Page 48 - Red Hill Farms Black and Red Angus and SimGenetics Bulls – March 17, 2018

Choose Wisely
By Dr. Tom Field

For the commercial cow-calf producer the two However, even before contact is made with
most important professional relationships a seedstock producer, the cow-calf manager
are with the seedstock supplier and the herd must assess their own conditions, level of
veterinarian. Genetics provides a foundation herd performance in critically important areas,
upon which the future of the enterprise will and solidify their goals and objectives for the
stand. The most infl uential genetic decisions beef enterprise. Bull buyers who are making
made by a cow-calf producer who produces choices from an information rich perspective
their own replacement heifers are the three are more prepared to build a solid work-
most recent generations of herd sires. These ing relationship with a seedstock supplier.
bulls account for approximately 75 percent Determining the mating system is another
of the calf crop’s genetic makeup in terms of key decision that should be determined by
their direct infl uence as sires of calves and as the cow-calf producer using knowledge about
the sires of the cowherd. Given the tremen- their own enterprise as well as leveraging the
dous infl uence of the bull battery, the sire experience of other producers as well as the
acquisition process takes on a special level of genetics supplier. The mating system as well
signifi cance and thus, the relationship with the as the sires selected to work within the mating
genetic supplier becomes highly important. system requires that commercial producers
carefully assess four critical areas:
One of my mentors in the cattle business
believed that before a decision was made on 1. Feed resources and environmental
which bulls to purchase, cattle producers limits
should visit the potential seedstock suppliers 2. Labor resources
business at least twice – initially to check
out the supplier and secondly to evaluate the 3. Marketing goals and objectives
cattle. The concept was founded on a com-
mitment to only buying seedstock from herds 4. Gaps between present and desired
managed under a similar philosophy and with levels of performance in traits critical to
comparable weather, forage and climatic con- profi tability
ditions to the purchaser’s situation. His belief Once these issues have been addressed in
was that if the people were solid, then you detail then a meaningful discussion can be
could more confi dently do business safe in the undertaken with potential seedstock suppliers.
knowledge that they were creating good cattle A long term and valued relationship with a
and that they would stand behind them. seedstock supplier(s) begins with business
46 – Red Hill Farms