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Nebraska State Hereford Show, June 4-6, 2010
Bar JZ Ranches The Zilverbergs had a picture perfect day for their 59th Annual Production Sale at the state-of-the-art Thomas Ranch Sale Facility which is just 5 miles west of the Bar JZ home ranch. The Zilverberg family has been producing Hereford seedstock for nearly 70 years. In addition they are a founder member of the North American Limousin Foundation and have been producing Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle for 40 years. Their sale offering was well received with many repeat buyers along with some new customers competing for the bulls. 29 Yearling Polled Hereford Bulls averaged $2,672 Lot 7. $4800. Bar JZ Double Cross 286W. A 3/25/09 son of Bar JZ Crossfire 593S and out of Bar JZ 346C Lady 701H (Dam of Distinction and donor cow), to Running Water Herefords, Scottsbluff, NE. Lot 5. $4100. Bar JZ Ramrod 348W. A 4/2/09 son of Bar JZ Ramp Up 926T and out of Bar JZ Banker Babe 424S, a CT Banker 172N daughter, to J Bar K Farms Ltd, Pilot Mound, Manitoba. Lot 16. $4000. Bar JZ Pathway 240W. A 3/15/09 son of Huth Prospector K085 and out of Bar JZ Kylie Jo 532T, a Bar JZ Kirby 638L daughter to Myers Herefords LLC, Colome, SD. 29 Yearling Limousin Bulls averaged $2,510 Lot 52. $5800. Bar JZ Critique 335W. Double Polled. Black. Purebred. A 4/6/09 son of LVLS Top Critieria 8862P and out of Bar JZ Celeste 799P, a Carrousels Kickoff daughter, to Symens Limousin, Amherst, SD. Lot 41. $3500. Bar JZ Critique 214W. Double Polled. Double Black. Purebred. A 3/9/09 son of LVLS Top Criteria and out of Bar JZ Gone Fishing 592T, a Warden daughter, to John Eulberg, Dupree, SD. Lot 42. $3300. Bar JZ Hostage 226W. Double Polled. Double Black. Purebred. A 3/10/09 son of MR Syes Ransom 202T and out of Bar JZ Cleopatra 166R, a Carrousels Niles daughter, to Treftz Limousin, Wetonka, SD. 22 Lim-Flex Bulls averaged $2,059 Lot 75. $3400. Bar JZ Focal Point 203W. Double Polled. Double Black. 46% Lim-Flex. A 3/6/09 son of Mytty in Focus and out of Bar JZ Gone Fishing 496T, a Warden daughter, to Lee Kleinschmidt of Harrold, SD. Lot 81. $2900. Bar JZ Intrepid 213W. Double Polled. Double Black. 75% Lim-Flex. A 3/9/09 son of MR Syes R Just 502P and out of Bar JZ Barbara 439T, a Bando 9074 daughter, to Kurt Dickson of Cavour, SD. Volume buyers were Beringer Farms and Rick King. The majority of the cattle stayed in South Dakota; however, there were buyers from Virginia, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Blacktop Farms Designer Baldy Bull Sale 30 Angus Bulls — $2,607 Top Selling Herefords: Top Selling Angus: Carmichael Herefords 16 Yearlings — $2638 As I travelled Highway 73 in South Dakota, about 50 miles from where we are located, I was impressed with the amount of snow the highway crew had moved as cuts in the ditch revealed a good 3 to 4 feet of solidly packed snow. When I finally got to the Carmichael turnoff I was equally impressed with the amount of snow they had moved off of their road and piled high by their sign and by their barn. The amount of snow coupled with many days of wind has kept Keith Carmichael busy moving snow this winter! But it was worth the snowy drive. One of the better sale days for weather at Carmichaels, it was about 20 degrees and sunny. A good day to look at cattle. The Carmichael bulls were in fine form especially the bull calves which were a popular item with the crowd. Just March and April calves, they were an impressive bunch as well as their older counterparts. Breeders from 4 states were there to appraise the offering. Top Yearlings: Top Two-Year Olds: Horses: "Brand that Works" Production Sale Fall Hereford Bulls — $3,708 Herefords: Angus: Colyer Herefords & Angus 92 Hereford Bulls — $4,122 Cattle sold to 16 States & Mexico Top Hereford Bulls: Top Hereford Heifers: Top Angus Bulls: Top Angus Heifers: Curtis Polled Herefords 58th Annual Sale 4 Yrlg Bulls — $4,350 Top Selling Bulls Top Selling Heifers The Carmichael Family would like to announce the winner of the 2010 James Carmichael Memorial Scholarship
