TRIM 8.25”x10.75” LIVE AREA 7.47”x9.75”
TSLN MAGAZINE TEMPLATE SPECS
TRIM 8.25”x10.75”
POPPE C
AFEBRUARY NNUAL BULL SALE 28 , 2021 - 3 - FALLON, MONTANA COMPANY 75 BULLS
LIVE AREA 7.47”x9.75”
ATTLE
FALLON, MONTANA -
PM MST
TH
40 SIMMANGUS // 35 COMPOSITES
BVD, PI FREE // DNA TESTED - 18 TRAIT IGENITY BEEF PROFILE
TOP 30% OVERALL OUTCOME INCLUDING GROWTH, CARCASS & MATERNAL TRAITS ACROSS THE BOARD 95% HOMOZYGOUS BLACK, 95% HOMOZYGOUS POLLED // GUARANTEED TO PAP MORE PERFORMANCE, LESS BIRTH // 9 GENERATIONS OF HIGH MARBLING & LARGE REA HERD 25+ YEARS OF ADVANCING COMPOSITE BEEF GENETICS // BULLS REPRESENT TOP 20% OF ‘20 BULL CALVES
4
TSLN MAGAZINE TEMPLATE SPECS
-
12
12
E&B NEW ADDITION 608 CCR COWBOY CUT 5048Z
KCF E646
- REG
- BALANCER MONTANA DEEP WELL, SIRE KCF E646
ANGUS -
- PB, HOMOBLK SIMMENTAL -
25
20
PCC TOTAL PACKAGE 5114F PCC BOOT CAMP 4108F
- SIMANGUS -
- HOMOBLK COMPOSITE -
VINCE POPPE (406) 740.2337 // JAKE POPPE (406) 486.2967 POPPECATTLECOMPANYLLC@GMAIL.COM www.POPPECATTLECOMPANY.COM FACEBOOK: @POPPECATTLECO
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Round Pens Inc. (1) 7’ 10” x 7’ 6” High Pole Gate
40’ Round Pen $ 2,015 + Freight 50’ Round Pen $ 2,485 + Freight 60’ Round Pen $ 3,065 + Freight
2
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
40’ Round Pen $ 1,455 + Freight 50’ Round Pen $ 1,770 + Freight 60’ Round Pen $ 2,165 + Freight
ALTENBURG UR Saturday, March 20th, 2021
Centennial Livestock Auction • Fort Collins, Colorado
ASR American Patriot F843
ASA#3485821
ASR Birthright F834
ASA#
3485818
CLSR Dividend 405D
ASA#
3097854
Werner Flat Top 4136
Tehama Tahoe B767
AAA#
AAA#
18094501
17817177
60 Black & Red Simmentals 60 Super Baldy SimAngus™ 40 SimAngus™ Open Heifers Bulls are PAP Tested & Includes 30 Fall 18 Mnth. Old bulls For More Information and Sale Book, Contact... Sale available on...
Willie and Sharon Altenburg CATTLE USA.com
970.481.2570 • Fort Collins, Colorado willie@rmi.net • www.altenburgsuperbaldy.com BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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TRIM 8.25”x10.75” LIVE AREA 7.47”x9.75”
TSLN MAGAZINE TEMPLATE SPECS
4
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
200 True High Altitude
SimAngus and Simmental Bulls
T-HE ART
RAN CH
Genetics Built for the High Country • • • •
Multi Generation PAP Information on EVERY Bull Bulls born, raised and developed at 8,000 feet in our new L-Cross bull development facility Hybrid bulls to maximize heterosis and profitability Genomic tested, problem free genetics
True High Altitude Cattle SIRE GROUPS INCLUDE: GW Mountain Due 373C - ASA 3012725 LCRR THR Mountain Pass 6219D - ASA 3117102 Hook’s Frontline 40F - ASA 3403352 IR Capitalist E041 - ASA 3344847
MULTI GENERATIONAL PAP TESTING At T-Heart Ranch we offer more than just a PAP score. We take it a step further in testing every one of our registered cows to ensure we can stack multiple generations of PAP testing to allow our customers to get the most information. Our entire herd lives at high altitude. We are confident that you are receiving genetics that will ultimately help your program excel in the high country. Shane & Beth Temple
T-HEART RANCH and L-CROSS RANCH Marty Ropp 406-581-7835 Corey Wilkins 256-590-2487 Clint Berry 417-844-1009 www.alliedgeneticresources.com
719-850-3082 • 719-850-3083 shane@t-heartranch.com
Josh Staudt 970-227-0729
www.t-heartranch.com
L-CR OSS
RAN CH
Follow us on FaceBook BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Table of Contents 10 18
Balancing Act
78
Pitzer Bred
82 Sticking to the basics
Producing quality cattle and keeping customers happy
A golden name in ranch and performance horses
for Dinner 34 Nitrates Accommodating for high nitrate feeds
44 Limousin and Lim-Flex genetics Ochsner Limousin
with an emphasis on efficiency
54
Solving the Problems, Finding Solutions
Identifying Lame Animals Wagon Wheel Angus
94 Effectively managing birds Not for the Birds
Ranch 100 Herring Raising and developing bulls
made to survive and thrive in rugged country and high elevations
Processing 114 Meat Behind the scenes at Gentert Pack
Building a reputation for being the best in the business
66
SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1 (877) 347-9100 Publisher: SABRINA “BREE” POPPE Cell (605) 639-0356 | Office (877) 347-9104 spoppe@tsln-fre.com DENNIS GINKENS GM of Sales & Marketing & Field man (406) 670-9839 Cell | dginkens@tsln-fre.com RONA JOHNSON The Fence Post Editor (970) 392-4466 Office | (701) 630-5053 Cell rjohnson@thefencepost.com MARIA TIBBETTS Digital & Sections Editor (605) 484-4488 | Mtibbetts@tsln-fre.com RACHEL GABEL Reporter & Assistant Editor (970) 392-4410 Office; (970) 768-0024 Cell rgabel@thefencepost.com LIZ BANMAN Engagement Editor lbanman@thefencepost.com TAMI ARNOLD Designer DIANNA PALMER Special Projects Coordinator & Account Manager (605) 423-6045 (cell) | (877) 347-9112 (office) dpalmer@tsln-fre.com GAY DAWN ROGERS Acct. Mgr. | Nebraska (970) 301-2190 | grogers@thefencepost.com CHRISTINE MCGEE Acct. Mgr. | SE & SW Colo. (970) 301-2191 | cmcgee@thefencepost.com MARY ROBERTS Acct. Mgr. | Greeley/Ft. Collins (970) 301-2192 | mroberts@thefencepost.com VALERIE RODRIGUEZ Northern Colorado West / Foothills 970-590-0412 vrodriguez@thefencepost.com
Walsh Quarter Horses
DREW FELLER Field Service & Ringman Colorado & Nebraska Territory 402-841-4215 | dfeller@tsln-fre.com
Successful equine reproduction center on the Western Slope of Colorado
Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.
ERRORS: The Fence Post shall be responsible for errors or omission in connection with an advertisement only to the extent of the space covered by the error. Opinions stated in letters or signed columns do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Fence Post.
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Cover Photographer Spotlight
Heather Countryman Heather is a Montana cowgirl living in Nevada. She writes at thewayfaringcowgirl.wordpress.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram as The Wayfaring Cowgirl Blog and Photography, and @thewayfaringcowgirl.
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Jennifer Reyes-Burr
5104 Hwy 34 • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-1530 • 307-331-1530 (cell) mrangusranch@gmail.com
KMR Angus • Keith Russell
21419 WCR 13 • Johnstown, CO 80534 970-587-2534 • 970-371-7819 (cell) kmrangus@gmail.com
MR Angus • Juan Reyes
98 Olson Rd • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-4848 • 307-331-1568 (cell)
WWW.MRANGUSRANCH.COM
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Bull and Bred Heifer Sale
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
BALANCING ACT Warner family producing quality cattle and keeping customers happy
By Peighton Kendrick
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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The Warners topped the NWSS Pen of Five Balancer heifer show in 2020.
F
Photo courtesy of the Warner family.
or the Warner family, cattle have always been the byproduct of their operation, while their true focus is directed toward customer satisfaction, and the relationships they are able to build. Dan and his wife Kate, along with his brother Darren and
his wife Amy, as well as the boys’ parents, Monte and Kristie, operate Warner Beef Genetics. Dan, his brother, and dad pioneered Warner Beef Genetics in the late 1990s, which has become a nationally recognized Balancer seedstock operation in Arapahoe, Nebraska. As Dan said, their number one priority is to get their customers’ cows bred, not to sell bulls. “We’ve always seen it as a people business, and we love dealing with our customers every year,” he said. “Selling bulls and females is just what we use to do business with those people.”
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Dan is a third-generation production agriculturalist
spring-calving cows, and 150 fall-calving cows. Of those
and was raised solely on a commercial cow calf operation.
1,100 females, close to 600 are registered Balancers,
At that time, they started using Gelbvieh genetics on
while the other 500 are commercial. The Warners run a
Angus and black baldie
multi-faceted operation,
females. “Honestly, it was
in addition to their cattle,
the female superiority of the Balancer females that put them into the market for making some really good bulls,” he said. With this being said, the Warner family has been breeding Balancer cattle long before Balancers were even trade-
“We have grown slowly, but it is our livelihood, and running cows is just what we do every day.” Dan Warner
marked by the American
they also farm multiple commodities including corn, wheat, soybeans, and hay. But it doesn’t end there. Although the Warner’s bulls are the base of their reputation for high quality cattle, they are also active in various other markets. Despite the fact that
Gelbvieh Association in the 90s. After the Balancer genet-
their annual production sale of all-female genetics
ics and pedigrees were recognized, the unfolding of their
comes secondary to their stellar bulls, they still make it
seedstock operation launched. Today, the Warners run
a priority to deliver registered Balancer females into the
an impressive 1,100 head cow/calf operation, about 950
hands of other seedstock operations. They also feature
Performance is key in Warner cows but they still must be able to do it and still be successful in their environment. Photo courtesy of the Warner family.
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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The Warners use AI and ET extensively to produce consistent and high performing calves.
Photo courtesy of the Warner family. flush opportunities from their donor cows, embryo lots, donor prospects, open heifers, and show heifer prospects. They offer both registered and commercial females and range from selling anywhere between 100-200 females. Meanwhile, they still have ties to the commercial industry, where they sell feeder calves and seedstock replacements through either Superior Livestock or shipped directly to the feedyard. Because the Warners are still sending feeder cattle into the commercial industry, it makes them work even harder to provide bulls for their customers that will produce profitable calf crops. They understand the ups and downs of the market, ultimately giving them
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
The family earned Reserve Honors for the bull pen at the 2020 NWSS.
Photo courtesy of the Warner family.
an edge on how to create bulls that can help alleviate the
Better yet, those traits are unchanging and reliable every
unforgiving cyclical nature of the cattle market.
year. These bulls produce progeny with an Angus plus
Consistency is the answer. Dan said that the reason
phenotype, and along with the consistency, these bulls
they have been so successful is because their customers
also produce productivity and adaptability. The Warners
always know what to expect out of their purchase. They
take full advantage of the many resources that have
may not have EPDs that project the highest statistics,
been given to them in the prosperous state of Nebraska,
but at the same time, he said these bulls will be sure to
even if that means switching the landscape of the cows
produce calves with high feeder calf value that bring
occasionally. During the summer months, the females are
more weight, muscle, and performance to the table.
sent to grass, after weaning, the cows are transferred to
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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cornstalks or crop residue in November, and then finish off the winter months in the calving range near the house.
“Cattle are the byproduct of this operation, our customers come first.”
females into their commercial recipient cows. The Warners have been successful to grow from a commercial operation, to a well-known seedstock
With all these different vitamin and nutrient changes, the cows are forced to be
syndicate in about 20 years. But in addition to this, it is a
resilient and adaptable in several different environments.
family-owned and operated ranch.
