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LESSONS LEARNED Longtime Cattle Producers Share Valuable Insights By Jessie Topp-Becker, Managing Editor

I t’s been said experience is the best teacher, and, since hindsight is always 20/20, who better to learn from than those who have decades of experience? Cattlemen who attended the 2021 Beef Improvement Federa- tion’s Young Producer Symposium had the opportunity to learn from three longtime cattle producers as part of a panel titled “Breeding for Profitability: Keeping Balance for the Long Haul.” Mary Ann Kneibel, Kneibel Cattle Co., White City, Kan.; Bart Jones, Red Hill Farms, Lafayette, Tenn.; and Steve Radakovich, Radakovich Cattle Co., Earlham, Iowa, shared about their oper- ations and the lessons they’ve learned over their decades-long careers. “Hopefully you can learn from the mistakes we’ve made,” Kneibel said. “We have not always made the perfect decisions.” Build Smart As young cattlemen consider ways to jumpstart their cow herd, purchasing elite genetics and embryo transfer are often two of the first options they consid- er; however, the panelists shared other options that may be more economical and reliable ways to build their herds. “When you’re wanting to access better female genetics, find the ranch that you really appreciate the cow herd from and go talk to them, and I guar- antee you can probably figure some- thing out with that person,” Kneibel suggested. Jones encouraged producers to utilize selection within their existing program. “Breed them all, expose them all, keep the ones that breed early,” he said. “Keep all those females and let them prove to you which ones are the best. That way, 15 to 20 years from now, you’ll have a set of females that are adaptable to your management in your environment.” RIGHT: Veteran cattle producers, from left to right, Bart Jones, Mary Ann Kneibel and Steve Radakovich share about the lessons they’ve learned over their decades-long careers as part of a panel discussion at the 2021 Beef Improvement Federation’s Young Producer Symposium. Photo courtesy of Angie Stump Denton, Kansas State University

“It all starts with calving ease and reproduction for us, and we put the most emphasis on cow traits,” he said. “But for our customers, it’s the cow traits, reproduction, stayability, the pregnancy rates ... those are the things that really drive your success in the long term. “I think it’s really important that we keep our traits in moderation,” he added. “You can’t solely focus on any single trait,” Kneibel agreed. “Reproductive performance, reproductive efficiency is still the No. 1 driver in profitability.” A key to reproductive performance for all three panelists involves culling cows that don’t produce a calf. Making those culling decisions can be difficult, which is why it’s important to make those decisions based on data, rather than emotions. “There’s no excuses,” Kneibel said. “If you’re not going to bring a calf, you’re gone. If you’re open, you’re open. I don’t care how pretty you are and how much I liked you, you haven’t done your job.” Adaptability is also something Rada- kovich encouraged young producers to keep in mind. “We look at adaptability as a labor- saving [trait],” he said. “If your cattle are not adapted to your management and to your environment and to your climate, then it’s an uphill battle.”

“Let the cream come to the top under your environment,” Radakovich agreed. “And if you want good females, use semen out of bulls that produce good females,” he added. “The power of genetic change is in the bulls.” Strive for Balance When building a cow herd, producers need to consider what traits are most important to them and, perhaps more important, their customers. Traits the panelists suggested producers consider included adaptability, structural sound- ness, disposition and reproductive performance. Ultimately, it is a delicate balancing act. “We need cattle that have good, functional traits that make life easy for the commercial producers,” Jones explained. For Jones, like many in the beef industry, nothing trumps fertility and maternal traits.

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