News from the AHA Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Nov. 2, 2009
2009 Junior National Hereford Expo Show Results
For complete show results, visit Hereford.org. Buzanowski Named Manager of Genex Hawkeye WestSHAWANO, Wis. - Stacie Buzanowski has accepted the manager position at Genex Hawkeye West in Billings, Mont. The largest of Genex Cooperative, Inc.'s custom collection facilities, Genex Hawkeye West has the ability to house over 150 bulls. The facility is home to many of the great bulls of their respective breeds. As manager, Buzanowski will oversee care of the sires, semen collection, sales of semen and shipping throughout the United States and across the world. She will also manage the financial administration and organize promotional activities.Buzanowski joined Genex Hawkeye West in 1998 as the customer service manager. She was promoted to marketing/export and health coordinator and later served as office manager. For the past several months she has served as the interim manager of the facility. After earning a bachelor's degree in animal production from Penn State University, Buzanowski served as an assistant manager on a Michigan farm several years before relocating to Billings. In addition to her career with Genex, she also co-owns a Polled Hereford cow calf operation. For more information about custom collection services, contact Genex Hawkeye West at 406-656-9034. Genex, one of the world's leading suppliers of cattle genetics, is a subsidiary of Cooperative Resources International (CRI). CRI, a member-owned holding cooperative, is comprised of three subsidiaries: Central Livestock Association, AgSource Cooperative Services and Genex. The CRI Mission Statement summarizes the goal of CRI: "To provide products and services as effectively as possible to maximize the profitability of members and customers worldwide while maintaining a strong cooperative." The Montana Hereford Association is sponsoring an age and source verified value added feeder calf sale. This sale is for Hereford and Hereford crossed with English Breeds and will be held on November 16, 2009 at the new Headwaters Livestock Auction, Three Forks, MT. Consignors will be following the Pfizer VAC 45 program and be readily identified with RFID tags enabling buyers to follow their performance in the feedlot. Calves will be sold in uniform lots making this sale an attractive alternate to traditional sales. Buyers will have an opportunity to buy trailer load lots of quality Hereford and Hereford influenced calves at this inaugural sale. Plans include collection sites around the Montana and surrounding states for least cost transportation options.For additional information contact: Jerry Gereghty, Bridger, MT Justin Wichman, Moore, MT Della Ehlke, Townsend, MT Ace Diemert,
Lothair, MT Matt Berry, Vida, MT Tom Sparks,
Pleva, MT Cory Dutton, Gold Creek, MT
Frank Hug & Sons Ranch celebrates 140th Anniversary September 27, 2008George Hug, a German immigrant, came to the United States in 1854. He later purchased land in Osage County, Kansas, where he settled in 1868 and established a diversified cattle and farming operation. The ranch is located four miles north of Scranton, Kansas. Frank E. and Robert also farmed a large number of acres. During the 50's and 60's, they farmed nearly 600 acres, using 2 row cultivators and 4 row planters.