They strive to have cattle that are performance driven,
“We have grown slowly, but it is our livelihood, and
but at the same time are conservative in mature size.
running cows is just what we do every day,” Dan said.
Some cows are even sent to the Sandhills of Nebraska to
To say the least, the Warners aren’t in this industry for
help leverage both labor and resources. With this, he said
the paycheck, but rather for the people and the love for
the cows still have to keep in line with flushing ability and
the ranching lifestyle. They have exhibited their cattle at
breed back, which they do.
the National Western Stock Show for years, winning the
Starting at the very beginning of Warner Beef Genet-
champion pen of Balancer bulls many times and have
ics, they have been utilizing multiple different modern
also brought home other champion titles for their supe-
breeding technologies, like AI and Embryo Transfer to
rior breeding livestock at multiple other national expo-
help propagate the Balancer genetics at a rapid pace.
sitions. With this being said, the Warners are extremely
Today, about 60% of their cows are bred through AI on a
humble and keep the attention and gratitude directed
calving cycle. Fortunately for this family, they own a lot of
to their customers. Above all else, their goal is to be loyal
the sires within the Balancer breed, so they can AI to their
to those they do business with. When they first started
own bulls. Through AI, they have been able to increase
their seedstock syndicate, they had 12 bulls for sale on
the number of sires they have for sale annually, while also
private treaty. Dan said they could not be more grateful
providing their customers with the opportunity to buy
for the great relationships they have built with customers
half-brothers or full siblings so that buyers can stimulate a
and have unconditional guarantees on their cattle. One
closer gene pool in their own herds. Embryo transfer also
of these pledges is a guarantee on all bulls first season’s
helps them to accomplish genetic similarities in their sale
turnout value. Dan said it best, “cattle are the byproduct
lots. Each year they use ET in about 200 head of Balancer
of this operation, our customers come first”. v
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Pitzer
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Bred By Maria Tibbetts
All photos courtesy of the Pitzer Ranch.
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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I
t’s a matter of numbers and history that makes Pitzer Ranch one of the golden names in ranch and performance horses.
Located in the Sandhills of Nebraska, the Pitzer and pre-dated Two Eyed Jack, that created a line of Ranch started 75 years ago, when Howard Pitzer, mares that worked “magic” on the Two Eyed Jack the son of a horse trader, managed to put togethbloodline. er enough of a ranch that he could quit traveling Two Eyed Jack was a blaze-faced sorrel, out of around and start putting down roots. He started by Two D Two and Triangle Tookie. Pitzer had his eye renting grass for $.25 an acre, and taking in cattle. on both Two D Two and Two Eyed Jack. At a show When he made money, he bought land and cows. in Burwell, Nebraska, Pitzer saw Two Eyed Jack as a Trading horses kept his family fed, and boots on 3-year-old and heard that his owner, Joe Lindholm, their feet. was about to lose his trainer. Pitzer offered to start “He leased the land and ran cattle on it to make showing the colt, and given the nature of the horse the payments, and traded horses to make a living,” traders, ended up sharing ownership of the colt with said grandson, Jim Brinkman, who heads up the Lindholm. AQHA recorded Pitzer and Lindholm as ranch today. his owners in 1964 and by the end of 1964, thanks to In an era when a little creative talk and mayPitzer’s aggressive show schedule, Jack had won 46 be some shoe black around the muzzle wasn’t halter classes, and took reserve 6 times. unheard-of for horse traders, Howard Pitzer was In a story in Western Horseman in 1991, Howard committed to selling horses as honestly as he could- Pitzer said, “He was more than special. He had a -just the facts. That commitment to honesty, and the peculiar attitude. He could eat grass or he could cut kind of horses that don’t need any embellishment, cattle. It was almost as if he looked at me and said, laid the foundation for a ranch that has sold horses ‘If you can do it, so can I.’ I remember one time when across the globe, and lists foundation studs on the we put him in a trail class. We had to carry a bunch pedigrees of many of the top horses in the country, of ducks. Well, Jack sure didn’t like it, but he did it. regardless of discipline. About the only thing he ever flatly balked at was a There was some experimenting in the upward tight trailer. He just couldn’t stand it.” climb. In the 1950s and 1960s, Howard was big into Appaloosas when they were hot, Brinkman said. He sold those and got into Quarter Horses as they started gaining ground. He won his first AQHA grand championship in late 1960s. While Two Eyed Jack is the stud that broke records--and still holds them--it was a stallion named Pat Star Jr, added to the ranch in 1956, Pitzer Ranch stallion Gold Money Joe. All photos courtesy of the Pitzer Ranch. 20
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Pitzer Ranch mare Oakies Red Diamond In 1965 Pitzer and Lindholm acquired Two Eyed Jack’s sire, Two D Two. About a year later, Pitzer and Lindholm started trading again, and when the swapping was all done, with some cattle to boot, Two D Two was all Lindholm’s and Two Eyed Jack was all Pitzer’s. Pitzer showed Two Eyed Jack until he was 9 years old, earning points in halter, cow horse, reining, western riding, western pleasure and hunter saddle. Pitzer said in the Western Horseman article, “When we first started with Jack, there were some people who said he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Well, we soon killed that because he proved he could do everything. To me, there never was any such thing as a halter horse or a performance horse. They were all horses. As far as I’m concerned, we shouldn’t have such strong distinctions.” That philosophy carries through, more than 50 years, and generations of Pitzer foals, later. But in addition to the looks to win a halter class, and the ability to win the barrel racing, and the brain to win the reining, and the cow to win the cutting, the Pitzers have added the toughness to
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With 400 broodmares, it’s not difficult to get a crop of outstanding prospects for the Pitzer Ranch horse sale each year.
survive without pampering, and the wherewithal to earn their keep. “Our ideal kind of horse is one you can enter a jackpot on 10 times,” said Brinkman. “He fits the cowboy way, you throw him in the trailer, use him all day long and take him to the roping at night. We try to make them a little more heavy-duty type.” That starts with the broodmares, which run in the Sandhills, and foal on their own. The studs get turned out in the spring for pasture breeding. “If they can’t live out there in the snowbanks and stuff like that, we cull them,” Brinkman said. Once they’ve made it through the natural selection process, Pitzer horses have the chance to prove themselves in the arena and on the ranch. Rather than genetic testing, the Pitzer horses get tested in staying power, as they work cows, and ride fence and plough through snowdrifts and then go win the roping on Friday night. Brinkman said a lot of horses are bred too “hot” these days, so they 22
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Generations of selective breeding has resulted in a horse herd that’s tough, athletic, quick and has the staying power for about any job asked of them.
TAUBENHEIM GELBVIEH PRODUCTION SALE February 1, 2021
1 P.M. CST at the Ranch : 23685 Sartoria Rd. Amherst NE
SELLING
100 PUREBRED & BALANCER BULLS 50 Bred Females
TAU Homeland 56H ET
Sire: Carolina Leverage 3214A Balancer 63%-Homo Polled-Homo Black
TAU Rush 110H ET Sire: Bennett E158
Purebred 94%-Homo Polled
Call us for a Sale Catalog!
Mike Taubenheim - (308) 233-4704 Justin Taubenheim - (308)293-0692 Tanner Taubenheim - (308) 224-7196 E-Mail: jnjtaubenheim@gmail.com
www.taubenheimgelbvieh.com
are really good for a little while, but they need a little “cold” to get them through the work it takes on a ranch like theirs. “A lot of them are really good horses for three runs,” Brinkman said. “Then they get to feeling sorry for themselves. They won’t stay for the next run. If you have a nice cutting horse, that’s nice that he does a good job, but what if there’s 400 cows? Some of those hotter bloodlines can be really fancy and look good, show good, but won’t stay for the end of it.” Pitzer horses, whether raised on their ranch, or by one of the breeders who use their bloodlines, get to test their mettle in in one of the most unique ranch horse competitions in the country, held in conjunction with Pitzers’ annual sale. “I think it’s the largest in the nation by payback,” Brinkman said. “It pays back about $80,000. It shows what kind of horse we want to raise. The trail class is a half-mile timed steeple-chase, over the river, across logs.” He didn’t mention carrying ducks. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
The cow-penning involves cutting a critter out of a round pen and taking them through a couple gates and around a corner. They also have to compete in barrel racing and team roping. These requirements are practical expectations for the Pitzer Ranch. “They’ve got to do that all in one day,” Brinkman said. “They’ve got to have some speed and be sound and have some brains. If he doesn’t have enough brains he’s going to stick you in the creek and you’re going to miss your cow, and if he doesn’t have any speed you’re not going to win anything. When you’re coming out of the hills with the broodmares in the fall and they break off and stampede, you’ve got to get in front of them. You’ve got to have a horse that’s brave enough and sure-footed enough.” The $20,000 check for first place adds a sizeable incentive to build that kind of a horse. The competition is open to 4 to 6-year old horses that were bred by Pitzers or one of the satellite breeders who have smaller programs, but are still strong in Pitzers’ bloodlines, and sell through Pitzers’ sale. While they have a program that has produced some of the best bloodlines in the breed--nobody argues that-Brinkman said he’s constantly on the lookout for horses that can improve their program. “We go to shows and ropings a lot. I watch all the time. You can’t buy the good horses. They’re too expensive. But they get old eventually, and when they get old they’re cheaper. I buy them, use them on our good mares, get a bunch of half-blood fillies and cross them back.” But before he invests in one of those bloodlines, he buys a few geldings that have the type of breeding he’s considering. Then he puts them to work on the ranch. Some confirm his expectations, and get added to the herd. Others don’t. “A lot of the ones that don’t work are not quite physical enough, don’t stay sound good enough,” he said. With 80 years of history behind them, and 400 broodmares to work with, Pitzers can see the big picture of their breeding decisions, and know that not every cross is intended to produce a champion. A lot of their crosses are intended to produce the dams of champions, knowing that what may be a mediocre compromise in one generation can turn into a standout in the next. Brinkman explains it in terms of dogs. “You take a greyhound and cross him on a border collie. Now you have the BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Pitzer Ranch stallion Dukes N Divas
BUILT STRONGER. LOOKS BETTER. LASTS LONGER.
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Fort Morgan, CO • 970-867-9454 800-447-7436 • mortonbuildings.com ©2020 Morton Buildings, Inc. A listing of GC licenses available at mortonbuildings.com/licenses.
Colorado Springs & Pueblo • 719-597-5115 Wyoming, Nebraska Panhandle & Scottsbluff 308-635-2414
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Bringing in the broodmares at the Pitzer Ranch.
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world’s dumbest border collie and the slowest greyhound. Cross him on the border collie two more times-two generations down the line--and now you’ve got the world’s fastest cow dog. The first generation is sometimes a throw-away. Sometimes the second. But the third... you’ve got to be planning that far ahead in the horse business. That’s 20 years.” The sheer volume of their broodmare band also gives them an advantage, Brinkman says. “Volume works in our favor. Every year we can get a really good set of colts. Just go sort the top 10 percent.” That works when you have 400 mares, but not if you have 40. That’s where technology can come in, with embryo transfer, AI, genetic testing and all the other advances. But Brinkman sees some drawbacks in the genetic concentration that comes
Specializing in Quality Post Frame Buildings • Commercial • Agricultural
• Equestrian • Garages
• Hobby Shops • And More!
Eastern Colorado
Nebraska & Western Iowa
(970) 230-2052
(402) 426-5022
222 Oak Avenue Eaton, CO 80615
1626 Washington Street Blair, NE 68008
www.GingerichStructures.com BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Pasture to Plate Performance We believe in raising the kind of cattle that perform from the pasture all the way to the plate. In addition to rigorous performance testing, we gather first-hand feedback on how our product performs on the plate through our own local beef business, Ochsner Tender-Raised Beef. If you’re in the market for genetics that work from the ranch to the rail and beyond, give us a call. We’d love to show you the results of 40+ years breeding performance-driven, industry-oriented, palate pleasing Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle!
