Thunderstorm R Cattle Company

5/12/2012 – We showed the heifers to some potential buyers today. They are really looking good with several top shop prospects and brood cow prospects in the offering. We've gotten 2 inches of much needed rain over the last few days and although there was plenty forage for the cows and calves, the rain will really freshen things up and increase the forage quality. There are some real standout bull calves in this crop too. More about them after the heifer sale.

5/3/2012 – We studied the heifers closely today and made some final decisions. There are several heifers in the group that we'd just rather keep and not offer for sale. But, we realize that we will not have a successful sale unless we offer the good ones. We'll offer them, but be prepared to pay a little more for the donor cow/herd builder kind. We are going start a few of these at $3500 and frankly are not too excited about selling them at that price. If they are not worth that much to you, we'll be perfectly happy putting them back in the herd. We are making plans to step up our ET/IVF program and these are the kind we'd like to multiply. Please note that because of the pressing financial needs of the Texas Junior Braford Association (TJBA), we are dedicating 10% of the total selling price of the high-selling heifer to the TJBA. 
        
4/30/2012 – The calls about the sale heifers and requests to view them have picked up. We are still waiting for the new UBB EPDs before we post a list of those offered and the starting prices. Should be any day now.
        
4/25/2012 – Saw our JK Gumbo-sired ET calves for the first time in Many, LA today. Out of a great young Legacy daughter (933), they are exciting and both may end up haltered and exhibited.
        
4/22/2012 – Showed the heifers again. The calves are really coming along well. Heifers impress but I can't get my attention off of the good bull calves that really stand out.
        
4/17/2012 – Got a chance to study the calves early today and take some heifer photos. I think we have the sale heifers selected. The UBB should have a new set of EPDs available soon and we'll post a list of sale heifers with their pedigrees and EPDs as soon as the new EPDs are available. I know it's heifer sale time but I've got to say that this set of bull calves is as deep and good as any we've had. Please notice heifer calf photos below. These three are just some of the heifers that we have selected for this year's sale. These all have something special to offer potential buyers.

4/11/12 – We have 11 good bulls in the UBB's Bull Development and Marketing Program. They will sell in Lake Charles October 4. We encourage you to come look the program bulls over during an informal field day in Gonzales, Texas on May 19. One of our top bulls in the program is a light birth weight, low BW EPD son of a top young Legacy daughter and by BR John Price. He'll qualify as a "heifer bull" but he might be our best bull there. He is heavy boned and stout with outstanding EPDs. His dam has one of our top calves this year (Feb. bull by Critical Mass) that we may halter and exhibit.

4/8/12 – This year's early forage production is as good as last year's was bad. We are blessed with lush green grass everywhere. Last year's drought forced us to liquidate cows and cancel our longstanding bull sale. We apologize to our annual bull customers for not having any bulls available at this time but please understand that we had no choice. Even though we have fewer cows than in recent years, we have more exciting bull calves than ever before. We have enough good bulls to send a number of quality bulls to the association's bull development program that we genuinely believe in. We'll have a few to exhibit and display and we'll keep some good bulls to market private treaty next spring. We'll also have some very good bulls available that are suitable to use on heifers.

4/7/12 – Today, we showed our heifer calves to potential buyers for the first time – two sharp youngsters from Houston. Some of our calves are just babies but the older ones are really starting to bloom. We'd assembled a tentative list of heifers to include in the sale but they pointed out another Legacy daughter that they really liked so we replaced one on the list with their selection. We'll finalize the sale offering in the next couple of weeks so if you want to help us decide what needs to be included, come look them over soon.

The Chosen Few 2012
Internet Heifer Sale – May 27, 2012
Register to Bid (You must register and get a buyer's number before you can bid.
Link to Auction Site -still under construction
Link to list of the sale heifers heifers with descriptions, starting prices, pedigrees and EPDs.
Link to Gallery 4 with initial photos of the sale heifers.

Congratulations to Ari Montemayor and her family from Laredo, Texas for winning the prestigious San Antonio Junior Braford Heifer Show with WB LG KIRSTIE 107P. This December 2010 Legacy daughter was purchased from us in The Chosen Few 2011 internet heifer sale.