Sidwell
Ranch - 100 Years First Generation (G.A. Sidwell) G.A. Sidwell started his herd of purebred Hereford cattle at Queen City, Missouri in 1908. His first imported stock was one cow, Brampton Agnes VI, which he secured in Herefordshire, England. The first bull he used from 1908 to 1914 was Columbus Regent. From that start, G.A. developed a strain of cattle that won recognition throughout the United States and Canada. In 1911 G.A. Sidwell and J.E. Biehl purchased Disturber 4th from Michael Jacobs. They sold their bulls and females in the Des Moines Disturber sale with two other cowmen which were William Galloway and Michael Jacobs. In 1920, G.A. brought his sons into the Hereford business and started having production sales on the farm at Queen City, Missouri, until 1930 when he and his family moved to Colorado. F.A. Sidwell became a partner with G.A. Sidwell and the herd was advertised as that of G.A. Sidwell & Son. Their first production sale in Colorado was in 1940, the second sale in 1945 and the third sale in 1947. G.A. In 1953 Sidwell & Son started having annual production sales. G.A. Sidwell & Son operated on several thousand acres of land, where they also made a large contribution toward the development of agriculture in the area using the most modern scientific methods and procedures. In 1947, Sidwells purchased ½ interest in a bull named Prince D 109 from E.N. Jeffers and Son of Springer, New Mexico, and changed the name to Colorado Baldwin. Later on they purchased full interest in Colorado Baldwin. G.A. and son have sold cattle to cattlemen in 28 states and Canada, and cattle traceable to the Sidwell strain have won numerous prizes. Fifty years of Hereford progress was observed on a Monday in October of 1958 for a Golden Anniversary sale of registered breeding stock along with his son F.A. Sidwell, and his son-in-law, M.J. Diehl. The sale offered 95 lots, 57 bulls and 38 females, to a crowd of 500 people. G.A. Sidwell retired the following year, 1959, and was inducted as a Charter Member into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1961. Second Generation (F.A. Sidwell) In 1959, F.A. Sidwell's three sons, Walter, Harold, and Richard, joined F.A. in the ranching business and formed a corporation called F.A. Sidwell & Sons. They had three ranches located in the Carr, Colorado, area and held annual bull and female sales the last Monday in October. F.A. Sidwell donated females to Colorado State University for the inception of the beef seed stock program. During the 1960s, many tours were taking place. Annual Colorado Hereford tours would visit the ranch and many busloads of Australians and New Zealand cattlemen came to see the Hereford cattle. Bulls were sold to cattlemen throughout the United States. Sidwells received many honors showing their cattle in various cattle shows. The Hereford Association would publish yearly the top ten bull sales and the Sidwell sales were on that list many years. F.A. Sidwell & Sons hosted the Colorado Junior Hereford Association Field Day for 500 enthusiastic juniors and adults in 1966. Sidwells donated a heifer to the top junior judge of the annual field day. Sidwells used sons of Colorado Baldwin. Three sons of Domino Plus 20th were used with Baldwin Plus 125 being used the most. Also, Husker Domino 12542111 was used and five of his sons. JPC Husker Domino 136 was used in 1969 and 1970. F.A. Sidwell & Sons dissolved the corporation in 1971 and three units were established. Each son and his family had their own corporation, Walter Sidwell, Inc, Harold Sidwell, Inc, and Richard Sidwell, Inc. F.A. Sidwell had interest in all three corporations. The Colorado Hereford Association honored F.A. Sidwell as breeder of the year at the Annual Stock Show Dinner Dance in 1981. A capacity crowd of over 325 people from across the U.S. and Canada was on hand for the event. Third Generation (Harold Sidwell) In 1971 F.A. Sidwell & Sons was divided into three separate entities. At that time, Harold Sidwell Inc. was formed. Members of Harold Sidwell Inc. included, Harold, wife Marlene and their children Warren, Bryan, Harold Todd and Cheryl. The Harold Sidwell family ran their 225 cow herd on approximately 7,500 acres of grass and wheat land. The main herd