Executive Summary
We can attempt to hedge
cattle and feed utilizing futures
markets and still get burned
by wild swings on basis as we
lift the hedge. Many of these
things are out of our control.
risk that is inherent with the
cattle business, not to mention
the equity requirements.
The things we can control and
have strong oversight on, like
our genetic production, is what
has kept people in business over
the years, along with a strong
sense of determination and the
willingness to adapt to get the
job done. When we look at our
shift to BOLT, it is important
to keep in mind that when we
compare Limousin cattle across
the board for the 17 traits,
they rank extremely well in the
vast majority of EPDs when
compared to other breeds.
Yet, risk and production
practices that we can manage,
are actually done better by
folks involved in production
agriculture that manage risk
better than any other business
in the world. It requires tough,
smart people that are up to
the task, that are fully engaged
in the business they love. You
have to love it, because the fact
of the matter is, it ain’t easy!
Thirty years of managing
feedyards and having the
pleasure to feed cattle for
folks that came to us from
other businesses that wanted
to make strong financial
investments into the cattle
industry is an experience I will
never forget. Many had strong
backgrounds in real estate,
banking, transportation, hotels,
food service and sales, just to
name a few. Many times, after a
couple years of actually getting
their financial skin in the game,
many commented that they had
never seen a business where so
many factors are actually out of
your control that are difficult,
if not impossible to manage
risk on. They felt like they had
just been involved in a high
stakes poker game or could
have just as well been gambling
in Las Vegas for the amount of
when many other breeds were
between 20-22 lbs. Some breeds
are actually working to get their
milk number down because of
the maintenance requirements
of the cow up until weaning.
If we can push for more
marbling over the next
five years, you really have a
complete set of numbers on
cattle that are commercially
acceptable across the board.
Once again, Limousin do not
need to be Angus, we just
need more cattle at or over the
“zero” line. Your NALF board is
currently working on a project
that will soon be made available
that will provide suggested
EPD mating targets for the
membership, if they wish to
utilize it. This is not meant to
tell you how to breed your
cattle, most of you know
how to do that on your
own depending on your
environment, geographical
location and market. Rather
than that, it is intended to
display areas that we can further
improve upon for all three
classifications of Limousin cattle.
Change is difficult, but
change can also lead to
enhanced profitability
if utilized correctly.
This is due to the previously
mentioned attention that
Limousin breeders have devoted
to their record keeping and use
of EPDs over the years. It’s why
you now rank number one in
docility and excel in weight trait
data, calving ease, cutability,
and stayability in the cowherd.
Yes, we had a downward shift
in milk which has been hard
for breeders to get used to,
along with some re-ranking
that came with the effect of
the genomic markers for milk,
but we also know that a 27 lb.
breed average was too high
This is also partly why the
Performance Committee was
changed by name to Breed
Improvement Committee two
years ago. It is also why your
board has invested heavily the
last five years in your registry
system, SNP parentage, DNA
testing platforms, and genetic
defect tracking systems in
order to provide updated
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