In 2019, weaned calves were sold as breeding animals or as grass feeders. None were taken to the local sale barn. Replacement heifers and bulls are presently being wintered on their dams. They will not be separated until early March. However, wintered heifers are kept in separate pastures than wintered bulls to prevent early breeding. Dams will continue to nurse their calves until they become dry, and teach them various winter grazing behaviors, while programming their fetuses to switch on genes for poor quality forage digestibility without fed feeds (as well as genes for other vital traits that pertain to adaptability). There is still some green forage and weeds at the base of taller and mature stockpiled forage to ensure that their nutritional needs are being met. Below are several photos: wintered cows and heifer calves and a wintered bull (LR 20-19) including his pictorial pedigree.

A new update has been added at the Ranch Management Update page.

There are certain traditional myths perceived by breeders on the practice of inbreeding. Like any breeding practice, if the effects of inbreeding are well understood it can become a tool, along with selection and culling, to produce outstanding breeding animals. However, its use also depends on the type of operation. In commercial herds the exploitation of heterosis is a stronger economic incentive with regards to performance, more so than the effects of inbreeding, so the strategy is often to minimize inbreeding when choosing parents for mating. In the September issue of the Stockman Grass Farmer, I wrote an article entitled – Understanding and Managing Inbreeding. For interested readers who breed and sell animals for breeding, here is the link to the article: https://lukefahrcattleranch.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/sgf-inbreeding-2019.pdf

One of my neighbors has an exceptional bull calf that is worthy of being sold for breeding rather than to an auction (photo below). The calf was sired by a Star bull (LR Blondie JR (18-2016); second photo taken at 1-1/2 years of age) and is out of a commercial Charolais-cross cow. The bottom photo is of his Star maternal grand-dam. This bull was born last December and he possesses the slick gene. Being fully crossbred, his hybrid vigor level is at the maximum value of 100%, which will benefit traits – especially fertility and disease resistance. He should be ready to breed between 14 and 15 months of age. If interested, please contact the herd manager, Bobby Bennett, at his cell number (361-459-9043). A reasonable offer will be accepted.

Alan Newport and I co-wrote an article that was published this week in Beef Producer. Alan is the editor of this magazine. The article’s theme is strategies to produce more pounds of beef per acre. It explains how I now use fewer acres per cow (stocking rate): 7.7 acres per animal unit instead of 16 acres 5 years ago, and increased beef yield from 36 to 64 pounds per acre using my African breed-derived, adaptable Composite cattle. For the cow-calf enterprise, beef yield is a function of the number of cows, pregnancy rate (PG), calf survival to weaning (SR), average weaning weight (AWW), and total acreage. For example: 10 cows X .90 PG X .90 SR X 550 (AWW) equals 4,455 total pounds. Divide this number by 100 acres and the beef yield figure comes to 44.55 pounds of beef per acre. Ranchers should have a business focus of producing more beef and increasing profits from the land as opposed to profit per cow or average weaning weight. Here is a link to the article: Link

Flying W Ranch is located in Cotulla, Texas. For years now, this business has been purchasing Star bulls to produce cattle that are heat tolerant and productive without pampering. The herd manager, Grant Rogers, has a 4 year-old Star bull for sale: Bull 17-2015. Last year the ranch had to reduce the number of cows due to drought and now the ranch has too much bull power. This bull has no issues. He is slick, polled, and has good depth of muscling and has a gentle nature. Last June (2018) he scored 95% sperm on a semen test. He has a great pedigree which includes Honey Bear (Tuli), Nocona (Senepol), and Bandito Tres (Red Angus) foundation sires. His breed composition is 37.5% Tuli, 25% Senepol, and 37.5% Red Angus. LR Faith is his dam who is 11 yesr old and who has calves every yesr since 2 years of age. His birth wt was 78 lbs (EPD is -2.2) and his 205 adj. weaning wt was 553 lbs (EPD is -15.0). A couple of photos of this good bull are shown below. Grant can be contacted by phone (830-998-8048) or email (flyingwranch@icloud.com).

Flying W Ranch is located in Cotulla, Texas. For years now, this business has been purchasing Star bulls to produce cattle that are heat tolerant and productive without pampering. The herd manager, Grant Rogers, has eight Star-sired heifers for sale: 2 year-olds (6) and 3 year-olds (2); photos appear below. They are out of Red Angus crossbred cows. Since December, these heifers have been exposed to Star bulls. They can be palpated to confirm pregnancy. Another bonus is that the heifers are American Grassfed Certified. The ranch is asking $1,100 a head for these good heifers. Grant can be contacted by phone (830-456-9519) or email (flyingwranch@icloud.com).