sire used at that time was HT Bald Plus 9239. In 1978, we purchased an outcross herd sire named Britisher 33 Of WHR. By mating Britisher 33 Of WHR to their line of Baldwin cows they produced offspring called Cadets. The Hungarian Government purchased bulls in 1973 from the Sidwell Ranch to be taken back to Hungary. Other Hereford breeders in the area also sold bulls to Hungary. Harold Sidwell, Inc. purchased M&M Advance B216 in 1977 and used him on their Cadet cowherd which added the Line 1 influence. Also, it was the same year their oldest son, Warren, married Jolene Larson. They now have two children, Matthew and Valerie. On May 13th of 1978, their youngest son Harold Todd was killed in a plane crash on the family ranch. Sidwells continued having annual bull sales at the ranch the last Monday of October until 1981. They have had 34 annual production bull and heifer sales at the ranch. Now they merchandise the top end of their yearling bulls and heifer calves private treaty. In 1981, Warren and Jolene started their own farming enterprise and 1989 they moved to Oklahoma. A partnership was formed between Harold, Marlene and Bryan Sidwell in 1985, naming the new partnership Sidwell Herefords and carrying on the Sidwell Hereford family tradition. Harold and Marlene's daughter Cheryl showed a 4-H steer from the Sidwell herd at the 1988 Weld County Junior Fair and the steer was named Grand Champion, which was the first time in 22 years that a Hereford had been chosen Grand Champion. Fourth Generation (Bryan Sidwell) Bryan Sidwell, of the fourth generation, is partners with his folks, Harold and Marlene. The operation is a registered and commercial Hereford operation consisting of 100 registered and 200 commercial Hereford cows. During the summer, the commercial cows run on the ranch by Yoder, Wyoming, and the registered Herefords stay home at the headquarters in Carr, Colorado. They have a hay farm that produces the hay for the 300 cows which is located near Torrington, Wyoming. In 1986, they purchased ABC Encore 5151 from ABC Herefords. Then Tex Silverado was purchased at the National Western Stock Show sale in 1989. Soon after, all the cows that had Prime Time influence were sold. In 1994, they purchased Star Mark B280. They also had been buying Line 1 heifers and cows to replace all of the cows that were sold. They used C 918 Domino and bought the great trend setter bull RCR L1 Domino 6199 ET. From that time forward, their program has been Line One/Mark Donald. We bought Arrow CL1 8110 from Carlson Herefords in 1988, which we used on our RCR C1 Domino 6199 heifers. In 2004, HH Advance 338N was purchased from Holden Herefords. They continued using sons of HH Advance 338, S337 Arrow Domino 337, and S338N Advance 640. This year, 2008, they purchased their newest herd bull, CL1 Domino 7163T, from Cooper Herefords. In 1992, Ty Bailey of Eaton, Colorado, showed a steer that was bred by Sidwell Herefords at the National Junior Expo at Rapid City, SD and named Grand Champion. The same year, they showed a heifer at the National Western Stock Show that was division champion and was named Grand Champion at Fort Worth. Through-out the following years, Sidwells have had many class winners and division champions and in 2000 their 'Pen of Four' spring calves were named Reserve Grand Champion at the National Western. The 42nd World Hereford Conference, in 1996, was held at Ft. Collins, Colorado. WHR of Cheyenne, Wyoming, invited breeders to bring cattle for display. Sidwells were honored to be able to display their heifers to the world of Hereford breeders. They have had many visitors at their ranch. In September 14, 1994, a busload of fine cattlemen and cattlewomen from Australia arrived. They spent the afternoon viewing and discussing Hereford cattle. The CSU judging team coached by Clint Rusk came out to the ranch yearly for their national judging meets. In 2001, Sidwell Herefords was chosen the Weld County AG Star of the Month which is a tribute to excellence in production and agriculture. Also, Sidwell Herefords was honored the 'I Feed the World,' a salute to America's farmers and ranchers. The same year the cover picture of the Hereford World, March issue, was their pen of spring bull calves. Marlene Sidwell