Kevin and Julie Ochsner and Family 30300 County Road 388, Kersey, CO 80644
(970) 396-5525
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Pitzer Ranch broodmares run out in the Sandhills, where they breed and foal without a lot of human intervention.
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Stallion Eyem All Jacked Up
The ranch horse competition that’s held in conjunction with the Pitzer Ranch horse sale is one of the toughest, and highest paying in the country. from breeding so many horses to the same high-end studs. And he has yet to see a genetic test that can tell him anything he doesn’t already know about his horses. “We’ve got a horse showing in the World Show. Gold Money Joe. I rode his grandmother when I was 8 years old. I was riding one of the geldings out of that mare when I tried to be a professional calf roper. I’ve been riding that line that long. He’s the proven fifth generation of those horses. There’s a lot of knowledge on the ranch about our horses.” v
Above: The Pitzer Ranch headquarters in the Sandhills of Nebraska.
Left: Pitzer Ranch mare Brag About It BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Nitrates for dinner:
Considerations for accommodating high-nitrate feed
By Deanna Nelson-Licking
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TRIM 8.25”x10.75”
Herring Angus Ranch LIVE AREA 7.47”x9.75”
High Altitude, PAP-and Performance-Tested Bulls Angus and Black Composites
High Country Bull & Ranch Horse Sale
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Herring Ranch Sale Barn, Encampment, WY And by Private Treaty
TSLN MAGAZINE TEMPLATE SPECS
Herring Angus Ranch Kal & Vickie Herring
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Encampment, WY (307) 327-5396- Home (307) 329-8228- Cell Cody Miller, Horses (307) 329-7400
Fields that have been fertilized, then end up being used for forage thanks to drought or hail, may be high in nitrates.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
N
itrate poisoning isn’t a new problem. There were reports of cornstalk poisoning in Nebraska in the late 1800s, and nitrate poisoning from oat hay in the Dakotas. Plant species and pre-harvest environmental conditions, not the level of avail-
able nitrogen in the soil, have the greatest influence in nitrate concentrations in feeds for livestock.
“Nitrate poisoning actually comes from nitrite, an intermediary product in the process of breaking down nitrate that is absorbed into the blood stream and interferes with the red blood cell’s ability to transport oxygen,” said Ben Beckman, beef systems assistant extension educator for University of Nebraska Extension. “Typically plants uptake nitrate from the soil and then turn it into amino acids and proteins for growth. This primarily happens in the growing green leaves. However, when this
process is disrupted or more nitrates are taken in than can be transformed by the plant, nitrates can accumulate in the lower stalk. This typically happens when the plant is under stress, so things like drought, frost or hail damage, low temperatures that inhibit growth, herbicide application or disease pressure. However, this can even happen to some extent when a plant is overly shaded (lots of cloudy days, plants growing under trees).” While environmental factors have a big influence on how much nitrate
is stored in the plants, if there is more nitrogen available in the soil, like in areas with lots of manure (like a winter feed yard), or that was heavily fertilized, it’s more likely the nitrogen will build up, Beckman said. Plant species and age also play a role. For example, immature oats and millet are more likely to be higher in nitrates than brome. Beckman said to also be cautious of weeds like pigweed, kochia and lambsquarter, and some grass species like corn, sorghum, sorghum/sudan and Sudan grass. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Beckman recommends producers test anytime the plant was stressed, or when excess nitrogen is present in the soil. “If you have a plant that is typically lower in nitrogen, say our native prairie grasses, then the level of stress needed to cause an issue has to be pretty high and may never reach a critical point. If you have a species that is known to run a bit hot, then the stress level that becomes a problem is much less. It’s more of a sliding scale than a hard line,” he said. “Nitrate tests are all testing the amount of nitrate in the feed that could be transformed and absorbed into the bloodstream. They are just looking at different forms that can take during the process. So being aware of what is reported on the feed test and what the safe levels of the reported nitrate level are is important. Switching nitrate nitrogen (NO3N) and nitrate (NO3) have a difference of over 7,000 ppm in their toxic levels.” Severe cases of nitrate poisoning in cattle can cause death. Basically, the blood is not supplying enough oxygen, so animals will have difficult and labored breathing, muscle tremors, be easily winded, urinate frequently and can have dilated blood vessels, chocolate colored blood, and bluish discoloration of unpigmented areas of skin (around the eyes). “Pregnant animals may abort due to low fetal
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oxygen levels. Nitrogen poisoning can be quickly fatal, so if suspected, call the vet right away to confirm diagnosis. Feeding a high energy feed like grain can help speed up the process of breaking down the nitrate in the rumen by microbes so less is absorbed by the bloodstream. Finally, since oxygen levels are already low, keep animals calm and try to limit animal movement as much as possible to minimize their oxygen needs,” Beckman said. Beckman recommends mixing hay or any feed stuff known to have high nitrates with a high-energy feed like a grain to speed the conversion. Mixing high-nitrate hay in a ration with lower nitrate hay can safely dilute the overall levels in a diet. How much an animal consumes at once can lead to system overload and problems, so ensuring animals have several smaller “meals,” rather than gorging on one big feeding can help the system adapt to
Samples of suspect forages should be sent to a lab for testing.
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higher nitrate hay. Make certain animals have access to plenty of clean water as well. Especially going into winter, keep an eye on hay that is fed following or during a winter storm. If animals are unable to access food and water for a period of time and are suddenly provided a higher nitrate feed source, they can easily overconsume and run into issues. While possible, nitrate toxicity is considerably less common in horses, said Lena Luck, associate professor and youth equine specialist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Animal Science. “Horses are relatively resistant to nitrate toxicity because they are hindgut fermenters and do not have a rumen. In the large intestine of the horse, only about 25 percent of nitrate is converted to nitrite. In the few cases of nitrate poisoning in horses, the most common sources were contaminated ground water,
direct ingestion of fertilizer, or consumption of forage grown in the area of spilled fertilizer.” Luck said the symptoms of nitrate poisoning in horses include gastrointestinal irritation, colic, and diarrhea. Clinical signs may include difficulty breathing, weakness, tremors, ataxia, rapid heartbeat, grey/blue or brown discoloration of blood and tissues, bluish-colored membranes, seizures, and rapid death. Abortion can occur in animals that survive the initial clinical signs. “Horses are likely to tolerate significantly higher concentrations of nitrates (at least up to 2 percent) in forages. If they have eaten a high quantity they can be treated by offering them iodized salt as a practical means of preventing nitrate-related goiter,” she said. According to Nitrates in Livestock Feeding, a NEB Guide published by the University of Nebraska Exten-
“Nitrate poisoning actually comes from nitrite, an intermediary product in the process of breaking down nitrate that is absorbed into the blood stream and interferes with the red blood cell’s ability to transport oxygen.” Ben Beckman
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sion, making high-nitrate forage into silage can reduce the nitrate content by as much as 40 to 60 percent during fermentation. Forages should be harvested when quality and quantity are optimal, but there’s no guarantee that nitrate in forages will be reduced to safe values during ensiling. If silage is suspected to be Sample # 38717 high in nitrate, analyze the feed for Sample:
nitrates before feeding. The analysis will help in designing rations to prevent livestock losses from 1000 Corey nitrate Road P.O. Box 886 poisoning. Hutchinson, KS 67504-0886 620-665-5661 The NEB Guide alsoFAX: offers guid620-665-0559 TOLL FREE: 877-464-0623 ance for nitrate testing. Nitrate www.sdklabs.com testing is inexpensive, so samples of questionable feeds should be analyzed by a laboratory before feeding. The methods used to sample forages
for nitrates often differ from those used when testing forage quality. Sampling for forage quality seeks to represent the average of the entire lot of forage. With nitrates, though, it often is important to know the False worst-case scenario, or the highest concentration of nitrates that might be consumed by the animals. In some situations, it may be
Forage Eric Gabel - #1
Other ID:
Kochia/Corn stalks
Date Received:
10/02/2020
Date Reported:
10/13/2020
Total Fee:
Sample Feed Test ANALYSIS Dry Basis
Moisture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dry Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Protein, Crude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADF-Acid Detergent Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aNDF - Neutral Detergent Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEL: Net Energy-Lactation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEG: Net Energy-Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEM: Net Energy-Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TDN: Total Digestible Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calcium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Potassium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnesium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nitrate-NO3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RFV- Relative Feed Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.86 40.89 55.74 0.51 0.21 0.54 50.65 1.31 0.13 2.98 0.66 7540 95
As Received
7.76 92.24 10.94 37.72 51.41 0.47 0.19 0.49 46.72 1.21 0.12 2.75 0.61 6955
General Information: Medium Nitrate Level - Limit to 50% of the Dry Matter diet.
RFQ/RFV Over 185 170 - 185 150 - 170 130 - 150 Under 130
Grade Supreme Premium Good Fair Utility
Quality Excellent Dairy Hay Dairy Hay Good Hay Average Hay Poor Hay
This test for cornstalk and kochia feed bales indicates that the nitrates need to be carefully managed, and cattle watched carefully for signs of trouble. The producer mixed those bales with silage, flaked corn and beet pulp (pictured pg 38). 42
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% % % % % Mcal/lb Mcal/lb Mcal/lb % % % % % ppm s.u.
possible to identify which bales or forages are most likely to contain the highest nitrate levels due to knowledge of the factors described earlier that affect nitrate concentrations. In these situations, collect samples specifically from the suspect forage to determine the highest concentration of nitrate to which livestock may be exposed. For silage, take representative grab-samples from at least six areas of the feeding face of the pit or mound. Mix the grab-samples and sub-sample in an amount to fill a plastic bag that can be sealed at the top. Compress the air out of the bag and seal. For suspected forages being put into an upright silo, take grab-samples for three successive days, then sub-sample and transfer to a plastic bag as mentioned previously. Samples should be frozen between days or whenever kept in storage. It is difficult to obtain a representative sample from pastures suspected of high nitrates that cattle are grazing. Cattle are selective in the plants and plant parts they consume, and a clipped sample will not represent what is actually being consumed. However, sampling can be used to identify fields that are high risk and allow you to manage the grazing of high-risk forages to reduce the problems due to nitrates. In fields that will be grazed, clipping the forages to the lowest level the animals will graze will give you an idea of the highest nitrate content in the plant. Samples of each individual species in a forage mix can again tell
you the maximum amount of nitrates if animals select a single species. Bacterial activity in wet forage samples can reduce the nitrate level. Thus, samples should be placed in plastic bags and immediately put in a cooler on ice. It is recommended to deliver samples directly to the lab or freeze the samples for 24 hours prior to shipping and ship in an insulated
container. Also, avoid shipments late in the week to avoid delayed arrival to the lab. Some years just having enough feed can be a challenge but with proper testing and precautions even nitrate-rich forage can be usable. v
C harolais C ardinal
Invites you to our 24th Annual Bull Sale
Friday, April 9th, 2021
At the Ranch Hillrose, CO
Cardinal Charolais
15488 County Road 57 Hillrose, Colorado 80733 Ranch: (970) 847-3345 Pat: (970) 380-1355
125 Charolais Bulls to Sell Performance Tested Ultrasound Information DNA & EPD Data Guaranteed
cardinalcharolais . com
cardinalcharolais@reagan.com
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The Ochsner family: Ashlyn, Collin, Kevin, Julie, and Caitlyn. Each of the three children found their passion through the ag. industry, whether leadership, singing, meats marketing, or horse showing. 44
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Ochsner Limousin: Flexing hybrid muscles
By Kaycee Monnens
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S
teeped in the cattle industry, Kevin Ochsner of Kersey, Colorado runs a multi-faceted Limousin operation, along with his wife, Julie, and their
three children. They specialize in producing Limousin and Lim-Flex genetics, with their minds on efficiency. Ochsner’s management and marketing of his own herd is complemented by his education and experience: a bachelor’s in agricultural business from Colorado State University; a master’s in management at Purdue University; three decades of agricultural business consulting; and hosting National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV. “I believe in the beef cattle industry, we have to find ways to become more efficient,” Ochsner says. His method of creating a more sustainable animal is rooted in his belief in careful breeding selection. “My core principle is that if we are going to be
Ochsner believes in the efficiency crossing continental (Limousin) and British (Angus) cattle. This is a Black Purebred Limousin Bull sold in the 2020 Wulf Opportunity Sale. All photos courtesy of the Ochsner family.
