In the Sale ring, perception is reality
^{_{High Plains Journal 6-16-03
text and photos used with permission}}

by Doug Rich

Perception is reality, particularly when it comes to the market value of black-hidedcattle over red- or white-hided cattle.

A set of calves that are not uniform in color will sell at a discount to a uniform set of calves, even when they are out of the same cowherd. It has been proven that black cattle sell better than red or white, and black whiteface cattle sell better than black cattle.

The Black Hereford Association has been developed to take advantage of that fact.

John Gage, a well-known Kansas City lawyer and Hereford breeder who owned Blue Jacket Herefords, in Eudora, KS, incorporated the Black Hereford Association as a non-profit corporation in 1994. Gage had asked the American Hereford Association to allow a sub-registry for Black Hereford cattle, but they turned him down. At that point, Gage established a new breed registry for Black Hereford cattle.

In 1997, Joe Hoagland and his wife, Norma, purchased most of the cattle recorded in the breed and the association.

Hoagland began raising registered Hereford cattle in 1978. In 1992, he added a herd of registered Angus cows to his operation. At one time, he had 200 registered cows and was selling 40 bulls a year, at the annual production sale, at his ranch headquarters, near Leavenworth, KS. Hoagland also owns the Gunbarrel Ranch, in Waubunsee County, where he runs up to 1,200 head of steers every year.

"The typical cross between a Hereford and a n Angus will result in about 25% of those calves being red whiteface," says Hoagland. "Separate the red whiteface calves off, sell them separately and they will bring about $10 a head less than the black-hided calves. That is the commercial aspect of this breed."

It has taken nearly 10 years to develop a breed of Black Hereford cattle that will consistently hold the black color. "We have used the same methodology that has been used by other breeds," says Hoagland. The process starts by breeding a registered Hereford to a registered Angus to get an F-1 cross. This F-1 cross is then bred to a registered Hereford to get a three-quarter blood black-whiteface calf. That three-quarter blood cross is then bred to another F-1 cross to get a five-eights-blood calf. "A five-eights blood will hold the black color," says Hoagland.

"Our goal is to breed a homozygous Black Hereford animal," says Hoagland. "Once we have done that, all the calves out of that bull will be black."

Basically, there were two approaches Hoagland could have taken in developing Black Hereford cattle. The first would have been to take an F-1 cross and breed it to a registered Angus, then line breed those cattle keeping the 50:50 percentage. The second approach was to create a Hereford that is black. The second approach will produce the maximum heterosis benefits when that black Hereford is bred to another breed. More heterosis than from a hybrid breed, he says.

In addition to color, Hoagland selected on fertility, milk, pelvic size and low birth weights. As a breeder of Hereford and Angus cattle in the 1980s, Hoagland had an opportunity to compare the two breeds. The Angus cows were very fertile cattle and bred back faster than the Hereford. "We want the Black Hereford breed to have a lot of the traits we saw in the black Angus cows," says Hoagland.

In developing the breed Hoagland has used Fink Genetics on the Angus side and Frank Felton cattle on the Hereford side. "This breed, from its outset, has focused on Felton breeding," says Hoagland. Felton is a Hereford breeder, from Marville, Mo, whose cattle are known for low birth weights and excellent carcass quality.

Hoagland held his 10th annual production sale, at his J&N Ranch, in February. It also was the first production sale for the Black Hereford Association. He offered one senior herd sire, nine coming two2-old-bulls and 11 spring bull calves for sale, in addition to 79 commercial black and black whiteface heifers bred to Black Hereford bulls.

The first bull ever recorded in the Black Hereford Association, BJH Balder 7504, was sold at this sale. This bull was bred by Gage, out of his 51M bull, also raised by Gage. This bull was sold to the Steve Zinke, Bar Z Ranch, in Corning, IA. BJH Balder 7504 has produced only two red whiteface calves, in three years. The volume buyer at the sale was a commercial cattleman from Oklahoma.

There are 65 head of cattle registered in the Black Hereford Association. A producer in Iowa, one in Texas and one in Mississippi have joined the association and are actively breeding Black Hereford cattle.

The association has purchased a computer program that can keep track of herd and breed wide performance data and carcass information. Expected Progeny Differences will be part of that database eventually.

"We don't have a large enough data pool to make EPDs yet," says Hoagland. "In a year or two, we will have EPDs available." The computer program can generate purebred and composite pedigrees, as well. Applications for registration can be processed on-line.

Dr. Rhonda Vance, director of the Mississippi State University Brown Loam Experiment Station, in Raymond, plans to purchase semen from the BJH Balder 7504 bull. "I believe that more research and some much needed carcass information pertaining to this breed is needed, as well as performance data, which takes many years to develop," Dr. Vance says. ":This research needs to compare the Black Hereford with the traditional breeds of Angus and Hereford."

Can color really affect profitability? It can, according to information found on the Black Hereford Association website.

On Jan. 12, 2000, at the St. Joseph, MO, stockyards, a set of farm fresh steers calves of which 47 were black whiteface sold for $104 per hundred weight. The remaining 16 red whiteface steers sold for $95 per hundred weight. Both groups of calves were off the same set of cows and differed only in hair color. Eliminating the red hair color would have resulted in an additional $787.68 profit on this calf crop. Perception is the reality when it comes to hair color and that does affect profitability.

		This F-1 cross, the offspring of a registerd Hereford and registerd Angus, is the starting point for a process that will eventually yield a five-eights blood Black Hereford calf. Joe Hoagland's goal is to breed a homozygous black Hereford bull. Once he has accomplished that, all the calves out of that bull will be black.
	New Breed - This calf is the result of a 10-year effort that has produced a new breed of Black Hereford cattle. The Black Hereford Association was founded in 1994. Joe Hoagland and his wife, Norma, purchased the orginal herd and the association in 1994. Owners of J&N Ranch, the Hoaglands began raising registered Herefords in 1978
	Spring calving - Joe Hoagland glances at his herd book, as he checks on the spring calf crop. Hoagland is the executive officer of theBlack Hereford Association, with headquarters at his ranch, near Leavenworth, KS. Hoagland purchased the association and the original set o Black hereford cows from the founder of the association, the late John Gage.