Cows & Coonhounds

Cows and Coonhounds

By Jeremy Jackson, International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) president

I spent a significant portion of my youth walking the hills and hollers of Northwest Arkansas with my maternal grandfather while following the sounds of Treeing Walker Coonhounds. Papaw, as we kids called him, loved his dogs and provided my first taste of genetic progress in animals. Papaw had a dog that he had raised named McKissick Creek Tabitha. Her littermate sister, McKissick Creek Mandy resided at my house. Tabby was never much to look at and even though she always got the job done, she wasn’t near the coonhound that Mandy was. What Tabby had that none of us knew, and made Papaw look like a genius, was the ability to reproduce the great ones.

In 1985, Papaw mated Tabby to Houses Lipper and turned the coonhound world on its head. There were 8 pups born to that litter and 5 of the 8 won titles. People with big name coonhounds rang Papaw’s phone off the hook. Everyone wanted to breed their stud dog to Tabby. Over the years, no matter who Papaw mated her with, Tabby produced champion after champion. In 1993, McKissick Creek Tabitha was inducted into the Treeing Walker Hall of Fame, 100% based upon the quality of coonhound she produced. Mandy was always better looking and made a better hand but she couldn’t whelp a lap dog much less a champion coonhound.

So, some of you are probably wondering, what’s this got to do with Brangus cattle? I think the concept is exactly the same. When I was new in the BRANGUS world, I bought a couple heifers that were outstanding in their phenotype. I wanted as many more of those two heifers as I could make. Nobody told me that I should flush those heifers, I thought I knew what I was doing and took it upon myself. Over the years, those cows hung around the herd after a few flushes. They would hit here and there but never once reproduced themselves. Not a single herd sire was ever produced by them even though they were some of the high selling heifers when I bought them.

Today, as I look back over the last decade at my place, I now realize the vast majority of genetic improvement that occurred was due to artificial insemination. A.I. is the great equalizer between the haves and have-nots. We still flush a cow or two but now it’s because she produced some calves that made me money first. When deciding what bull to use semen on, I look at it three different ways.

First, do I own the bull? If I own him, it’s up to me to prove him and figure out the best places to use him. I’m probably going to use a lot of him. Like flushing heifers, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes it’s a train wreck. Second, on unproven bulls that other people own, just sample a few straws. Work with the people that made him and try a little to see if it works at your place. Third, on proven bulls, this is where you make hay. Do your research and see where you can use proven and consistent bulls at your place. Using proven bulls on the right cows at your place is how you build a herd you will be proud of. You may not be at the front of the genetic curve but you will have a consistent cow herd that will keep you out of the ditch.

You don’t have to be one of the big dogs in the breed to make genetic progress within your herd. Make smart choices and learn from the mistakes of others. And, every once in awhile, like Papaw you just get lucky.