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<blockquote data-quote="SRBeef" data-source="post: 837238" data-attributes="member: 7509"><p>I think the cattle business can be looked at as many businesses - to stay in business and be profitable we need to focus on our customers' wants and needs. The more we focus on the target of providing what our customer wants and producing it most efficiently, the more successful we will be.</p><p></p><p>One problem in these discussions is that we on this board have a range of different customers. Defining just exactly who is your customer and what does he want is critical to the success of any business. Only then can we start to try to figure out how to provide what that customer wants most efficiently.</p><p></p><p>Folks selling breeding stock have different customer/needs than the folks selling feeders, who have different customer/needs than those selling fats on a grid, who have different customer/needs than those selling freezer beef.</p><p></p><p>The answer to Dylan's original questions probably vary considerably depending on who our different customers are.</p><p></p><p>In my situation, selling birth-to-plate-harvested-at-13/14-months freezer beef from a small part-time mostly grass upper midwest location, the cattle traits I need for efficient production of what my customers want to buy and are willing to pay for are likely quite different from what traits many others here are looking for. </p><p></p><p>To go back to Dylan's original questions:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>At the risk of reopening old wounds and asking that we stick to the current subject of Dylan's post, I have looked at my own bull, Huth U070 in the light of Dylan's questions. I have also had a discussion with my vet about my bull and in particular his hooves. I will add a recent picture to this post.</p><p></p><p>As I have discussed here before. based on my weight data I am convinced that a smaller frame, "1200 lb" mature weight class cow that can calve unassisted in early spring in WI and can wean a 205 day calf over 50% of her weight at weaning is most profitable given my particular target customers wants and my resources (climate, terrain, woods, usually good grass but limited acres, limited time, limited facilities, limited equipment, etc) available.</p><p></p><p>U070 has about everything on Dylan's list but especially important to me is his reduced frame size (about 4.6) that I want to move my entire herd toward the 1200 lb class. U070 also has calving ease, growth near breed average (I think moderated due to frame size?), excellent fertility, excellent udder quality, milk, mothering, constitution, coat, health, etc (out wintered through a very tough WI winter) and is from a line which are bred to do well on grass. Here are his current EPD's: </p><p></p><p><img src="http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h414/SRBeef1/AHA_30173751701_perc.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Yes they are "low accuracy" but as far as I am concerned they are accurate as reflected in his first calf crop. U070 also has the low fat, large REA and long, low, midsection I am looking for.</p><p></p><p>In discussing my bull with my vet, a cattleman himself, he tells me there is no such thing as a perfect bull and you need to look at the whole package. As far as U070's hooves/feet go he said he's seen better and he's seen worse. But taken as a package above that otherwise meets my needs very well, not a disqualifier.</p><p></p><p>As Dylan's original post points out, "So in light of that multi selection emphasis, my experience has been that finding all of those in one package is almost impossible..."</p><p></p><p>Here is a more recent picture of U070 I snapped as he came to the waterer. Nothing has been done to his hooves from my earlier, poor, pocket camera snapshot of him in a bad position and stance.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h414/SRBeef1/IMG_0077_U070_051711.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> </p><p></p><p>Again this is not a posed professional cattle photographer's picture. U070 has been on grass only and not had even a grain treat for weeks.</p><p></p><p>Addressing Dylan's "challenge", I think that U070 comes very close to matching my needs in efficient, profitable production of the product that my customer's want and are willing to pay for. Is there some compromise on hooves? Sure but, in my opinion, not much in light of the positives.</p><p></p><p>As Dylan and my vet agree, the perfect bull/package meeting all of his and my criteria, does not exist. At least in my price range!</p><p></p><p>An excellent topic and thread if we can stay on the subject matter.</p><p></p><p>FWIW.</p><p></p><p>Jim</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SRBeef, post: 837238, member: 7509"] I think the cattle business can be looked at as many businesses - to stay in business and be profitable we need to focus on our customers' wants and needs. The more we focus on the target of providing what our customer wants and producing it most efficiently, the more successful we will be. One problem in these discussions is that we on this board have a range of different customers. Defining just exactly who is your customer and what does he want is critical to the success of any business. Only then can we start to try to figure out how to provide what that customer wants most efficiently. Folks selling breeding stock have different customer/needs than the folks selling feeders, who have different customer/needs than those selling fats on a grid, who have different customer/needs than those selling freezer beef. The answer to Dylan's original questions probably vary considerably depending on who our different customers are. In my situation, selling birth-to-plate-harvested-at-13/14-months freezer beef from a small part-time mostly grass upper midwest location, the cattle traits I need for efficient production of what my customers want to buy and are willing to pay for are likely quite different from what traits many others here are looking for. To go back to Dylan's original questions: At the risk of reopening old wounds and asking that we stick to the current subject of Dylan's post, I have looked at my own bull, Huth U070 in the light of Dylan's questions. I have also had a discussion with my vet about my bull and in particular his hooves. I will add a recent picture to this post. As I have discussed here before. based on my weight data I am convinced that a smaller frame, "1200 lb" mature weight class cow that can calve unassisted in early spring in WI and can wean a 205 day calf over 50% of her weight at weaning is most profitable given my particular target customers wants and my resources (climate, terrain, woods, usually good grass but limited acres, limited time, limited facilities, limited equipment, etc) available. U070 has about everything on Dylan's list but especially important to me is his reduced frame size (about 4.6) that I want to move my entire herd toward the 1200 lb class. U070 also has calving ease, growth near breed average (I think moderated due to frame size?), excellent fertility, excellent udder quality, milk, mothering, constitution, coat, health, etc (out wintered through a very tough WI winter) and is from a line which are bred to do well on grass. Here are his current EPD's: [img]http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h414/SRBeef1/AHA_30173751701_perc.gif[/img] Yes they are "low accuracy" but as far as I am concerned they are accurate as reflected in his first calf crop. U070 also has the low fat, large REA and long, low, midsection I am looking for. In discussing my bull with my vet, a cattleman himself, he tells me there is no such thing as a perfect bull and you need to look at the whole package. As far as U070's hooves/feet go he said he's seen better and he's seen worse. But taken as a package above that otherwise meets my needs very well, not a disqualifier. As Dylan's original post points out, "So in light of that multi selection emphasis, my experience has been that finding all of those in one package is almost impossible..." Here is a more recent picture of U070 I snapped as he came to the waterer. Nothing has been done to his hooves from my earlier, poor, pocket camera snapshot of him in a bad position and stance. [img]http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h414/SRBeef1/IMG_0077_U070_051711.jpg[/img] Again this is not a posed professional cattle photographer's picture. U070 has been on grass only and not had even a grain treat for weeks. Addressing Dylan's "challenge", I think that U070 comes very close to matching my needs in efficient, profitable production of the product that my customer's want and are willing to pay for. Is there some compromise on hooves? Sure but, in my opinion, not much in light of the positives. As Dylan and my vet agree, the perfect bull/package meeting all of his and my criteria, does not exist. At least in my price range! An excellent topic and thread if we can stay on the subject matter. FWIW. Jim [/QUOTE]
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