was named in 2007 the American Hereford Woman of the Year. She was honored during the American Hereford Women annual meeting October 20, 2007, in Kansas City, Missouri. Sidwell Herefords' mission is to provide functional animals that will perform and enhance the commercial and purebred programs. Fourth Generation (Warren Sidwell) Warren Sidwell started in the Hereford business with his first 4-H heifer given to him by his grandfather, F.A. Sidwell. On June 2, 1980, Warren was honored with the American Farmer Degree through the Future Farmers of America (FFA). On June 4, 1977, Warren married Jolene Larson. They have two children. Matthew was born January 22, 1978, and Valerie was born February 14, 1981. The farming and cattle operations in Colorado were dissolved in 1982 when Warren took over the management of Colorado Turf Farms. In July of 1989, they moved to Claremore, Oklahoma with the transfer of Jolene's job at State Farm Insurance. Warren started his career with Avis Rent A Car in 1991. In 1994, Warren and Jolene bought their current livestock headquarters in Chelsea, Oklahoma and started back in the purebred Hereford business. The purchase of LS Donald F42, a son of Star Donald C11 from Lone Star Herefords, started the foundation for their new herd in Oklahoma. W&J's breeding program is based upon Mark Donald and Line One genetics while utilizing other genetics to optimize moderate birth weight, carcass, maternal and easy feeding, high performing cattle. In 1999, they purchased 'Boomer' from Star Lake Herefords to further expand their genetic base. Boomer was champion bull at the Tulsa State Fair in 2000 and yearling champion in Louisville. From 2000 to present, Warren and Jolene have continued to purchase bulls and AI to bulls that further improve on the carcass and maternal traits. They are striving to produce not only for their own program, but to meet the needs of their customers. Cattle are sold private treaty and through the 'Herefords In Native America' sale. The top-selling bull at the 2000 'Herefords in Native America' sale was a son of HH Advance 9012Y and was raised by their ranch. Warren was elected to the board of directors of the Oklahoma Hereford Association in 2000. In 2005 and 2006, he served as the president of the Oklahoma Hereford Association. Warren assisted the American Hereford Association with the introduction of Certified Hereford Beef in the state of Oklahoma in 2007. Jolene has been actively involved with Hereford women organizations and in 2007 was elected to serve as the secretary of the Oklahoma Hereford Women. She is a 26-year employee of State Farm Insurance. Warren and Jolene's son Matt married Laurie Porter in June, 2001. He is Vice President of commercial lending in Owasso. Laurie is employed with Berendsen Fluid Power in their accounting department. Their daughter Valerie married Phillip Langston in July, 2007, and is a Customer Service Representative at State Farm Insurance. Her husband Phillip is a licensed journeyman with Anderson Mechanical. In June of 2008, after 18 years with Avis, Warren started a new career with State Farm Insurance in Auto Claims. The W&J Cattle operation is still growing strong. Kansas Hereford Tour (Saturday & Sunday, August 23 & 24, 2008)Lane Herefords, La Cygne, KS Lane Herefords Lane Herefords started when Charles (Chuck) and his brother started in 4-H. They purchased 2 heifers sired by the Husker bull from Joe Pretty. Later, more heifers were purchased by Chuck, brother and sister to increase the herd. It’s a family operation with all of the family being involved at some level.The current sire is A Glazer 0314, an HH Advance 767G son out of a Churchill Blaze 6110 daughter. Their up-and-coming sire is P Rocky Dom 0524, a July 2005 bull calf with Churchill Blaze 6110 for a great-grandsire. 0524’s dam is a granddaughter of GB L1 Domino 804. Most of the Lane's older cows are out of a son of 804.The cow herd now consists of about 30 head. Lanes rent and own about 130 acres of grass, mostly fescue. They raise their own herd bulls using AI because they want the calves to grow up on fescue instead of bringing in cattle that weren’t raised on fescue. Cattle that haven’t grown up on fescue seem to have a rougher time adapting.
