Management
looking to wind down your operation, or a brand new up and comer searching to find your footing in the industry, it is never too late or too early to re-affirm or upgrade your farm.
When deciding how to proceed, it is important to assess your holdings with brutal honesty. You are where you are because of a lot of hard work, planning, organization and reality checks along the way. You are also there to create a good product that customers will seek out, desire and purchase. Essentially, you are there for the customer.
Have you upgraded your Limousin genetics for that
74 | JUNE / JULY 2018 customer or has your herd become stagnant? Producers continue to rapidly improve and upgrade the basic traits and qualities of the Limousin breed and your farm has every right to take advantage of this fact, thereby contributing to its development. Of course, there is always a monetary cost of progress to be considered, but in reality, although the status quo may seem more financially friendly in the short term, properly targeted advancement is undeniably more viable in the long term.
For example, Limousin docility EPD’ s have taken giant steps forward in the last decades, so make use of them and stop worrying that your cattle will race around the pen when that potential buyer opens the gate. Be honest and cut ties with that bull that has only been producing calves in the lower weaning weight percentile. Yes, he’ s a pet, but a superior Limousin bull will be just as happy to see you. Adjust uniformity, frame size and reaffirm calving ease and timely re-breeding. Don’ t brainwash yourself into believing that you have easy calving cows, but then hide your over- used calf puller whenever buyers visit your farm. If you sell and market your replacement heifers, tap into the abundance of excellent Limousin sires with top quality maternal traits. There is no longer any excuse for purposefully putting inferior quality animals into the livestock mainstream as all of these Limousin enhancements can be accomplished by culling harder, cutting ties with inefficient or mediocre cattle in your own herd, and honestly seeking out the upgrades you require from other progressive producers, many of whom are in your own area.
Improve your facilities and infrastructure if necessary and think about publicity. Beyond the fact that you may now appear in the Herd Reference Issue, does anyone care? It is almost free advertising to do some P. R. work at the local auction barn shaking hands and listening