Agricultural News
Management Plus Tools Creates Faster Herd Improvement
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 17:43:40 CST
Change doesn't happen overnight, but cattleman John Moes says the right tools accelerate herd improvement. He has improved consistency and quality of his cowherd with a combination of genetics and management on his Florence, South Dakota farm. He said working with South Dakota State University reproductive physiologist George Perry was the first step.
"He's been utilizing our commercial herd along with their two college herds to use different protocols to figure out what's working and how we can synchronize these cattle and get more of them bred at day one instead of waiting 21 days," Moes said.
Tightening up the breeding season led Moes to look for other areas of variation.
"We started AIing and started using growth bulls and once we got into straight Angus we started seeing technology that we can use and synchronize and get cattle more consistent, uh group together on 270 head when we can have them gone at 13 months of age; it's just like clockwork," Moes said.
Moes finishes his calves in an on-farm feedlot. Harvest groups have improved from 25 percent Certified Angus Beef brand acceptance to 67 percent in just two years. That's while holding yield grade 4s to less than percent.
"The biggest thing is use the new technologies. They're out there. And if we use them and utilize synchronization , use the best of the best of the breeds, whether we use artificial insemination or just herd sires use the best. Growth bulls, now we've got the EPDs for carcass and that's what we need to do," Moes said.
The South Dakota cattleman received C-A-B's 2014 Progressive Partner Award at the brand's annual conference in Marco Island, Florida, in September.
Click on the play button in the screen below to watch this video news release from the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef about John Moes and his herd management.
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