Angus Programs Sorted Out for Cattlemen

Three names get thrown around at every sale barn and feed meeting: CAB, CAB Prime and AngusSource. Men use them like they mean the same thing. They do not. One checks live cattle at your place, two check carcasses on the rail, and they pay in different ways. Here is how to keep them straight.

AngusSource: paperwork on the live animal

AngusSource is run by the American Angus Association. A USDA document on the program, posted by the Agricultural Marketing Service, describes it as a USDA Process Verified program built on three things: at least half Angus genetics, a verified source and a verified age. That document is old, so call the Association for current rules before you enroll. What it does for you is simple. It puts a record on the cattle so a buyer can trust what he is bidding on. It does not grade meat, and it does not guarantee a carcass will make any brand.

Certified Angus Beef: the carcass test

CAB is judged after harvest. The steer needs to look Angus-type with a predominantly solid black coat, and then the carcass is held to ten specifications posted on the brand's specification page. Marbling has to be modest or higher. Marbling texture has to be medium to fine. Cattle must be under 30 months with A-maturity lean. There are limits on ribeye area, fat cover, carcass weight and neck hump, and the carcass has to show muscling and stay clear of capillary rupture and dark cutting. Ranges have shifted over the years, so go by the current document and not your neighbor's memory.

The industry reported a 37.6 percent annual average acceptance rate in the brand's most recent fiscal-year summary, per Oklahoma Farm Report. That means most of the Angus-type cattle checked did not make it. Read the full picture in our piece on what the acceptance rate tells a cattleman.

CAB Prime: the top tier

CAB Prime is a line extension within CAB. The brand describes extra standards beyond the regular line, including higher marbling. That is not the same as USDA Prime, which is a federal grade. See how the grades work at the USDA beef grading page. When prices on a grid reward the top tier, selling cattle that make it pays. But the top tier is a narrow target, and chasing it with the wrong cattle can cost you more in carcass weight and feed than you gain.

Where each one pays

• AngusSource: pays through the sale of live cattle, when a buyer values the documentation.
• CAB: pays through grid premiums or a better price on formula or retained-ownership cattle.
• CAB Prime: pays on top of that when the grid or buyer passes a premium back to the producer.

Premiums and discounts change with the market. Check your packer's grid before you build a plan around a premium that might not be there.

What to do about it at the ranch

1. Buy bulls that move marbling and keep carcass weight in check. farm.fm's page on understanding bulls explains how to read what you are buying.
2. Keep source and age records. You cannot enroll cattle in a verification program without them.
3. Finish cattle even. Sort by condition and market on time.
4. Get carcass data back. If you sell on a grid, ask for the sheets and read them.

The mistakes that cost money

Three come up over and over. First, paying for a program label and then selling cattle that cannot make the carcass specs. Second, mistaking AngusSource for a premium that pays on its own. Third, sending cattle to a plant not set up to grade for the brand. Ask your buyer or packer how the cattle will be evaluated and who pays for what. The Beef Research site has checkoff-funded studies that show what drives carcass value.

Straight talk

Programs are tools, not magic. Start with cattle that grow, marble and finish without getting too big. Add paperwork where a buyer will pay for it. Then use the carcass results to decide which bulls and cows stay.

Reading the grid and the sheet

Whatever program you sell into, the paperwork back to you is where the learning is. Look for marbling score, ribeye area, fat thickness, hot carcass weight and any discount codes. Line them up against the program window. If most of your misses are on weight, your cattle are staying too long or your bulls are adding too much size. If they are on marbling, look at genetics and at how long you feed. If hump or dark cutters show up, look at your cattle's genetics and handling. Each miss has a different fix, and the sheet tells you which one you have.

Compare lots, too. If one set of steers made the grade and another did not, ask what was different: sire group, feed, age, weather, haul distance. Write it down. A few years of that is worth more than any seminar.

Questions to ask your buyer

• Which program or grid will these cattle be priced on?
• What are the premiums and discounts right now, and how often do they change?
• Who pays for verification or tags, and who keeps the records?
• Will I get the carcass data back, and how fast?

For more ranch and supplier listings, see Agriculture Directory. This site is independent and not affiliated with the American Angus Association or Certified Angus Beef. Rules and premiums change, so check current documents with the program and your buyer.