BRANGUS – The #1 American Breed
The unexcelled combination of Angus quality and Brahman hardiness sets Brangus apart. The blend of selected individuals from the two parent breeds results in a breed that better combines efficiency of production and excellence of end product than any breed — new or old.
The following information will further explain the advantages and reasons for the Brangus breed’s development, growth and ever-increasing popularity. Read on to see for yourself why Brangus is the number one American breed.
How It All Began
A review of the development of the Brangus breed would take us back beyond the founding of the American Brangus Breeders Association in 1949; however, registered Brangus descend from the foundation animals recorded that year or registered Brahman and Angus cattle enrolled since then. Much of the early work in crossing Brahman and Angus cattle was done at the USDA Experiment Station at Jeanerette, Louisiana — the first crosses being made as far back as 1912.
During the same period, Clear Creek Ranch of Welch, Oklahoma, the Essar Ranch of San Antonio, Texas, and a few individual breeders in other parts of the United States and Canada were also carrying on private experimental breeding programs. They were looking for a desirable beef-type animal that would retain the Brahman’s natural ability to thrive under adverse conditions in combination with the excellent qualities for which the Angus is noted.
The early breeders from 16 states and Canada met in Vinita, Oklahoma on July 19, 1949, and organized the American Brangus Breeders Association, later renamed the International Brangus Breeders Association, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. One day following the formation of the American Brangus Breeders Association, the July 30, 1949 edition of the Vinita Daily Journal, Vinita, Oklahoma, published a front page article entitled “Pope is named president of Brangus Group.” The article went on to read: “Other officers elected here as cattle organization is set up. Raymond Pope, co-owner and manager of Clear Creek Ranch in Northern Craig County was elected president of the American Brangus Breeders Association at the organization meeting for the group held Friday afternoon in Vinita. Representatives from 16 states named Pope to be the first president of the American Brangus Breeders Association at the organization meeting held Friday afternoon in Vinita. Other officers elected at the first business session held at the Vinita Country Club were: Terry Dalehite, Pearsall, Texas, first Vice President; Carl Colwick, Prichett, Colorado, Second Vice President; Jesse Dowdy, Sedalia, Missouri, Third Vice President; and Carlton Corbin, Pittstown, Oklahoma, Secretary-Treasurer.”
On January 1, 1973 the IBBA began conducting business from its own office building. The ranch-style, rock building in San Antonio continues to serve as the permanent headquarters of the IBBA.
In 2005, the International Red Brangus Breeders Association became an affiliate association of the IBBA, and the IBBA herdbook was opened to include Red Brangus™. The IBBA herd book now also includes Ultrablack® and Ultrared™ cattle providing IBBA members and there customers with seedstock choices unmatched by other breed associations. There are now members in nearly every US state, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Central America, South America and Africa.
Breeding Up to Brangus
The concept of developing a new breed by stabilizing the best characteristics of two proven breeds in a fixed proportion is unique to the International Brangus Breeders Association. Rather than top crossing on commercial cows, proven individuals of the two parent breeds serve as the foundation for establishing new bloodlines.
Registered Brangus must be 5/8 Angus or Red Angus and 3/8 Brahman, solid black or red and polled. Both sire and dam must be recorded with the International Brangus Breeders Association. Foundation Angus, Red Angus and Brahman cattle must be registered in their respective breed association prior to being enrolled with the IBBA. Intermediate crosses necessary to reach the 5/8-3/8 percentage are certified by the IBBA.
