Barzona Bulletin summer 2019

www.Barzona.com

Summer 2019

Barzona Bulletin A Publication of the Barzona Breeders Association of America A s I was considering what I want- ed to communicate to you after our annual meeting in Oregon, I reflected most upon the qual- By Dodd Carmichael, Wild N Grazy Farm, BBAA President BBAA officer team for 2019-2020. Front row, left to right:

Nancy Nunn, central director; Matt Heinz, vice president; Alecia Heinz, executive sec- retary; Back row, left to right: Garey Fischer, westerndirector; Dodd Carmichael, president; Raymond Boykin, east- ern  director.

ity of our hosts. I can’t say enough about the Fischers, their hospitality, their cattle and their family. They are pillars in their community and have done a wonderful job raising productive cattle and children in Spray, Ore. (They have seven children and their son, who spoke eloquently at our meeting, has his ninth child on the “What you are thunders so loudly that others can’t hear what you are saying.” way). They conduct themselves with a quiet confidence that says, ”I’m on my way, I know where I’m going, but I’m still listening and learning every day.” And, this is what it ultimately comes down to in the seedstock business – the character of the breeder and its reflection in the cattle they raise and sell. When our breeders are the right kind of people, the Barzona cattle speak for themselves. Be enthusiastic and friend- ly as you talk to people about what you like about your cattle. Be confident in the work you have accomplished with your cattle. Enjoy their productivity and fertili- ty with each new calving season. Build on – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nancy Nunn, Raymond Boykin and Matt Heinz look at Fischer Ranch cattle during the 2019 annual meeting of the BBAA.

Continued on page 2 ›

From Our Association Secretary

Bar Nunn Insurance Are Your Animals Insured? You are providing a product that meets the needs of a mul- titude of cattle producers and beef consumers. Fertility, adapt- ability, heat tolerance, pest resistance, positive disposition and hardiness are desirable traits in any breed. Put all that in a package that includes quality beef characteristics and you have something very unique. Wrap that package up with breeders who really care about their customers and you have what we want Barzona buyers to experience. Thank you to the Fischers and all those who attended our annual meeting. BB We cover animal mortality (all risk), including death by livestock transit, lightning, fire, windstorm, hail, tornado, smothering, collision with vehicles, flood drowning, accidental shooting, electrocution, attack by dogs and other animals, collapse of barns, contaminated feed or water, hypothermia due to precipitation. ❑ Horses ❑ Rodeo cattle ❑ Sheep Please call for a quote (405) 238-0903 ❑ Goats ❑ Llamas ❑ Bison ❑ Elk ❑ Deer ❑ Dogs ❑ Pigs ❑ Exotics ANIMALS COVERED INCLUDE ❑ Purebred cattle ❑ Seedstock cattle your strengths and eliminate your errors. Gradually take your herd the direction, genetically, you want to go but continue to learn and innovate along the way. Be authentic and reliable. Sell your registered animals for prices that recognize the care with which you have developed your herd. Be grateful that you have the opportunity to build upon the work of other breeders who had the foresight to focus on hardiness, fertility and carcass quality a long time ago. By Alecia Heinz, Golden Hz Farms T he 2019 Barzona Breeders Association of America (BBAA) Convention has officially come and gone, and there is a committee in place to determine a time and location for the 2020 convention. We couldn’t have had better hosts than Garey and Judy Fischer! Some changes were made during this year’s business meeting. For Bonsmara owners out there, the BBAA updated the way papers are marked for animals with Bonsmara in their pedigrees. If you would like your papers reprinted with the new notations and percentages, please mail registration papers to the BBAA office, and new ones will be made and sent back to you. Also, there has been some confusion with the U.S. Post Office regarding the BBAA office address at 604 Cedar St., Adair, IA 50002. If trouble with this continues, you are welcome to use P.O. Box 154, Greenfield, IA 50849. The Adair address is still good to use and, as always, a call, text or email is welcome too. BB President’s Letter Continued from page 1

Members of the BBAA on a tour of the Garey and Judy Fischer operation in Oregon.

Fischer Ranch heifer.

Raising Quality Barzona Cattle for 46 years. Bulls & Females Available Two-Year-Old Bulls Available Now F & F Cattle Company

Mike & Pat Fitzgerald 130 Fitzgerald Lane, Mosquero, NM 87733 (575) 673-2346 ffcattleco@plateautel.net

