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FROM THE LAND UP this location since 1998. “We’re The Midwest Cattleman · February 25, 2021 · P24
continued from page 23 trying to build a cow herd around help them do that,” Branch says. Recently, he has given Multimin®
her and we market those calves “Because she is so scrutinized, a shot to see if the trace mineral
“That’s the cross we like,” Bu- accordingly.” there is a lot of consistency in supplement helps close that gap.
ford says. “If you want a premium The ranch favorite, though, what she produces. She is a pretty Raising a premium end-prod-
dollar for your feeder calf and you is the red baldy female. These special animal.” uct requires premium inputs, and
want a cow that can work in your sought-after crosses are bred back Two sets of calves are sold in 2013 the operation ventured
pasture, I think the Hereford-An- to Angus bulls and their offspring yearly — a spring set, born the into the registered Hereford
gus is the best cross out there.” are second to none. tail-end of January through late- business to meet the demands
And work it does. He recalls in “The red baldies around this April are sold in October, close to of the commercial herd, a move
the ’70s, his family raised 450- to place are more coveted than any- nine months old. Fall-born calves that brought both the ranch and
500-pound calves. Last August, thing else we have,” Buford says. arrive mid-September through Branch back to their purebred
calves weighed in over eight and “I think a lot of people think mid-December and are sold at Hereford roots.
a quarter without creep feed. black is better, but that doesn’t 10 to 11 months old in summer.
“The backbone of this whole op- mean it is better. The red baldies, Steers are sold directly off the Bottom to top
eration is the black baldy female,” when they’re heifers, probably get cow and heifers are weaned for The first move was purchasing
says Hereford purebred manager scrutinized a little more, subcon- 45 days, at which point replace- two cowherds out of the Chey-
Doug Branch, who has worked on sciously.” ments are selected off the top end enne, Wyo., area. Recently, Line
An unoffi- and the balance are sold as feeder 1 bulls were added to the mix,
cial competi- heifers. and eventually enough high-end,
tion amongst Branch spends a lot of time Buford-raised bulls became avail-
the cowboys is monitoring the body condition able to use on the commercial
who can wean score (BCS) of each cow, aiming side and to be sold private treaty.
the biggest to have each bred back in time Thousands of cattle have been fed
calves. Branch to have 90-95% calved out in a to provide input for sire selection
describes how 45-day window. This means cows decisions.
everybody have no less than a BCS 4.5 to a Bulls that make the cut have
fights for the 5 through winter and calving. He a certain look: they travel well,
red baldy fe- explains shortening the calving have moderate muscling and
males. interval is another way to get uni- are deep bodied, soggy, pigment-
“The cow- formity in those calves beyond ge- ed, short-marked and red to the
boys take pride netics and pasture management. ground. Less attention is given
in who has the Uniformity sells, and his goal is to marbling and ribeye measure-
biggest calves to shorten the spring-calving win- ments, and Branch points out
Buford Ranches Manager Sam Buford says Hereford genetics every year, and dow to mid-March and earlier to Hereford-Angus cross calves nat-
complement their primarily black cow herd best. "That's a good urally have plenty of carcass.
combination of a cow in the pasture producing a product that can that red baldy combat the lower April weights
do well in a feedlot and then on somebody's plate," he says. female will that hinder shipping averages. He explains, “The Hereford bull

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