10 years ago. This experience has provided insight into the beef industry from conception to the consumption.
"These are the people who are looking five years into the future and being visionary," said Jeff Baxter with Intervet. "This award has been established to recognize innovative individuals in the beef industry who have excelled in implementing visionary business management practices. All of these regional winners are truly innovators and role models for the next generation of beef producers."
The Kansas Livestock Association and Kansas Beef Council nominated Fink Beef Genetics for the award. Other finalists for the award are Greg Ritter, Glasgow, Ky., NCBA Region I; and Rob Brown, Throckmorton, Texas, from NCBA Region IV. The three regional winners are eligible for the national 2002 Intervet/NCF Vision Award, which will be presented at the 2002 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show in Denver, Colo., February 6-9, 2002.
Galen and Lori Fink named 2001 KSU Ag Alumni Fellows
A Manhattan couple was among 10 distinguished Kansas State University (K-State) alumni honored as 2001 Alumni Fellows.
Galen and Lori Fink, owners of Fink Beef Genetics and Little Apple Brewing Co., represented the College of Agriculture. The Finks were on campus to meet with faculty and presented guest lectures to students Feb. 26 and 27.
KSU Alumni Fellow logoThe Finks started Fink Beef Genetics, a seedstock business, more than 20 years ago. Through successful partnerships with cooperator herds, the Finks implant more than 1,000 embryos each year and have increased the number of bulls they sell annually to more than 200. In 1992, they became the majority owners of Little Apple Brewing Co. Their ownership in this restaurant has given the Finks a complete view of the beef industry from conception to consumption.
The Finks received the Beef Improvement Federation Seedstock Producer of the Year award in July 2000.
Galen Fink received his bachelor's degree in animal science and industry from K-State in 1973. Lori graduated from K-State in 1976 also with a degree in animal science and industry.
Little Apple Brewing Company Honored As State's Best Beef Restaurant
 Little Apple Brewing Company awarded KBC. "Beef Backer" of the year. Pictured above are Jan and Jack Riley, co-owners; Galen and Lori Fink, co-owners; Sharla Stewart, K.B.C.; Russ and Kelly Loub, managers; Nancy and Paul Miller, co-owners. |
(Topeka) – Little Apple Brewing Company has been named winner of the 2000 Beef Backer Award by the Kansas Beef Council (KBC). According to KBC officials, the Manhattan restaurant was selected for its superior leadership, dedication and commitment to menuing and merchandising beef.
Since opening in 1995, Little Apple has made incredible strides in sales volume and reputation due to reliance on high-quality and carefully prepared beef entrees. This hard work has paid off and moved them from the1996 honorable mention winner in the Beef Backer Awards program to the 2000 overall winner.
Little Apple features Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) on the menu. The staff and management’s dedication to beef is most apparent, as beef is present in virtually every category on the menu. The wide variety of menu options include Grilled Sirloin Pizzetta; Mediterranean Steak Salad; Philly Steak Sandwich; a variety of mouthwatering burgers; and CAB® porterhouse, ribeye, KC strip, filet and top sirloin. The only menu category void of beef is the dessert lineup.
“The number of beef items sold in our restaurant leads me to believe that despite the higher price associated with high-quality beef products, customers are making a distinction in the value to price relationship. Customers are willing to pay more for a satisfying beef entrée,” said Little Apple Brewing Company General Manager and Co-Owner Russ Loub. “In every type of advertising we do (radio, print, television, billboard), ‘great beef/great steaks’ is our primary message,” added Loub.
“The beef industry’s goal of providing the consumer a great eating experience every time is accomplished by Little Apple Brewing Company. As cattle producers, we are proud of how our product is presented to the public by this outstanding restaurant,” said Kansas Beef Council Executive Committee Chairman Ron Estes of Atchison. “Little Apple Brewing Company has received several awards for their handcrafted beers. Now they also are known for serving some of the finest beef in the state,” added Estes.
KBC is a beef producer-controlled organization established in 1973 to administer programs utilizing beef check-off dollars in promotion, education and research.
Best of the Breed
Contact: Steve Suther
Certified Angus Beef LLC, Industry Information Division
(785) 889 - 4162
E-mail: CABSteve@aol.com
Best of the Breed winners announced
Ultrasound sorting enhances Angus genetics
By Steve Suther
 Left to right: Richard Jenkins, Merial; Glenn Fischer, AllFlex-USA; John Brethour, ARCH; Amy Fahsholtz, Best of the Breed Coordinator; Kevin Hughes, Agri Beef Co.; John Stika, Certified Angus Beef LLC; and Tracy Thomas, Farmland National Beef/USPB. Except for Brethour and Amy, all those pictured represented sponsors. Additional sponsor not pictured: Drovers magazine. |
 Lori Fink, Fink Genetics, Manhattan, Kan.; Larry and Sharon Wickstrum, Westmoreland, Kan.; and Amy Fahsholtz, Best of the Breed. |
 Richard Bossen, Arcadia, Neb., accepting 3rd place grand prize in Best of the Breed, from Amy Fahsholtz, Best of the Breed coordinator. |
The largest purse ever put up for a beef value contest–a total of $244,500–was awarded Jan. 29 to 26 Angus producers and feeders at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association 2003 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.