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Collin, with a mind for production, works in the meat marketing industry while attending Texas Tech University. He also shows ranch horses at the collegiate level. more efficient, we have to utilize the tools in our toolbox called crossbreeding and heterosis. I’m a firm believer that there’s nothing better than that British or British-cross cow in the western United States to convert forage into red meat. I also believe that we can improve both the longevity of a cow as well as the performance of the calves by capitalizing on the complementarity of a continental bull on a British-cross cow,” he says. Ochsner’s herd, which consists of around 175 head of registered Limousin and Lim-Flex cows, is a satellite cooperator herd for Wulf Cattle Company, which ranks in National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Top
25 Seedstock Producers. “[The bulls] go through rigorous performance testing at their Nebraska Ranch and are sold at the Opportunity Sale In April. Working with Wulfs, we are able to identify how the genetics are performing all the way to the rail,” he says. The Lim-Flex breed, defined by being between 37.5 percent and 75 percent of Limousin blood, and 25 percent to 62.5 percent Angus or Red Angus blood, capitalizes on the strong points of both: limited waste at slaughter and rapid weight gain of Limousins; and the hardiness, fertility, and marbling of Angus breeds. Continental breeds, like LimouBREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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“We don’t know if any of our three kids will come back, but we do know that they have a passion for agriculture and the cattle business. We are convinced that they will be advocates for the beef industry.” ~ Kevin Ochsner
sin, gained popularity in the United States in the 1960s and ’70s. Ochsner’s family was at the forefront of this trend. “My mom and dad, Ken and Roberta, bred some of the first Limousin cattle in North America in the 1970s,” he says. “Dad gave me a 2-year old Angus female when I was 2 years old. And when I was 9 years old, I bought four half-blood Limousin cows. That was in 1976.” Those four cows were the foundation of his herd. Several decades later, Ochsner’s careful selections were awarded in the show ring. “We showed the Supreme Champion Bull at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic in 2015, and he can be traced seven generations back to one of the very first cows that I bought as a nine-year-old kid. To have a bull that represented 48 years of my breeding decisions, to be recognized in the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic was a huge honor,” he says. The Ochsner kids, Caitlyn, Ashlyn, and Collin, have the opportunity to be a part of the operation, as well as show their own cattle. “There’s a lot that can be learned with the livestock project in general. The kids were particularly involved in everything at the Weld County Fair - which is one of the most competitive county fairs in the country. We’ve
won the Breeding Female there four or five times. Caitlyn herself had the Champion Steer at Weld County one time, and that was a real honor for us. Caitlyn showed the National Champion Female at the National Western Stock Show. And my other daughter, Ashlyn, had a Reserve Champion Lim-Flex Female at the National Junior Limousin Show,” he says. Beyond the show ring, Ochsner treasures the other skills his children learn while being a part of their show projects: “We really value what they’ve learned outside the show ring, whether that be public speaking, or livestock judging.” Ashlyn was on the Colorado State Champion Livestock Judging Team and was named an All-American in Livestock Judging. She is a freshman at Texas Tech University, after serving as FFA president in the state of Colorado. Collin, who has a passion for the production side of the business, also shows ranch horses, competing at various levels and taking an active role on the family ranch. Caitlyn, who won the Youth Idol Contest at her first county fair, found her voice for singing country music through the agriculture industry. When she was 17 years old, she sang The National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, and is now a recording artist living in Nashville, Tennessee. “We don’t know if any of our three
Ashlyn, a former state FFA President in Colorado, showed the Reserve Champion Lim-Flex Female at the National Junior Limousin Show in 2015. 48
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Caitlyn, now a recording country music artist, showed the National Champion Limousin Heifer at the National Western Stock Show in 2015. Ochsners strive to produce cattle ideal for the show ring, and the most efficient beef production.
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Kevin Ochsner purchased his first Limousin-bred cows at nine years old, the genetics of which still influence his current herd, as well as the 2015 Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic Supreme Champion Bull.
kids will come back, but we do know that they have a passion for agriculture and the cattle business. We are convinced that they will be advocates for the beef industry,” Ochsner says. Ochsner’s passion for the continental and British cross drives him to produce bulls that will bring their best traits to the British breeds. Limousin genetics especially bring feed efficiency to the table, with rapid weight gain on less feed. This means less carcass waste and more live weight, which ultimately ends up on the consumer’s dinner plate. “With the cross to British-based cows, we can still get the quality parameters that are necessary and demanded by consumers today. We get those 80 and 85% quality parameters that we are seeing by crossing them,” Ochsner says. Beyond weight gain, efficiency can mean everything from breeding
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cows to serving a steak. “Efficiency includes getting a cow bred on time, having a live calf,” he says. That’s what drives me down the path of heterosis, and the complementary breeds - the continental and the British.” Ochsner’s core business is working closely with Wulf Cattle Company to produce the best bulls for their Opportunity Sale, as well as selling at consignment sales. He sells small groups of replacement females privately, and any cattle that he does not believe to be breeding quality are used for their business, Ochsner Tenderlean Beef, which markets beef products to the Front Range of Colorado. From start to finish, Ochsner says, “We make continual improvements in breeding and genetics to make the most ideal beef animal that we can.” v
TRIM 8.25”x10.75” LIVE AREA 7.47”x9.75”
TSLN MAGAZINE TEMPLATE SPECS
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Solving the problems, finding solutions CSU Equine Reproduction Laboratory has built a reputation for being the best in the business
By Kaycee Monnens
The ERL offers routine reproductive care, including embryo transfer with their onsite recipient mare herd. Photo courtesy of CSU ERL. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Bettin Yer Smart stands at CSU’s Equine Reproduction Lab. Owners Long Pines Livestock of Camp Crook, South Dakota, appreciate the thorough care and open communication by the ERL. Photo by Primo Morales Photography.
C
olorado State University has a rich history of veterinary science, with a reputation for solving difficult cases, as well as providing top-notch routine care. Their Equine Reproduction Laboratory (ERL) is an establishment that continues to
innovate in the ever-changing landscape of breeding horses.
“A lot of the research and development [for equine reproduction] was done through this facility,” says Lindsay Bass, office manager and client coordinator at the Reproduction Lab. The ERL branched out from the original Animal Reproductive Laboratory in 1967. Bovine reproduction gave way to significant advances in equine reproduction. “Originally a lot of work was done with bovine collection and developed in the early days. Then they transitioned into equine techniques: semen collection and artificial insemination; the early techniques for the 56
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
recovery and transfer of equine embryos; developing the standards for shipping cooled semen, and a lot of the extenders were developed earlier here and brought to the commercial market by outside partners,” says Bass. CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science essentially consists of three branches: education, research, and caseload work. They have the unique situation of being a veterinary practice, a school for future veterinarians, and a research facility. Undergrad students can volunteer and/or take courses geared towards equine reproduction, which can span
A process called uterine lavage, a routine technique used in mare breeding management. Dr. Hatzel states that being a referral hospital, she often sees unique cases, such as mares with chromosomal abnormalities (missing reproductive organs). Photo courtesy of CSU ERL. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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“We do get to see things that the common practitioner managing broodmares at a breeding facility or at a private practice doesn’t get to see.” Jennifer Hatzel, DVM, MS, DACT
from mare breeding, management in conception, to neonatal care once the foal is born. Senior veterinary students are out in the spring on their rotation at the ERL, specifically geared toward theriogenology, the study of animal reproduction, says Bass. Thanks to their reputation, CSU is responsible for some of the most innovative research in the nation. Jennifer Hatzel, DVM, MS, DACT says, “Since we are a referral hospital and we have a lot of specialists in one area, we get the unique opportunity not only to see the routine reproductive procedures, but a lot of the unusual things that get referred to us. We use that as an opportunity for our veterinary students. We do get to see things that the common practitioner managing broodmares at a breed58
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
ing facility or at a private practice doesn’t get to see.” Some of these cases include congenital abnormalities, mares with chromosomal abnormalities (missing parts of their reproduction system), stallion “accumulators” (toohigh numbers of dead sperm), and ejaculation hemorrhaging, to name a few. One remarkable service that the ERL offers is the ability to harvest reproductive cells from post-mortem testes and ovaries. “If somebody’s beloved mare passes away at an early age, either they did or didn’t have the opportunity to get offspring from her and she’s really valuable, whether it be genetically or emotionally, they do have a window of time in which they can send us their ovaries, or the testes if it’s a stallion,” says Dr. Hatzel.
We do get to see things that the common practitioner managing broodmares at a breeding facility or at a private practice doesn’t get to see.”
The Equine Reproduction Laboratory at CSU sprouted from the Animal Reproduction Laboratory in 1967, with its roots in bovine reproduction research. Photo by Primo Morales Photography. Using the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) technique, veterinarians can produce embryos by harvesting oocytes from a mare’s ovaries. In the case of a stallion, the testes can be sent in and the epididymal semen can be harvested from the testes. “For me, that’s one of the most unique procedures we can offer,” says Dr. Hatzel. This procedure gives hope to horse owners who may have lost a horse prematurely by giving them the opportunity for future offspring, even after death. The CSU Equine Reproduction Lab offers services for routine breeding, as well. “For one, we have a foaling service. Mares that are pregnant can come during late-term gestation and enter into our foaling service. We manage those mares, foal them out, and a lot of those mares are
bred back, either for embryo transfer or carrying their own pregnancies. We breed a lot of mares to carry their own pregnancies, and also do a lot of embryo transfers. We have an on-site recipient mare herd for our embryo transfer program, and we also do quite a bit of work with problem mare breeding,” says Bass. “On the stallion side, we have the full range of stallion services that includes the stallions we stand here. We have four stallions that live here throughout the breeding season and quite a few regional stallions that come in for collection,” she says. The four stallions include Bettin Yer Smart, Epically Famous, Irish Pay and Original Cowboy. Bettin Yer Smart is owned by Long Pines Livestock, LLC. from Camp Crook, South Dakota. The family-owned BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Annual Production Sale
March 29, 2021
Axtell Red Knight 6249
1:00 p.m. (MST) Sterling Livestock Commission Sterling, Colorado Selling 65 Red Angus Yearling Bulls 25 Registered Red Angus Yearling Heifers PLUS several lots of high quality commercial Red Angus Yearling Heifers
AX Lana 205
Our bulls and heifers are backed by a maternally oriented cow herd that is run like area commercial cattle. The sale cattle will be in “working” condition, not over fat. The dams are udder scored, the calves are culled for performance, birth weight, disposition and structure. Check out our website and Facebook page for more photos and sale information. Sale videos and broadcast available on DVAuction.com.
Brian and Jamie Jo Axtell
Red SSS Knock Out 661D His sons and daughters sell
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PO Box 21 - Anton, CO 80801 H 970-383-2332 C 970-554-1132 www.axtellcattlecompany.com or Find us on Facebook
and operated ranch has put over a decade into their stallion, with training, private breeding, and showing. Justin Lawrence of Alzada, Montana, rode “Jayhawk” to the NRCHA National Futurity Champion and Supreme Cow Horse titles. Now 13, Jayhawk stood to the public for the first time this year at CSU. “I had this belief that I needed to try these babies out first. If we’re not getting the quality of foals that are going to be performers in and out of the arena out of my own herd, then I certainly don’t want to stand him to the public. Once our babies hit the
show ring, we knew it was time to stand Jayhawk. We interviewed several locations and CSU was our ultimate choice,” says owner Deb Brown. “They handle so many stallions there and I knew he was going to be in the right hands. I spoke with the veterinarians there and I felt really comfortable with them. I had my sister tour their facility and it’s incredible. They take great care of the horses. The communication with CSU is excellent. If they have any questions on anything, they reach out to me immediately. I totally appreciate that.” v
Left: CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science has the unique situation of being a veterinary practice, a school for future veterinarians, and a research facility. Photo courtesy of CSU ERL.
