6 minute read
From the Field
It has been a very busy few months since my last editorial which is always a good thing. In May I toured a number of herds in Alberta which was excellent. Some of the herds I hadn’t been through for a few years and some I had never been through. I found the attitude and enthusiasm there is as good as it has been in a long time. It is very encouraging touring when everyone is positive and looking forward to the future of the Charolais business. Many had stories of new customers that are emerging and this was great to hear.
It is interesting how over the years you learn things and they are continually re‐affirmed in your mind. Across the country this spring not everyone was as successful at selling all their bulls. One thing I have found is the people who make time to be active in their community, their region, their provincial affairs, and support projects like 4‐H, junior activities and other things are often the most successful at marketing their product. Everyone is busy, but to be successful at marketing you have to be out there, active and work at it. From year to year you will have ups and downs but over the long haul, if you work with your customers and help them with their needs you will be successful. Even just staying in touch a couple times a year on the phone is so basic, but so important.
In June, the Saskatchewan Association held their 50th Annual General Meeting. There was the best turn out in years with many of the foundation families in attendance and being recognized. It was a great time and the Canadian Association Annual Meeting held in conjunction with it also had good participation and discussion.
Although we were away for both, I understand that the pen show and picnic and the Heart of Canada show in Manitoba were also very good provincial events. Manitoba has some very enthusiastic younger breeders who are sure trying to make things better for the breed in that province.
In June Candace and I traveled to Norway and spent a week touring some Charolais herds. The quality of the cowherds we toured definitely improved since we were there six years ago. The Canadian influence is also prevalent in some, which is good to see. Norway is a beautiful country and we drove across more of it this time seeing a lot of different terrains.
Norway was a stop on the way to Sweden for the World Charolais Technical Conference, which is not like a World Congress but smaller and more of a brain storming, working trip. This was very interesting and you can read all about it in this issue.
Back home in Canada we went to Calgary for a two day Genomics conference put on by the Canadian Simmental Association. We went a day early and caught the final day of the Calgary Stampede. We wanted to check out this venue as we are hosting the World Technical Conference in Canada in 2015 and found great acceptance from the participants in Sweden to spend a couple of days at this international renowned event.
The Genomics seminar featured the leading experts in the field from around the world and helped us understand the potential this new technology holds. An example I found interesting came from the dairy industry. As usual they are ahead of the beef industry in this field and have got to the stage where they will flush a cow and take a small biopsy of each embryo. They freeze the embryos until they can get the DNA analyzed and decide which embryos they want to implant by seeing the markers for all the traits they select for in that industry. The genetic advancements that can be made are incredibly fast now compared to waiting until they had proven the bulls before they used them heavily.
The one thing that still needs to be done for this to be most effective is to combine it with accurate actual herd data. The more accurate data that goes in to the training panels the more effective this tool will be in the future. I know the CCA board of directors will be coming out with some projects on Genomics in the near future so I encourage you to watch for this and to embrace this new technology.
From there we went to Ontario for the CCYA Conference and Show. Hot weather didn’t temper the excitement of the young participants and a great time was had by all. Some of the western dads did some herd tours which was good. Some had never been to Ontario and found many interesting differences in farming practices. There is always something to learn touring cattle operations whether it is in a different part of the country or the world.
Due to time constraints, Cynthia Beck will no longer be handling any of our website coordination. We thank her for the amount she was able to assist us. For now, please contact Candace for all of your updates and web advertising requests.
I am now finishing some picturing across Manitoba and Saskatchewan for this issue and seeing some great prospects for the fall show and sale season. When you get this, there will still be some good weather to do some touring and I invite you all to do some extra traveling to see some herds. You will never regret getting into some new yards.
I hope you find this 47th Annual Herdsire edition interesting from both the editorial content and breeders programs that are promoted in it. There are some great sales happening this fall right across the country with the early sales in eastern Canada and I encourage you to support as many as you can with your attendance, even if it isn’t with your cheque book.
If Craig or I can be of any assistance in helping you promote your program or when you can’t make it to a sale, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Until next time,
Helge
Helge By
Pleasant Dawn Charolais
The Herdsires in our Program
PLEASANT DAWN RAZOR 14W• Heterozygous Polled
CE 90 BW -.5 WW 49 YW 107 M 26.6 TM 51 Calving ease, explosive growth and maternal from our most prolific cow family. Purchased by Temple Farms this spring. This year’s calf crop is very good again.
EATONS BIG BUD 10402 P
Outcross genetics from the Eaton herd in Montana. Calving ease, performance & thickness Co-owned with Eaton Charolais
These are the sires of the bulls in our 12TH ANNUAL BULL SALE March 15, 2014 in Virden
HBSF EXTRA 2X • Polled • ½ French
Silverstream Performer x Cougarhill Hank Top 1% for weaning and yearling weights. Powerful outcross. We also retained a son to use this year.
See more of our program at www.pleasantdawn.com or on the show road
SPARROWS VOLT 102Y • Homozygous Polled
Lanza x Nuevo son with powerful growth and maternal traits FOOTPRINTS CROSSFIRE 113Y • Polled • ½ French
Impressive thickness in these calves from this meat machine
