Purple Power

Since its creation in January 2000, the MFA Health Track program has enrolled and tagged more than 600,000 head of feeder calves into the nation’s most comprehensive third-party verified beef cattle preconditioning program. Now, the program is adding even more value for participating producers through a new partnership with ABS Global, a world-leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services and technologies.

With the new ABS Alliance Advantage offering, MFA Health Track puts genetic and health certification into a single ID tag program for the first time. Producers qualify their calves for the program by using designated ABS Profit Proven bulls and meeting MFA Health Track requirements, which include 45 days of preconditioning with both nutrition and vaccination protocols.

“A little more than 17 years after it was started, Health Track’s reputation for integrity and value is as good as it has ever been,” said Mike John, MFA Health Track director. “However, missing from that documentation, and of significant value, is an indication of the genetic composition of those calves. That’s where ABS comes in, and with it comes global genetic experience. This takes Health Track to the next level.”

Calves enrolled in the ABS Alliance Advantage program are identified with a special purple tag that designates their potentially high-value status.

“ABS has created evaluation schemes and databases to help its customers make more informed sire selections that dramatically add to the value of their offerings,” John said. “By combining that expertise with the obvious health benefits of the Health Track program, a new level of predictable performance will come with calves that qualify for the new ABS Alliance Advantage purple tag.”

The ABS Alliance Advantage approval and tagging process includes these steps:

• Calves must be enrolled in MFA Health Track and meet all program requirements. This program is available through MFA Agri Services locations and administered by MFA Incorporated livestock product sales representatives.
• ABS maintains minimum criteria and publishes lists of AI (artificial insemination) sires that qualify for Alliance Advantage. Natural service sons of these sires can also qualify. ABS representatives are responsible for Alliance-qualifying calves based on its program criteria and the ability of producers to identify calves out of approved sires.
• When qualifying calves have been approved, purple ABS Alliance Advantage tags are ordered from MFA and delivered through an MFA representative who can help process and tag the calves.
• When all requirements for both components are complete, a sales certificate is created that documents preconditioning dates, processes and products as well as genetic information to help buyers identify potential of the calves with the purple tags.

For more information and details about the ABS Alliance Advantage program, visit with your local MFA Agri Services or AGChoice location or MFA sales representative.