Association Perspective

Giving thanks for our blessings.

by Chris Jeffcoat, American Angus Association

With Thanksgiving upon us and Christmas right around the corner, we should all be giving thanks for the many blessings in our lives. As ranchers and farmers, you never truly have a day off, and sometimes one day goes to the next with very little sleep. I think we’re all guilty of being so busy we forget to look around at the many blessings we have and to give thanks for them. I know I am certainly guilty of this at times.

Recently at the National Angus Convention and Trade Show, there was a feed and nutrition company with advertising that featured a picture of an Angus cow and stated: “When does she have a day off?” Obviously, as the advertisement pointed out, a productive cow doesn’t have a day off during the year. Much like a rancher or farmer, your cows don’t have a day off either. This advertisement really got me thinking. How we do give thanks to the cattle we care for on our farms and ranches?

We give thanks to them by providing good pasture and winter feed, a good vaccination program, high-quality minerals and so forth.

However, how often do you consider the genetics of the bulls you’re using on these cows as giving thanks to them? These cows work for you every day of the year, and it’s important to use high-quality bulls that will have a positive impact on the future. If you’re retaining heifers for your herd, make sure you take a balanced approach to bull selection that will give you calves with growth and excellent carcass traits, and heifer calves with good maternal traits.

This balanced approach should be one that carefully weighs the expected progeny differences (EPDs) and selection indexes for both terminal and maternal traits, along with those phenotypic traits, such as the bull’s structure, that leave you with good longevity in your cow herd. Evaluating and selecting for the economically relevant traits for your herd will have a lasting impact on your next year’s calf crop and for generations to come with the females you retain.

Finally, as you make that next registered Angus bull purchase, it’s always important to ask for the registration paper. Documenting the genetics of your cow herd will only continue to be more and more important each year, such as with the Angus Link^SM feeder-cattle program.

Remember to take some time this holiday season to give thanks for the many blessings in your life. We are guilty of getting caught up in our busy lives and forgetting to give thanks at times, but it’s important we all take time to appreciate the blessings in our life. Furthermore, remember that one way to give thanks to your cows is by making that next bull purchase a registered Angus bull that will positively impact your herd for generations to come.

Editor’s note: Regional Manager Chris Jeffcoat covers the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the New England states. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.