6 minute read
From the Field
Welcome to the 46th Annual Herdsire Edition and the 31st one I have been involved with. My how time flies when you are busy and having fun –and this year so far has been exceptionally fun with the best spring ever selling bulls. Coming off the highest grossing spring, with the fewest breeders in decades, the fall sales should be an excellent opportunity for existing breeders to sell some quality breeding stock and for new breeders to start a purebred herd. We do need and want new young breeders to come into the breed and this is how it will happen. We need to have female sales to attract new breeders as most start into the business by buying at a sale. Some breeders have said they can’t sell any females as they need them to produce bulls for their bull sales. If you have your quality and cow numbers where you want them, then I see no reason why you can’t part with some females. My math tells me that even if you replace 15% of your females every year and cull the bottom 60% you should still have 25% of your female production available to pick from for sales. I am not saying you need to sell this amount as breeding females, but unless your program isn’t very good 10% should not be out of line. Having the wheels of commerce spinning creates excitement, which creates enthusiasm, which creates a stronger breed, and who doesn’t want that? There are some very good herds dispersing this year as well, which will spawn many new breeders, as these sales have in the past. Exciting times are ahead. Everyone is trying to guess what the fall calf market will bring with the drought in the U.S.A. and Ontario and higher feed costs. My take is that the Charcross calves sell the best when feed costs are higher. The feeders are looking for the fastest growing most efficient feeders to work with and fortunately we fill that bill. I also see more cows going to market in North America, prolonging the lower numbers and longer cycle before rebuilding begins. This should make the cattle market better for a longer period in the future. Only time will tell if I am reading this right, but sit in your local auction markets and visit with the commercial producers who may be looking for a change in their bull battery. In this issue you will see that Candace and I were busy doing a tour in Australia in May. We have prepared an overview of what we saw there as well as the World Charolais Congress in the United Kingdom in June. Since then, we have been touring and working hard on this issue while attending the CCA AGM and CCYA Conference in Olds, Alberta. These were both very good events, although more breeders need to participate in the National and Provincial meetings. These are your associations and you need to be a part of them. The CCYA Conference and Show was a great event in conjunction with the Calgary Stampede Synergy youth show. Our appreciation goes to all who volunteered to organize and run this event. It is a big job and they don’t always get the credit they deserve. There will be a full report in the October Banner but the Charolais Youth did very well in the all breeds scholarship awards, with seven receiving educational awards. I also attended the Manitoba Charolais picnic while on a Manitoba swing, hosted by Ernie and Al Bayduza and Hans and Mary Myhre. They did a lot of work and unfortunately again not enough breeders attended. The National Show and Sale is being held the first weekend in October in Victoriaville, Quebec. Candace and I are willing to put a week long tour together if there is enough interest. We would start in Montreal for a couple of days, attend the show and sale for a couple of days and end in Quebec City for a couple of days. The fall colours should be excellent and the history and hospitality in Quebec is always exceptional. If you think you want to participate give us a call right away as we will need to have it planned by the first of September. If you can’t be away for that long, still plan to attend the National to show your support for the breeders from Eastern
Canada. It will be a large show with many producers from Ontario also coming to show. And speaking of Ontario, there are some good sales in September and October in that province for you to participate in. If you have questions about herd health, management or any other topics that you want to read about, please let us know and we will find the experts to write about them. I would also like to ask that we receive
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information on any winners of Regional 4-H shows. We always like to show the 4-H winners and the
Supreme winners from right across the country in the fall and February Connections. Give the winners the
recognition they deserve and show the successes of Charolais.
If you want to reach over 10,000 commercial producers as well as the Charolais members give Craig Scott or I a call as our next issue is the Fall
Connection. Also, if you aren’t able to attend some of the fall sales we are
available to represent your interests there. Always in the best interest of Charolais.
Until next time, Helge
Helge By
Pleasant Dawn Charolais
Selects Herdbulls with Great Mothers
Pleasant Dawn Razor 14W • Heterozygous Polled
BW .4 WW 48 YW 105 M 26.4 TM 51 Calving ease, explosive growth and maternal from our most prolific cow family
Dam of Razor pictured at 11 years of age
Pleasant Dawn Max 70S • Homozygous Polled • Red Factor
BW -1.7 WW 51 YW 94 M 18.8 TM 44 Thank you to Cougar Hill Ranch for purchasing the proven sire who did a great job here for 5 years.
Dam of Max pictured at 8 years of age
HBSF Extra 2X – Polled • 1/2 French
BW 3.3 WW 55 YW 96 M 13.7 TM 41 Powerful outcross by Silverstream Performer x Hank His first calves are growthy and thick
Dam of Extra
Pleasant Dawn Magnum 56T • Homozygous Polled
BW -.1 WW 50 YW 87 M 26.5 TM 52 We have another top set of calves out of this great producer
These are the sires of the bulls in our 11th Annual Bull Sale, March 16, 2013 in Virden.
Pleasant Dawn Charolais
Box 40, Oak Lake, MB R0M 1P0