RMR RANGER'S LEGACY 6180
Legacy is the most complete Braford bull we have ever owned. He is the only bull we know in the Braford breed that is in the top 25% for every trait measured and evaluated in the breed – even light birth weight. His MILK and REA EPDs rank him in the top 1% of the breed. He'll work on heifers and will produce truly outstanding daughters.

He is polled and his color pattern will have him producing no solid reds on Braford cows and 100% black baldies on straight black cows. Yes, he transmits plenty eye pigmentation too. Whether you are a purebred Braford breeder or a commercial producer, you'll love the production of Legacy – especially his daughters. We are taking semen orders now. Don't delay, we sold out last spring. Volume discounts are available for commercial producers. Call or email for details.

Genetics

Our purebred Braford breeding program is focused on genetics – specifically performance genetics. Effective genetic evaluation can be challenging and requires diligence and accuracy of taking measurements. We measure birth weight with scales – no hoof tapes and no windshield estimations. We shrink our calves before taking weaning weights to get true phenotypic weights that reflect real growth and not differences in fill. Our ultrasound measurements are taken at the prescribed age then evaluated by the CUP lab not chute side by the scanning technician who may or may not be a disinterested party. We record yearling weights at the same time we scan cattle to eliminate any questions of data manipulation that is often associated with separate yearling weight and carcass data collection procedures.

We use EPDs religiously. Don't let anyone convince you that actual or adjusted weights need to be considered either by themselves or in conjunction with the EPDs. EPDs are the best available indication of transmittable genetics in an animal – they trump everything else. Simple phenotypic measurements can easily be manipulated and usually reflect more non-genetic and environmental influences than genetic differences. Even low accuracy EPDs are superior to actual weights or measurements when you are making selection decisions. Use the EPDs.

Recently, we heard seedstock producer Donnell Brown make a very profound statement at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, "Test for performance while managing for longevity." We've practiced these principles for decades. Starving pregnant females to minimize birth weight or creep feeding calves to maximize weaning weights or percent IMF is counterproductive in the long run. These common purebred breeder practices can thwart genetic evaluation and reduce productivity and longevity in the cattle produced. There is no genetic improvement advantage whatsoever to be derived from pushing or overfeeding cattle. You can effectively discern genetic differences at lower feeding levels and at the same time spend less money on development and ensure greater productive longevity.

Our goal is to improve performance genetics in the cattle we breed and sell to our customers. Excessive feed might make them look a little better, weigh more at any measurement point or have more intramuscular fat when scanned. None of these yield superior EPDs or guarantee better genetics to be transmitted to future generations.

We are always excited to talk to you about cattle genetics. We enjoy discussing our program and philosophies of breeding Brafords with superior maternal and solid carcass genetics. If you want to improve your cattle, focus on buying superior genetics and don't fall for excessive feed, fluff or blue sky. We sell genetics. We breed and sell superior Braford genetics that look good too.

Welcome
Welcome to our website. The primary business of Thunderstorm R Cattle Company is the breeding and marketing of functional UBB registered Braford cattle. We focus our breeding efforts on maternal superiority and have no interest in breeding cattle for the terminal sire side of the industry. We ask that you please consider purchasing our bulls if you desire to raise productive replacement females. We ask that you consider purchasing our females if you want to quickly enhance your cowherd. All of our breeding decisions are geared toward cowherd improvement that yields females demonstrating consistent, strong performance over a long, productive, unpampered lifetime. We are closely aligned with the Wayne Boozer Braford breeding program and all of our cows are located in the East Texas Pineywoods near Douglass, Texas. See the "About US" link to learn more about the relationship between Thunderstorm R Cattle Company and Wayne Boozer Brafords.

Based on decades of experience and formal academic training in animal breeding and genetics, we offer comprehensive consulting services for purebred as well as progressive commercial producers. Our consulting focus is genetic improvement of the cowherd as well as associated purebred marketing.

Thunderstorm R Cattle Company, Nacogdoches, Texas
Rodney, Pam and Emily Roberson; Amy and Kevin Hayes
rlr@thunderstormrcattle.com