What Was Old Is New Again
What Was Old is New Again
Perhaps the above statement defines our breeding program as well as any. I’ve noticed an increase of the “old” proven herdsires of yesteryear showing up in some of the bull catalogs we have received is spring sale season. Certainly there are more of the “modern” bloodlines prevalent in the bull sale catalogs but little by little the old line maternal sires of the Angus breed are starting to show up in some.
While I’m sure the pedigrees in our catalog are the exception and not the rule, we are committed to keeping them “exceptions.” The chase for the maximum EPD profile is of no interest to us. We learned our lesson long ago when we did use one of the “next greatest thing” sires and the results were less than desirable– if not an outright disaster.
As breeders, we are told that doing a DNA test on a bull is the same as having the results on 21 of his progeny. Well maybe I’m missing something, but wouldn’t the mothers of those calves have as much to do with the results of those calves are their sire? I need to have the results of a bull’s offspring standing in front of me so I can make a visual appraisal before I decide what value he represents to our breeding program.
I was asked a while back why the same cow or bull shows up in the same pedigree in our herd. Simply put these are the cows and bulls that have not only proven themselves over time but when they are “stacked” in a pedigree the results are more predictable. I guess you could say that is why we focus so heavily on the mother cow as she is the one raising our replacement heifers and the bulls we offer for sale.
There is no fast-track way to achieving consistency in a cowherd. It takes time. Hence, we will continue using the time-tested genetics and proven cow families that allow us to keep cows that stay in the herd because they have earned it. They are trouble free, breed up in a 45-day breeding season, raise a good calf, and most importantly do it by exhibiting the one trait that is as important in our breeding program as any: LONGEVITY.
Funny, as I get older the words “trouble free” become more important when it comes to evaluating what stays in our cowherd. We have spent years targeting the genetic lines that we believe best represent trouble free cattle. If the idea of a trouble-free herd interests you, please give our breeding program your consideration. We’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback.
Sincerely,
Rick & Lanette
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