Breeder Spotlight
LC Genetics & Co.
Levi, Tonya, Lawson & Lane Canales Amarillo, Texas Levi Canales is certainly making his mark in the showpig arena. He has had tremendous success in the CTBR program this year and is one that will be judging many more stock shows to come. Many of you watched him evaluate the Stars gilt show at San Angelo, doing an excellent job, and getting a little choked up about his experiences and what everything has meant to him personally. Levi has great character and a wonderful sense of humor; extremely respectable and outgoing, Levi is a great role model to others. You will always see him enjoying himself with hogs, family, and friends. As a supporter of the TPPA and a breeder certainly on the rise, we asked him to tell his story and give all of us the opportunity to get to know him and his family better.
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feel like my story is a little different than most who raise showpigs. I grew up in a small south Texas ranching community, Hebbronville, TX. Although we were not involved in the production of show animals, my dad and grandfather always raised livestock. Growing up, hogs were the first specie I showed as a kid. I always preferred showing pigs and like I said when I was judging the San Angelo gilt show, I was the kid on the outside looking in. So maybe not being as successful as I’d like, gave me the motivation to raise pigs with the ability to win. After high school, I attended Clarendon College and Texas A&M on judging scholarships. While attending Clarendon College, I met Chris Fischbacher. Chris’s dad, Marcel, was raising show pigs and I spent my free time with them at their farm in Wildorado. In 2002 Cole Gardner, Chris and myself bought three purebred Hampshire gilts at Duncan and that was the START. “I truly believe that the success that I have had is due to the people God has placed in my life.
There are so many other people, that I have not mentioned, that have helped me along the way.” Several people have not only influenced me but helped along the way, like Chris and his family. First would have to be my dad, who is not only the reason my brother and I are addicted to raising livestock and doing something competitive, but also why it’s in our kids’ blood! He truly has a passion for agriculture. My brother Leo has basically paved the way for me. I followed in his exact footsteps to Clarendon and Texas A&M. Leo was in charge of selecting my show animals growing up and was average, at best, in that role. Luckily for him, he now has me to select his kids’ show barrows! Although he is seven years OLDER than me, I am glad we became best friends after college. He is one of the smartest guys I know and if I have learned anything from him, it’s to be very critical… because up to about a year ago everything I raised, according to him, SUCKED or was not good enough for his kids to show! I was fortunate to have one of the best ag teachers in the state of Texas, Juan Flores. He was the start of my livestock judging career. He taught me the fundamentals about livestock. We went on to represent the state of Texas in back to back years at the National Western stock show in Denver, Colorado. Another big influence, my brother and I were fortunate enough to have was Mr. Jerry Hawkins. Judging under him gave me opportunities and experiences that I would not have had anywhere else. More importantly than that, he taught us about life. My mom was very comfortable leaving her two boys with this man eleven hours away from home. He was right about many things, one though stands out; he told me when he was recruiting me that I would find my wife at Clarendon! After college I started buying cattle for JBS Swift & Co. in York, Nebraska. At that moment I didn’t know if I’d last one year, but I was so glad and will forever be grateful that the Hirschfeld family took me in as one of their own. Ross, Chad and Jason have done more for me than I’ll ever be able to repay. It was there where I did most of my growing up and learning in the business. I looked through hundreds of pigs monthly. I got to see boars and gilts at conference shows and then in their “working clothes” three weeks later. At the time I helped farrow at least 200 sows twice a year and pitched in at the boar stud. It was there, at that farm, where I knew what kind I wanted to raise. I started taking my stand, drawing a line in the sand if you will, on the kind I liked and the kind I didn’t want to mess with. Most of my sow herd goes back to Hirschfeld livestock genetics.