Lee’s Cattle Co 17th Annual
BULL SALE
Monday, March 8th, 2021 1:00 PM MST BRUSH LIVESTOCK BRUSH, COLORADO
catalog request at www.leescattle.com
SELLING Angus, Black SimAngus, Red Angus & Red SimAngus
80 Coming 2-Year-Old Bulls 20 18-Month-Old Fall Bulls 40 Spring Yearling Bulls ALL BULLS RUN THROUGH SALE RING
LEESCATTLE.COM
Your Colorado Seedbook Connection
JOHN LEE - OWNER - 602.541.8826 HUMBERTO MONTES - RANCH MGR - 602.541.9791 FIND US ON FACEBOOK
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Rousey SimAngus Bull Sale 170 Black and Red SimAngusTM Bulls
SATURDAY, FEB. 13, 2021 Lincoln County Fairgrounds 1 PM CST • North Platte, Neb.
First Breeding Season Guarantee Genomically Enhanced EPD’s
0146H • Sired by SAV Raindance 6848
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Sires Represented Sir R esented ed Include:
TJ Franchise 451D • NLC Cow Boss 160C LD Capitalist 316 • SAV Raindance 6848 Sitz Logo 12964 • Hook’s Xpectation 36X 9 Mile Motley 8505 • Hook’s Empire 61E Andras Fusion R236 • 3SCC Domain A163
ROUSEY SIMANGUS, LLC R TTyrell and Deandra Rousey • (308) 530-9279 • 4570 N Homestead Rd • North Platte, NE 69101 www..RouseySimAngus www ngus.com •
This sale will be br broadcast in real-time eal-time at
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/RouseySimAngus ySimAng ng
FAIR CATTLE MARKET CONVERSATIONS K E E P I N G P R O D U C E R S I N B U S I N E S S : U . S . C AT T L E M A R K E T S U N C O V E R E D
It is our goal to ensure every bull, calf, cull cow, lamb and horse sells for a fair price. Your profitability is our focus. Through our initiative introduced in May 2020, we hope to help the industry learn, connect and make informed decisions that will establish market clarity, price discovery – and ultimately, long term financial stability for America’s livestock producers and feeders. We believe this investigative series, which will provide unique perspectives from the industry’s top leaders, will help find the answers we need.
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STUD
Savvy
Walsh Quarter Horses focus on quality
By Molly Jacobson
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The start of it all-- stallion Zans Parity. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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B
ack in the early 1980s, when most teenagers were shopping for acid-wash jeans or watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, Penny Walsh was teasing mares and studying their pedigrees. Now, nearly 40 years later, Walsh owns and operates a small
but successful equine reproduction center out of Montrose, Colorado.
Walsh Quarter Horses has made a name for itself as one of the areas foremost breeding facilities, but it certainly didn’t start out that way. Walsh, fascinated with genetics and the science of horse breeding, muscled her way into the business at 14 years old. Later, she worked for a prominent racehorse breeder in Missouri, where she honed her skills and developed an eye for winners. After Walsh met and married her husband, Jim, the two moved to Colorado to enjoy the mountains and raise a few horses. They were unexpectedly thrust into the breeding business full-time when one of the stud colts 68
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they raised started racking up some high points. Walsh’s sorrel cutting horse, Zans Parity, affectionately known as Radar, won the AQHA World Champion title in 2004 at the ripe old age of 14. Zans Parity’s pedigree mentions Sugar Bars, Leo, and Three Bars, which is nothing to sneeze at, but Walsh chuckled, “He was just a homegrown horse that we raised. He was my trail horse.” Zans Parity’s success could have been a fluke - just a lucky cross of dam and sire. But as it turned out, Walsh has a bit of a knack for breeding winners – all that time in the breeding stocks has paid off. Today, Walsh Quarter
Horses is strictly a breeding facility; 100 percent of their work is centered around reproduction, not training – other than training stallions to collect. “We take care of every Penny aspect of the breeding process, from insemination to weaning and halter breaking foals,” said Walsh. Indeed, their list of services includes collection; insemination; freezing, shipping, and receiving of semen; foaling; stallion services; mare services; and even embryo transfer. Walsh Quarter Horses does most of their collections in the fall, and according to Walsh, they stay busier than a three-legged border collie. Year round, though, the Walshes are up to their elbows
in mare care, something Walsh is particularly picky about. Science has come a long way, she says, but in a lot of ways, Mother Nature still knows best. The facility’s mare care package includes cycle Walsh tracking, something a lot of breeders forgo these days. But Walsh maintains that in all her years in the business, she’s never seen anything do the job better than the good old-fashioned way: working within a mare’s natural estrus cycle and teasing with real stallions. Nevertheless, Walsh has never been afraid to adopt the newest scientific advancements: “It seems like every year we get more involved in new things.” They’ve been flushing embryos and using surrogate mares for years,
“All the stallions are just gentlemen, good-minded and very trainable.”
10th Annual Bull Sale April 12, 2021
At the Ranch and Online 50+ Pasture raised 18-20 month old bulls Performance with Calving Ease, Longevity and Docility Call, text or email for a catalog
Bob & Jan Wagner 18025 County Road 128 Nunn, Colorado 80648 wagnercharolais.com (970) 420-2336 bob@wagner-ranch.com
WB Xenon 9150 WB Xenon 9150 is the first bull to be offered by Wagner Bauman LLC, and is a Fall born son of Wagner Xenon 6051 and Wagner WRUP 5042. This young sire is truly a unique individual. Xenon is seamless in his head, neck and shoulder structure. He is long and fluid in his stride and smooth in his joints. His balance, quality and phenotype are undeniable and he features the fleshing ability we strive for in our seed stock. In addition, Xenon has shown outstanding performance: 964 lb adj WW and 1574 lb adj YW and has EPDs to match. Xenon was bred at Wagner’s, born and raised at Bauman’s. He is 13 months old in the picture. WB Xenon 9150 will be shown in Oklahoma City and we will be selling 50% interest and full possession in the National Charolais Sale January 9, 2021. There will be at least 10 sons of Wagner Xenon 6051 (half brothers of WB Xenon) in our sale BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Jim and Penny Walsh and their dogs, Copper and Koda enjoy the beauty of the high country.
Photo courtesy of Penny Walsh.
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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but they’ve also recently become equipped to freeze embryos for later implantation. Walsh believes that horse breeding is a challenge best tackled with both modern science and Mother Nature’s secrets. Unlike cattle, horses aren’t bred for fertility, so Walsh Quarter Horses uses all the tricks in the book to increase the odds of conception. Whether they are doing things the old fashioned way or not, Walsh is personally involved every step of the way from feeding to foaling. It’s important to her to be able to be hands-on, so they’ve kept their operation relatively small. In a typical year, Walsh Quarter Horses breeds 150 mares on-site and sends about another 100 semen shipments around the U.S. This season, Walsh Quarter Horses is standing 10 horses, including World and High Point AQHA and APHA Champions. Walsh is particular-
ly excited about their up-and-coming cowhorse stud, Smokee Dreams, sired by NRHA Hall-of-Famer Magnum Chic Dream. “We have big plans for him crossing on daughters of Zans Parity,” Walsh said. The reproduction center’s success seems to boil down to the fact that they are accommodating, affordable, and just downright accurate. Walsh emphasized that because they are a smaller hands-on facility in a great climate, they are able to be a little bit more accommodating than some places. Not everyone wants to foal in late spring. “Some of our clients still have snowstorms then,” says Walsh. “We’re willing to work with a mare well into July. We try to accommodate people who want a June birth.” It also doesn’t hurt that they are so centrally located. The
Right: On-staff veterinarian Dr. Becky Sondergard prepares an embryo for transfer. Photo courtesy of Penny Walsh.
SELLING OVER 100 HEAD
th
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Annual Bull Sale
Saturday, 9th, 2019 - 1:00 pmPM Saturday,March March 13th, 2021 - 1:00
Delta Sales Yard Delta Yard Delta,Sales CO - 970.874.4612 Delta, CO - 970.874.4612
Bid Online @ Bid Online @ LMA Auctions LMA Auctions-Imaauctions.com www.superiorlivestock.com
For Catalog: www www.westerncoloradoangus.org Jason Wrich (970) 234-4125 Mike Ripp (970) 874-5127 Like us on Facebook 72
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facility is 6 hours from Denver, Albuquerque, and Salt Lake, making them a convenient choice for clients in those areas. Although they work with a couple of high-powered studs each year (at a whopping $10,000-$20,000 a pop), Walsh Quarter Horse stallions have an average stand rate of about $500-$1,500 – a much more affordable option for the rancher who just wants a nice horse. The goal, Walsh explained, is “to give everyone the opportunity to breed to quality individuals without breaking the bank.” So what do they get for the money? Well, that depends on what they’re looking for, says Walsh. Decades of
practice have made her an expert in helping people find the match that’s going to work best for them. Everyone wants an athletic horse with good bone structure and big pretty eyes, but Walsh takes it even further, targeting the ideal conformation particular to whichever discipline the client has in mind. They’ve got studs for every discipline, whether it’s barrels, cow work, roping, or hunter-under-saddle. Still, there’s more to a horse than athleticism and conformation. Walsh reported that all ten of their standing stallions are, above all, extremely kind. “All the stallions are just gentlemen, good-minded and
A mare and foal at the equine reproduction center.
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Photo courtesy of Penny Walsh.
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very trainable. Most of our customers are people in the performance horse world looking to improve or complement their performance,” said Walsh, “but it’s amazing how many people just want to breed for disposition.” Whatever the client is looking for, she said, “we steer them towards the stud that is going to work best for them.” But Walsh isn’t just stud savvy.
“We pay a lot of attention to the mare’s side. Everybody always talks stallion, stallion, stallion. We really like to look at the mare’s side as to what we’re crossing them on.” Walsh’s whole business is built around breeding, but she’s also a big believer that horses aren’t meant to just live in the barn and make babies. She and her husband go riding in the “high country” as often as they can, usually with their devoted dogs. “All our horses go to the mountains. It doesn’t matter if they’re a show horse. They still go.” Apparently, it doesn’t matter how much your stud fee is – you’re never too good for a trail ride. v
Above: Trainer J.D. Yates and Zans Parity win the AQHA World Championship in heeling. Right: Matt Koch and Smokee Dreams, the Walshes’ up-and-coming cowhorse stud.
Photos courtesy of Penny Walsh.
Calving Ease · Carcass · Consistency Plan on attending our annual sale! Cattleman’s Connection Angus Sale
MARCH 9TH, 2021 MARCH 12, 2019 1:00 pm at the Ranch
Thank you you for foryour yourcontinued continued support throughout throughoutthe theyears! year!
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www.wagonwheel-ranch.com Kenny & Jody Rogers 970/630-0600 Jerrod & Hollie Massey 970/630-7518 Mary Rogers Yuma, CO jody@wagonwheel-ranch.com
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How lame? Ag tech prototype uses novel sensor to identify lame animals By Holly Jessen
R
esearch on technology to analyze cattle gait for early detection of lameness came out of Colorado State University and is now is on a path for possible commercialization. It has applications for use by cattle, dairy and equine industries.
