I don't know the particulars of how they determined calf prices. I have heard with this particular setup, the bulls were provided by the Alliance. I don't know if that is true or not. A guy might have to buy a bull from them. I never heard what they were looking for, cow wise. I have a suspicion that they were looking for as many registered cows as they could find so they could promote their bulls for numbers, epd's. This guy was tied in with Sydgen pretty tight I think, and I think he was trying to get in on the MO Angus epd baseline? Someone more knowledgeable than me will have to cover that. Something about the genomics in the state assoc or national even? For some type of baseline reference numbers? I had heard something like that was their angle.
If a guy could get some good bulls, have calves with a doable bw, not be responsible for anything other than body condition, get better than normal prices for his calves, and not have to handle them with one foot up on a panel, then it sounds pretty good. Personally, I am skeptical, and independent.