Agricultural News
First-Generation Idaho Rancher Greg Brown Shares His Views on the Long-Term Impacts of Genetic Selection
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 10:51:36 CDT
Starting a ranch from scratch isn't easy, but Greg Brown and family did it in a decade with Angus cattle, focusing on genetic merit:
"I see Angus as the way forward for us," said Brown, a first-generation Idaho rancher. "I believe we can make the highest quality product with the most functional cow. High quality for the end user and functional cow for us. That's how we make our money - with a mama cow."
Watch a short video-clip featuring first-generation Idaho rancher Greg Brown share his views on how genetic selection has a long-term impact on the cow herd, by clicking or tapping the PLAYBOX in the window below.
Functionality and quality in one cow? Absolutely.
"You do not have to sacrifice quality for maternal characteristics - you can have them all in one package," Brown said, "but you have to be extremely selective."
Simply following baseline genetic recommendations provide long-term herd impact and add value.
"When we go to a bull sale, we are selecting genetics that will affect our boys and their children, and their children, if they continue to ranch. I see the cost of a bull to be fairly insignificant when you look at the female he produces," he explained. "And how do you put a pencil to a good female who can produce 10-12 calves in her lifetime, and then produce more good females?"
Those heifers will ensure better years for the Browns and their customers. To capture more value for steers, the Idaho rancher uses bulls with genetic potential to perform from pasture to plate, selecting those denoted by the Certified Angus Beef brand's "Targeting the Brand" logo.
"I would like if my entire bull battery had the 'CAB' logo on them," Brown remarked. "Looking into the future, I would like my steers to grade as high as possible, and I am looking to produce bred heifers that are the best mamas there is, that when other people buy them and put a good bull on them, their calves are going to hit Certified Angus Beef every time."
His goal isn't just producing a good calf but providing a great steak on someone's plate.
"We are buying too good of bulls to just sell these calves at the bottom of the barrel," concluded Brown. "These calves are going to go somewhere and going to do something for somebody, and they are going to turn out to be a great tasting steak in a fancy restaurant in New York City - and that all started out here on the dessert in Idaho."
Source - Certified Angus Beef
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