Page 19 - MWC 2-2-2023s

want small to medium frames, tom salt mix that includes kelp The Midwest Cattleman · February 2, 2023 · P19
with the ability of the animal meal, diatomaceous earth and other pests. with the herd from paddock to
to maintain itself on Missouri garlic powder. Diatomaceous As for the garlic, it has about paddock. Most recently, Sheri is
pasture and produce a calf each earth is made from the fossil- the same effect on cattle as taking note on the fly load on
year. We would rather invest ized remains of tiny, aquatic or- it does anyone who enjoys a cattle when they drink pond
dollars and time in stock that ganisms called diatoms. Their hearty helping of garlic toast. water, that has been pumped
can make the grade on their skeletons are made of a natural The strong odor lingers and is to watering points, versus
own, not in cattle that have to substance called silica. Cur- detected through the cow's skin consuming rural water from
be modified to be productive.” rently, there are over 150 prod- and on their breath. Flies flee a tank. Each of these experi-
Selecting genetics within the ucts registered for use inside from the strong essence. ments helps them discern vi-
herd for breeding is predomi- and outside of buildings, farms, To take further aim at flies, able options for management,
nately based on Sheri's pasture gardens, and pet kennels. Dia- the Bryans have also tried while reducing overhead cost
notations. tomaceous earth products are apple cider vinegar in the stock and unnecessary product.
“I like to walk among our registered for use against bed tank, as well as fly tape affixed “Our management practices
cattle, track their productivity bugs, cockroaches, crickets, to portable barrels and moved
on paper, pick what I like and fleas, ticks, spiders, and many continued on page 22
keep moving forward,” she said.
“Single trait selection doesn't
seem like a good idea. Fertil- PARAMOUNT
ity is important. However, a
balance of several good traits
makes for a better animal.”
When introducing an out-
side bull to their cows and heif-
ers, the Bryans make sure they Elevate to a more valuable female.
bring in bulls that complement
and assimilate their genetics. For over a decade, Red Angus females have
“We used to keep all of our
animals registered,” Sheri said. commanded more at auction than all other breeds,
“Then we found out that the including Angus. According to Superior Livestock data,
people buying from us were Red Angus heifers brought nearly $17/cwt more –
looking for a certain type of an- that equates to a $92/head premium
imal, not a particular genetic on a weaned replacement female.
line. So, we stopped the regis-
trations. However, if we pur-
chase and bring a bull onto the To learn more about
farm, we want registration pa-
pers to have that paper trail.” industry-leading
Whatever the family lines, stayability, visit
the Bryans have specific pheno-
typic ideals they pursue. “The RedAngus.org
bulls that catch our eye,” Sheri
said, “are well balanced with as
many promising traits as pos-
sible – fertility, growth, health,
conformation, disposition, and
masculinity. Then we narrow it
down to ones raised on forage
and not grain fed.”
Don said, “They need to be in
their work clothes and look like
a bull, not a steer or cow. They
have to have characteristics of
what we're used to seeing in
our pastures.”
As for those pastures, cat-
tle are rotated and hay bales
fed only as needed,” Sheri said.
“With rotational system and by
not running more cattle than
the land will support, we typi-
cally start supplementing for-
age in December or January
compared to the typical start
time for most producers, in No-
vember.”
When the cattle have mostly
cleaned up the hay,” Sheri said,
“any hay that is left will become
fertilized, organic matter.”
To control parasites, the Bry-
ans provide to their herd a cus-