home → articles → Producer Feature Stories | Email to a Friend

Designed to produce pounds

published: October 3rd 2008
by: Martha Hollida Garrett

Regardless of all the changes and added technologies in the beef business, the fact remains cattle are sold by the pound. Mound Creek never loses sight of that fact and how vital it is to their customer’s bottom line.
    This registered Brangus operation, headquartered in Leona, Texas has a very strict program for the development of the bulls they sell to commercial cattlemen and has a goal of demanding the most from their genetic design many consider the best in the country.
    “We have to raise the bar on quality with every calf crop and our customers know that is the foundation of our program and they expect this of us,” explains Eddie Blazek, Mound Creek owner.
    “In our opinion our commodity is pounds.  Pounds in a high quality product.   It’s pounds that our customers either sell at weaning or hang on the rail and the genetic design for our bulls is based on this premise. This is one thing that separates our operation from others, as well as our tough development program,” says Tracy Holbert, who is president of the Mound Creek Genetic Partners program and is in charge of the program’s genetic design and marketing.
    Their bull sale, The Cowman’s Kind, features Mound Creek bulls, as well as bulls from their genetic partners, who include Miller Brangus, Waynes-boro, Tennessee; Black-water Cattle Co., Lake Park, Georgia; 4C Brangus, Texarkana, Texas; and Red Bird Meadows Ranch, Montgomery, Texas along with a number of long time bull cooperators. Each genetic partner and bull cooperator implement the same Mound Creek genetic design as the parent Mound Creek program.   The 250 head Cowman’s Kind Bull Sale is held annually in late October, and by sale time hours too many to count and over two years of development is invested in each bull.
     “The development of our bulls starts about nine to ten months prior to calving when breeding decisions are made. This is where we put forth great effort to genetically design a better group of beef bulls. Actually the process really started years and years ago when we designed and produced their sires, dams and granddams,” explains Holbert.
     Once a bull calf hits the ground it begins the Mound Creek program and will have to pass seven tests in order to be sold in the sale.
    Within 12 hours of birth each calf is documented for date of birth, birth weight, leg length, assigned a hair color code, tagged with sire and dam information, and noted for sex. Three to four months later all calves are started on creep feed and vaccinated for clostridial, viral complex, pasturella, vitamins, minerals, and de-wormed. Just prior to weaning all calves are given boosters for the disease related vaccinations and de-wormed once again. Immediately after the calves are split from their mothers at weaning they are individually weighed, while confirming sex, scurs and color codes.
    All weaned calves are dried out on medicated feed for two weeks. Then they remain in a warm up period for about two weeks on their intended gain test feed. The bull calves are weighed again and put on gain test. Gain test feed is designed to achieve about 3.25 lbs. daily gain. The bulls are gain tested in 25 to 30 acre pastures, which is a larger area than most breeding programs use. These bigger gain test pastures insure the bulls will exercise and forage at will, while providing a cleaner, healthier environment for this important development stage.
    At yearling time the bulls are weighed, testicle size is measured, soundness is evaluated, and they are scored for quality and ultrasound measured for carcass merit. The yearling bulls are vaccinated for clostridials, respiratory, and de-wormed along with vitamin and mineral vaccinations.
    Upon completion of gain test, the spring bulls that have made the cut are turned in the biggest and roughest pastures Mound Creek has as they call it   “The Wilderness.” The bulls are allowed to cool down from the gain test, and their development is monitored through the late spring and summer.
    “This wilderness monitoring period is our most important time frame because it separates the “men” from the “boys”. It helps us identify those bulls capable of fault-free use in any ranch environment,” says Blazek.
    In late summer the bulls that have passed all the tests are marked for the “The Cowman’s Kind” Bull Sale.
    “At each step of our selection and culling process particular attention is always given to soundness of hoof and leg along with their ability to withstand wear and tear in this rough and forage intensive environment. We sell a fault free product,” emphasizes Holbert.
    Since the fall yearlings are brought off gain test just prior to the bull sale they do not go through our “Wilderness” development program. However, the yearlings still have to pass the same number of tests as all other sale bulls. To make the final step to the sale ring all bulls, including the fall yearlings, must pass their Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BSE), which includes actual semen test, physical examination, and testicle measurement. Those that fail this BSE test are immediately culled and sold for slaughter only. Also prior to the sale, all bulls are Brucellosis tested, de-wormed, and vaccinated with Cattle Master 4 along with Vibrio/Lepto 5.
    “We ask the bulls to pass seven tests. There is not another set of bulls in the country that has to make as many cuts as this to survive our standards. These ranch raised bulls have more demanded of them and expected from them than any other group of sale bulls in the country,” says Holbert. Pointing out the following seven tests:
    • First they are culled at weaning time if they don’t measure up or weigh up off their mother.
    • Second time bulls are culled when weighed on gain test and fail quality control and structural soundness standards.
    • Third time culls are made when weighed and measured off gain test for bulls failing soundness, testicle, performance, ultrasound, and quality measurements.
    • Fourth level culls happen in early summer while in the middle of “The Wilderness” treatment due to marginal hardiness, soundness, fleshing ability and post gain test performance.
    • Fifth time culls are sorted out when “The Cowman’s Kind” sale selections are made. Sale bulls are again monitored for soundness, vigor, hardiness, and quality.
    • Sixth time culls failed an intensive breeding soundness evaluation with a last evaluation for overall quality.
    • Finally, they are screened for the seventh time on the day we actually place them in sale display pens. Final and absolute evaluations are made for all traits of importance.
    Blazek is quick to point out that following these seven tests and the sale, then the bulls have the most important test ahead and that is to satisfy the Mound Creek customer and make or keep as a repeat customer.
    “We have a passion for this business and a true seedstock producer has a responsibility to breed bulls that will work. Our main job is to have satisfied customers,” he stresses.
    In addition to bulls, the Mound Creek sale offers commercial Brangus females from their customers and this year’s offering will have about 175 head from five of their long time customers.
    In addition, this upcoming fall sale will provide registered breeders with a unique opportunity as a select group of registered females sell this year. Normally the registered females are marketed in their production sale in May.
    “The Mound Creek program and that of our genetic partner Miller Brangus have made the decision to move to an spring calving based herd, so we are selling the fall calvers, which include females from the heart of each herd, as well as donors. In addition one of our long time customers, MTG Brangus will be selling their females, as owner Herb Murray has decided its time to retire. Registered breeders will be able to acquire some proven genetics in this offering,” explains Holbert.
    Mound Creek has 20 years invested in their genetics and program and initially wanted to be in the registered business because they liked the cattle.
    “Once we got in, our goals changed. We realized it was not enough just to be a multiplier of registered cattle and we immediately set out to be at the top of the breed for quality, and to produce the best bulls we can. This doesn’t happen overnight and we feel that is also an area that sets us apart. We have two decades of experience, knowledge and dedication to producing a product that is on the leading edge. We have a responsibility to our customers when you consider the long term implications and impact a purchase from us has on their program,” says Blazek.
    “Mound Creek is in this for the long term. Eddie Blazek is not going anywhere but forward with the program and his customers can count on him being here to help them produce those important pounds,” concludes Holbert.