The "Best of the Breed" (BoB) Angus challenge was announced at the 2001 Summer Conference in Denver, Colo., and began taking entries that September. Corporate sponsors are Agri Beef Co., Allflex USA, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), Farmland National Beef (FNB), Merial SureHealth®, and Drovers. Cattle were harvested at the FNB plant in Liberal, Kan., and contest winners were evaluated by average beef value per hundredweight of carcass on a set contest grid. Amy Fahsholtz served as contest coordinator.
All of the grand prize winners came from Kansas or Nebraska, and all were sorted at least once by ultrasound technology patented by the organization that came out in first place. Winning the $100,000 top prize was Kansas State University (KSU) Ag Research Center-Hays (ARCH), with an entry of 80 steers from registered Angus bulls worth an average of $132.05/cwt. of carcass. They graded 100% Choice or better with 91% qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, including 32% Prime, and 6% qualified as Farmland Angus Beef™ . There were no discounts of any kind.
"Our herd is about 60% Angus, and we've worked with Dick Janssen at Green Garden Angus on sire testing and ultrasound evaluations since 1989," said ARCH animal scientist John Brethour. Most of the steers were sired by Green Garden bulls, either from the ARCH herd or purchased from Roy Soukup of Ellsworth, Kan. Twenty were purchased from Martin Bland, Luray, Kan., sired by bulls from Gardiner Angus Ranch of Ashland, Kan. ARCH cows carried genetics from several Kansas Angus breeders.
Approximately 280 steers were evaluated by ultrasound in selecting contest entries, Brethour said. The steers were fed a ration based on grain sorghum with boosted protein levels from soybean meal, and no growth implants were used.
Winning $50,000 for reserve champion was Wickstrum Farms, Westmoreland, Kan., with an entry of twice as many steers (160) that came within 13 cents of the top, at $131.92/cwt. All came from Wickstrum cows bred to registered bulls from Fink Angus, Manhattan, Kan., and were fed on the farm.
"We had no idea our cattle would do this well," said Larry Wickstrum, "but when the first sale group went 100% Choice with no [Yield Grade] 4s, we knew that didn't happen every day." BoB rules limited entries to two sale groups, so having to sell a large second group resulted in a few Yield Grade 4s overall. Still, only one steer did not grade at least Choice, and 90% made CAB®, including 37% Prime.
"We could have entered a lot more," Wickstrum said. "When we were sorting by ultrasound, we weren't even halfway through what we planned to scan when we had the 160-head pen full." He never uses growth implants, and the cattle were fed a ration of mainly corn, wheat midds and sorghum silage for about 105 days. They were about 14 months old when harvested in May.
The next three positions for overall value were claimed by Richard Bossen and family, Arcadia, Neb., on Angus type steers of unknown genetic background from the Sandhills region, sorted initially and to outcome group by ultrasound. All of the Bossen cattle were SureHealth® certified, as about a third of all BoB cattle were.
The third-place overall pen of 80 achieved an average value of $131.17/cwt., with a contest high 37.69% Prime within their 84% CAB acceptance overall. Had they managed an extra $.89/cwt. in average value, this set would have won a $100,000 Merial bonus, which went unclaimed because the KSU cattle did not qualify.
Bossen operates a 6,000-head feedlot and buys 12,000 Angus-type cattle each year, from within 100 miles of the central Nebraska yard. Ultrasound sorting is a matter of routine for the business, so it was no problem to sort out the BoB entry pens, Bossen said. All of the steers were implanted with growth promotants on arrival but not reimplanted.
Brethour was a developer of the ultrasound technology patented by KSU and licensed to Cattle Performance Enhancement Co. (CPEC), Oakley, Kan.
"The Kansas Beef Council supported the research that made this possible," Brethour says. "They upgraded our equipment three years ago and asked us to develop technology to go upstream and sort six-weight cattle to outcome groups. This proves that we are able to do that. But I really have to credit the American Angus Association for a program that has been immensely effective in improving carcass quality in their breed.
"My colleagues often say you can go premium Choice and Prime, but you're going to have over-fat cattle," Brethour notes. "This shows that's not true, you can have quality without the external fat. My proportion of Yield Grade 2s to 3s was the same on Primes as on our CAB® cattle." In fact, these were the only BoB cattle to avoid YG 4 and 5.
Bossen's second-high pen of 80 ($130.87) was Region VII Champion, and his son-in-law Bill Garrelt's 80 steers ($130.58) were the regional reserve winner.