Flory Polled Herefords, Lawrence, KS Flory Polled Herefords Flory Polled Herefords is a fourth-generation family operation raising cattle and hay with Mike and Dorothy Flory and their sons Clint, JD, Kyle and Rusty being involved. Everyone also has jobs off the farm. The farm started in the mid 60’s as a 4-H project with a Polled Hereford heifer. In 1975 they began raising registered cattle and have been performance testing since 1979. Since 2003, Flory has ultrasounded. Flory Polled Herefords raise functional, real-world useable cattle and do this by balancing traits and performance. Emphasis in recent years has been to improve carcass traits. The breeding is primarily JB Trojan with the addition of Felton and Line One the last six years to develop their FPH Polled Domino's.
Bradley Herefords, Lawrence, KS Bradley & Sons Herefords John's parents, Beverly and William F. Bradley moved to
Lawrence in 1957 to start a veterinary practice, the same practice that John
purchased in 1991 and still operates today. In 1961 the family moved to the farm
just west of where the 2008 Kansas Tour stop was held. William grew up with
commercial Herefords in southeast Kansas and enjoyed the breed, so he purchased
13 bred registered Herefords from George Clark in Alta Vista, Kansas. These cows
raised 4-H calves for John and his four brothers for many years to come. In 1977
William purchased a son of CH Domino 359 from Mill Creek Herefords, Alma, Kansas
which was their introduction to Line One cattle. In 1981 Krauss Herefords in
Garden City, Missouri dispersed, and Bradleys purchased a Pruett-Wray bred son
of CH Domino 053, PW L1 Domino C6614. This bull was a 5 star NRSEP sire and
noted for his maternal daughters. This gave them a primarily Line One herd of
functional, maternal cattle. In 1996, John began buying bulls from Gene Meitler
(linebred Line One Herefords) and at the same time, stopped using AI due to time
and management constraints. Over the past twelve years the Bradley herd has been
essentially closed except for the introduction of new bulls from Meitler
Herefords. Bradley Herefords collect Whole Herd Reporting for
performance data with the American Hereford Association and ultrasound all
yearlings they have on the place each year.
Triple R Herefords, Valley Falls, KS Triple R Herefords In 1950 Raymond H. Reichart, Jeff's grandfather purchased 20 cows from Andy Schoen from Lenora, Kansas. In the 1960's my father, Raymond E. Reichart and Uncle Jerry Reichart purchased more cows from Schoen and Gideon's of Paxico, Kansas. Jeff Reichart, his wife Bev and two of their three sons, Anton and Ray, run Triple R Herefords with the boys being involved on the Muscotah, Kansas farms. Today Reicharts run 200 registered Hereford cows. They use Line One bulls on heifers and Canadian cross bulls on the cows. Herd sires currently in use include G Domino 413, Churchill Rancher 758T, CK MR Royal C040 and G 407 Extra Lad 6145. The ranch headquarters is located two miles north of Valley Falls, Kansas. Reicharts raise around 35 bulls annually and sell registered and commercial females as well. Steers go to through the Certified Hereford Beef Sale at Manhattan, Kansas.
Shumaker Polled Herefords, Wetmore, KS Shumaker Herefords Shumaker Herefords was started in 1980 with the purchase of several groups of heifers from the herd of Warner Rebenstorf, Allan Shumaker's uncle. Warner had dedicated his life to breeding the best possible Hereford cattle for over 40 years. His cows were thick, milked well and produced a healthy calf every year. Several additional females were purchased from other herds in the early 1980s but very few performed well enough to remain in the herd for very long. A whole herd TPR program was initiated and practical performance has always been the focus of this program. Herd sires have been selected for a practical balance of milk and growth traits with special emphasis on birth weight and scrotal circumference. High birth weight show ring winners are totally irrelevant to the goals of this breeding program. This is a small herd of 70 cows that is dedicated to enhancing the efficiency of Hereford cattle to produce a low maintenance cow herd that has a high percentage calf crop which is profitable in the feedlot. This requires a balance of traits rather than attempting to maximize some of the current EPD traits. This philosophy was vindicated when AHA introduced the profit indices. Notice that the herd ranks well above the breed average in all 4 of the indexes and the senior herd sire, FELTONS SOUNDER 957, is a trait leader in each of the four indexes. The cows have been ruthlessly culled for generations for fertility, disposition, udder quality, eye problems, birth weight and any structural problems. The yearling replacement heifers have been culled on pelvic measurements for the last 20 years and calving problems are rare. For the past 9 years steers have been fed out through the GOP program to collect gain and carcass data. Ultrasound has been utilized for selecting replacement heifers for the last 7 years. Only top performing, moderate birth weight calves are retained as bulls. Only a few bulls are kept each year but Allan would rather sell a few bulls of significant genetic merit than a bunch of mediocre bulls. For more information go to Allan's website http://www.ShumakerHerefords.com.
