PREMIER ANGUS 365 TOTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM
We raise and develop our cattle on grass and hay, while providing supplemental protein and complex mineral supplements 365 days a year. We have spent considerable time with the researchers from Purina Mills, both at their Missouri Research Farm and on our farms. Purina’s researchers believe that the best way to develop cattle and allow them to express their full genetic potential is to have a comprehensive health and nutrition program. Their program consistently builds cattle that perform better and have increased longevity in every segment of the cattle industry.
We also test our bulls for feed conversion and efficiency. Beginning on weaning day one, our bull calves are placed on feed for 28 days. We weigh the calves multiple times during those 28 days to establish average daily gains while on feed. The information provided allows us to predict how our genetics will perform for our customers.
After testing, our bulls return to the pasture where they have access to a limited-intake feed supplement that acts as a protein shake with regular meals. Purina’s research overwhelmingly demonstrates that this program significantly improves physical health, disease resistance, conception rates, and provides the optimal environment for Fetal Programming.
Fetal Programming is the research proven concept that a female’s level of nutrition (or lack thereof) during pregnancy will “Program” a calf for the rest of its life. When we provide the right level of nutrition to our females during pregnancy, we have an optimal animal for the rest of its life.
For more information on Purina’s cattle nutrition program, visit Purina’s website.
PREMIER-365 TOTAL HERD HEALTH PROGRAM
We treat our cattle just like you and I treat our children. We vaccinate against diseases. Our calves are vaccinated with Vista Once SQ at 3 months of age. Vista Once provides protection against IBR, BVD Types I and II, PI3, BRSV, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. At three weeks prior to weaning, our calves are vaccinated with CattleMaster 4 + VL5 and Alpha 7. The CattleMaster vaccine provides further protection against IBR, BVD Types I and II, PI3, BRSV, Vibrio, and 5 strains of Lepto. Alpha 7 is a vaccination against blackleg. It provides protection against Clostridium chauvoei, septicum, novyi, sordellii and perfringens Types C & D. The weaned calves then are given a booster at weaning. Our mature cattle are given annual CattleMaster vaccine boosters prior to breeding. Our cattle are also protected against internal parasites through our de-worming program consisting of de-wormer applications in the Spring and again in the Fall. Prior to breeding, our cattle are also given Multimin 90, a supplemental source of zinc, manganese, selenium and copper. This supplement increases fertility for our Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transplant programs.
We are an antibiotic-free operation. This does not mean we will not treat our animals with appropriate antibiotics if they become sick. Again, we treat our cattle just like we treat our children. We will not, however, sell an animal that has not completed the USDA recommended withdrawal period to ensure that no antibiotics remain in the system, or enter the food supply.
BQA CERTIFIED
Becoming Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified is a requirement for all our staff at Premier Angus Genetics. A large part of the beef industry’s job involves making sure that beef is safe and wholesome for consumers. The BQA program teaches cattle handling methods that improve gathering, penning, proper administration of vaccination and other chute work, and hauling. For more information on Beef Quality Assurance, or how to become BQA certified, visit BQA’s Website. For more information on Premier Angus’ other certifications, see our Credentials Page.
STRESS FREE HANDLING
Current research shows that the less your cattle are stressed, the better they gain and the better they reproduce. We handle our cattle with minimal stress and noise, and without the use of hot-sticks or similar devices.
ULTRASOUND PROGRAM
We have our cattle scanned via ultrasound between 320 and 480 days old. Ultrasound is used as a research tool to study cattle carcass characteristics including information on Ribeye size, marbling quality and characteristics, and rump fat.
EMBRYO TRANSPLANT PROGRAM
At Premier Angus Genetics we believe the cow is the single most important piece of the genetics puzzle. We use both genetically-superior females from the world’s most well-respected ranches, and some of our own females as donors in our Embryo Transplant program. Embryos from these elite cows are collected each year to proliferate their superior genetics and allow Premier Angus Genetics to offer multiple sons and daughters from our leading females.
These donor cows are bred to the best proven bulls in the Angus breed using artificial insemination. Once the resulting embryos are formed, those embryos are flushed from the genetically-superior cow and placed in surrogate cows (Recipients). The Recipient cows give birth to the calves and raise them as their own. This process allows us to produce multiple genetically-superior calves per year from each individual donor cow. The embryo transplant process does not alter DNA. We simply take un-altered semen from a bull, and un-altered eggs from a cow and use science to reproduce what nature made!
DONOR COWS
We search the country for cows that are potential breed changers. We want our donor cows to have tight and well attached udders with small teats. We want them to have structural soundness with good feet and legs. We believe they should have sufficient milk production and be easy-keeping cattle while simultaneously transferring explosive growth and exceptional carcass traits to their calves. In addition, we do not purchase donors that are not completely docile. We currently have an excellent set of donor cows. We encourage you to give us a call to discuss the embryos we currently have in recipient cows. We think we have cattle that are as good as any you will find nationwide.
FLUSH BULLS
We continually search the Angus Sire Summaries for high accuracy bulls. In today’s cattle market it really is possible to have it all. We only use bulls that are proven for calving ease and low birthweight as well as the economically important traits that matter to both the commercial cattleman and seed stock producer. As with our donor cows, we will not use bulls that are not docile.
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROGRAM
All of our purebred mature cows and heifers are bred via Artificial Insemination (AI) to the top bulls in the Angus breed. The bulls we use to AI our females we would never be able to purchase simply because they are the best, most proven bulls alive. We select our AI bulls based on accuracy, structural soundness, calving ease, and growth traits of economic importance.
