Spring Newsletter 2016 Vol.18

Cattleman’s ChroniCleF l y i n g H g e n e t i c s

They’re Like. . .

Continued on page 2

The Mashek family of richards, MO has been crossbreeding and feeding out their own cattle since 1978. “Some people think you have to have straight Angus cattle to make money sell-ing Choice, CAB or Prime Quality Grade Cattle. We made over $1000 per head on our calves last year with an average $98.48 carcass premium per head with crossbreds.” “92% graded Choice, 35.5%

were CAB carcasses and 1.8% graded Prime. They gained 4.0 pounds per day with a dry matter conversion of 5.09 per pound of gain for 173 days on feed. 96% were yield grade 3 or less and closed out at 15 months of age. An average carcass weight of 886 pounds gave us a yield of 64.7%. They were like Angus on steroids–more muscle and less fat–and sired by Flying h Genetics bulls.”

Steve Mashek has been building a cowherd that is fertile, fits his environment and produces superior feedlot and carcass results since 1978.

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Steve Mashek, is in charge of the cattle in their family operation, which includes father Emil and brother David who handles the farm-ing. Steve doesn’t brag about his cattle but when asked, he has the facts to back up why he crossbreeds and feeds out his own calves. It starts by “sticking with the basics “and ends with profits. Emil started the cowherd in 1960 and had used straight Angus and some Charolais over the years. In 1978 Steve joined the opera-tion and expanded the cowherd to its present 180 head. He focused on crossbreeding, basically half Angus and half Continental “because the calves grow better and the cows and bulls last longer and are more efficient. Cross breeding really pays.”

Continued from page 1

“I thought about raising my own bulls so they would be adapted to our

fescue grass but when I learned that Flying H Genetics has their Grown

On Grass® bull development program, where their bulls are grown on fescue

grass to identify the ones that can handle and flesh on fescue, I just buy adapted

bulls and save all the hassle.”

“We don’t creep feed, don’t want to, because I want to see what each cow is doing on—her—own so I can cull the poor producers.” “We have kept and developed our own heifers for years and have built a very consistent, productive cowherd that is very fertile and produces calves that feed and grade very well also.” In 2015, Steve “calved 180 head (168 in 50 days) and lost zero calves at birth and only three between birth and weaning and none after that.” He also develops his replacement heifers on wheat pasture and grass hay with no supplement and had 90% conception on a 43 day breeding season. “It helps to have good weather but we also manage our calving pastures to control mud and our replacement heif-ers to make sure they are adapted to our environment.” “I watch my cows close but rarely have to assist anything and a “trick” that Steve credits for some of his low death losses are giving a shot of LA300 to all his calves at birth. He believes this has helped improve the survival rate of his calves. “ “I thought about raising my own bulls so they would be adapted to our fescue grass but when I learned that Flying H Genetics has their Grown On Grass ® bull development program, where their bulls are grown on fescue grass to identify the ones that can handle and flesh on fescue, I just buy adapted bulls and save all the hassle. The first time I went to Flying H to look and buy bulls, I really liked how they were conditioned and that there were no poor ones offered for sale. I have been a Flying H Genetics customer ever since.” At the age of 83, father Emil has decided it is time to retire from the cattle business. He knows that the cowherd is in good hands as Steve has proven he knows how to select and breed cattle that fit their envi-ronment, produce premium, delicious beef and very good profits!

A group of Angus/Simmental cross replacement heifers learning to make it grazing pastures with minimal supplementation.

Check out our web sitewww.flyinghgenetics.com

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DNA GeNOMiC ANALySiS iS AFFeCTiNG eVeryONe iN The BeeF BUSiNeSS.

1) Genetically enhanced ePD’s more accurately predict an animal’s true genetics increasing the power of genetic selec- tion for seed stock.2) Genetic evaluation of commercial replacement heifers is available to help identify heifers with the best genetics for calving ease, growth, fertility and carcass.3) Feeder cattle can be analyzed to more accurately determine the best end point for profitability.4) DNA genetic analysis is changing the way we identify and select better beef cattle in all areas of beef production and consumption.

DOeS GeNOMiC iNFOrMATiON AFFeCT Me – the bull buyer, grazer, heifer developer, back grounder, feeder, cow/calf producer and beef consumer?

here are some examples:a) Genetic defects can be identified and eliminated without destroying whole populations of good cattle. b) More informed culling decisions can be made for a multitude of traits.c) Better mating decisions can be made because of more accurate genetic analysis.

d) Breed specific genetic analysis is more accurate which also improves crossbreeding decisions.e) Indexes are more accurate and reliable selection tools with the help of genomics.f) Adding genomic analysis to EPD’s make them more accurate than individual measurements like birth and weaning weights and ultrasound for REA or MB.g) Increased accuracy of genetic analysis improves beef genetics all the way from conception to consumption making the industry more competitive through improved production efficiency and product quality.

