Page 26 - MWC 2-3-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · February 3, 2022 · P26
RED HOT
continued from page 25 not just when they have the
calf,” said Robert. Robert also
fed creep feed to make the attributes year-round rota-
transition easier. The calves tional grazing to a consistent
are then weaned and fed a calving season, moving them
pre-mix until they are sold. every seven days.
Robert keeps up with the EPDs: A Powerful Tool
local markets weekly and Robert shared how one
maintains a routine of sell- cannot have enough of the
ing calves around the first sought-after Red Angus
week of August. He holds his commercial female. These
spring calves until Novem- females are in high demand
ber. for their longevity, fertility,
Robert mentions how adaptability and efficiency;
shocking it is to some at the coupled with their good dis-
sale barns how much weight position, this makes them
the moderate-size Red Angus the ideal cow. “As we kept
packs. “The cattle don’t have buying more Red Angus ge-
to be 6-feet tall to reach 700- netics and understanding
800 pound weights. With feed the EPDs, we noticed that we
prices high this year, I had to were raising better females
cut the amount of what I nor- than what we could buy,” ex-
mally feed to about half, and plained Robert.
those cattle still finished out His ideal bull has a
the heaviest we have ever well-rounded set of EPDs so
sold,” said. Robert. “They did he can retain heifers, sell big
it all on grass,” he concluded. steers and raise easy-flesh-
Robert’s biggest draw ing, docile calves. Docility
to the Red Angus females is highly valued with young
is their fertility even at a Katie and Hunter working
young age. He jokes that it’s cattle and walking through
sometimes a challenge to pens to do chores. Robert
keep a fence strong enough cannot push understand-
to ward the bulls out. “That’s ing EPDs enough. “It’s been
what we want though,” said a game-changer for us. The
Robert. In the last five years, more you learn about utiliz-
they have pushed Red Angus ing them as a tool, the bet-
genetics, which has resulted ter off you will be,” concludes
in a shorter calving season Robert.
from 120 to 60 days with- He credits Watkins Cattle
out any hormone regimens. Company, the local operation
Today, they utilize AI for they first purchased Red
heifers and their base set of Angus bulls from, for their
Red Angus cows. willingness to share knowl-
The main group of cows edge with others. Robert is
calve September-October inspired by their drive to
while the remaining cows learn more and do more to
calve late February-March. better their program and the
“We make sure our cows are Red Angus breed.
on a good mineral program
even when they are carrying, continued on page 32

LIFE My wife rushed into the
continued from page 5 bedroom in a panic. “What is
two dozen plastic containers wrong?” she cried out.
“My incision has broken
of food to send home with the open, and I have bled enough
children. When all had left, I
waddled off to bed, feeling as to produce a huge scab.”
Judy quickly turned on the
bloated and miserable as a cow
that had just OD’d on Johnson bedside lamp, threw back the
bed covers, and looked down at
grass. As I lay in bed, I ran my
hand over my swollen belly my chest. There, on the surface
of my chest, was a piece of pea-
and up over my chest. When
my hand reached the scar that nut brittle candy, adhered to
my surgery scar.
had formed from my open-
heart surgery last summer, I
let out blood-curdling scream.