Brangus® Vigor Feeder Calf Program

The Brangus Vigor program is a way to differentiate Brangus feeder cattle from generic “eared crossbreds” with a goal of creating a premium market for Brangus and Ultra-sired calves. It is a Process Verified Program (PVP) which ensures that feedlot buyers who purchase Brangus Vigor feeder cattle are getting genuine Brangus genetics that are Age/Source Verified, Genetic Verified and Health Verified.

Modern Brangus feeder cattle will perform in the feedlot and packing plant alongside the very best English and Continental cattle. This may surprise some people, but it comes as no surprise to those who feed Brangus cattle and record grading results that meet and exceed the new industry standard of 85% Choice or better. They also exceed industry averages for muscling, and they grow efficiently to a profitable finish weight.

IBBA leaders have spent time visiting feedlots and packers and discovered that, without some way to differentiate or “brand” good Brangus cattle, they tend to be lumped into the generic category of “eared crossbreds”. In order to create enhanced demand for genuine Brangus feeder cattle, the cattle must be identified as such and this must be done through a program that is verified.

If you are a commercial producer using registered Brangus or Ultra bulls from IBBA member breeders, please consider participating in the Brangus Vigor program.

Dear Beef Producer,

If you're reading this letter, you may be looking for a new and better way to market your Brangus and Ultra-sired calves. The program described in this packet is designed to help producers with good Brangus- and Ultra-sired calves realize added value for the investment that you've made in genetics.

Members of the International Brangus Breeders Association {IBBA) are in the business of providing genetically-advanced breeding bulls to discriminating commercial cattle producers. Speaking on behalf of all lBBA members, we sincerely appreciate the trust that you have placed in genuine Brangus4'> genetics. We want to help you achieve success in the marketplace with your Brangus and Ultra-sired feeder cattle. We've met with stocker operators, feedlots and packers and quickly reached an obvious conclusion: we can't get higher prices just by complaining about lower ones. We must take action.

Feedlot buyers establish the market for feeder cattle, and they are unambiguous about what they want. They want healthy cattle that take to the feed bunk, grow efficiently to a profitable final weight, and produce a quality carcass. Brangus will do all those things, and we are compiling the data to prove it.

It takes extra effort to earn extra money on your good calves. The Brangus Vigor program is designed for those producers who are willing to put forth the extra effort and to work a little harder to enter into the value-added segment of the beef industry. We believe that the feeder cattle marketplace is splitting into two distinct markets. One is a commodity market for undocumented cattle, and the other is a value-added market for cattle that are documented, have good genetics, and are produced by professional stockmen and stockwomen. If the value-added market sounds like the one you'd like to participate in, please consider joining the Brangus Vigor program.

Over the past 7+ decades, Brangus breeders have created a unique breed of cattle that have retained their heat tolerance characteristics while making dramatic improvements in carcass quality. Modern Brangus will grow and grade with the very best cattle in the industry. The Brangus Vigor program is designed to differentiate genuine Brangus cattle from generic "eared crossbreds". We know they're worth more, and this is our approach to earning the premiums that they deserve.

Please read through the material in this folder and, if you want to take the next step, please contact the IBBA office or, ideally, place a call to the Brangus seedstock producer from whom you purchase your Brangus or Ultra bulls.

Sincerely,

Darrell L. Wilkes
Executive Vice President

Cody Glenn
Chairman, Commercial Marketing Committee

The Brangus Vigor APPLICATION Process

The Brangus Vigor forms are provided by IMI Global and must be completed and returned to IMI either by mail, fax or e-mail. Download Brangus Vigor Forms Here »

Please complete the printed form by hand and mail to IMI at the address shown on the application. If emailing the scanned forms, email to [email protected].

Once the forms arrive at the IMI office, they will perform what is known as a “desk audit”. They will review the application for completeness and will follow up with you if there is any missing or confusing information.

Once the desk audit is completed, IMI will order tags on your behalf. The tags will be shipped directly from the manufacturer to you. The Brangus Vigor tags must be applied at the ranch/farm of origin.

PLEASE NOTE: The tags that are shipped to you are officially assigned to you. They must be applied only to YOUR CATTLE. Do not give your extra tags to another party. Keep any extra tags for the next time you enroll cattle in the Brangus Vigor program. The tags don’t “expire”.

The tags that are sent to you have unique numbers. Those numbers are assigned to you in the IMI database. As your cattle move through the system of ranch-to-growyard-to-feedyard-to packer, any custodian of the cattle can read the electronic tags and can query the IMI database to verify the history and the chain of custody of the cattle. This information is not accessible to anyone who does not have possession of the cattle.

Brangus Vigor Frequently Asked Questions