The automated lameness detection system first developed at Colorado State University displays readings of an animal’s gait. Photo courtesy of Colton Atkins. 78
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A prototype consists of a mechanical platform with an optical sensor livestock walk across, said Dr. Colton Atkins, who worked on the initial study of steers as part of his dissertation at CSU, where he completed a doctorate in animal science in 2018. A later study, not yet published, tested the platform with bulls. “The idea was to be able to identify a normal animal and identify ones that were not and also which foot was the problem,” said Dr. Kevin Pond, currently dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU), but at the time of the original study he was department head of animal science at CSU. He added that the technology, which has not yet been named, has potential to help identify and monitor sickness as well as lameness. Researchers set out to develop a low-cost, durable platform that could help identify lameness before it becomes visually apparent, Pond said, adding existing systems are extremely expensive. Lameness is a particularly big problem in the dairy industry but also with beef cattle, particularly at feedlots. “It’s an animal welfare issue for one, but also it’s an economic loss in that they don’t generally eat as much, they do not generally produce as much,” Pond said, adding that with reduced mobility, cattle aren’t able to get to feed or water as easily.
HOW IT WORKS Atkins, who recently accepted a position as assistant professor of agricultural sciences at WTAMU, said as an animal walks across the platform data sent to a computer screen is displayed as either a smooth line, meaning no issues, or a jagged line, indicating problems. “We’re trying to show that we can show minute fluctuations within the signal, to catch problems before it’s severe, to the point the animal is not walking,” he said. “The idea is to be able to catch deviations from a normal pattern.” The technology could also potentially be used to identify animals that wouldn’t make good breeding stock. The study on bulls was able to show signal differences between structurally sound and structurally unsound, such as post legged, animals, Atkins said. “There were very vast differences between the two,” he said. It’s not a replacement for accelerometers in wearables, such as ear tags, ankle bracelets or neck collars, which provide behavioral tracking mechanisms for individual animals. It’s a supplement that can work with wearables. “It’s meant to enhance what’s already being done in terms of foot scoring,” he said. “We want to have this add more value to those scores.” Pond sees a future where the technology could be used to automatically record data as animals walk across the device, without anyone present. The individual
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A steer walks across the prototype platform, with an initial grid layout. Photo courtesy of Colton Atkins.
animal could be identified by its wearable, like an ear tag. “It would be a way to do this automatically, based on the data of the individual animal,” he said, adding that an automated system could also be set up to open a gate to direct that animal into a separate pen for treatment and observation. Should it become commercially available, Pond anticipates the technology could be adopted first in the dairy industry, with the beef industry to follow. Foot problems are particularly prevalent in the dairy industry, he said. For cattle producers with animals grazing in pasture, the technology could be utilized at times when
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livestock are processed, such as for vaccinations, Pond said. The platform could be placed where the animals walk through squeeze chutes or through gates, such as on their way to water or mineral licks. Lameness is less of a problem for range animals, he said, but can be an issue at times of high water or muddy conditions. Atkins agreed that the technology could work for livestock producers, although it may not be a good economic return for small-scale producers. Gathering this type of data could potentially add a premium to the sale price of livestock, he said. He also sees applications for veterinarians and other groups providing services to producers. The technology is portable and easy to store in between uses. “That’s one of key benefits to what we’ve devised,” he said. “We’ve have it in mind so you can move it.” It’s also easy to use. Dr. Temple Grandin, CSU professor of animal sciences, was a great asset in simplifying the study and the product. She was one of the authors, along with Atkins and Pond, listed on a related research study published in 2019, which looked at sensor analysis of equine gait. “We tend to put all the bells and whistles and sometimes less is more,” Atkins said. With her help, the product evolved into a “red light, green light” concept, meaning an animal walks across the platform and is either identified as lame and goes to a sick pen or is identified as healthy and moves on. “We don’t want to present
the producer with convoluted signal, convoluted math,” Atkins said. “They have more things to worry about than trying to decipher all those things.” The next steps are to complete publication of research and work toward commercialization. Atkins hopes the technology will eventually be able to record an animal’s weight, without requiring it to stop on the
platform, in addition to to the primary function of automated lameness detection. Although it hasn’t yet been pursued, Pond said the hope is to eventually find a company willing to invest in the technology, so it can be mass produced. “I think the data is there that shows that it works,” he said. v
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Moving cows out to pasture. 82
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Photo courtesy of The Beef Checkoff.
Wagon Wheel Angus
rolls ahead By Rachel Gabel
T
he 1950s were the heyday of bald-faced cattle throughout much of the United States, but it was the decade that saw the beginning of a registered Angus herd for Francis and Mary Rogers just south of Yuma, Colo.
Now some 70 years later, Wagon Wheel Angus is still standing on the solid foundation upon which it was built. Mary, now 92, lives in town but receives ranch updates and, when she had to make the difficult decision to miss last year’s sale, sent along a letter to the buyers that was read at the sale. Her son Kenny and his wife, Jody now run the operation with their grown sons. What began with a few cows from a neighbor was truly, Rogers said, a leap of faith at the time. He said his dad knew the challenges that faced the Hereford breed in those years –dehorning, susceptibility to bad eyes,
sunburned udders – and his mom suggested going all Angus, a breed that wasn’t as popular but were without some of the common dilemmas of Herefords. “By the time Certified Angus Beef (CAB) came along, everyone started seeing the premiums they could get for black-hided cattle, primarily Angus based black hided cattle, and that prompted the transition to see more and more herds,” he said. “They changed the color of the nation’s cow herd with that program.” In the days prior to production sales becoming the norm in the 1980s, Francis and Mary would market their BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Generations of awards are proudly displayed at Wagon Wheel Ranch. Photo courtesy of the Rogers Family.
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cattle in Denver at The Yards where the bull market thrived. Though Rogers said the National Western Stock Show has become more of a show than a sale with window shoppers strolling The Yards, it was the bull market for many years and his parents sold there for over 50 years. After graduating from Colorado State University and spending a few years working outside of the cattle industry, Rogers said when he and Jody married, the couple returned to the ranch- scampered, actually, he said. They’re now running the entirety of the operation and host their annual production sale at their facility on the ranch annually on the second Tuesday in March. With the advent and growth of internet auctions, he said the sale allows attendees to view the bulls and replacement heifers in person on the ranch and bid in person or online. The majority of Wagon Wheel customers purchase the purebred bulls for use on commercial The Rogers family sold bulls in The Yards at the NWSS for 50 years before moving their production sale home to the ranch. Photo courtesy of the Rogers Family.
females and are used predominantly within a crossbreeding program. He said there is perennially a high demand for replacement females. While he doesn’t anticipate a demand for a high volume of bulls this year, he said the prices have been consistent and seem to be hanging in there. “Dad was always keen before they had EPDs and before everyone began marching down that road,” he said. “He would sit down with sale catalogs or whatever he could get his hands on from the sources where we used to buy bulls and he would figure up weight per day of age. We could do growth and performance based on that and that’s still some of the main things in our herd.” Calving ease is a trait that Rogers hangs his hat on, knowing how many of his customers rely on moderate-sized calves to lessen calving problems and potential loss. Even the bulls he calls “cow bulls” are not extreme, and reflect what customers want.
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Oldest son, Jerrod, continues the common-sense approach to sorting cattle that was established generations ago. Photo courtesy of The Beef Checkoff.
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E E SS TT. . 119 98 80 0
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“We plan on sticking around. There’s been others that have come and gone and other breeders that have tried outlandish fads but we stick with the basics here because we’re commercial cattlemen as much as anyone else. We know what’s going to work and what’s pie in the sky.”
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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“We want to retain the ability for calves to grow and grow rapidly, be efficient with the feed, not have a cow that’s going to weigh a ton, I want a cow that’s going to wean a calf that 60 percent, plus or minus, her body weight, year after year,” he said. “Carcass, structure, and the ability to perform are all part of it.” Growth and performance are bred into the ranch’s cow families for generations, and when combined with carcass data and calving ease, it’s a marriage of traits valuable to cattlemen. Rogers said the bull customers are certainly loyal, with one family that has been customers since Francis and Mary were selling bulls in The Yards. He said he has An Angus herd was the recommendation Mary Rogers made to her husband, Francis, some 70 years ago when the Wagon Wheel Angus herd was started with a few cows purchased from a neighbor. Photo courtesy of the Rogers Family.
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seen that operation transition from one generation to the next, much the same as his own. While transitioning between generations is often challenging, for the Rogers family, an accident changed the plan. The couple’s youngest son, Jace, was in an automobile accident in 2009 on his way home from college in Sterling. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, was comatose for four months and spent seven months at Craig
Kenny Rogers checking the cows on stalks.
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Hospital. Jody spent those months in Denver, still doing the books for the ranch. Rogers said there wasn’t a lever big enough to pry her away. “He’s out here every day, takes and active interest in it and wants to be a part of it,” he said. “As best we can facilitate it, he is.” Their older son, Jerrod, is also back on the ranch with his wife, Hollie, and children and is continuing the com-
Photo courtesy of The Beef Checkoff.
VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION IN KEENESBURG! mon-sense approach Francis built the ranch on 70 years ago. “We plan on sticking around,” Rogers said. “There’s been others that have come and gone and other breeders that have tried outlandish fads but we stick with the basics here because we’re commercial cattlemen as much as anyone else. We know what’s going to work and what’s pie in the sky.” v
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
the birds By Wade Yoder
Starlings congregate in massive flocks which can cause huge losses for feedlots and dairies.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
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Birds steal feed and spread disease, causing major economic impact for the dairy and feedlot industries.
Photo courtesy of Dairy Management Inc.
I
t’s winter; days shorten, temperatures drop, and clouds of birds descend on feedlots and dairies. Millions of birds, namely invasive species like starlings, steal feed from feedlots and dairies throughout late fall and winter. Effectively manag-
ing birds can be difficult and costly, meaning feedlot and dairy managers must practice careful stewardship to prevent birds from spreading pathogens among livestock. “Any of the big-time diseases that affect cattle, I’m sure they transmit them,” said Adam Stone, former manager of Kuner Feedlot in Kersey, Colorado. “When they roost on the neck rails of the bunk, they spread their feces in the feed, which carries diseases around. If you’ve got tanks, they like to roost on the tank and crap in the water.” Starlings are vectors of several pathogens, according to a 2017 report by the USDA Animal and Plant Health 96
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Inspection Service (APHIS). Starlings transmit Salmonella, West Nile Virus, Johne’s disease and several E. coli stereotypes, according to the report. “It can be pretty bad stuff you don’t want flying around,” said Stone, who managed the 100,000 head feedlot for more than 13 years. “If you’ve got a bunch of calves with snotty noses eating out of a bunk, and the birds go hop around in there and then they go hop
BOOTH’S
around in the next bunk, what do you think is going to happen?” Large numbers of birds also cause financial loss to feedlots and dairies by eating or spoiling feed. A flock of 1,000 starlings can eat 1.5 tons of cattle feed over 60 days, creating a loss of 92 cents for every feedlot animal, according to the USDA APHIS report. Bird Management Methods Most feedlot or dairy managers try to scare birds away, Stone said. But, scare tactics quickly become ineffective as birds normalize to them. “We tried hanging blank CDs that flicker in the wind and create weird light patterns,” Stone said. “That seemed
Cherry Creek
48THANNUAL
ANGUS
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Basin Advance 5016
CED: +11 BW: +1.4 WW: + 76 YW: +135 M: +28 Marb: +.90 RE: +1.03 $B: +178 $C: +297
Basin Advance 5016 had a weaning ratio of 112, a yearling ratio of 113, a %IMF ratio of 107 and an URE ratio of 112 from a dam with a current average progeny weaning ratio of 3 at 104, an average progeny yearling ratio of 3 at 103 and an average progeny URE ratio of 12 at 104.
Sitz Stellar 726D
CED: +8 BW: -0.4 WW: + 76 YW: +133 M: +25 Marb: +.43 RE: +.63 $B: +124 $C: +249
Powerhouse individual with a great maternal design and ranks #1 on the Main Sire list for combined Foot Score EPDs. Outstanding maternal pedigree and design with elite $Maternal and Foot Score values. Super thick topped and deep sided bull that only improved his power house phenotype while breeding cows as a yearling. Besides his impressive muscle, the first thing you will notice about STELLAR is his outstanding foot quality and added depth of heel.
