We have never been in the quantity pounds business. I can't recall anyone making more money with quantity pounds over quality pounds. Think about it-- take an extreme example (not that this doesn't happen) Say we have (2) 600 lb carcasses and 1 is High Choice/ Low Prime and one is Select. The high choice/low prime carcass will make more $$ than the select one will --every time... hamburger just isn't ever gonna be worth what Prime rib is worth. If you like working hard for Select -- that's fine--as Mc Donalds needs the burger and wally world does too.
I don't know anyone "lying" about their weaning weights, but what you are seeing here is that the AAA uses an EPD index from 1974--think about all the genetic improvement since 1974 --its huge-- this is why Angus is able to show these 50+ WW and 100+ YW EPD's. This is not new information.
Simmental uses an Index from 1992 (which is getting a bit old as well) and when we balance Angus and Simmental we see the writing on the wall. An Angus like MYTTY who in the AAA site has a WW of 55 and a YW of 99-- when balanced with Simmental it becomes WW = 27 YW = 71, which is what we are seeing on the ground. This is where the discrepancies arise.
Cattle that pass all the qualifications for CAB are only 8% in the US, so you don't have to worry about that... Most black cattle are NOT getting CAB premiums anyway.
As far as the so-called imposters like Black Simmental-- I can explain this easily. In the 70's SImmental breeders knew that their current phenotype was not going to cut it in the marketplace- plain and simple -- these are the facts.
Simmental was the first breed association to allow other breed influences regardless of color to help PB Simm compete in the marketplace. Basically anyone can upgrade to PB. This gives outside genetics an opportunity to turn a once unmarketable animal into a better one by taking those genetic traits from other breeds (not just Angus) to compliment the Simmental. The Fleckvieh Federation is still around for those who prefer the heritage genetics and they have been working very hard to make the FB Simmental more marketable as well.
No one in the PB Simmental business is hiding any facts. These other breed influences have made what the PB Simmental are today. A prime example: A hugely popular Black PB Simmental Sire: Circle S Leachman 600 U DOB 1986--- he goes back to a Horned Hereford cow. Some outside Influences are good.
Red Angus---- the only reason there is a Red Angus Association today is that AAA wouldn't have them, so all the red cattle were chosen "initially" on color (phenotype alone) instead of performance --that is kinda scary. We have PB Simm, PB Blk Angus, PB Hereford, PBAR, and another breed here which blows all the others away in quality pounds.
JS
If we are not in the pounds business why then is every association bragging( lieing) about there breeds growth and weaning weights. A lot of those 205 day weight's are on calves three or four months older. Not that registered breeders would fudge the papers. It is about money plan and simple two things bring a premium black hide and pounds across the scale. If that wasn't true you wouldn't have the Simm, Limm, Maine and almost every other association using Angus genetics to get black hide. If Simm's were good enough why didn't the association stick with them plan and simple another :bs: job to get at Angus premiums. Not that I agree with CAB but it was marketing genius. There might be more associations that don't allow black the only two I know of is Hereford and Shorthorn.
