PrimeTime_Fall_2018

AAA MEMBER PROGRAMS

Programs Benefit Breeders

The American Akaushi Association (AAA) is proud to offer a variety of programs to American Akaushi breeders. The goal of all the association’s programs is to help members market their cattle in ways that will increase productivity, profit and, ultimately, their bottom lines. Two of the association’s most popular programs are the A4 Advantage Program and the GridMax ™ program. “We plan all of our programs, both current and future, to benefit our breeders,” says Bubba Bain, AAA executive director.

A4 Advantage Program Launched in 2010, the A4 Advantage Pro- gram serves as a value-added pathway for commercial breeders to produce purebred A4 Akaushi replacement females. Since the pro- gram started eight years ago, 3,000 Akaushi- sired females have been certified through the program. In the simplest of terms, the A4 Advantage Program is a branded program for replace- ment heifers. The program is a unique oppor- tunity for cattle producers (with any breed of cattle) to add Akaushi genetics to their replace- ment heifers and achieve greater market value by assuring buyers that the cattle are at least 50 percent Akaushi. The A4 Advantage program serves as a value-added pathway for small and large com- mercial herds to produce purebred, A4 Akaushi replacement females, while also gaining higher-quality carcasses. Base females can be any breed and either registered, purebred or non-registered. The base cows are then crossed with certified fullblood Akaushi bulls or semen to produce the first generation in the program, A1. Subsequent generations – A2 and A3 – are also bred to certified fullblood Akaushi bulls, with the ultimate goal resulting in A4 purebred Akaushi, or 15/16 (93.75 percent) breeding. In addition to benefiting producers by allow- ing them to earn a premium on their Akaushi- sired cattle, the branded program also benefits the beef industry by providing a higher-quality, more consistent product. “The ultimate goal is for breeders to work up to A4 purebred Akaushi,” Bain says. “But if a producer’s goal is to raise halfbloods, this pro- gram will still work for them.” “Each generation will provide added value, so by retaining your replacement females and embedding the influence of Akaushi within your existing herd, you will create an increased mar- ket value with every new generation,” he adds.

Infinity Hybrid (GridMax™) Registry Launched in early 2018, GridMax ™ is the as- sociation’s newest program. The program is a registry, recording and computation service for hybrid cattle containing Akaushi genetics. The program was designed to fit any commercial breeder’s program and gives producers another avenue to market their cattle. Cattle registered in the program must have 50 percent or higher certified, DNA-parent-ver- ified Akaushi breeding, and 50 percent or less of certified non-Akaushi breeding. Beyond that, there is no restriction on what breed the non- Akaushi side of the hybrid cattle must be. GridMax ™ was designed to fit virtually any commercial breeder’s program. In fact, Akaushi cattle have been bred to 13 different English, Continental and American breeds since the launch of the AAA in 2009. GridMax ™ also offers producers the opportu- nity to use percentage blood Akaushi bulls and females to simplify management and achieve maximum heterosis in their herds. “I want commercial breeders to understand that GridMax ™ was made to fit their program,” Bain says. “We’re all about helping them get to the end product, which is a quality, consistent product for the consumers.” With consumers demanding high-quality beef, the goal of the program is for members to concentrate on producing Choice, Yield Grade 3 (or higher) carcasses. Bain is very familiar with how Akaushi cattle perform in the feedyard and on the rail, and he is confident that com- mercial producers who add Akaushi genetics to their herds will experience improved carcass quality in as little as one generation. Regardless of which program producers par- ticipate in, Bain says the association is pleased to offer programs that ultimately help produc- ers add value to their cattle, in as little as one generation. PT

Akaushi Prime Time • Fall 2018

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