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Plus many sired by Cherry Creek herd sires.
European starlings were introduced in the United States in 1890, in Central Park. Now estimates place the population at about 150 million, costing agriculture millions of dollars each year. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Shawn 307-534-5865 • boothangus@scottsbluff.net Michael & Lindsy 307-532-1805 • Kacey 307-532-1532
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“If they don’t have a place where they feel comfortable, it would be a lot easier to control them.”
to work okay for about a week until the birds figured out there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.” Timed propane explosions and trained falcons were similarly ineffective, Adam Stone said. The best results came when bird control measures started early and tactics were diversified, he added. “We tried to scare them as much as we could, especially early in the season to prevent a whole bunch of them from showing up,” Stone said. “I’m not going to say we had great success, but it took a lot longer for them to move in.” Removing nearby roosts and cover is also an effective
way to manage starlings. Feedlots look less attractive if birds don’t have comfortable roosts nearby. “If they don’t have a place where they feel Stone comfortable, it would be a lot easier to control them,” Stone said. But removing obvious roosts and cover isn’t always feasible or successful. Adjacent land may not be owned by livestock operation managers or birds may roost in feedlot buildings, Stone added. “Not having any cover around seems to help quite a bit, but if you have a feed mill or buildings around, they make a mess of all of that,” Stone said.
Easy access to feed, in piles and in uncovered feeders, makes confined feeding operations attractive to birds like starlings, especially in the winter. Photo courtesy of Getty Images. 98
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Birds are one facet of nature that farmers have to fight with to keep their feed for its intended consumers. Photo courtesy of Rachel Gabel.
Using avicides such as Avitrol or Starlicide is the most effective way to control birds, Stone said, but then “you cause a bunch of other problems.” “Chemical agents to kill them off are kind of a last resort,” Stone said. “Avitrol works very well on them, but you have to have a license and they are a mess to clean up, especially if they fly off the premises.” Extension Tips on Managing Birds Bird movements are nearly impossible to manage, but livestock operators can make their yards less attractive. North Dakota State University Extension Services dairy specialist J.W. Schroeder recommends the following: • Feeding late in the afternoon or night after starlings roost • Lowering water levels six inches below the edge of tanks to prevent birds from drinking • Increase feed particle sizes to one-half inch or larger so birds can’t consume it Birds are just another factor to consider in the stewardship of livestock, wildlife, natural habitats and livestock facilities. But stewardship is the constant goal of most feedlot and dairy managers, Stone said. “They want to be good stewards. They try to do everything they can.” v
D LAZY M LIVESTOCK
2020 BULL CALVES Dave McGraw & Family 1608 E. County Road 72 Wellington, CO 80549 (970) 889-1960 mcgrawdlml@gmail.com
2020 WOW, What else can be said. We hope all are safe & healthy. As it should be, this years’calves are the best to date. Length, strong tops, smoothness, good headed & great eye appeal. We look forward to sharing this group with you. Take care & be safe ~Dave Bulls are born - raised & grown on our ranch. Pasture grown not feedlot fattened. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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Herring Angus Ranch Developing bulls in the high country
By Hannah Johlman
Simmental and Charolois cattle have been worked into the cow herd, as they are known to be good breeds for high altitude. BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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E ST.
1 9 8 0
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F
rom the beginning, which for Kal and Vickie Herring was when they got married in 1970, the Encampment, Wyoming couple has had their sights set on raising and developing quality bulls that will survive and thrive in rugged country and
high elevations. For the past fifty years, Kal and Vickie have been sell-
the family business by buying another ranch on the west
ing their bulls private treaty, but it wasn’t until 2002 that
side of the valley. When Kal and Vickie moved back to
they started holding the Annual High Country Bull and
the high country in southern Wyoming to join the family
Horse Sale. For the past 105 years, Kal’s family has been
ranch, they also expanded by bringing in some crossbred
living in the North Platte Valley, 7,300 feet above sea
influence, at the time Chianina cattle were popular in the
level. In 1937, Kal’s grandparents and parents expanded
club calf business, and started selling yearling bulls and
If cattle don’t receive a reasonable PAP score, it doesn’t matter what their EPDs say, because they won’t live in high altitude environments.
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103
feeder calves.
was a need for Angus genetics that could handle high el-
“We were trying to develop the seedstock business
evations. Kal’s father, Russel, had bought the ranch’s first
and we were selling show calves as another way of
registered Angus cattle ten years before Kal and Vickie
generating income,” Kal says. “We started selling quite a
moved back to the ranch, but they were seeing too many
few show steers and we showed at the National Western
cattle with brisket disease. Brisket disease, also known as
Stock Show for about 30 years. We won the Champion
mountain sickness, pulmonary hypertension and dropsy,
Pen of Feeder Calves at the stock show for about four or
starts as a respiratory condition in some cattle at higher
five years in a row there at the end.”
elevations and often ends in death.
But, raising bulls in the high country was where the
“It’s real similar to congestive heart failure in humans,”
Herrings wanted to focus their time and efforts, and there
Kal says. “In cattle, they get fibrosis in their lungs and
Since 1970, the Herrings have grown their operation from showing and selling show steers to holding their annual bull sale.
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The majority of the bulls Herrings produce are black Angus, the rest are still predominantly black Simmental crosses.
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
then their heart can’t pump the blood through their lungs to get oxygenated and then eventually it starts to build up all this fluid in their brisket. Even way back before we knew much about it, if anybody saw an animal like that they knew that it wasn’t going to live.” Herring Angus Ranch sits at an elevation of 7,300 feet, and since 1985, when the Herrings started
Right: The Herrings sold all of their bulls private treaty until 18 years ago, when the High Country Bull Sale began. Below: Kal Herring was born and rasied in the North Platte Valley of Wyoming, after attending the University of Wyoming, Herring returned to the family ranch in 1970.
using pulmonary arterial pressure testing, or PAP testing, on every bull and all of their replacement cattle, the elevation has become the crux of the business. A PAP test measures blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and estimates the force required to push blood into the lungs. The tests are more accurate the longer an animal has been at a higher altitude and experts recommend not testing animals until they have been at the high elevation for at least three to six weeks. “If the cattle don’t have a reasonable PAP score, none of the rest of the EPDs mean anything,” Kal says. “It doesn’t make any difference what they are if the cattle won’t live, so that PAP score is just the most absolute important thing to us.” And to their customers, as well. Bulls from the Herring Ranch tend to stay in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, some ending up on ranches with elevations higher than the Herring Ranch. “We’ve done all kinds of work with BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
107
the PAP score,” Kal says. “We test all of
will die.”
ant of the high altitudes.
our bulls twice, we test them in the
The Herrings have noticed that
“We breed a lot of Simmental in
fall and then before the sale in the
brisket disease tends to be more
our crossbred herd and we’ve tried
spring and we test all of our replace-
prevalent in some breeds than oth-
to get Charolais in some of our cows
ment cattle, all of our heifers, so that
ers. Before Angus cattle were com-
because Simmental and Charolais are
we don’t have any cows in our herd
mon, Herefords rarely showed signs
really good breeds for high altitude
that don’t have a good PAP score. If
of the disease. By using PAP scores,
because they were raised in real high
we can raise Angus bulls that are low
Kal and Vickie have been selective of
country. The Angus came right off
on the PAP score, people want those
their registered and crossbred herds,
the coast over in Scotland, so that’s
cattle, but they don’t want ones that
resulting in cattle that are more toler-
why they’re not so good in high al-
The ranch sits on land that Kal’s grandparents homesteded in the North Platte Valley in 1915.
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
109
titudes, you’ve got to really select to get the best ones to make it work for the Angus breed.” Today, about half of bulls offered at the sale are registered Angus, while the other half are mainly black Simmental crossbred bulls. In addition, Kal has partnered with a neighbor, Cody Miller, who puts together a selection of solid ranch horses for the sale. “It’s kind of a good deal for both of us,” Kal says. “Some people might come and want to buy a horse and they might decide to look at these bulls too, or they come strictly looking at bulls and all of them are ranchers and need horses too, so they just complement one another. Cody knows his horses so well and
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he does such a good job at it that it’s just great for both of us.” Likewise, Kal and Vickie know their bulls and look forward to spending many more years, working to offer bulls that will fit well in high altitude ranches. “We’ve just worked real hard on testing them twice and making sure they have a consistent PAP score,” Kal says. “And if you do that, usually they’re good for whoever buys them for as many years as they want.” v
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
MORE MEANS MORE More carcass weight, live weight, muscle, marbling and profit. Simmental genetics offer all this and more of the S traits your herd needs to stay profitable. Backed by the most comprehensive beef cattle genetic database, the American Simmental Association offers commercial producers more selection and marketing tools than any other breed association. All to strengthen your bottom line.
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Hill Brothers Livestock Females always available. Paul 417-849-6851 facebook.com/hillbrotherslivestock/
St. Vrain Simmentals Gary Bogott 303-517-6112 Niwot, CO • gbogott@gmail.com Red & black Sim bulls & females
Bridle Bit Simmentals All-Terrain Bull & Female Sale on 3/22/2021 at Walsh Chad Cook 719-529-0564
Mari Simmental Breeders Ron Mari • Holyoke Selling black % & PB ET bulls 970-520-7333 for EPDs & data
T-Heart Ranch High-Altitude Bull Sale 3/27/2021 Watch web & facebook for info 719-850-3082 or 850-3083
Campbell Simmental Part of High Altitaude Bull Sale on 3/27/2021 Robert 970-749-9708
Phoenix Cattle Co. Fleckvieh Simmentals & Fleckvieh/Angus seedstock Roger Schager • 303-550-5592
Todd Cattle Co. Danny & Monita Todd Crawford • 970-921-7051 Bulls for sale private treaty
Dilka Cattle Bulls for sale private treaty Briggsdale • James 970-396-8791 thedilkas@aol.com
Rains Simmental Bulls on the Prairie sale on 3/13/21 at Oakley, KS Mike Rains 785-672-7129
Far Out Cattle Ranch Jerrid Brisendine 719-353-1747 Part of All-Terrain Bull & Female Sale on 3/22/2021 at Walsh
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For sale dates, show details and event highlights, go to: www.ColoradoSimmental.com • colosimmental@gmail.com or follow us on facebook BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Meat Processing behind the scenes
By Ruth Nicolaus
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
115
Mark Gentert skins a deer carcass at his locker in south central Nebraska. Processing plants have the advantage of seeing their customers, face to face, unlike the big packers. Photo courtesy of Heather Gentert.
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BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
B
Belinda Gentert laughs when she says she’d like to retire before she’s dead, but it’s true.
The Holstein, Nebraska woman,
quarter of 2020, disrupting the pack-
alongside her husband Mark, works
ing plants’ distribution chains and
six or seven days a week at their meat
clearing grocery meat shelves, the
processing business, Gentert Pack.
trend was to start small processing
The meat processing industry
plants.
faces uncertainties that have arisen
Those trends will help, but the ex-
not only from the COVID-19 pandem-
perts say the business doesn’t always
ic but from the agricultural and rural
smell like a rose.
perspective.
