Braunvieh World Winter 2024

President’s Message with Robert Williams I have tried to make these President’s Messages

more than letting you know what the weather has been in Section or what my plans are for the up coming holidays. The magazine has a calendar of events so I try to avoid that redundancy of what’s upcoming, but I will break that rule now. I would like to invite and remind everyone about the Braunvieh Association of American (BAA) Annual Meeting and National Sale Jan. 14, 2024, and the BAA National Show on Jan. 16, 2024, during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. This is my fa vorite event of the year and I encourage everyone

BRAUNVIEH ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 7607 NW Prairie View Rd. Kansas City, MO 64151 (816) 599-7780 info@braunvieh.org www.braunvieh.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT • ROBERT WILLIAMS Section, Ala. (256) 599-5432 wwcattle@centurytel.net VICE PRESIDENT • BENNY PHILLIPS deana@imhofffamilyfarm.com TREASURER • TYLER LISTER Lindsay, Okla. (508) 210-9910 tlister.tolconsultingllc@gmail.com DIRECTORS ERIC ARMINTROUT Peculiar, Mo. (816) 590-6056 darkside.braunvieh@me.com SEAN LEHMANN LeRoy, Kan. (620) 490-0206 selehman@gmail.com DANIEL ROBERTS Franklin, Ky. (270) 598-9848 randdfarmsbraunvieh@msn.com Chatfield, Texas (903) 641-1594 Bpbluebonnet42@gmail.com SECRETARY • DEANA IMHOFF Bunceville, Mo. (660) 888-3349 MOLLY MIRASSOU Weatherford, Texas (408) 690-9961 molly@starranchcattle.com JASON PFEIFER Russell, Kan. (785) 483-1805 pfeiferjason@yahoo.com JOHN HALL Hedley, Texas 806-930-2560 jbarbraunvieh98@gmail.com DANIEL ROBERTS Franklin, Ky. (270) 392-0688 randdfarmsbraunvieh@msn.com TODD HILL

to attend. It’s a great event to see old friends, meet new friends and see some of the top Braunvieh cattle in existence. Details can be found on page 15. I’ve tried to make these letters informative and educational, and feel that af ter nearly 50 years in the purebred cattle industry, I am somewhat qualified. I have made all the mistakes – some twice and a few multiple times. I have tried to stress how important it is to any breed to have a large and highly accurate database. I feel it’s even more important to the Braunvieh breed as we try to prove our value to the industry. I have also tried to stress the importance of collecting and reporting proper data and tying this information with genom ics. A highly accurate database not only helps us reach our genetic goals but, more important, it helps us reach them faster. Now that we are a part of IGS, which is one of the largest genetic evaluations in the world and includes most of our competitors, our genetic progress is even more imperative. I have also come to realize that there are a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to genetic evaluations and the resulting EPDs they generate, and how to read and implement them. One of most important things in looking at an EPD is its accuracy, which is the second line below the EPD and is identi fied as “ACC.” This can range from 0 to 1; the closer to 1, the better. It will never get to 1, but the more data that is reported will cause this number to increase. This tells us how accurate or predictable the EPD actually is. Doing 100K genomics will also have a positive effect on accuracy and in crease this number. The EPDs will be shown in yellow when a 100K is done. When comparing cattle of the same breed (i.e., Braunvieh to Braunvieh), instead of looking at the actual EPD, I would rather see the % ranked. This number is located on the third line and is identified that way. This number

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Childress, Texas (806) 681-9333 ranchdh@gmail.com

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2024