In recent years, the majority of Brangus cattle entered in the herd book are from Brangus parents, but an increasing number of foundation Brahman and Angus are being enrolled as the breed achieves greater recognition. The herd book of the International Brangus Breeders Association is open in a unique way. Registered Angus, Red Angus and Brahman cattle can be enrolled as foundation stock for new Brangus bloodlines. The exact procedure for breeding up to Brangus consists of enrolling foundation Angus or Red Angus and Brahman, certifying the intermediate crosses (1/4 bloods, 1/2 bloods, and 3/4 bloods with the Brahman percentage always given first) and then registering the animals as Brangus when they reach the 3/8 – 5/8 level. The certified intermediate crosses are simply a tool to get to Brangus and are rarely crossed back to one another. It is possible to either breed 1/4 Brahman to 1/2 bloods, or 3/4 Brahman to Angus to get to Brangus (see chart). In the IBBA’s program, the reciprocal crosses are equal so those developing new bloodlines can best utilize all their crosses. There are also opportunities to provide certified foundation cattle for breeding up to Brangus to those breeders who do not want to develop all the intermediate crosses themselves. The program for breeding up to Brangus is particularly appealing to the registered Angus breeder who can buy a 3/4 bull or use 3/4 semen to produce registered Brangus in the first generation. Those with Brahman and 1/2 bloods can raise 3/4 bulls for sale to Angus breeders and can also breed their 3/4 heifers to outstanding Angus or Red Angus bulls if they choose and start a Brangus or Red Brangus herd from 3/4 cows.
The original member number was #1355 and the herd was established in 1966. The Hengst Brothers Brangus herd has involved the whole family from the start and has enjoyed some of its greatest successes because of that.
Dennis, the oldest of five siblings, purchased his first Brangus heifers from Willow Springs Ranch of Burton, Texas. WSR B Grande Drusila 4 and WSR Inez 2 were the starting point for his herd and the love of Brangus cattle soon spread to his younger siblings as Ralph, Allen, Darlene and Gracie soon started adding to the story. One of the greatest matrons in the Hengst herd was PW Ms Yuvalle 133/7. She won back to back championships as the Grand Champion Female at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, first for Darlene and then Gracie. Five and six generations later she is still having an impact in the Brangus world through progeny such as HBB Ms Henderson 49U7 and HBB Ms Formation 49Y10.
Brangus Ultrablack
Ultrablack® cattle were first recognized in March of 2013. They are the product of breeding a registered Brangus to a registered Angus. To be recognized by the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) as an Ultrablack®, the animal must have between 50 and 87.5 percent Brangus genetics and the remaining percentage must be of registered Angus lineage.
Ultrablack® cattle have less ear and cleaner underlines but still possess the hardiness and sustainability of Brahman cattle. The benefits of Ultrablack® cattle make them increasingly popular among cattlemen. This prediction has led IBBA staff and directors to believe that 2017 will be the “Year of the Ultrablack®.” Information was gleaned from interviews with current IBBA leadership, President Mike Vorel and Director Cody Gariss.
“Producers typically seek Ultrablack®s for three reasons,” said Gariss. “One, they need more pounds at payday. Two, their cattle have become too hairy, in turn they are losing performance in terms of weight and fertility and are seeking something that will shed off. Three, they are looking to add to the maternal base of their cow herd.”
For cattle producers, profitability of cattle is always a concern. Research is imperative for knowing how certain cattle will perform from pasture to plate. In data collected from a set of crossbred calves in early to mid-2016, data showed the Ultrablack® calves had the highest value per head and heaviest carcass weights compared to the Angus and Brangus calves in the study. This study is highlighted in an article in the September 2016 edition of FRONTLINE Beef Producer.
“For both Registered Brangus and Angus producers, it allows the opportunity to add new genetics that complement their existing genetic base to produce Ultrablack®s,” Vorel said. “Both breeds have worked hard to find cattle that are born easy and grow well with excellent carcass traits.”
Ultrablack® cattle have proven they have the capability to outperform Angus cattle. This is a major selling point to producers and is a valid reason for the increase of Ultrablack® cattle in production today. As a composite breed, Ultrablack® cattle have higher hybrid vigor, which has led to improvement in reproductive performance, increased longevity, and better performance in the feedlot phase.
“The really neat thing about Ultrablack®s is the three generations,” Vorel stated. “The genetic makeup of each generation may work extremely well in one area and the next generation better in another area. The versatility makes the Ultrablack® a product useful in many ways to most everyone.”
Now that Ultrablack®s are gaining popularity, the IBBA Board of Directors has decided to allow the “breeding up” of Ultrablack® cattle. This means Ultrablack® cattle can now be registered as Brangus through IBBA after undergoing a specific three-step breeding cycle. These breeding cycles are: 1) Breeding a registered Brangus to a registered Angus to produce the initial cross (UB1); 2) The UB1 offspring is then mated to a registered Brangus to produce the UB2 calf; 3) The UB2 animal is then bred to a registered Brangus. The progeny of this third cross results in an animal that is 87.5 percent Brangus which receives an “R” prefix at registration.
