By Taylor Ohlde, RAAA commercial marketing specialist

The Show Me Reds Sale hosted by the Missouri Red Angus Association in Springfield, Missouri, had a strong lineup of commercial females. In this group, there was an especially fancy set of heifers carrying the Premium Red Baldy tag. Bred back to Red Angus bulls for September calving, they caught the eye of many cattlemen on sale day. Selling at the end of the day for $4,100, the buyer elected to keep the whole set of 10 together. The demand for those enrolled females was evident as they were backed by not only upper-end genetics but also had all the tract scoring, vaccinations and good management behind them.

A couple of lots later, a set of fall-bred heifers entered the ring carrying the FCCP enrollment along with the Show Me Select requirements. Show Me Select closely resembles the Red Choice Program. These red-hided females commanded $3,700 for the pen and were the second-high-selling set of commercial females. The bred heifer averages were strong, as they ran 24 through the ring that day for an average of $3,783.

Commercial open heifers also got a lot of attention on sale day as they sold 38 for an average of $2,318. Some of the highlights in that section was a set of four red-hided females out of AI sires that brought $2,900. They were a powerful group of females ready to turn out. Another set of seven buckskin Charolais/Red Angus heifers commanded $2,400.

The demand for Red Angus-influenced females remains strong as cattlemen trust the breed to stay true to what it takes to make a functional and practical brood cow. And it was particularly rewarding to see the enrolled females in both Premium Red Baldy and FCCP have more success in the marketplace. I personally feel as the breed continues to grow, the verification through Red Angus programs such as Premium Red Baldy, American Red, Red Choice and FCCP will ensure the buyers that they are the best the industry has to offer. For it’s no secret that the Red Angus is the most favored female in the country.