In building your herd, what’s important to you? My philosophy at the moment is to be very critical, keep my sows correct and good built, and keep only the very best. I’m not trying to say my sow herd of 30 is where I want it to be, but right now I can trace my spots all to one sow, my Durocs all to one sow and my crosses to basically three sows. I also don’t breed to boars that have the two things I dislike the most right now (bowed legs and flat pasterns). I have to say I dislike bowing a lot more; it can be a killer, and the difference between bowing a little and being embarrassing, is due to management many times. Same thing with flat pasterns; if not slowed down, a hog can definitely get pretty ouchy up front. At recent shows, I feel like if a pig doesn’t bow and is not flat pasterned, with a little luck that pig and the exhibitor have a really good chance at doing well!
Highlights and Accomplishments - 2nd Overall CTBR Top Breeders 2014 - Champion York San Angelo 2013 - Reserve York New Mexico State Fair 2013 - Champion Duroc Gilt Fall Classic 2013 - Champion Poland Barrow San Antonio 2014 - Reserve Champion Hampshire San Angelo 2014 The opportunity to judge the following shows: - South Dakota State Fair - Oklahoma Youth Expo Crossbred Gilt Sift - Texas Stars Gilt Show, San Angelo - Fall Classic (Duncan, OK) Conference Spot Show
Where do you see selection in the showpig industry headed? I feel like the industry is moving in the right direction. If we continue to take hogs good built with the right kind of width and power, we will have to get them a bit bigger! I also feel that hind leg structure will be at its all-time high in terms of importance. What advice would you give to a young person wanting to raise showpigs? First and foremost, raise hogs that you like. That’s the most important thing for me. Chances are not all of us can win classes, so in order to enjoy this business you personally have to be proud of what you’re producing. There’s not a better feeling in my opinion than going to a stock show and a family kicks out a pig you haven’t seen since you sold him and you tell yourself “I raised that!” Regardless if that pig is 1st, 3rd, or 8th the next day, the feeling driving home is the same. From another “My proudest moment is having the world record perspective, be ready to be MARRIED to it… selling spot boar at the Indiana State Fair!” What are challenges you see in the hog industry? Well the obvious challenge at the moment for us all is PEDV. On another note, I had a terrible time farrowing gilts last year, gilts that were old enough to farrow normally. These gilts were what I call “front pasture” gilts, those you would want to picture and put up on Facebook, the ones you want to show off to everyone when they come to the place. These gilts also had littermate brothers that were very successful. The pigs out of these same gilts that I was able to salvage also did well at Texas Majors. I believe the problem was that these females were too small, inside and out. I had this issue with only the crosses, so I feel that we need to get them a bit bigger in order to get gilts to have babies on their own. I definitely don’t want to sound like I’m preaching but this was something I have had trouble with and I am not embarrassed to talk about it! Personally, the biggest challenge or obstacle for me has been putting together a good full year. It seems like every year something else goes wrong or I learn about something else I should have done, that I didn’t. I call this an expensive learning curve. Who do you admire the most? My family, but more importantly the two women in my life. My wife, Tonya, is truly the one who holds our family together. We share the same dreams. She understands what it takes to make this work and she is willing to make the sacrifices. There is no doubt that without her I would not be raising hogs. I am so glad I married the livestock girl from the city. I know why my mom loves her so much, because they’re a lot alike. My mom, has basically put me on a pedestal and told me to go for it, whatever I wanted. Her world revolves around her children, and has always put our needs before hers. As you all know, it takes special women to put up with hog farmers. What benefit or values do you see with people’s involvement in agriculture? Hard work. It’s important that young people realize that nothing in life comes easy. A little sweat on your brow and a few blisters on your hands never killed anybody. Growing up, I was always helping my dad move cows. I hope my boys will do the same. It also gives families an opportunity to bond. Showing gave my sister and me a common interest. Even though we had different hobbies growing up, we always spent quality time together working with our animals. If we had not had that time together, we would have lost opportunities to make lasting memories. What’s your favorite show to attend? My favorite junior show would have to be the Houston Livestock Show, because we make it a vacation. There is nothing better than spending time with family at a hog show! Make sure you visit www.levicanales.com for your showpig needs.