Determining their
Dest iny by B. Lynn Gordon photos courtesy Destiny Angus Farm
Showing and raising profitable cattle at Destiny Angus Farm.
EARLY ANGUS DAYS
October 2020
With the motto, “The sky is the limit as long as you keep your feet on the ground,” Brian and Lora Hutchins formed their Angus herd in Columbia, Tenn. Their goal in the early 2000s was to produce enough quality cattle to be able to hold an annual production sale. They achieved their goal, selling around 60 lots annually from $1,000 - $40,000 with the first three sales averaging $5,000, a significant accomplishment for a small family farm.
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The herd selection criteria was based on EPDs and heavily influenced by Gardiner Angus Ranch (GAR) genetics. Some of the popular bloodlines included full sisters to GAR Precision 2536, GAR Integrity 6002 along with full
brothers and sisters to Hyline Right Time 338 and BR Midland.
However, over time the selection parameters have shifted at Destiny Angus. “We had purely production-based cattle, disciplined in our approach to EPDs, which accounted for 50% of our selection criteria, 25% was focused on pedigree and the final 25% was phenotype and health of the animal. While this proved to be profitable and somewhat successful at the time, we were disappointed by the overall consistency in growth, udders, and feet (soundness) issues we experienced,” he says.
liked phenotypically that would allow them to develop the future foundation of Morgan’s show
The family knew it was time to make a change. They dispersed much of their herd in 2006, only keeping back cattle the family
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