CALF News Aug./Sept 2018

25 CALF News • August | September 2018 • www.calfnews.net females for adjusted percent IMF (intra- muscular fat or marbling) was 4.79,” Rick says.“Our heifers averaged over 7. “Our spring yearling heifers aver- aged 7.27 IMF, which was 51 percent above the Angus breed average. Out of 100 heifers, we had four heifers with an IMF score above a 10. This was all done through the American Angus Associa- tion CUP program. “This program has shown us where we need improvement and where we’re lacking. Now, they have genomic testing for all of this data, but we continue to use ultrasound as well.” Rick notes that in the past four years, the family has relied more heavily on using more premier bulls.“We’ve really doubled up on using bulls with excep- tional weaning and yearling scores as well as grid scores,” he says.“We have a predominately AI-bred herd and use AI sires that have at least six traits in the top 2 to 5 percent of bulls. By gathering genomic information and the carcass data, it gives us a good target to shoot at.” At their March 2018 sale, the bulls with the exceptional numbers were the top sellers.“Before, you could sell a bull just based on its looks. It doesn’t work that way anymore,” Rick says.“They want the good-number bulls. You have to have quality numbers to go with the looks.” Texas A&M’s old Ranch to Rail feed-out program helped the Hales identify further quality in their purebred program. Rick also runs a family wheat, forage sorghum and cotton farming program. It, like their cattle operation, has suffered from too much dry weather this year. Crop and cattle numbers will have to be adjusted if it persists. But the Hales have been in it for the long haul and won’t stop now. For sure, Richmond Hales and his family have seen it all in the seedstock business. From riding the rails from fair to fair in a hot September and showing cattle in cold, poorly heated barns during a Panhandle blizzard, to marketing premium genetics over the Internet and satellite TV, they continue to evolve in purebred production and marketing. They’re better off for it. So are their customers.  Rick Hales constantly looks for improved genetics through ultrasound and genomic testing.  Animal health Hales Farms is next door to West Texas A&M University, where research into beef cattle animal health is a key part of the agricultural sciences program. Richmond and Rick have always worked closely withWT and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to benefit their pure- bred program, as well as beef production across the High Plains. A typical heifer ration includes silage, wet distiller’s grains from a regional ethanol plant, cottonseed and cotton burrs from a local cotton gin. Rick says all bulls sold in the Hales’ annual March sale receive two rounds of Bovi-Shield Gold® 5 and Ultrabac® 7/ Somubac®, plus two rounds of Spirovac® and Dectomax®. All bulls are fertility tested. All females receive two rounds of Bovi-Shield Gold FP 5VLF and Ultra- bac® 7/Somubac, plus two rounds of Spirovac and Dectomax®. All females are officially calfhood vaccinated. A typical Hales sale features about 100 bulls and 60 bred and open heifers. The sale is the third Saturday in March at their Canyon location. Bids are also accepted via the Superior Livestock Auc- tion satellite and internet platforms. “All cattle are videoed for the sale,” Rick explains.“Potential buyers can view the cattle over satellite TV or the inter- net. Visitors to the ranch can also view the cattle in pens. We don’t run cattle through the ring anymore.” Most cattle are sold to ranches in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado. Some are sold to produc- ers who retain ownership through the feedyard and sell cattle on the rail. “These customers benefit from the carcass data they receive,” Richmond says.