■ Upgrading Program
This program allows you to upgrade commercial cows to purebred Beefmasters through a
three-generation top-crossing system. It allows you to make the transition to purebreds using your
existing cow herd.
The first step is to become a member of BBU. To do this, complete the enclosed
membership application and return it to us with the annual membership dues of $100.00. When you
become a member, and you want to participate in the Upgrading Program, contact the office to obtain
the Ranch Visit Request form, complete it and return it to us.
Upon receipt of the form, one of our fieldmen will schedule a date to visit your operation and
inspect your cows. He will need to see each cow individually and will accept all those cows which
he feels have adequate frame, correct structure, good udders and adequate muscling.
Those cows he
accepts will be branded with a Bar C (-C) and a number brand if they are not already numbered, and
will be recorded as Base Cows. This inspection will cost you $3.00 per head or 250.00 whichever
is greater. Base Cows are then bred to a certified Beefmaster bull which has been inspected by a
BBU fieldman. This inspection can be done when you have your Base Cows inspected. The heifer
calves from these matings will become eligible for inspection as First Cross Beefmasters when they
become at least 8 months of age. A fieldman will again visit your ranch at your request and inspect
the heifers for approval as First Crosses. Those he approves will be branded 1C and you will apply
for papers on them. The inspection will again cost you $3.00 per head and the registration papers
will cost $14.00.
You will then breed these First Crosses to a certified Beefmaster bull, and their heifer calves
will be eligible for inspection as Second Cross Beefmasters when they reach 8 months of age.
Once
again you will request a fieldman to visit your operation and inspect the heifers and brand those he
accepts with a 2C. This inspection will cost $3.00 per head and the registration papers on the 2C
heifer will cost $14.00.
Once your Second Crosses have been approved and branded, they are basically the
equivalent of a purebred Beefmaster, as both their male and female offspring are eligible for
registration with BBU as purebred Beefmasters without inspection.
As you can see, you can make this conversion at a relatively low investment and will be
adding equity to your herd as soon as you make the initial inspection. The key to the success of the
program, however, is the use of good bulls. You cannot use an average bull and expect aboveaverage
results, especially as you move away from the hybrid vigor of a crossbred and into the more
concentrated genetics of a purebred.
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