5 minute read
From the Field
The bull sale season is all but wrapped up as I write this, and the averages and numbers sold were better than many were anticipating in the west, with the drought conditions still lingering in the southern prairies. You can see from the bull sale summary chart that the sales were off a bit from the record sales in 2021, but still comparable to the 2020 bull sales. I consider this a win for the Charolais breed, as we picked up more market share considering the decreased number of cows to be bred this spring.
It was also great to see the crowds coming back to the sales and the smiling faces not hidden behind a mask. The attendance to most sales was not quite back to pre-covid numbers but was a vast improvement for most over the past two years. In some ways, things will never get back to the way they were pre-covid. I don’t think many will do a sale without videos and an online presence, as there are producers out there that prefer to do their searching and buying over the internet. Some find it convenient to maybe tour the bull pens ahead of sale day when they aren’t busy and then just pop into the house, do their business and get back to chores, with little disruption in their day. There are some, though, that really enjoyed getting back out to the sales to visit with fellow producers and socialize a bit after the sale.
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After a bull sale this spring, I had a visit with a commercial producer who was telling me he bred 120 commercial, British influenced heifers Charolais two years ago and was extremely happy how it worked out with no calving issues at all. He went on to tell me how he selected the bulls to buy to breed his heifers. Now this guy doesn’t buy at the front end of the sales, but knew he wanted to try to breed his heifers Charolais, so their calves could all go in a package with the calves from his cows. He said he didn’t have time to research which bulls calve the best, so he only bought bulls that were out of first calf heifers, who were out of first calf heifers. His logic was the purebred breeders do the research and if the actual birth weight and EPD were good, he knew he had two generations of heifer bulls in the pedigree of the bulls he was buying. It was very simple cowboy logic that worked well for him. He is continuing to breed his heifers to Charolais bulls and feels very comfortable doing it.
This spring, we also found there were lab delays, so you should pull hair and do the DNA testing for parentage, 100K and homo polled early. Maybe when you process your bulls in the fall you can do it, so you have the information for your bull sale catalogues. Before you turn your walking bulls out this spring, pull hair and make sure their DNA is complete in case something happens to them in pasture. I also think it is a good practise to pull hair on the cows you are sending to town and put it in an envelope in a filing cabinet just in case you ever need it. There are too many stories of bulls that were sold that couldn’t be parentage verified for qualified semen because their dam was no longer alive.
When possible, I would encourage you to calculate gestation lengths. If you AI, or have observed breeding dates, do the calculation and use it in your bull sale catalogues, or on your replacement heifers. It is another tool for calving ease, to which many producers are starting to pay attention.
Again, I would also encourage producers to do more ultrasound measuring, so we can improve the EPD of the carcass data going forward. It doesn’t seem like it is paying big dividends now, but I do believe that in the future it will become more important. I also think that doing your yearling heifers and utilizing that information as another tool can be beneficial.
In this issue, along with updates being emailed, posts on our website and other social media, there is information on the Canadian Charolais Association’s face-to-face Annual General Meeting in June, in Russell, Manitoba. Along with herd tours and some great socializing, there will be the first Friends of Charolais Foundation fundraising auction. Getting the charitable status of the Foundation has been a lengthy process but is now completed and ready to be built. The Foundation will grow funds that will be used to strengthen the breed and breeders for many years in the future. The three objectives of the Foundation, from which funds will be allocated, will be youth projects, breeder education, and research where deemed beneficial. It will be guided by an elected board of directors and be separate from the Canadian Charolais Association board of directors. If you have interest in being a part of this contact, Craig Scott, Andre Steppler, Tim Bullick or me, as we were the initial committee to get the ball rolling on this great initiative a few years ago.
Marketing tip: Branding your operation is important. Your Association membership should match how you promote your operation. Some operations have incorporated and changed the name of the farm since their parents started with just NAME Charolais. Update your records and build your brand with the correct name.
I hope seeding goes well for everyone and there are good moisture conditions for grass and hay everywhere this summer. Jon Wright, Robbie Chomik and I will be touring the country over the next few months and now is a great time to get the herdsires pictured on grass and get some females pictured for websites ..continued on page 14
Helge By
FRIDAY, JUNE 10TH, 7:30 PM DST, INGLIS, MB
This registered charity will ensure advancements in the Charolais breed for years to come. Money will be targeted for Breeder Eduction, Research and Development and Youth. Read Craig Scott’s editorial on page 10 for complete details.
DONATIONS SO FAR INCLUDE: STEPPER FARMS : Pick of their Bred Heifers ELDER CHAROLAIS : 20 doses of Elder’s Houlio semen MCLEOD LIVESTOCK : 2 doses of sexed Jehu semen QUANTUM GENETICS : $1,000 Q•select/Leptin or Homo Polled tests and more!
Additional consignments will be added to the online catalogue at www.bylivestock.com and www.charolaisbanner.com
Live Auction broadcast on ByLivestock.com Followed by closing of Racehorse Style Lots on By Livestock Timed Online Auction
For further information or to be part of this exciting event, contact: ANDRE STEPPLER 204-750-1941 CRAIG SCOTT 403-651-9441 TIM BULLICK 403-350-9858 HELGE BY 306-536-4261
