First things first... we aren't flashy. What you see is what you get. Our bulls are not clipped or groomed, feet are not trimmed. Their appearances are not edited. We haven't done anything to mask flaws. 

We are, first and foremost, commercial producers. We started our modest purebred herds to develop bulls for ourselves. We did not chase fads when we sourced new genetics. We made a point to source bulls that are proven and predictable. We felt that is what we needed. We still feel that is what commercial producers need. Commercial herds aren't built on hype. They are built on hybrid vigour achieved through predictable and reliable seed stock purchases. 

There is no doubt that crossbred cattle are more resilient and more efficient than purebred cattle. As such, it’s tempting to put extra resources into the purebred herd. But, we resist that! Our purebred cattle run with our commercial herd. No special treatment. No extra inputs. They are expected to live like a crossbred animal, without the advantage of being crossbred. 

We have moderate females that calve in May-June on tame grass. They need to be good moms, who calve on their own, with quality udders that let a calf get sucking on its own. If we are fortunate enough to have lush pastures in the spring, we can't afford to have udders that "blow-out." They are just too time-consuming. This is why we udder score every cow at calving. In addition to udder scores, feet are evaluated. If they fail a foot or udder evaluation, no heifers are ever retained out of them. We also cull for disposition. We are a family operation and we rely on our kids and neighbours for processing days. It's not fair to any of them if we have cattle that are dangerous. 

The bulls... we develop them on a strictly forage ration. Their winter feed is supplemented with a dehy alfalfa pellet. Their summer diet is not supplemented. Our bulls are grown slowly into 2 year olds. However, they still must pass their breeding soundness evaluation at 14 months. We have a mix of simmental and speckle park bulls on offer. We have found that these 2 breeds complement each other. They also can both be used as crossbreeding options for angus- based commercial herds. Any way we can increase hybrid vigour in commercial herds is a win.

Southern Saskatchewan can be a tough climate. We can be plagued by drought. Feed can be scarce. As such, our cows and bulls are hardy and adaptable. They winter on whatever we have: swaths, tame hay, greenfeed, silage, stockpiled grazing, straw. Many of you know the drill!  If this sounds like something you can relate to, our bulls are worth considering!

 

Thank you for your interest in our program.