Frank Hug & Sons, Scranton, KS
In 1868, Ed & Bob Hugs great-great grandfather, George Hug, established a livestock and farming operation four miles northwest of Carbondale and four miles north of Scranton, both of Kansas. In 1896, he and his son Frank, purchased their first Hereford cattle. Later, the herd would be established as Frank Hug & Sons. For nearly 100 years, nothing but Hereford cattle roamed these pastures. Some of the first cattle came from the herds of Gudgell & Simpson and Mousel Brothers. Bob and Ed Hug assumed management of the herd in 1993. They represent the 5th generation of the Hug family on the ranch. Today, their registered herd includes 40 females in production. We also have a commercial herd of 100 females utilizing Hereford and Angus genetics. They have both a spring and fall calving herd. Each year they offer a select group of bull prospects, as well as quality feeder steers and replacement heifers. The Hugs began testing the genetics of their herd in feedlot and carcass evaluations in 1994. They understand the challenges for today's commercial cow-calf producer and place great emphasis on the true proven performance of their cattle. The cows must be fertile with good udders and milk. They must also be efficient, functional and free of problems. Every cow must efficiently raise a good calf each year. Any cows not meeting the Hugs' goals are culled. Herd sires are selected from bloodlines that are proven leaders in calving ease, fertility, maternal traits and carcass. Hugs have participated in the Genetic Outreach Program/Hereford Feedout since 1994, the Green Springs Bull Test in 2007, a Gold TPR Breeder since 2004 and a member of the PTP Alliance.
Shepherd Herefords, Burlingame, KS
(Submitted by Mike Shepherd) Grandpa Clayton Shepherd, as I
understand it, had Herefords the year (1939) my dad, Don was born. Grandpa
Clayton lived in the same location as my mom Carol does today in Burlingame,
KS. My dad grew up raising Herefords with my grandpa and continued as he
graduated from high school in 1957. We raised only Herefords as my older
brother, younger sisters and I showed them as 4-H projects through our youth.
Davis Herefords, Maple Hill, KS Dean & Danny Davis Davis Herefords started in 1965 by purchasing seven bred heifers from Hi-Point Farms in Michigan. Some Anxiety 4th heifers were also added later. Their cow herd consists mostly of Line One and Mark Donald cattle. Early herd sires include SR Mark 36, LS Donald 186J, L1 Domino 80878, Dallas Two 4 ET, King Ten, Patriot 351, Iron Eagle and Pure Shot. Presently they are using Met Pure Domino, Braggin Rights 74, NF Advance 6125 and Contagious. A.I. sires include HH Advance 5104, HH Advance 5212 and GH-Adams Shadow. Davis Herefords have been competing in Denver the last 10 years and have been fortunate enough to get 8 division or reserve division champions with their pen bulls in the "Yards." They support Kansas state sales by consigning some of their best bulls and heifers and have had several sale toppers. Davis Herefords also sell about 25 bulls each year private treaty.