All animals receiving the “R” prefix from the Ultrablack® program will have 87.5 percent or greater Brangus genetics which meet all IBBA requirements for Brangus registry. Ultrablack® cattle having less than 87.5 percent Brangus makeup are not eligible for Brangus registration but are continued to be registered as Ultrablack® cattle. They must be further mated to registered Brangus cattle to produce animals greater than 87.5 percent Brangus to continue in the breeding up process to produce offspring that qualify for registered Brangus status.
“Through a by-law vote by the membership in 2013, the IBBA implemented the ability to ‘top cross’ Ultrablack®s back to Brangus genetics in order to allow for the ability to breed them back up to Brangus,” Gariss said. “This affords producers the opportunity to widen the Brangus gene pool through the addition of fresh Angus genetics while maintaining the integrity of the Brangus breed. The by-law change also helped to add value to the Ultrablack® females in production and gave registered breeders more confidence in making mating decisions as it allowed for an additional outlet both from a marketability and genetic standpoint.”
The raw power, adaptability, maternal value, and maximization of premiums in the packing plant are the product of using the best characteristics of the Brangus breed with an inclusion of more current, modern Angus genetics. Ultrablack® cattle are the perfect match for maintaining carcass attributes while possessing outstanding environmental adaptability.
“Maintaining the ability to thrive on fescue and withstand hot environments and being more cold tolerant when the equation is changed,” said Vorel, “all with the added benefits of heterosis.”
Ultrablack® cattle have become more popular as they allow breeders the opportunity to enjoy traits of their Brahman heritage while refreshing the Angus genetics.
“Nearly every relevant beef breed has its ‘Angus-based’ hybrid derivative but none can do what the Ultrablack® can,” Gariss said. “No other breed can add pounds through heterosis and peel back the hair coat increasing heat tolerance. At the same time, they are improving the maternal base and maintaining and improving carcass quality allowing for qualification of the most stringent quality based grid programs.”
The inclusion of small amounts of Bos indicus in Ultrablack® cattle produce an animal with hair-slicking ability, increased environmental adaptability, and improved reproductive performance in the resulting offspring. All of this is possible while maintaining or improving the overall carcass attributes and profitability of the feedlot animal. Therefore, IBBA’s Promotions Committee has deemed 2017 as the “Year of the Ultrablack®.”
The Hengst herd has its foundations with some of the most influential and forward thinking breeders of their time:
- Willow Springs Ranch of Burton, Texas (Member #272)
- Theldick Brangus Farm of Bleiberville, Texas (Member #850)
- Kajan Farms of Houston, Texas (Member #1006)
- Rocking E Ranch of Stamford, Texas (member #1342)
- Yuma Valley Cattle Company of Tucson, Arizona (Member #1400)
- Pruett and Wray Cattle Company of Sonata, Arizona (Member #1834)
- Granada Brangus of Bryan, Texas (Member #2231)
- Clayton Williams of Midland, Texas (Member #2991)
From the beginning the Hengst family expressed a true passion for the breed and has always believed in the functionality that it has offered from the breed’s inception. During the 1980’s, as the cattle industry went the way of very large-framed cattle, the Hengst herd stayed the course with moderate-framed, functional cattle that could be efficient and productive on grass with minimal supplement during a drought and winter.
Over the years genetics have been infused through the purchase of herd sires and the use of artificial insemination, as well as the addition of future matrons to the herd. Some of those herd sires through the years have included WSR Zapata 104, Theldick Fernando 79, Mr Ervin 67/4, Williams 942-192M3, XS News Day 338H2, MC Geronimo 23M3, Henderson of Brinks 30S7 and Suhn’s Formation 331W17. Each of these bulls represents some of the top genetics available at the time in Brangus history.