2 | BARZONA BULLETIN

Match Game Putting Together the Pieces for Better Cow Efficiency

By Macey Mueller, Freelance Writer

A s beef production input costs continue to rise, Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) David Lalman, Ph.D., says environ- mental considerations are key to devel- oping an efficient cow herd and helping to increase overall profitability. Lalman, an OSU animal science profes- sor and Extension beef cattle specialist,

man says. “Bos indicus-influenced fe- males are better equipped to deal with these environmental challenges. “On top of that, consider the dramat- ic impact of heterosis in Bos indicus-Bos taurus crossbreeding systems. Accord- ing to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service scientists, the lifetime weaning weight per cow ex-

sources is considering forage quality and availability over a period of time and mak- ing stocking rate and genetic potential decisions based on average or below-av- erage years, not peak years. “If cattle are continuously selected based on best-case environmental condi- tions, input costs go up dramatically, and the cow herd’s fit to the environment will

is an expert in helping pro- ducers match beef cattle genetics to their available environmental resources. He describes the “environ- ment” as not only forage quality and quantity but also climate, parasite and disease exposure, terrain and management. With its inherent har- diness and disease resis- tance, the Barzona breed was specifically developed to thrive in multiple envi- ronments, including the arid regions such as those found in south Texas, Ar- izona and New Mexico, as well as the hot, humid weather along the coastal regions of Texas, Louisi- ana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

gradually become imbal- anced,” Lalman says. “We think this may be one rea- son why weaning weights in some parts of the coun- try in commercial cow-calf operations have stabilized. “In some regions, ge- netic capacity for growth, milk production and forage intake may have surpassed the ability of the lower in- put ‘commercial’ environ- ment to support it.” Lalman says that while some producers have made marked improve- ments to their individual cow herds over the years, large national data sets suggest that overall com- mercial cow fertility – in- cluding weaning rates and

posed can be increased by more than 30 percent in Bos indicus-Bos taurus cross- bred and composite females. Much of this advantage is due to increased cow longevity and improved fertility.” Part of matching cows to available re-

pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed – has remained relatively flat for the last three decades. “If weaning weights are no longer go-

“In the southern United States, a beef cow must thrive in an environment with excessive heat, humidity or chronic drought, intensified parasite exposure and generally lower quality forage,” Lal-

Continued on page 4 ›

Golden H Farm Barzona: The breed for busy people These cows take care of themselves!

Hampton Cattle Company

Breeding Purebred since 1973 Fertile Range Cattle Steve Hampton P.O. Box 134 • Kirkland, AZ 86332 (928) 442-3438

Breeding Stock Available

Matt & Alecia Heinz 2432 250th St Greenfield, IA 50849 smartace007@yahoo.com (641) 745-9170

Alvin & Karen Havens 2429 Orange Ave. Greenfield, IA 50849

www.barzonas.com

WWW.BARZONA.COM • SUMMER 2019 | 3

Match Game Continued from page 3

ing up and cow fertility is not improving, a shift in emphasis may be needed,” he says. “That’s where looking at a cow’s response to environmental factors can start to make a difference in the bottom line.” Lalman encourages producers to keep detailed production re- cords so they can identify individual trends in weaning weights and cow fertility. “Because these numbers are going to fluctuate from year to year, it’s best to look at them over a longer period of time,” he says. “Record-keeping consistency is key so that accurate, long- term trends can be monitored.” Each producer will ultimately have their own set of criteria for efficiency in their individual operations, but Lalman lists some specific measures producers may want to consider: • cows that wean a healthy calf every 365 daysfor 8-10 consecutive years; • cows that can do the above and maintain average or above-average body condition (fleshing ability) com- pared to their contemporaries; • cows that require no extra medical treatment; • cows that require little supplemental feed in your graz- ing and management system; • cows that travel and forage where the grass, forbs and brush haven’t been grazed; and • cows that produce steer calves with the capacity to gain on grass; convert at 5 pounds of feed (dry matter) per pound of gain; gain 3.5-4 pounds per day; never need to be treated; and produce a large, high-quality carcass.

“These criteria may seem like the bar is set high,” he says. “Cows that meet all or most of these thresholds are demon- strating they’re a good match for that environment.” With this in mind, Lalman says the best way to make progress in these traits is through purchased herd bulls and AI sires. “Purchase bulls with mothers, sisters and/or daughters that have strong fertility records,” he says. And while other maternal traits like milk production are im- portant to the industry, Lalman says efficiency can depend heavily on an individual cow’s forage intake and fleshing ability. In the OSU research program, the group has shown that it re- quires 60-90 pounds of cow forage consumption to create one more pound of calf weaning weight, which does not pencil out for most producers.

Continued on page 5 ›

Weichman Feedyard, L.P.

