Spring Letter 2011
With the drought, cost of feed and fertilizer, we are struggling like everyone else. We started our breeding program December 10, 2010 by synchronizing all cows with calves over 45 days old and heifers 14-15 months, and weighing over 700 pounds, with GNRH and PG and BNRH and PG (Select Timed A.I.). We A.I.’ed with PB Black Simmental bulls, heavy doses of Sure Bet, Lucky Man, Ranch Hand and others with high API and TI, also pure bred angus with Mitty In Focus and Destination 978.
We planted our winter pasture with the cereal rye (Maton) and rye grass TAM 90. The cereal rye came up but we are still wondering about our rye grass. We top dressed the pastures the first week of February with urea- 60 units which cost about $3/acre more than last year. This will be grazed with young growing cattle and cow/calf pairs. If we get rain and warm weather this would be a smart move. If not, well, I’ve been there before.
We will be offering our best set of bulls yet for our spring sale, February 19, 2011 at the ranch- most A.I. sired Red and Black PB bulls and also SimAngus. All bulls are polled and age range from 3 months to 26 months.
I feel with the cattle numbers down and prices up, that the Simmental breed is well positioned to offer growth and carcass traits to the majority of the nation’s cow herd. That will return welcome and much-needed benefits. These benefits will be magnified by hybrid vigor, a fact not readily discussed by other breeds.
Hopefully, we all can profit by the strong cattle market.
Joe Prud’homme
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