GeNOMiC iNFOrMATiON AND PreDiCTiONS WiLL heLP yOU PiCk The riGhT BULL

it must be tempered with the realization that some things MUST Be OBSerVeD AND ANALySeD by cattlemen and cannot be measured with a blood sample.

For example:

Q: WhAT TyPe OF ANiMAL FiTS My eNVirONMeNT AND MANAGeMeNT BeST? A: Letting Mother Nature help with this is logical. Why create an artificial environment? Why not buy and produce cattle that fit what you have? Cattle are very adaptable and can live in deserts, moun-tains, plains and tropics. What are the right genetics for your

“The Right Bull”? Yes, But !

Continued on page 4

But . . .

Yes,

Junior purebred Gelbvieh herdsire Flying H Traction 45B

Will DNA Help Me Pick

1949— My DAD kept track of birth dates and sire and dam—pedigree and age were the basic requirements for registration and selection.

2000 WAS The FirST yeAr we utilized DNA genetic analysis to identify coat color (homozygous black) and for parent verification.

1968— We BOrrOWeD A SCALe from the local FFA and as an FFA project we took our first weaning weights on our registered bulls and heifers. Over the years we added additional weights and measurements giving us additional information for selection and culling of our seed stock.

1990— We PUBLiSheD our first sale catalog with ePD’s to more accurately identify the animal’s genetics.

2016—16 Years Later:

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environment? Do you need hair or slick? Black or Red or? Do you need more milk or not? Is your optimum weaning weight 350 pounds or 600 pounds? Are two 900 pound cows more profitable than an 1800 pound cow on your place? Do I buy bulls selected and developed in my environment with genetics that fit my environ-ment?

Q: ShOULD i CrOSS BreeD?A: Only if you want the benefits of increased efficiency, more genetic selection and the time proven benefits of making better cows and better beef. But, cross breeding is a mating plan that needs plan-ning. Select the breeds and genetics from each breed to compliment what you, your cattle and your land do best. The world’s largest beef breed data base (International Genetic Solutions) includes several breeds and does multibreed calculations to more accurately compare and identify superior beef genetics. Cross breeding now has the same genetic tools available as pure breeding. You can now buy hy-brid and composite bulls with the same genetic predictions as pure-bred bulls with the added benefit of utilizing more than one breed to make superior genetic packages. Is cross breeding right for me and am I using it correctly?

Q: hOW MUCh MiLk PrODUCTiON CAN My LAND AND FeeD reSOUrCeS SUSTAiN?

A: The amount of rainfall and ideal milk level are correlated. The more rain and forages per acre increases the potential for more pounds of beef per acre and per animal. Too much milk production for your environment will affect breed back reducing conception rates. When buying bulls, is breed average milk too much or too little or just right for me?

Q: hOW MUCh GrOWTh iS TOO MUCh?

A: Very few environments can sustain top 1% growth rates. Big-ger is good to a point but extremes seldom produce the most profit. What’s your most profitable weaning weight and cow size? What’s the frame size of your bulls? Are they real pounds or fat pounds?

Q: DOeS eVery ANiMAL NeeD TO GrADe ChOiCe?

A: Dollar premiums are paid for Choice, CAB and Prime Carcass Quality. So if Prime is the best then we should make all Prime Beef right? NO! It’s about Supply and demand. Too much of any one—whether it is hamburger or highly marbled steak—will reduce the price once the supply over powers demand. Yes, we need to pro-duce superior US beef that is in demand worldwide at a premium price, but not all beef will be premium. Cull cows will not grade Prime. But all beef needs to be managed to produce the best beef possible from each animal. Beef has a unique flavor that gives us an

advantage over pork and poultry and fish and we must not lose that advantage. Do I need to add carcass quality to my cattle?

Q: ShOULD i rAiSe BLACk hiDeD CATTLe iN A hOT AND hUMiD eNVirONMeNT?

A: Many factors come into play when analyzing and adapting cattle to your environment. Hide color and genetics both play a role. A black animal on fescue grass in Florida is at a disadvantage to a red hided Brahma cross because of the heat and humidity. But you won’t find any Brahmas in North Dakota. Breeds and their individu-al genetics offer genetic differences that can be utilized when finding what cattle work best in your environment. Some beef producers are asking, “what beef genetics work best in hoop building confine-ment?” Am I considering my environment when selecting bulls?

Q: iS The ANiMAL STrUCTUrALLy SOUND WiTh GOOD FeeT AND LeGS?

