continued from page 28
look at the performance of the BeefBuilder™ calves, Wulf Cattle is
committed to continuously collecting data and reporting information
back to the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF).
Limousin and Lim-Flex® females, finishes 100,000 head of fed cattle
“As we continue to collect piles and piles of carcass data, we are
annually, runs a 12,000-head grass stocker operation and partners with
just scratching the surface on what we can measure and learn from
the dairy enterprise, Riverview LLP.
this information,” said Fanta. “We just
With a focus on research, genomics
submitted 50,000 carcass phenotypes
and utilizing data to improve their
As we look to the future, we as producers
to NALF, and this information will be
cattle, without question, Wulf Cattle
shouldn’t fight change,” said Jerry Wulf
compiled and plugged into our EPD
has always been a leader in the Limousin
formulations in the future.”
breed. And in recent years, Wulf Cattle
of Wulf Cattle. “Change—it’s coming.
As Wulf Cattle takes the the dairy
is being recognized once again for
Learn it, embrace it and sort through it.”
and feeding industry by storm, they
blazing a trail in a new direction.
are working diligently to match the
In conjunction with Riverview
perfect Limousin bull with a Jersey or Holstein cow. This selection
dairies, Wulf ’s Breeding to Feeding™ program is transforming
process is based on several criteria, but the primary focus is on fertility,
ordinary dairy bull calves into a completely different animal. The
conception rates, calving ease and do-ability.
BeefBuilder™ is the result of careful mating of dairy females to
“We have 100 bulls at Custom Genetic Solutions in Mitchell,
proven Limousin or Lim-Flex® sires.
South Dakota, and of those bulls, 10-15 are proven and the rest
“We are gaining greater acceptance for the Limousin breed faster
are all testing bulls,” said Fanta. “Ultimately, about one in every
than ever before,” said Casey Fanta, Wulf Cattle seedstock manager.
seven bulls will meet our criteria for the dairy program. The
“By breeding Holsteins, Jerseys and crossbred dairy cows to Limousin
biggest trait we need is high
bulls, we are adding value to the
conception rates, and although
dairy cattle that would otherwise
we are currently having some
have very little value. We buy
discussions about developing a
back many of these Limousin/
DNA test for this trait, there is
dairy cross calves to feed to 1,350
currently nothing available to
lbs. A lot of them hang like a
measure this trait.”
good Angus, although they aren’t
Fanta says at birth, the
quite as efficient as a Limousin/
BeefBuilder™ calves look like
Angus crossbred steer. However,
typical dairy calves; however,
the end product is so much more
by the finishing phase, they are
valuable than a straight dairy calf,
good, beefy steers.
and cattle feeders are beginning
“At first, the beef guy in me
to recognize the potential here.”
Jerry
Wulf,
Casey
Fanta
and
auctioneer
C.K.
“Sonny”
Booth
pay
close
had doubts that these cattle
Whether it’s in a conventional
feedyard study or taking a closer attention to bids coming in at Wulf Cattle’s Opportunity Sale. The 2020
continued on page 32
event is scheduled for April 9 at Sandy Ridge Ranch in Atkinson, NE.
30
• JANUARY 2020