Williams 942-192M3 was a great son of the storied WSR Cloud 942 and WSR Vaquero Eva 4. Full sisters to this mating were some of the most sought after females of the time and ranked as some of the highest selling through the Clayton Williams program. Eva was still in the donor program at the age of 19. The first progeny of 942 were registered in 1976 and the last one was registered in 2000. Over a span of 24 years there were 2009 progeny recorded, proving his functionality.
XS News Day 338H2 brought in proven maternal genetics through the Summit Sire Brinks CC News Day 661C2. Born in 1993, to this day 661C2 is still ranked in the top 1% of the breed for Milk and had progeny registered as recently as 2013.
Bringing in yet another Summit Sire and one of Salacoa’s most successful donors was MC Geronimo 23M3. His pedigree combined the families of 392, 535, 784 and the famous Salacoa Pine Lass 23D2.
Henderson of Brinks 30S7 proved to be capable of putting performance in his progeny and producing outstanding daughters. He was the first calf born to his dam, and she immediately went into Camp Cooley’s donor pen after the collection of his performance data. She now resides at 101 Ranch as a donor female and her dam was purchased from Camp Cooley for $27,000 by RRR Ranch. Henderson was also one of the first bulls in the breed to have sexed semen collected, reinforcing the quality of females he can produce.
One of the most recent additions to the line-up is Suhn’s Formation 331W17. He has proven to be one of the most consistent producers of moderate-framed, big-footed, and high capacity cattle to date. His dam, Suhn’s Ms Cadence 331M3, is a proven donor female residing at Draggin’ M Ranch. She is the dam of Suhn’s Next Step 331R7 and currently ranks in the top 1% of the breed for TM, 2% for YW and Milk, 4% for WW and SC, and top 15% for REA.
In recent history, the Hengst herd has seen the addition of great females such as MC Ms 338 Right Time 889R6, Ms Brinks Bear Bryant 361T38, Ms Brinks Sonar 30P31, Miss Brinks Ali 416L2 and KBJ Ms Watash 916R. Right Time 889R6 is a first generation cow and prolific donor. She proved herself popular in 2011 when Clover Ranch of Marietta, Georgia purchased a flush on her for $10,000. Her maternal sister 889P6 is a dominant cow in the breed posting progeny sales exceeding $500,000. Ms Brinks Bear Bryant 361T38 combined the power and performance of Bear Bryant with the fertility and consistency of the 361 cow family. Her maternal grand-dam is the prolific donor Miss BB New Maverick 361B2, who’s last natural calf was registered in 2009 at the age of 17 and she has 88 progeny on the herd-books to date. HBB Jagger 361X, a son of 361T38 by Henderson of Brinks 30S7, is currently leaving his mark in the herd as a natural service sire. Miss Brinks Ali 416L2 is a 7/8ths sister to the great bulls Suhn’s Alydar 416N3 and Suhn’s Affirmed 416N4. In 2010, a daughter by 416L2 and Henderson sold for $8,000 in The Global Collection Sale in Houston, Texas.
Today, the Hengst Brothers Brangus herd is entering its 48th year of existence, and true to its roots, it is still a program built on family. It is being carried on by Dennis Hengst and his wife, Helen, son Karl, son Gregory and wife Heather, and daughter Crystal and her husband, Kyle Devoll. Grandson Kolman Hengst, the next generation, is already taking interest as well.
“Genomic-enhanced EPDs are the tool of choice in breed improvement strategies in the livestock industry today.” says Dr. Tommy Perkins, IBBA Executive Vice President. “It is our role to give IBBA members the most current tools to make improvement in beef production. Genomically enhanced EPDs will allow Brangus breeders to make the most accurate and rapid genetic improvement available.”
GE-EPDs combine an analysis of pedigree, individual performance and genomic information to hasten the rate of genetic progress in a population of cattle. Most importantly, GE-EPDs increase the accuracy of EPDs on younger, non-proven animals. The increase in EPD accuracies allows breeders to identify the best genetics earlier in an animal’s life without the extreme cost of progeny testing. Information gleaned from a single DNA sample may be as informative as the first calf crop of a bull or the lifetime production record of a cow.
Brangus- The Breed That Will Do More, Part I Vedio
Brangus- The Breed That Will Do More, Part II Vedio
More Information on Cattle and the Brangus
