ANGUS BEEF BULLETIN EXTRA

May 24, 2022 | Vol. 15 : No. 5

Nicky Smith cattle

[Photo by Becky Mills.]

Angus Proud: Nickey Smith

Angus Proud

AngusLink helps Louisiana cattleman gain more for his calves.

The southern portion of Louisiana is prone to extreme weather, and Nickey Smith has firsthand experience with that.

“We were in the cattle business when Katrina hit in ’06,” Smith says. “We took all of our cattle up into the middle pasture, since we knew we’d have trees fall on the fencelines. We just had to be prepared for it.”

Hurricane Katrina created some unique challenges for Smith Ranches.

“We were out of power for 27 days,” Smith says. “There were a lot of trees down and a lot of fences to repair. Some of our water wells had to be run by a generator because power lines were down.”

Smith says flooding was not the biggest threat for his farm, but others around him have dealt with the wrath of rising waters.

“We’re too high for the water to be a concern, since we’re about 180 feet above sea level,” Smith said. “I have had to take hay to some of my friends farther south of us because their fields flooded. Their hay just floated off.”

While Katrina feels like a long time ago, Smith says, his ranch still often battles extreme amounts of water.

“In the last three years we have gotten over 120 inches of rain, so you have to have cattle that are productive on wet ground and in hot temperatures,” Smith says.

Those cattle have been Angus. In addition to being able to handle the red clay hills 80 miles north of New Orleans, the calves market well. Smith uses the programs offered by the American Angus Association to help with that.

“The AngusLinkSM program is such a big help to me when I’m selling my calves,” Smith says. “I believe the Association’s marketing is better than anybody’s.”

Smith certifies his cattle using the NeverEver3 claim through AngusLink’s process-verified program, and he sells his calves in load lots.

“About five years ago, I bought some cattle that came with Charolais bulls,” Smith says. “The calves out of those bulls were about 14 pounds heavier than my Angus calves, which should have earned me more money per head. But instead, I still got more money out of my black-hided calves.”

To learn more about Nickey Smith and his use of Angus genetics and marketing programs, see “Common Goals Pay,” beginning on page 52 of the Angus Beef Bulletin’s 2022 Feeder-Calf Marketing Guide, due to hit mailboxes in early June. Get an early glimpse May 27, when the issue will be posted online at https://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/EXTRAs/abb-back-issues.html.




Angus Proud

In this Angus Proud series, Editorial Intern Jessica Wesson provides insights into how producers across the country use Angus genetics in their respective environments.



Scott SproulAngus Proud: Scott Sproul

Oklahoma operation learned wisdom of moving calving season to better suit their marketing needs.


Bubba CrosbyAngus Proud: Bubba Crosby

Fall-calving Georgia herd uses quality and co-ops to market calves.


Jim MooreAngus Proud: Jim Moore

Arkansas operation retains ownership through feeding and values carcass data.


Stephen ShinerAngus Proud: Stephen Shiner

Idaho operation rotates pastures in summer and raises crops for winter.

Brian NusbaumAngus Proud: Brian Nusbaum

Angus cattle fit cattleman’s marketing goals and helped him set out on his own.

Les ShawAngus Proud: Les Shaw

South Dakota operation manages winter with preparation and bull selection.


Jeremy StevensAngus Proud: Jeremy Stevens

Nebraska operation is self-sufficient for feedstuffs despite sandy soil.


Dave RutanAngus Proud: Dave Rutan

Angus breeder gets the most out of his bull investment by partnering with opposite calving-season operation.


Nickey SmithAngus Proud: Nickey Smith

AngusLink helps Louisiana cattleman gain more for his calves.