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of the Gen
By Bruce Derksen
Successful cow-calf operations aim to produce
calves that cattle buyers are eager to purchase.
If they don’t, they won’t be calf producers for
long. This can be tricky, as depending on their
location, local buyers will look for something
slightly different than their counterparts on
the other side of the country. Some will prefer
certain colors, long or short ears, heavy or thin
coats, but beyond these random wishes, there
are universally accepted and desired traits that
will loosen the cattle buyer’s purse strings.
These sought-after traits originate in above
average and exceptional genetics.
Jack Frost, part owner of Springfield Livestock
Marketing Center in Springfield, Mo., agrees and
states genetics should be at the top of a producer’s
to-do list. “I personally think it’s the genetics of
the cattle that bring the most value. It always has.
Your good cattle will always bring a premium
price, whether they are weaned or un-weaned.”
Good genetics have been around from the
beginning of time, constantly advancing forward
to what they constitute today as an essential
part of the livestock industry’s foundation. Cattle
buyers say this is not likely to change anytime
soon. Over the next few years, with the continued
push to fine tune profit margins that are always
determined by production costs, quality genetics
will be even more important. Some go as far
as to say “mandatory.” Genetically poor cattle
22 | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019