From the Field

You just have to be excited about the Charolais business and the cattle industry in general. The fall sales were very strong with many new breeders buying their first purebred Charolais females. In the dispersal sales we saw commercial producers and breeders from other purebred breeds diversifying and buying 10, 20 and 40 females. The other encouraging sign for this spring was that in all of the sales the breeders had the best bull sale they had ever had. The demand for the Charolais bulls is definitely on the move.

I take the opportunity to visit with as many breeders from all breeds that I can. I have been through a number of other breed bull pens. In virtually all cases these breeders are telling me how strong they think the Charolais bull market will be. They see the demand is growing for the Charolais bull and the supply is not going to fulfill the needs. Many see the Charolais bull as the best performance bull out there and that our positioning as the terminal breed of choice is going to pay off big time.

Gerry Bowes who has been the field man for the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Charolais Associations is retiring again. I say again as Gerry was the Canadian Charolais Association field man for many years in the 1970s to the mid 1980s. Gerry has done a great job in both stints as field man. I thank Gerry for his dedication and for the contribution he has made to making the Charolais breed as strong in Canada as it is. He has worked tirelessly promoting the breed to the commercial industry in the auction markets, trade shows and feedlots. At the recent Manitoba Charolais Association AGM he gave a report on the past year of his work and told the same message he has been preaching for decades. Breeders need to get out more and promote more to the commercial industry. He gets frustrated at the lack of breeders at the auction market when their customer’s calves are selling. As breeders we cannot wait for the Association to do all our marketing and promoting. At the grass roots, together we can accomplish more than one or two field men with just the sheer number of breeders.

Another very encouraging thing Candace and I saw last fall was the amount of newer, younger breeders out on the show road. In visiting with many of them, they really enjoyed it and got to know more breeders, better than ever before. I hope this is an indication that the show numbers will grow. It is never too soon to start thinking about getting some cattle out on the show road this summer and fall. The numbers of Charolais out at many shows the past few years has been almost embarrassing. Be a leader and help promote the breed to the industry at a show or two this year.

In the last Connection I talked about the new BIXS program. I think this can be a great tool that we have all been wanting for many years. If it works as it should and is utilized by the industry you will be able to see how your genetics are working in the big picture. Help your commercial customers work with this and it will give you the feedback that you need to make sure your program is going in the right direction. If you are concerned with the quality of the bulls you are selling, now is the time to improve it. As more and more information is passed throughout the system you will not be able to hide behind inferior genetics. Progress should be easier made with the additional information that is available to us all.

Here I am the first of February, in the middle of picturing for the next Connection and sale catalogues. It has been an incredible winter here on the prairies and across most of Canada with not many cold days to be had. The nice weather has sure made picturing a lot nicer than last year when we were in cold and snowy conditions for much of January and February. The nice weather has made it a bit of a challenge for some breeders to keep the bull pen eating and as a result some of the weights at this time are maybe not as high as they would like them.

The genetic trend I have been seeing the last few years is that we really have more cattle out there that give lower birth weights but still some performance. I think we have to watch we don’t give up too much birth weight as eventually it will produce less performance and harder calving females. As with anything you cannot single trait select or you will get in trouble. The number I have been hearing and I think is probably pretty close is that for every pound of birth weight you will get an additional seven pounds at weaning. The commercial producers who are just looking at calving ease may find this as a bit of a deterrent in going too far that way.

There are many breed improving sires sitting in bull pens right across this country and the interest in new breeder bulls is as high as I have ever seen it. I haven’t been in many if any yards where the breeder hasn’t said, “Keep an eye out for a bull for me.” If Craig or I can be of any assistance this spring in helping you find what you are looking for just give us a call.

Until next time,

Helge

Helge By