Brangus in the High Country

by Taylor Shackelford

If you’ve heard of Brangus, you know of the 3/8 Brahman influence that helps them to survive in the warm, humid climates across the southern and coastal regions of the United States and other areas like them around the world. However, Brangus are not just built for heat. These cattle are survivors.

Paul Young runs a sizable commercial operation in Austin, Nevada on elevations ranging from 6,500 feet to 10,000 feet. The lowlands are available year-round to graze, but Young can run cattle on the snow-capped mountains in the warmer months. These mile-high cattle have to forage on rocky summits and go miles to and from the nearest water source.

Like many, Young hasn’t always raised Brangus cattle. He used to run Hereford cows, and he experimented with a wide array of terminal rotations and herd sires. Eventually, he wanted to transition his cow-base to Angus. For 10 years, he bought purebred Angus bulls. The American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef (CAB) have made huge strides in genetic progression and developing a brand. If you do your research, you can identify the exact specifications required to qualify for added-value programs, like CAB, and play them to your strengths.

Depending on how you market your livestock, understand that certain colors and phenotypes lend to different maturity patterns and qualities when the carcass hits the rail. Across the auction block, premiums for black, polled cattle have turned cattle buyers’ toward Brangus.

Regarding his original commercial Angus cowherd, Young said, “After ten years, I just needed some heterosis. I needed cattle with a little more doability. [Brangus] are increasing my weaning weights and letting me stick to the black hide.”

Many purebred and seedstock breeders talk about bloodlines lining up and crossing just perfectly. Getting bloodlines too tight is inbreeding and leads to a host of health problems outside of irreparable structural damage. Heterosis is the biggest gain from introducing a 3/8 breed, like Brangus, rotation into your cowherd. Heterosis increases weaning weights and muscle development largely because of hybrid vigor; the offspring’s ability to outperform its parents. The genomic difference in Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle allows for the maximum progression from genetic origin. Regardless, if you notice your growth columns beginning to plateau, the problem probably stems from genetics lined too similarly. Adversely, this is positive for consistency. Your herd will make strides in uniformity and predictability. Recognize the risk of defective offspring is ever-present the tighter you breed.

It’s crucial that you turn generations each year and have a fully loaded bull battery. Bos indicus influenced cattle typically reach sexual maturity later in adolescence. Routinely, Brangus are breaking this stereotype and showing great stamina and libido. Brangus are held to the same Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) standards as other breeds. Young discovered Brangus bulls are competitive breeders, and they get out and cover cows even as yearlings. They are brought in to the ranch to acclimate, but they’re never pampered before being kicked out on the range to sink or swim.

Cattle aren’t pampered in Young’s operation. In the high country they are responsible for seeking protein and roughage. Most cattle breeds have a tendency to stay at the base of the mountain and graze. The problem is that most poisonous coverage is found in the lowlands. Upland grasses are more easily digested and converted to energy because they’re denser in protein content. Part of the battle is finding cows intelligent enough to know the difference.

“These cattle have to learn to browse,” Young said. “I think it’s the Brahman influence which helps them learn faster. It’s not that other breeds don’t do it, but the Brangus get out, they move, and they make it happen.”

On his place, cattle graze largely on brush and legumes. Young says his Brangus are not afraid to move to greener pastures, even if that means leaving a water source. Calves on summer range stay on the cow until September, and then Young puts them in his own backgrounding program until December. In December, they’re videoed and sold on Superior Livestock Auction. Most end up in the Midwest where they winter as feeder calves until they’re at the right weight to enter the yards of the Midwest. Some go to California when they have grass.

Young aims for bulls to be done with natural breeding by July. In the big country, the cattle move and make it difficult to gather and control the exact amount of time a bull has to cover the herd. He hopes that his yearling bulls are breeding 10 cows each and he doesn’t pull any off the cows until he brings the entire herd down from the mountains.

“I’m a big advocate after seeing what I’ve seen,” Young said. “When I first chose Brangus, I was nervous about their adaptability.”

Young sourced his bulls out of Eureka, Kansas and College Station, Texas. In both regions, grass grows belly-high and cattle don’t have to work as hard to produce. In the Sierra Mountains of Nevada, the terrain is high and dry. Brangus cattle have the foot size and structural integrity to cover large acreage and last for years.

Young said, “the rocks don’t seem to bother them and I haven’t had any sore feet. They’re breeding cows and doing what they need to.”

Since transitioning to Brangus, Young said his herd immunity is improved. With the fluctuating temperatures of a mountain climate, summer pneumonia is prevalent and hard to fight. Brangus and other Bos indicus cattle are naturally thicker-skinned than their British-influenced contemporaries, which allows them to retain condition and maintain their internal temperature with ease. Young says temperatures can fluctuate anywhere between 80 degrees to below zero. In addition, this skin and hair, makes Brangus more resistant to parasites and insects.

“After running Brangus bulls for the last years, sure, you doctor one here and there, but they’re just more disease resistant,” Young said. “I don’t see he scours. I don’t see the respiratory viruses that I found in other cattle. They’re not as susceptible to the temperature swing.”

“Reality is we like the Brangus association and the Brangus cattle,” Young said. “They’re making it so that each time you sit down at the dinner table and cut into a steak, you have an enjoyable experience. I’m happy with what I’ve seen Brangus do, and I’ll stay with them as long as long as we keep pushing the needle in terms of carcass merit and ability to grade on the rail.”