Category: American Cattlemen Podcast

Welcome back to Genetics & The Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media. Just ahead, we have Gale McKinney, he’s the owner of American Cattlemen Media, and he sits down with Dennis Deppe, Owner of Deppe Angus. In this episode, Dennis and Gale will dive into the Deppe Angus Progress Through Testing Bull & Female Sale, held on February 27th, 2026, at 6PM CST, at the farm in Waverly, Iowa.

Starting from modest roots, the Deppe Angus brand was built upon a strong vision. Despite only owning three cows after college graduation, this small foundation was key to establishing the brand. They meticulously developed their herd by focusing on careful breeding, selecting superior bulls, and retaining their most exceptional females.

Dennis emphasizes that “progress through testing” is not a slogan but the core of his program, reinforced by comprehensive genomic testing on all sale cattle.

The sale offering, which includes a powerful set of 76 yearling and age-advantaged bulls, 21 spring-bred heifers and pairs, 27 high-end open females, and several elite genetic opportunities is great for anyone looking to expand their herd. Dennis highlights key sire groups such as Crouch Congress, Glacier, Spring Cove Grant, Duracell, Craftsman, Wildcat, and others, explaining how each contributes growth, carcass merit, structural soundness, and maternal strength. He repeatedly comes back to cow families like Black Cap and Mistress that anchor the program’s consistency across different sire lines. Several standout lots are described in detail, including bulls with top-percentile growth, efficiency, and carcass EPDs, as well as females he believes could serve as front-line donors in any herd.

The discussion also covers three special genetic opportunity lots built around proven donor cows with exceptional dollar indexes and strong track records in third-party testing. Dennis notes that a portion of proceeds from one of these lots will support youth, education, and research through the Angus Foundation, aligning with his long career as an ag instructor and FFA advisor.

For previous episodes of the American Cattlemen Podcast, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.

American Cattlemen Podcast is Sponsored By:

Rawhide Portable Corrals

Udder Tech, Inc.

Central Life Sciences

 

Welcome back to Genetics & The Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen. Just ahead, we have Gale McKinney, he’s the owner of American Cattlemen Media, and he sits down with Bailey Johnson, Oner of Johnson Angus Ranch. In this episode, Bailey and Gale will dive into the Johnson Angus Ranch 54th Annual Genetic Advantage Bull Sale, held on February 28th, 2026, at 1PM CST at Mobridge, South Dakota.

The Johnson Angus Ranch breeding philosophy centers on producing cattle that work in real-world conditions – moderate, efficient, structurally sound, and capable of adding pounds while maintaining cow herd longevity. Many of their bulls come from cow families that have stood the test of time, with multiple generations still in production today. Disposition, soundness, and usability remain priorities in every mating decision they make.

The upcoming sale will showcase a deep offering headlined by 81 yearling Angus bulls, eight aged bulls, and 27 bred heifers. Bailey describes the yearling bulls as a very consistent yet individually unique group, with many sired by home-raised sires for the first time. She highlights several key sire groups, including Rainmaker 4404, known for strong maternal daughters; BNB Holy Water; BJJ Legacy, a Baldrige Bronc son whose progeny combine performance with the kind of females commercial producers need; and the Jose sire line, bringing in OCC Juno blood and producing calm, structurally sound daughters with good udders and feet. Another major sire group is the Quarrel 3/3 bulls, which Bailey describes as powerful, high-quality cattle and notes that lots 32 and 33 stand out as particularly multi-dimensional.

Bailey and Gale then discuss the aged bulls, including Patron, cataloged as Lot 88, an experienced herd sire and full brother to Jose, representing a rare opportunity to purchase genetics from the heart of the program. Bailey explains their development philosophy: bulls are grown on a high-fiber ration without silage or distillers grains, aiming to express genetic potential while ensuring they are sound and ready to work without being over-conditioned.

The 27 bred heifers are a first-time sale feature for Johnson Angus. Many come directly from the keeper pen and will be sold in two groups sorted by calving dates, with gate cut available under defined minimums.

For previous episodes of the American Cattlemen Podcast, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.

American Cattlemen Podcast is Sponsored By:

Rawhide Portable Corrals

Udder Tech, Inc.

Central Life Sciences

 

Welcome back to Genetics & The Gavel, powered by American Cattlemen Media. Just ahead, we have Aaron McKinney, he’s the field editor for American Cattlemen Media, and he sits down with Randy Kessler and Tierra Kessler Duke, of Kessler Angus. In this episode, they will dive into the Kessler Angus Bull Sale, held on February 17th, 2026, at 12:30Om PST, at the ranch in Milton-Freewater, Oregon.

Kessler Angus is a first-generation cattle ranch started with a single 4H project heifer by Randy Kessler in 1962 in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Randy sold his first bull in 1964 and has been holding an annual production sale since 2007 after years of private treaty and consignment sales.

Tierra explains that the operation is very family oriented. She works full-time on the ranch, her brother Cody splits time between the ranch and horse training, and their sister Cheyenne works as an ICU nurse in California but returns annually to help with calving. The cattle experience a range of environments: mature cows calve on dryland wheat pastures in the hills, older cows and first-calf heifers are kept closer to the ranch. This setup emphasizes functional, hardy cattle that perform under minimal pampering.

A central theme of the program is calving ease combined with performance. The Kesslers are known as a trusted source of heifer bulls that deliver the calving ease promised without sacrificing growth. They lean heavily on the Angus Pathfinder program, with over 28% of their eligible mature cow herd having earned Pathfinder status. Their cow herd is expected to “pay its way,” funding land, equipment, and overall ranch operations, with a strong emphasis on fertility, early breeding, heavy-weaning calves, and long-term functionality.

They’ll close the interview by diving into the upcoming Kessler Angus Bull S ale. Tierra walks through the offering by sire group, highlighting Basin Keystone, Free Water, Deluxe, Pacific, Top Gun, Prolific, North Star, Security, Jameson, Rise Above, Safe Deposit, Lookout, Inspire, Highlander, Resilient, Duke, Kindred, and Kingdom. She details standout bulls, their EPD profiles, carcass traits, maternal strength, and notable donor cow families behind them, emphasizing both calving ease and strong growth and carcass merit.

For previous episodes of the American Cattlemen Podcast, please visit:  www.americancattlemen.com.

American Cattlemen Podcast is Sponsored By:

Rawhide Portable Corrals

Udder Tech, Inc.

Central Life Sciences