What are the best genetic and non-genetic decisions that you've implemented?

I saw this question posted on a different site and it had some really informative responses so I thought I'd ask it on here.

best decision: using the tests.

next best decision: keeping semen on old bulls that are carriers as we don't know what positive traits they have, especially in a narrow population base breed like fullblood Maines, i.e. Dalton and Paramount. Draft Pick, a purebred, is no longer relevant.

next best decision: making extensive pedigree's in excel.

next best decision: using defect free offspring when applicable.

next best decision:not using carriers when applicable.

1. Selling beef wholesale under my own label. Allows me to have my hand on the animal from birth to butcher and see for myself what works and what doesn't.
2. Going grass fed... The production cost is lower and the price/lb is higher.
3. Specializing in ground beef and eating the steaks myself. Ground beef sells 7  days a week and you can send your older cows straight to the butcher rather than having to send them to the auction. I really do not like to send a good old cow to the sale and mature beef has the best flavor.
4. Shorthorn cross brood cows
5. Galloway cross market animals.
5. SteerPlanet. I learn something every day on SP.

From a commercial perspective retaining own replacements rather than buying in has really increased uniformity and predictability. From a seed stock perspective using mor AI and higher dollar clean up bulls rather than just a bull. Best decision away from genetics is checking my ego at the door and being more willing to listen to others.

I have been putting natural selection on my heifer calves. I try and keep all them after weaning. After weaning at best they get free choice cane and maybe a crystalz protein tub. They usually get at least a month of cornstalks only....with a tub. You'd be surprised how well they do grow. And I come up with 5 head or so that just didn't cut it so they go to town. 5 or 10 years ago the experts were saying you had to GROW the heifers. In my area alot of people are not GROWING heifers anymore. They are adapting cattle to enviroment instead of fixing the enviroment so cattle can survive.

AJ, I have done something like that for the last 15 years.  I feed my heifers decent hay, salt and mineral.  When I started I culled 75% of my heifers now it is more like 25%.  I also keep increasing the pressure on pelvic measurements.  I keep challenging them some way or another so I can identify the best.  I think you will like the results.  As far as the best genetic decision it would be not limiting myself to any particular breed but choose genetics that move me towards my goal.  Non genetic it would be to calve when the weather is good for calving, in my case late April and May.  That has been a big money maker for me.  By far the best cattle related decision I have ever made.

Non Genetic - invest in the best facilities that you can reasonably afford.  They will last you the entire time that you own cattle. Calving barn, working system, squeeze chute etc.  You will enjoy your days with cattle far more and have a safer experience everyday.

Genetic - Trust your eyes.  The cows that work the best for you need to be the base of your program.  Go ahead and keep sons off your best cow.  AI is great but sometimes the best bull for you is sitting right under your nose.

1.) Concept aid.

2.) Utilizing ET much more extensively then I have in the past. This would include flushing my own cattle, as well as purchased embryos.

3.) I adapted a high cull rate years ago based on temperment and quality. Glad I did. Love that I have repeat buyers based on quality, but also how much their kids enjoy quiet sane calves.

4.) Culled some of my club calf genetics, reinvested in maternal based cows mainly simmental,  maines, shorthorn and murray grey.  Still like my clubbys but tossed out the extreme types and kept the ones who arnt so moderate (midgets!) and can milk.

Best Genetic Decision - When the TH and PHA defects came about, we tested all of our cows, culled all carrier cows, and only used clean bulls from that point on.  Luckily, we only had 1 or 2 carrier cows, so it was not much impact to our operation.

Best Non-Genetic Decision - Though still somewhat genetic related, but we stopped using "clubby or steer-sire" bulls.  Our birthweights went down which made calving season much less stressful, and by focusing more on seedstock genetics, it does not matter if we get bulls or heifers any more, both are just as easy to market.

Completely off subject, but it makes me proud to say that this post is #1000 for me.  I am happy that this is the topic that put me over the top.  We have felt strongly about both of these decisions in our operation.  It was the right thing for our operation, and we feel it is the right thing for the industry.

Best Genetic: We started off raising both Angus and Red Angus cattle. When we hit the start of our drought 5 years ago and had to cull some cows, we made our list. Of the 15 we were shipping 14 Angus cows. The 1 Red was because she stifled giving birth.
So then and there we decided to pursue only Red Angus. We took the remaining Angus cows we had left and turned them into recipient cows in our ET program.

Best Non-Genetic: It goes along with the above, since we made the decision to have our own ET recip cows, this gave us better control of our ET program (brought it in house). It allowed us to, have a better focus on improving our genetics, do that improvement faster and gave us the ability to use even tougher culling standards.

<alien>
SD

cowboy_nyk said:

Genetic - Trust your eyes.  The cows that work the best for you need to be the base of your program.  Go ahead and keep sons off your best cow.  AI is great but sometimes the best bull for you is sitting right under your nose.

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Agreed, and don't be afraid to line breed.