Limousin 365 April 2022 | Page 8

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

by Kiley McKinna

The Importance Of ‘ Vision ’

Welcome to the Limousin365 Annual Herd Sire Edition ! As you page through this issue , you ’ ll find many of the breed ’ s most relevant herd sires showcased , progressive programs highlighted and several of the breed ’ s finest spring sales featured in accompaniment with multiple feature stories and industry news . It ’ s official , the first half of the 2022 bull sale season is firmly in our rearview mirrors and now it ’ s time to charge into the spring breeding season with optimism and an eye on the future .

As I write this column , pondering which direction to head , the most relevant thing that jumps to mind is the spring breeding season . Currently , this very topic is often front-and-center of most conversations I have with breeders across the country . Naturally , the visit is about which bulls to use this spring — what ’ s worked , what ’ s new and what ’ s in demand ? With that in mind , and in the spirit of this edition , I ’ d like to encourage you to truly study your hole card this breeding season .
1 . Understand your marketplace and the current cattle industry calls .
2 . Be sure to cater to your strengths while working toward improving upon your weaknesses .
3 . Be willing to ask questions , poll your customers and follow breeders and industry affiliates .
I believe having a firm handle on those three basic concepts and a willingness to ask questions will undoubtedly simplify your breeding decisions , ultimately leading you to the correct breeding solutions and most importantly , lead to sale day success for both yourself and your customers . Now that we ’ ve uber-simplified your breeding decisionmaking process and established a true basis jump point , let ’ s take a deeper dive into the process and open the discussion up .
I preface the next segment of this column with one of my favorite sayings as it relates to the cattle business , “ We ’ re not building rockets , so let ’ s not make this rocket science .” With that said , the deeper dive I ’ d like to take regarding breeding solutions is challenging . In essence , every breeder needs to gain a firmer understanding of the technologies , tools and utilization of research information at our disposal .
It may seem elementary at this juncture of our breed ’ s progression , but the simple usage of measurable performance records , ultrasound data , genomically-enhanced expected progeny differences and feed efficiency testing should be considered when making breeding decisions beyond “ the good ol ’ eyeball test .” The reason for being that suggestive encompasses a myriad of factors , but most importantly , my personal understanding of the current competitiveness not only within the breed but , also the ‘ breed to breed ’ market share arm wrestle . With that in mind , that leads me into my next piece beyond technologies and tools — using research and the importance of ‘ Vision ’.
If you ’ re not familiar with the new North American Limousin Foundation research project initiative , I strongly encourage you to engage and follow along . To paraphrase a recent conversation with our NALF Executive Director Mark Anderson , “ NALF is moving along on its research project this Spring with the help of two commercial cow-calf ranches in Montana . They will be breeding three different contemporary groups of sires bred to commercial cows to document differences in feed performance to three different harvest dates along with capturing harvest data differences through third party research at South Dakota State University in the Fall of 2023 . Documenting these differences should reveal differences that have a real economic impact to the commercial cattle industry and help underscore our breed ’ s position within the marketplace . In addition to identifying promotable strengths and area ’ s of needed improvement .”
That said , staying current with not only breed research , but industry research , can be of assistance when contriving your next generation mating solutions .
In closing , I sincerely hope you enjoy our Herd Sire Edition issue . It is both a benefit to your respective program and a promotional piece the Limousin breed can be proud of . A big thank you to all of the advertisers , readership and those that continue to support and offer feedback as it relates to your magazine , Limousin365 .
God bless and I look forward to seeing you down the sale trail this spring . We are all in it together and Limousin proud .
6 • APRIL 2022