Red Angus Launches ‘Red Choice’ to Promote High-Quality Females
To promote improved heifer development, increase marketing opportunities for Red Angus females and create reliable sources of high-quality replacement heifers for cattle producers, the Red Angus Association of America recently launched the “Red Choice” program. The program embraces proven reproductive and genetic management practices which, in turn, lead to high-quality, long-lasting females that are ready to hit the ground running in commercial herds.
Based on the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Replacement Program from the University of Missouri, the Red Choice program comes with several requirements that increase the overall quality of enrolled females such as minimum vaccination requirements, pre-breeding exams, utilization of reproductive technologies, parasite control and feet and leg scoring. The program culminates with sale eligibility wherein cattle producers can purchase premium Red Choice females for their herd with the confidence that those females have been managed and raised to the highest quality standards possible. The primary goal for these better-managed heifers is their retention in the herd of origin, where their extra value will be measurable over time.
“The Red Angus female has long been viewed as the industry’s most favored,” said Harold Bertz, RAAA commercial marketing director. “The Red Choice program strengthens that claim and elevates Red Angus female value even higher. The success of the Show-Me-Select program in Missouri and its effect on the cattle business in that state has been monumental. We feel that making this program available to Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle will have similar results. Adding documented best-management practices, breeding protocol and sire-selection criteria to the highly popular Red Angus bred heifer creates an opportunity for increased rancher profit in every environment. The value of best management practices is inherent.”
The program officially launched this fall. Enrollment deadlines are Feb. 1 for spring breeding and Sept. 1 for the fall breeding season. A full description of the program and its requirements is available at RedAngus.org. For questions about the Red Choice program, or other Red Angus marketing initiatives, contact Nolan Woodruff, commercial marketing specialist, at nolan@redangus.org.
The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and utilizing scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.
