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<blockquote data-quote="Aubracusa" data-source="post: 303094" data-attributes="member: 3755"><p>Hi, WeWild --</p><p></p><p>I don't know if Del will be up this evening or not. He was shipping cattle today.</p><p></p><p>I probably need to clear the air regarding the statement I made about Del predicting that he'll be able to increase his production by a third.</p><p></p><p>First, it has to be placed within the context of his own operation, and the resources at his disposal. Neither of us meant to be a one-size-fits all predictor of performance for everyone reading these posts.</p><p></p><p>Del and his family have farmed and raised cattle in the same location since the late 1860s, and they are keen business people.</p><p></p><p>They raise both purebred Herefords (which they run on shares with a producer in another state) but switched to raising composites -- a four-way cross, in this case -- which they have produced since the late 1980s. His cattle, because of the maintenance of heterosis, are very efficient. And, they are extremely uniform. He has a loyal following of bull customers from across the Midwest.</p><p></p><p>In recent years, Del began to feel that he needed to introduce new blood into his cow herd to reinvigorate the heterosis, and also because he had growing concerns that corn would be pushed into other industrial uses (ie, ethanol). (By the way, at one time, he farmed more than 5,000 acres of corn, so he knows a little about farming and crops).</p><p></p><p>Del felt he needed to downsize the mature size of his cows in order to make them more grass efficient. This is not meant to give you the impression that Del's cows are too big, because they're not. They're very good, very productive cows that I would confidently put up head to head against anyone's. </p><p></p><p>(Del's family also run a small feedlot, by the way, and are hosting our first roughage-based bull test.)</p><p></p><p>That was when he decided to introduce Aubracs.</p><p></p><p>Now that he has had several years of experience with the breed, he strongly feels that he will be able to increase his production by a third. That's a claim he's made for himself and his operation; not for you, not for Mike, not for anyone else.</p><p></p><p>Yes, you can increase your production by buying a high-growth bull or by getting a couple of big rains.</p><p></p><p>But his claim is not based on a single-pasture usage or single-grazing season snapshot, as many in this conversation have tried to put across.</p><p></p><p>Rather, he is looking at his operation holistically, from a year-round and multi-year basis -- factoring in shorter conception periods, to fewer death-loss and health problems (a direct result of an infusion of heterosis) and fewer problems at calving, to a shorter, more economical breeding and calving seasons, to reduced feed requirements to get his smaller cows through winter. He is achieving all of these things without significantly reducing his calf weights at sale time.</p><p></p><p>Plus, his cattle will have the flexibility to be marketed through traditional corn-fed systems, or into more lucrative (albeit, higher risk) grass- and forage-based systems.</p><p></p><p>In the meantime, as we all eagerly await the data, Del has invited Mike C to his tour his operation, and I would encourage any of you to take him up on it as well.</p><p></p><p>It's one of the best-managed farming and ranching operations I have seen in my life, and I have toured hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of farms in the last 25 years. </p><p></p><p>His savvy business and organizational skills are the key reasons we gave Del the nod not only to conduct our first-ever national bull test, but also to host our first-ever sale next March.</p><p></p><p>I am confident that once you look at his business in a holistic way, meet Del and his family in person, and take a look at some of his production data onhis cattle , that you will see his assumptions about the specific impacts of Aubracs on his business will hold true.</p><p></p><p>Best,</p><p></p><p>aubracusa</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Aubracusa, post: 303094, member: 3755"] Hi, WeWild -- I don't know if Del will be up this evening or not. He was shipping cattle today. I probably need to clear the air regarding the statement I made about Del predicting that he'll be able to increase his production by a third. First, it has to be placed within the context of his own operation, and the resources at his disposal. Neither of us meant to be a one-size-fits all predictor of performance for everyone reading these posts. Del and his family have farmed and raised cattle in the same location since the late 1860s, and they are keen business people. They raise both purebred Herefords (which they run on shares with a producer in another state) but switched to raising composites -- a four-way cross, in this case -- which they have produced since the late 1980s. His cattle, because of the maintenance of heterosis, are very efficient. And, they are extremely uniform. He has a loyal following of bull customers from across the Midwest. In recent years, Del began to feel that he needed to introduce new blood into his cow herd to reinvigorate the heterosis, and also because he had growing concerns that corn would be pushed into other industrial uses (ie, ethanol). (By the way, at one time, he farmed more than 5,000 acres of corn, so he knows a little about farming and crops). Del felt he needed to downsize the mature size of his cows in order to make them more grass efficient. This is not meant to give you the impression that Del's cows are too big, because they're not. They're very good, very productive cows that I would confidently put up head to head against anyone's. (Del's family also run a small feedlot, by the way, and are hosting our first roughage-based bull test.) That was when he decided to introduce Aubracs. Now that he has had several years of experience with the breed, he strongly feels that he will be able to increase his production by a third. That's a claim he's made for himself and his operation; not for you, not for Mike, not for anyone else. Yes, you can increase your production by buying a high-growth bull or by getting a couple of big rains. But his claim is not based on a single-pasture usage or single-grazing season snapshot, as many in this conversation have tried to put across. Rather, he is looking at his operation holistically, from a year-round and multi-year basis -- factoring in shorter conception periods, to fewer death-loss and health problems (a direct result of an infusion of heterosis) and fewer problems at calving, to a shorter, more economical breeding and calving seasons, to reduced feed requirements to get his smaller cows through winter. He is achieving all of these things without significantly reducing his calf weights at sale time. Plus, his cattle will have the flexibility to be marketed through traditional corn-fed systems, or into more lucrative (albeit, higher risk) grass- and forage-based systems. In the meantime, as we all eagerly await the data, Del has invited Mike C to his tour his operation, and I would encourage any of you to take him up on it as well. It's one of the best-managed farming and ranching operations I have seen in my life, and I have toured hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of farms in the last 25 years. His savvy business and organizational skills are the key reasons we gave Del the nod not only to conduct our first-ever national bull test, but also to host our first-ever sale next March. I am confident that once you look at his business in a holistic way, meet Del and his family in person, and take a look at some of his production data onhis cattle , that you will see his assumptions about the specific impacts of Aubracs on his business will hold true. Best, aubracusa [/QUOTE]
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