Choosing A Herd Sire

Welcome to Open Range, I’m KayDee Gilkey. Stay tuned because after the break I’ll check in with our field reporter, Greg Martin for the AgriBeef Minute.

I’m Greg Martin with today’s AgriBeef Minute. Is there such a thing as the perfect bull as a herd sire. Rancher Terry Anderson says that really depends.

ANDERSON: That’s a really difficult question because everyone is looking for something different. I think that’s one of the big issues with the beef industry is that due to environmental constraints everyone has a little different operation so everyone has a little different concept of what we’re trying to select with a superior herd sire due to the restrictions of their individual environmental resources.

But according to Anderson there are some key traits.

ANDERSON: We want the highest, most proven accuracy from an EPD and production level of genetic foundation that we can get to eliminate some of the unforeseen issues you can have in the cattle industry. With the information that’s available to us today - if we’re having calving difficulties and other problems with our cattle programs for the most part that’s a management issue.

He says the information is really there from a genetic standpoint that should eliminate a lot of the problems experienced in the past. I’m Greg Martin and that’s today’s AgriBeef Minute.

Thanks Greg. Don’t forget Greg will be back each Wednesday with the AgriBeef Minute. Agri Beef Co - Real Families, Great People, Exceptional Beef. I’m KayDee Gilkey.