Cutting meat, and the myriad of
When COVID-19 struck in the first
duties that come with operating a
WEAVER RANCH 36th ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE
Monday, February 15, 2021 12.30 p.m at the ranch north of Fort Collins, CO
55 COMING 2-YEAR-OLD BULLS Registered Black Angus
PAP testing since 1991 at an elevation of 7500’ BVD, Fertility, PAP, Trich Tested and Carcass Ultrasounded
50 Commercial Bred Heifers
Featuring Sons of These & Other Weaver Ranch Bulls Sire S Chisum 255
CED
BW
WW
YW
M
$EN
MRB
REA
FT
+12
-.4
+57
+89
+19
+9
+.21
+.65
+.030
Paintrock Combination 0188
+6
-1.0
+55
+95
+18
+3
+.57
+.41
+.023
GDAR Heisman 1705
+16
-3.0
+49
+91
+17
-7
+.56
+.38
+.026
Paintrock Mountain Man
+7
-.3
+53
+82
+21
+6
+.30
+.55
+.006
Over 61 years of selecting for:
Easy Calving, Carcass Quality & Disposition Susan & Mourine Weaver 970-568-3898
3000 West Co. Rd. 70 • Ft. Collins, CO 80524
Visitors Always Welcome • Cattle may be seen at any time!!!
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processing plant is an “art form,” that is often overlooked, and has changed
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and animal science professor at Colo “It’s a very skilled trade,” he said, “and it’s hard work. That’s why there are not a lot of people clamoring to do it.” Even with automation, lifts, and rails, a lot of the work is still done with knives and saws and repetitive motions, which can strain muscles. Delmore is part of the faculty that teaches an animal science major that includes instruction on meat processing, but rarely do students work towards a degree with the intent of cutting meat for a living. Those graduates are more likely to be in managerial and supervising positions with the large packers. It’s much the same situation at the
West West
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University of Wyoming’s meat lab, said Kyle Phillips, manager of the lab. Oftentimes, Phillips said, those who are cutting meat don’t get a degree but learn on the job. They often start as a meat cutter at a local grocery store, which can be a great place to learn, he said, but can be limited by what the boss has time for or wants
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to teach them. It’s a dirty job, with blood and odors that aren’t always pleasant, said Gentert, and it’s hard work. And not only is it hard, but small processing plants require someone who can do a variety of different tasks: not
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only cut meat, but package it, following state and federal regulations, market, run the cash register, and so many other jobs. “There’s a lot more multi-tasking at this job than people think,” she said. “You wear so many hats. We can’t hire a person that can only do one job.” Gentert estimates she works 45-50 hours a week; they try to keep employees at no more than 40 hours a week, due to overtime pay. Her husband Mark works 80 hours a week, going in on Sundays, too. “He’s a Type A personality,” she said. But as deer season approached, she said they would have no Sundays off for about three weeks in November. Delmore acknowledged a demand in the meat cutting business, fueled by COVID. But it’s not simple, cheap or easy to start a plant. Plants must meet state and federal Students at the University of Wyoming meat lab work on processing meat. The demand for local meat processors seems to be enjoying a renaissance, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. Photo courtesy of Kyle Phillips, University of Wyoming meat lab.
regulations, can cost in the millions to build, with machinery alone that costs $100,000 per piece. And there’s always the problem of a workforce, he
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Steaks fill the refrigerator at Integrity Meats in Belle Fourche, S.D.
Photo courtesy of Alana Strickland.
said. “I see folks very passionate on social media about seeing small plants flourish, and I love to see small plants flourish. But one of the first things I tell folks that want to develop the business is, you have to have a mechanism for how to find employees to do this job.” Potential employees might be wooed to work at a small plant because the lifestyle in rural America fits them, he said, or if employees can work towards owning the business themselves someday, or even people who leave corporate America for the rural lifestyle. Small plants are also at a disadvantage when it comes to “drop credit” – the value of nonmeat items like blood, hides, and other items. The big packers are able to put together several thousand hides, for example, and sell them. “In a small environment, there’s zero value associated with those items,” Delmore said. With the increased interest in smaller meat processors, Delmore isn’t sure recent trends signal a renaissance in meat cutting. “I don’t know,” he said, when asked about if COVID created a need. “As soon as we couldn’t buy 120
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Mark and Belinda Gentert stand outside their processing plant in Holstein, Neb. They have been in business since 1988. Photo courtesy of Heather Gentert.
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A student at the University of Wyoming meat lab uses a saw to cut a piece of meat. Photo courtesy of Kyle Phillips, University of Wyoming meat lab.
what we wanted, we turned to other sources,” he said. Meat sales at Colorado State’s meat store increased, but he thinks it will be temporary. “We know a lot of our customers won’t be back. They’ll go back to their old sources.” And do the small meat processors make a dent in the big packers? Not really, Delmore said. “We explain to
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students that JBS, in the first five minutes of their day, can process more animals than we can in an entire year. It’s not going to have an impact, but there is a demand.” “There are individuals who want to buy from local small operations,” he said. “But just as you have a farmer’s market that is very successful,
Ridder Herefords do it very well. Call for your catalog! Annual Bull & Heifer Sale Visitors always Feb. 4, 1 pm (cst) welcome. At the ranch, Callaway, Nebraska • 78 powerful 2-yr-old Bulls AND • 14 superior yearling Bulls - all Bulls scored for Calving Ease & Carcass traits. • 75 elite Heifers - they are feminine, eye-appealing, and ready to produce out-standing calves! Videos online prior to sale.
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NEW this year
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you’ll have a Walmart or Costco or Hy-Vee that people are waiting in line to get into.” But Alana Strickland, who, alongside her husband Larry, owns Integrity Meats in Belle Fourche, S.D., said the small plants do fill a need. “I think a lot of people are wanting to know where their meat is from,” she said.
John & Mary Ridder Family Callaway, Nebraska mailbag@ridderranch.com 308.836.4430 land • 402.450.0431 cell
“We saw a great increase in people buying sides of beef from the local ranchers.
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Students at the University of Wyoming meat lab cut meat. Even with automation, the industry still requires plenty of physical work. Photos courtesy of Kyle Phillips, University of Wyoming meat lab.
“The big packing plans don’t (sell) straight to the customer,” Strickland said. “But the little processing plants are
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everyday person. The little processors are very needed.” For the small plant owner, there’s a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in what they do. “This is a trade,” Strickland said. “If you can learn how to do it properly and how to get a good product out there, there’s pride in that.” But either way, it’s not an easy job. Processing plant
Lamar, CO Early Deadline: Feb 15th
“folks work really hard,” Delmore said. “I don’t have any
March 25th - 28th
students to be in it, but we also want to make sure the
Ault, CO Early Deadline: Mar 1st
Dallas Schleining - 970.420.0267 www.SchleiningGenetics.com
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for the customer. I think we’re more one on one with the
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illusions about it. I love this business and I encourage business they get in is what they want.” v
Ackerman Distributing . . . . . . . . . . 2 Agfinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Alpine Homes, Inc. . .. .. .. .. .. .. 71 Altenburg Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . 3 Apex Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Arrow One Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Axtell Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . 60 Barstow-Rock Creek Angus . .126 Bartos Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Booth Cherry Creek Ranch . . . . . 97 Bridle Bit Simmental Ranch . . . 75 Cardinal Charolais . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Clark Enterprises Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Coleman Herefords . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Colorado Simmental Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Country Land And Homes LLC . . . 17 Cumberland Buildings . . . . . . . . . 79 D Lazy M Livestock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Diamond Peak Cattle Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Empire Incorporated . .. .. .. .. .. 77 Fair Cattle Markets. . . . . . . . .52 & 63 Freeman Ranch . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .121
G & M Implement, Inc. . .. .. .. .. 21 Gingerich Structures . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Harrell Hereford Ranch . . . . . . . . . 51 Herring Angus Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . 36 LC’s Construction Solutions . 117 Jamison Herefords & Quarter Horses . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 Johnstown Clothing . .. .. .. .. .. 15 Koberstein Farms Angus Llc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover Kuhn Knight Parts Of Greeley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Lechleiter Ranch . . . . . . Back Cover Lee’s Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Lewis Cattle Oilers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Lindner Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Loya/Wardell Angus . .. .. .. .. .128 Lucky 7 Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 & 65 McConnell Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Morton Buildings/Ft Morgan . 27 Mountain Vet Supply . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Nebraska Land Brokers . . . . . . . . . 28 Northern Feed & Bean Co . .. .. 80 Ochsner Limousin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Parry Angus . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49
Pawnee Buttes Seed Inc. . . . . . . . 14 Pinnacle Trailer Sales . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Poppe Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . 1 Poss Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Rawhide Portable Corral, Inc . 81 Reverse Rocking R Ranch . .. .119 Reyes & Russell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ridder Hereford Ranch . . . . . . . 122 Robert Sharp & Assoc . . . . . . . . . 127 Ron’s Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Rousey Simangus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Running Creek Limousin . . . . . 106 Schleining Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Schroeder’s All American Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Stockyards Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Taubenheim Gelbvieh . .. .. .. .. 23 TC Ranch Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 T-Heart Ranch . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 The Fence Post . . . . . . .87, 102, 112 Wagner Charolais . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Wagon Wheel Ranch . .. .. .. .. .. 76 Walter Angus Inc . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Weaver Ranch . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .117 Western Colo. Angus Assoc. . . . 72 BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
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jyloyaangus@gmail.com
NEW THIS YEAR –
50 BULLS SELL ONLINE
Bidding ONLINE will begin Monday, March 1st and go through 2 pm, Saturday, March 6th, 2021 On Saturday, March 6th, we invite you to the ranch, from 10 am - 2 pm to view the bulls, bid on the bulls and have lunch. We will have people and computers available to assist you in bidding if you wish. For more details about the sale go to our website www.loyawardellangus.com or call Juan 970-396-0035 or Roy 970-785-0145
REGISTERED YEARLING HEIFERS FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY BULLS AND HEIFERS SIRED BY: Reg No.
Reg No.
A & B Ferguson 6186..................18542889 BAR R Jet Black 5063.................18389838 Byergo/Double GG Blackstone.....18842383 Connealy Fortune 752L...............18870410 EXAR Monumental 6056B ...........18379347 EZAR Gold Rush 6001.................18510183
Huwa Full Disclosure ..................18512119 SydGen Enhance.........................18170041 SydGen Fate 2800 ......................17521423 L/W Bruin Uproar 00-3................19286814 L/W Speedway 69-5 ...................19286957 L/W Ten Speed 85-1 ...................19287028
We don’t sell over-fat bulls. We do sell ready-to-work bulls with big nuts, thick butts and genetics for: • Calving Ease • Sound Feet and Legs • Quiet Disposition
• High Carcass Merit • Excellent Udders • Top Gains
WELCOME ANYTIME! WE’D LOVE TO SHOW YOU OUR OFFERINGS AND THEIR MAMAS! 128
BREEDER’S CONNECTION 2021 The Fence Post
Saturday March 13th, 2021
Ogallala Livestock Market, Ogallala, Nebraska
Selling 80 Angus Bulls
10 18-Month Old Bulls • 70 Spring Yearling Bulls
A .I. SIRES REPRESEN TED:
K C F BENNETT LEV ERAGE A A A # 18805759 Owned with Knoll Crest Farm Inc, Red House VA SIRE: BASIN PAYWEIGHT 1682 MGS: CONNEALY CONSENSUS
• Jindra Acclaim • Exar Monumental 6056B • Bar R Jet Black 5063 • DL Dually
Koberstein Farms Angus LLC Jason & Krystle Koberstein
29813 County Road 36 • Holyoke, CO 80734
kfangus@hotmail.com (970)-520-2385
WWW.KFANGUSLLC.COM
LECHLEITER SIMMENTALS SELLING:
SATURDAY
Selling 100 High Altitude Bulls 40 Purebred Bulls 60 SimAngus Bulls GAR Sure Fire
BULL SALE March 20, 2021 • 1:00pm Loma Livestock Loma, Colorado
Proven Live Calves High Carcass Merit Proven Growth PAP Tested Calm Disposition
CCR Boulder 1339A
Sires include TJ Main Event 503B, GAR Sure Fire, CCR Boulder 1339A, TJ Cowboy Up 529B, CCR Wide Range, J Bar J Nightride, and Paint Rock Mountain Man.
bulls that are unpampered and ready to work for your herd! Kim Lechleiter
970.209.8008 Cell- Evenings 970.249.5938 • lechleitersimmentals@hotmail.com Females Offered Private Treaty