Mill Creek Ranch, Alma, KS
The first Mill Creek Hereford cattle were purchased in
the spring of 1972 and featured Mark Donald and Line 1 pedigrees. Over the past
28 years, it has been our main goal to provide our customers with cattle that
excel in many areas, including performance, eye appeal, maternal ability, udder
quality, and carcass merit. The Mark Donald / Line 1 cross has been beneficial
in obtaining these goals... to produce sound, thick, high-performing seedstock
for the commercial and registered breeder. We market our Hereford cattle through
private treaty bull and heifer sales, as well as select consignment sales and
bull test programs. 2005 marked the return of our Kansas production sale, an
event that showcased the exciting advancements that are taking place now on the
ranch.
A select few Gelbvieh cows were added in 1985 from the
Mr. Red family line, originating from Arrow S Ranch of Alma, KS. Since then, we
have utilized the breed's most noted performance sires that have aided in our
selection criteria for udder quality, moderate birth weights, and high
performance. We believe that this breed will serve as a complementary cross for
our commercial customers to use as a source for added growth. Recently, a large
majority of these Gelbvieh cows have been mated to noted Angus and Red Angus
sires, a move that we feel emphasizes the positive traits of each breed.
For more information go to www.millcreekranch.com.
Chambers Herefords, Alma, KS Bruce
Chambers (I called Bruce Chambers and asked him how he got started in the business. He was kind enough to put this together for us. After reading it I decided to leave it in first person. Thanks Bruce!) I have always had a passion for a good bird dog. I used to train English Pointers in horseback field trials. In 2001, Tom Cernich, another field trial enthusiast, called and asked me if I was interested in buying his 4,000 acre ranch. I wasn't interested in that much property, but did buy 366 acres with an old house on it where David Breiner raised his family. Dave now lives just 1/2 mile south from the old house. Dave leased the ground from me for hay and pasture. I really liked seeing the Hereford cattle on that place. In 2003 I bought 3 bred heifers at an auction. They were from Lapp Herefords in Nebraska. One of my old lab partners and classmates, John Bradley D.V.M. invited me to go on the Kansas Hereford Tour the following year. One of the stops was Meitler Herefords. I liked the consistency of type of the Meitler cattle. After Gene talked about his cattle and his line breeding program I knew why they were so consistent. It is a line bred herd. One other thing I noticed on that tour is that every time I looked at the pedigree of a bull I liked, he traced to HH Advance 767G. When I got home I started searching for sons of this bull and found that CL 1 Domino 9126J was out of him and had the type of EPDs I was looking for. The semen was a little pricier than I wanted to pay so I bought semen on several of his sons, like 206M, 285M, and CL 1 Domino 4162P. I had also bought a dozen heifers from Jeff Reichart of Triple R Herefords. It also happened that Mill Creek Ranch had an outstanding son of the 9126J bull for sale. I bought him too. He is our herd bull you saw while you were here. This bull did a very nice job on all of the heifers, but one stood out above the rest. Her calves are just exceptional compared to the rest of the bunch. I have always been a believer in line breeding. My bird dogs were of the Elhew line. They are so consistent in type and performance you don't have to ask how they are bred. You know one when you see one. Bob Wehle (Elhew is Wehle backwards) was the creator of this line. He also managed to breed some of the top Holstein cattle at one time and even Thoroughbred horses that were outstanding using his line breeding techniques. My goal is to produce a line of Hereford cattle that are outstanding in type and consistency of performance. We are going to do this by using 9126 sons and that one cow from Triple R Herefords that produces calves beyond her herd mates. We plan to do this using AI and ET. Everything I own will trace repeatedly to that cow and 9126J in the future. We are breeding out to the Harland bull and to GH Neon, but the best of those heifers will be bred back to sons of 9126J. Just before the Kansas Hereford Tour this year, my wife and I accidentally came across a beautiful place here in the Flint Hills of Kansas that we fell in love with. We bought it and moved here just before the tour. One other thing about my line breeding beliefs. A Hereford breeder recently complained to me that a popular line one bull had milk EPDs that had gone south on him after he used him. That happens, but I plan to breed closer than the line ones are bred to remove some of that genetic variation. The predictability of my cattle on EPDs will be better because of a strict line breeding program.
Additional photos from the Kansas Tour
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