ABOUT UBB
Brafords are bred from the Atlantic to the Pacific with the highest concentrations of U. S. Braford breeders currently located in Louisiana, Texas and Florida. UBB members are also found in Mexico, Australia, and several other countries. The future of the UBB is directly related to the expanding interest in the no-nonsense, functional Brafords produced by UBB members. With more members registering more Brafords, the UBB will have the resources to better serve its membership in efforts to improve and promote the attributes of registered Braford cattle.
American Brahmans and Herefords have been crossed with desirable results as long as the two have been available to American cattlemen. Dr. Jay Lush, recognized by many as the father of modern animal breeding, evaluated systematic crossing of Brahmans with Herefords in Texas throughout the 1920s. Dr. Lush observed that the commercial use of these two breeds involved little more than using Brahman bulls until you got too much Brahman in the cattle then switching over to use Hereford bulls until you got too much Hereford content and then back to Brahman bulls. Unfortunately, many cattlemen are still using this seesaw approach to breeding cattle today as they try to capitalize on the favorable attributes of the Brahman and Hereford blend and the added benefits of heterosis. Today’s UBB Brafords (3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Hereford) offer a potent alternative to the inconsistencies of the seesaw routine, especially for today’s progressive producers who require the proven productivity of Braford breeding, as well as the consistency and simplicity of managing purebreds.
Environmental adaptability, productive longevity and a general policy of moderation have a lot to do with development of consistent cowherds and long-surviving cattle operations. UBB Brafords have the attributes appreciated by cowmen operating enduring cattle operations.
The Braford breed has been built by cowmen who realize that the purebred business is not a contest or race to see who can produce the most extreme animal to register and promote. Extreme animals have a difficult time functioning under ordinary, or worse yet, challenging circumstances. When the grass gets a little short, or when the extra help or pampering is not economically feasible, extreme cows have a tendency to stop producing altogether while the more moderate, functional, Braford cow keeps on producing to help pay the bills.
The superiority of the Braford-sired females yields dividends for years and generations to come. With hustling, hard-working Braford bulls, you’ll also get steers that are hardy, efficient and the right size for today’s market target.
It has been said that Brafords were bred by necessity to handle adversity. Most Braford breeders would agree that Brafords adapt and thrive to their surroundings.
BRAFORD HISTORY
ADAMS RANCH
Brafords, like most recognized breeds, were born of necessity – the necessity to consistently and efficiently produce a uniform quality product in challenging production environments.
Working with a base herd of Brahman cows that were primarily Partin and Hudgins breeding, Alto Adams Jr. began using Hereford bulls on his St. Lucie County, Florida ranch in 1947. The resulting steer and heifer calves were outstanding, but, the Hereford bulls required to produce those calves had extreme problems with feet, eyes and general livability.
Adams quickly realized that because they were not adapted to his conditions, Hereford bulls just did not provide an economically feasible alternative. He began experimenting with various percentages of Brahman-Hereford crossbred bulls. Eventually, he was able to identify Braford bulls that were producing the calves that met his needs and market demands. He used these bulls and their offspring to form what is recognized as the Foundation Herd of the Braford breed in the United States.
In the mid-1950’s Adams Ranch was utilizing a systematic mating program using Braford bulls on a large scale. By basing bull selection on weaning and yearling weights and allowing natural selection to eliminate calving problems, Adams Ranch Brafords improved through the years to the point that they began to think of breed development and recognition. Adams Ranch held their first registered Braford sale in Ft. Pierce, Florida on December 14, 1979.
Adams authored a guide titled The Selection and Breeding of Braford Cattle.
THE CREATION OF UBB
The International Braford Association (IBA) was chartered in 1969 to begin registering Brafords. The IBA operated an office in Fort Pierce, Florida, until moving it’s headquarters to Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1991. In 1985 the American Hereford Association formed a second Braford organization, the American Braford Registry (ABR).
The emphasis in the ABR was to produce 3/8–5/8 Brafords based on modern Brahman and Hereford bloodlines. ABRA breeders also concentrated on producing Brafords with full pedigrees. The ABRA eventually moved its records away from the Hereford association, during this time the International Brangus Breeders Association processed the Braford records, the organization was known as the American Braford Association (ABA). After many successful years of registering and promoting Braford cattle in the United States and foreign countries, the International Braford Association and the American Braford Association joined forces on June 1, 1994, to form the United Braford Breeders (UBB). Today the UBB is headquartered in Reynolds, Georgia with our registration office located in Kingsville, Texas.
