Greg Judy and Profit per Acre

[Little Joe]

Watched this video this morning about Tom Lasater and the beefmaster breed, sounds pretty similar to alot of what Greg Judy says about his own management and the south poll breed. Traditional cattlemen of Lasater's time thought he was crazy just like some do Judy now, but both are promoting having cows that work with nature and your enviroment with as little inputs as possible and without cattle that have to be propped up by human interaction. Really only difference I see is Judy's MIG because he's not on range land like Lasater was.

 

[FungusProudKY31]

Last time I looked on their website at sires there was a lot of performance in the bulls. As if the emphasis had shifted.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Oh, and May and June weather is nothing to brag about in North Dakota.

ND can only hope that climate change is real.

 

[Muletrack]

ND can only hope that climate change is real.

We like our weather just fine -- 40 BELOW Keeps the Riff-Raff Out.

 

[Muletrack]

I keep 100 percent of my cattle in drylot 4-5 months just like every other North Dakota farmer most years. Winters are long and very, very hard.

 

[BFE]

Have you been gone from here a while? I don't remember seeing any posts from you lately.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I keep 100 percent of my cattle in drylot 4-5 months just like every other North Dakota farmer most years. Winters are long and very, very hard.

I have to ask why? Why not feed them out in the field? Place the manure where it's needed, reduce/eliminate manure handling costs among other benefits.

 

[BFE]

I have to ask why? Why not feed them out in the field? Place the manure where it's needed, reduce/eliminate manure handling costs among other benefits.

Shelter/facilities I assume.

Our winters are fairly mild, we do get the pleasure of mostly cold mud 3/4 of winter. I turn cows onto a couple corn stalk fields that butt up against pastures with water supplies, I try to do my hay feeding on these fields. In the spring I level the feeding spots down and plant soybeans. You can tell a couple years later where the hay was fed by the height of the beans. I start on the highest spots which are normally the poorest and move every time I set out bales.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

A shelter belt of trees is all they really need. My cows have spent many a winter out in a field with a small tree belt along the fence.

 

[Brute 23]

Watched this video this morning about Tom Lasater and the beefmaster breed, sounds pretty similar to alot of what Greg Judy says about his own management and the south poll breed. Traditional cattlemen of Lasater's time thought he was crazy just like some do Judy now, but both are promoting having cows that work with nature and your enviroment with as little inputs as possible and without cattle that have to be propped up by human interaction. Really only difference I see is Judy's MIG because he's not on range land like Lasater was.

That's a cool video.

 

[notEXTRAspecial]

That's a cool video.

It is very interesting, for sure. We need more cattlemen with his convictions.

 

[Travlr]

I like the video too... and I like the six traits they've chosen to focus on. Weight, Conformation, Milking Ability, Fertility, Hardiness and Disposition.

But I don't see much for results in conformation. I'd also have to say conformation translates all the way to the carcass hanging on the rail. It's not just in the pasture. And Beefmaster are all over the place on conformation due to the Brahman influence...

 

[notEXTRAspecial]

For those familiar with Beefmaster cattle, has the conformation settled at all with time? I'm not big on heavy milking cows, I feel like they need just enough to get the calf off to a good start. Seems like an EPD of about 20-24 is plenty. You get above 30 and I believe they melt away too quickly.

 

[Brute 23]

I like the video too... and I like the six traits they've chosen to focus on. Weight, Conformation, Milking Ability, Fertility, Hardiness and Disposition.

But I don't see much for results in conformation. I'd also have to say conformation translates all the way to the carcass hanging on the rail. It's not just in the pasture. And Beefmaster are all over the place on conformation due to the Brahman influence...

I don't know of any breed that is that uniform with in the entire breed. What I want in the build of an animal may not be same as the next person. We see this a lot on the north vs the south. I would hate to see a breed box us in to one structure style.

 

[Travlr]

I don't know of any breed that is that uniform with in the entire breed. What I want in the build of an animal may not be same as the next person. We see this a lot on the north vs the south. I would hate to see a breed box us in to one structure style.

Sure... there's variation. But most breeds don't vary nearly as much as Beefmaster. You can find animals that look like European cattle and others that look like 3/4 Brahman. Lots of ear, leg, and skin and slight muscling, or chunky and short with no ear or skin.

And within the European breeds there are not variations that are as extreme and still considered to be quality. The desired type in European cattle is going to be very similar across the breeds... except for coat color.

 

[Brute 23]

Sure... there's variation. But most breeds don't vary nearly as much as Beefmaster. You can find animals that look like European cattle and others that look like 3/4 Brahman. Lots of ear, leg, and skin and slight muscling, or chunky and short with no ear or skin.

And within the European breeds there are not variations that are as extreme and still considered to be quality. The desired type in European cattle is going to be very similar across the breeds... except for coat color.

That variation likely partly has to do with the two opposite environments the are in vs European cattle mainly operating in one. I could also see some of that being a transition also in the breed... kind of old school vs new school.

Hopefully some one who is more involved in the breed can chime in. My experience is kind of local vs breed goals as a whole.

 

[Little Joe]

From what I've read there is more consistency when staying with foundation bred beefmasters. Just like anything else, the further you get from original, the more variation.

 

[andybob]

This video gives a good indication as to what the selection criteria is for grass based efficiency -

 

[Muletrack]

I have to ask why? Why not feed them out in the field? Place the manure where it's needed, reduce/eliminate manure handling costs among other benefits.

Deep snow out in the fields!

 

[Travlr]

Deep snow out in the fields!

How deep? If you'd put your state on your profile we could extrapolate from there and wouldn't have to guess. I fed in my fields in South Dakota and we had ten foot drifts. Mostly in the driveway, lol.