6 minute read
From the Field
Since I last talked to you in the May issue the Charolais business has been busy. Visiting with many breeders this past couple of months has seen most all the bull pens sold out across Canada. It truly was a great spring, not just from the highest averaging sales we have ever seen, but also with the continued interest and off farm sales right into July in some cases. With many commercial producers calving later, the desire to buy bulls has also gotten later and I know of some breeders who actually pulled some of their cleanup bulls out of the pasture and turned them into good money.
While I am on the topic of bulls and sales, we asked Sean McGrath to write a basic article on contemporary groupings of EPD for this issue. I found this spring, in discussion with some breeders, that they didn’t understand the importance of inputting all of their calf crop data. Many would leave out the heavier birth weight or poorer growing cattle because they were culling them and not registering them. By doing this they were holding back the potential numbers of their better calves. Please make sure to read it and if you have any questions contact a CCA board member or the CCA office directly for clarification.
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EPD are not the end all, be all, but more and more producers are starting to trust and use them. The more data that goes in the more accurate the numbers will be. I have also had some interesting discussions about birth weights this spring. Why occasionally does a big calf come out from what should be a heifer bull? Over the years, Wyoming Wind has been used on as many heifers successfully around the world as any bull in history. But you know what? I have seen some 140 lb. plus calves off him. Is it the bull’s fault? There are so many factors such as feed, gestation length, etc. that can contribute to this that it would be an article in itself and should be written by someone specializing in it.
One point I will make, though, is that when we were in Australia a few years back we had the privilege of spending a night with Ric Pisaturo of Mandalong Farms. He has bred champion Shorthorn and Charolais that have influenced programs around the world and developed a few composite breeds in Australia called the Mandolong Specials, Tropicanas and the Square Meaters. We were discussing the importance of the dam of herdbulls and I stated that I believe 60% of the breeding propensity of a bull comes from his dam. He said you are low, after which I asked him to explain. In Northern Australia, the main cowherd is Brahman and he said you could breed a Brahman cow to the biggest, growthiest, thickest Charolais bull and she would hold the birth weight down. But you breed a powerful Charolais cow to a powerful Brahman bull and you will have big birth weights and trouble. The Charolais cow does not possess the same birth weight moderating ability as a Brahman. We always seem to ask what an animal is sired by when we probably should be asking more often which cow it is out of.
The CCA AGM was held in June in the Maritimes and we have prepared a pictoral editorial in this issue about the trip for those of you that couldn’t make it. The feedback from the trip has been very positive; the breeders in the Maritimes need to be commended for their great hospitality and showing us their beautiful part of Canada.
Many on this trip were talking about the trip next June to the United Kingdom for the World Charolais Congress. This will be a fabulous experience, as well, and we will keep you updated leading up to it. A heads up though, as it looks like the Legacy Fund is running out of money and it may not be possible to get any financial assistance for international marketing. Some who have used this in the past know how valuable the assistance has been in allowing some positive things to happen around the world. Contact Neil at the CCA if you have any questions.
Bert and Judy McDonald along with some family, friends and neighbours hosted the first Manitoba Charolais picnic in decades. It was a casual event with a number of breeders bringing some cattle to display. We sure could use more events like this in the summer to keep breeders getting together, having some fun and building relationships in a more relaxed atmosphere.
I spent eight days the middle of July in Ontario. The breeders there are very enthusiastic about the business as their bull market was strong as well. The first sales of the fall are in Quebec and Ontario and if you can, I would encourage you to attend these events with some top cut genetics.
You will also see coverage of the Saskatchewan Charolais Association AGM which was held in conjunction with the CCYA in Saskatoon. One point of discussion there was the fieldman Gerry Bowes asking the breeders to try to get some of their commercial customers to exhibit and sell their calves at events like the Agribition commercial show. Put some of your own finincial incentives in place to help them get the Charolais calves to these kinds of shows and help Charolais have a bigger presence and profile in the commercial industry.
The CCYA conference and show was once again a great success for all that attended and full coverage will be in the October issue of the Banner. Hats off to all the kids and parents that organized this event. Next year it moves to Alberta so plan now to attend.
Our next issue is the Fall Connection and if you would like to reach over 10,000 commercial
Helge By
Pleasant Dawn Charolais
Selects Herdbulls with Great Mothers
Pleasant Dawn Max 70S • Homozygous Polled • Red Factor
BW -1.2 WW 54 YW 97 M 21.2 TM 48 In the top 10% of the breed for calving ease, birth weight and performance.
Dam of Max pictured at 8 years of age
Pleasant Dawn Razor 14W • Heterozygous Polled
BW -.8 WW 47 YW 101 M 24.6 TM 48 A solid bull from our most prolific cow family Dam of Razor pictured at 11 years of age
Pleasant Dawn Magnum 56T • Homozygous Polled
BW 0 WW 47 YW 89 M 27.5 TM 51 Sired some of our high selling bulls but still has great maternal strengths
Pleasant Dawn Spawn 765W • Homozygous Polled
BW 3.6 WW 50 YW 100 M 22.8 TM 48 2010 Canadian National Reserve Junior Champion Bull Son of Pleasant Dawn Marshall 70P we used in our AI program again
Diamond W Redvar 78U • Heterozygous Polled • Red Factor
BW .3 WW 44 YW 82 M 22.9 TM 45 Very correct son of Sparrow Bolivar in his third season here
These are the sires of the bulls in our 10th Annual Bull Sale, March 17, 2012 in Virden.
Pleasant Dawn Charolais
Box 40, Oak Lake, MB R0M 1P0 Tully & Arlene T/F 204-855-2402, tahatch@rfnow.com Trent & Ashley 204-855-3078, C 204-748-7595, trent.hatch@gmail.com