REGISTERED, PUREBRED BARZONA Breeder since 1986

We have more than 30 years experience finishing cattle and more than 10 years experience finishing Barzona cattle. We offer a value-based marketing systemwith a history of premiums on Barzona cattle. Give us a call (620) 874-5231

Raymond Boykin, Jr. (334) 430-0563 • etheldozierboykin@yahoo.com 8727 Lydia Lane • Montgomery, AL 36117 Purebred Barzona Bulls Virgin 2 year-olds and yearlings, perfect for improving your herd by cross-breeding with Angus, Hereford, Limousin & Charolais. Hybrid vigor resulting in superior preformance calves with LBW and rapid growth. Heat tolerant, disease resistant, hardy with gentle dispositions, guaranteed. Will work with you on delivery terms. Walking Stick Ranch Ron & Peggy Erjavec (719) 947-3645 • www.walkingstickranch.com Boone, Colorado

4030 Highway 83 North Scott City, KS 67671

4 | BARZONA BULLETIN

Match Game Continued from page 4

RULES FOR ADVERTISING REIMBURSEMENT • Current paid full membership (can be paid anytime prior to reimbursement) $75. • Must include a receipt and a proof copy of the ad. • It MUST have the assocation website on it (www.barzona.com). • BBAA will reimburse half of the advertising fee, max of $100 annually. Can be done on multiple ads if the maximum is not reached. Contact Alecia Heinz, BBAA Executive Secretary, at barzonabreeders@gmail.com for more information.

“We’ve got plenty of milk in the beef cattle industry, and more is not going to help because milk is expensive from a nutrient requirement standpoint,” he says. “In most situations, I encour- age producers to consider breed-average to below breed-aver- age genetics for milk for that reason. The last thing you want to create is a situation where you have genetic potential for 30 pounds of milk yield with forage that can only support 20 pounds of milk yield.” Lalman also warns against trying to increase overall cow size in an effort to increase weaning weights, because bigger cows do not necessarily wean big enough calves to make it a profit- able management decision. He has found that increasing an average cow herd size by 100 pounds can produce anywhere from 6 to 20 pounds more wean- ing weight, but those extra pounds are not near enough to pay for the increased cow weight. “It costs somewhere between $40 to $50 to keep 100 pounds of cow weight around for an entire year,” he says. “If you do the math, that 6-20 pounds of extra calf weight is only worth about $6-$25.” Instead, Lalman suggests working toward building an effi- cient cow herd that thrives in the local environment, and then selecting and managing for enhanced post-weaning perfor- mance and carcass quality within that framework. “We have old and new tools and technology today [cross- breeding, composite systems, EPDs] to build an efficient cow that is a match to environmental conditions, fertile, maintains good body condition and weans a calf every year with efficient, post-weaning performance and carcass quality,” he says. BB

The Interplay of Frame Size and Production Efficiency What Is the Right Size? By Lauren L. Hulsman Hanna, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; Michaella A. Fevold, Student; and Robert J. Maddock, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University

T he beef cattle industry remains a unique set of geneti- cally diverse breed types, where each serves a purpose within the industry. Frame size, expressed as either a calculated or subjective frame score, provides produc- ers an understanding of lean-to-fat ratio potential in their ani- mals. The end result of any beef cattle operation is meeting con- sumer demands, but a cow-calf producer must also weigh con- sequences of size on cowherd performance. So, what kind of cows can be used to get desirable offspring? A producer must first define what a desirable offspring is. If being sold for weaningweight value, thenmore pounds at wean- ing is desired. This can be accomplished either through bigger calves or more calves weaned. With the right crossbreeding scheme, bigger calves are not necessary. Rather, increasing the number of calves produced can be much more efficient while moderating cow size.

By crossbreeding, producers also benefit from heterosis, which means survival traits and maternal attributes of cross- bred dams get a boost (i.e., improved performance) just be- cause of improved gene combinations. Picking the right breeds is an important factor here. Determining the “right” size cattle is dependent on produc- tion goals and income sources. Even so, bigger does not always mean better. Therefore, it is critical that producers consider options to maintain efficient production systems while also maximizing profit. Recent research shows that even within size groups, variability exists (i.e., nutritionally efficient cows can be found in small cows). This suggests, with the right selection tools, frame size does not dictate every trait and can be used to change the average. BB

WWW.BARZONA.COM • SUMMER 2019 | 5

Barzona Breeders Association of America 604 Cedar Street Adair, IA 50002

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRIGHTON, CO PERMIT NO. 51

If you’d prefer to receive the Barzona Bulletin by email,

please contact Alecia Heinz at

(614) 745-9170 or barzonabreeders@ gmail.com

Quality Breeding Stock Wild N Grazy Farm

FOUNDATION HERD BREEDING STOCK Since 1974

Contact us to learn more about our herd.

Dodd & Sonda Carmichael

(254) 205-0360 • bobbydodd12@hotmail.com Bynum, Texas

Selling bulls private treaty. Yearling bulls available now.

ADVERTISING RATES The Barzona Bulletin is published four times per year by the BBAA and is mailed to more than 600 Barzona enthusiasts. Full Page Ad. ................................. $350 per issue Half Page Ad..................................$200 per issue Third Page Ad................................ $165 per issue Quarter Page Ad.............................$135 per issue Eighth Page Ad................................ $75 per issue

Semen available on a number of older bulls. Females available periodically private treaty. Foster, OK 73434 (217) 649-5616 Bard Cattle Co. Nancy Bard Nunn 18800 E. County Road 1603