A: No matter what environment, bone structure, leg set and sound feet are critical if you expect beef cattle to perform, especially in cows 10+ years of age. Genetic defects play a role in structural soundness and need to be identified and eliminated. Do I make sure the bulls I buy are structurally sound and free moving and not fed fat?

Q: DiSPOSiTiON iS iNFLUeNCeD By GeNeTiCS BUT NeeDS PerSONAL OBSerVATiON TOO?

A: Disposition is second only to calving ease on the list of most im-portant traits. Wild and unruly cattle should be considered a safety issue and eliminated ASAP. Are the bulls I buy gentle and easy to handle and guaranteed for disposition?

Q: DO i NeeD TOP 1% reA GeNeTiCS?

A: Muscling as measured by the size of the Rib Eye Muscle (REA) is a good indicator of the amount or percent of a carcass that is beef verses bone and fat. We are in the beef business but this trait, like all traits, when carried to an extreme becomes negative. Double mus-cling is considered by some to be a genetic defect. You can get too much of a good thing resulting in lower quality, lower fertility and increased calving difficulty etc.

Q: WhiCh iNDex ShOULD i USe, DOeS iT FiT My OPerATiON?

A: Our industry is recognizing that single trait selection results in more problems than solutions. Thus indexes, the combining of selec-tion for multiple traits into one index number allows for ranking and identifying individual animals that are balanced and superior for sev-eral important traits. Make sure you understand what each index is designed to achieve. Is it a calving ease and maternal index, or a gain

Continued from page 3

Continued on page 5

DNA ... The Right Bull

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OUr TheMe, MONEY MAKIN MAMAS, was chosen for a reason, we expect our cows to work for a living. Sure, they need to be managed and taken care of, but the more they work the less i have to. And it starts at weaning. How you develop your heifers can affect how they perform as a cow. For instance, standing in the pen and eating from a feeder verses grazing corn stalks or winter graze can influence their grazing behavior. Several years ago, based on some initial research from the Univer-sity of Nebraska, we changed our breeding weight targets and made our heifers rustle for their grub as much as mother nature allowed. We found that supplementing protein and energy for only 1 pound of gain per day and forcing the heifers to forage for the rest, even with snow on the ground, helped train them to graze and assured they were structurally sound, athletic and “easy fleshing” or adapted to their environment. Now, when we do our prebreeding exams, take yearling weights, body condition scores, ultrasound and DNA test; we make another cull based on how they have performed under this challenging envi-ronment. The thin, rough haired, poor doing heifers are culled while the ones that did well are kept for breeding. This heifer challenge has done three things: decreased our cost of pro-duction, identified and removed the heifers and their genetics that can’t handle our environment and it improved the rebreeding of our first calf cows by eliminating the poor doers before breeding the first time. After the prebreeding exam, we do increase the heifer’s level of nutrition for a 2-3 pound gain through AI—approximately 60 days—and then turn out to pasture. This process has lowered our heifer pregnancy rate by an average of 4% but has increased the pregnancy rate of our first calf heifers by 5% or more—a profitable trade-off. We also save over $50 per head in feed costs, more than offsetting the lower pregnancy rate, and the cull heifers sell great and go to the feedlot where they belong.

We have learned that keeping more heifers as replacements, chal-lenging them to fit the environment and culling the ones that don’t has improved the genetics and profitability of our cowherd. you can speed up the process by buying bulls that have also been developed and culled to fit a roughage based environment. Buying bulls that have been fattened in a feedlot like a steer eliminates any potential to test their ability to adapt and work in a grass environment. FLyiNG h GeNeTiCS uses our rOUGhAGe ‘N reADy™ and GrOWN ON GrASS ® bull development systems to identify and eliminate those bulls that cannot thrive on roughages. Cattle were made to live, grow and reproduce on forages. Challenging them to do so identifies those that are more adapted and genetically able to convert sunshine, rain and grass into delicious beef.

MAKING THEM WORK FOR A LIVING…Flying h Genetics “heiFer ChALLeNGe”!!!

TM

and carcass index? Indexes have helped the dairy and pork industries make great strides and they will help the beef industry make good ge-netic progress too. But you need to know what each index is intended to do and make sure it fits what you need done. Buying bulls using the correct index or a combination of indexes may be best.

Q: WhAT hAPPeNS iF iT DiDN’T WOrk Like i PLANNeD?

A: That’s the challenge! Genomics helps us identify genetics more accurately but we need to identify what the right genetics for my operation are. That takes observation and trial and error. No matter how hard we try, there is always room for improvement and there will always be more traits to select for. For example, in 1949 my Dad selected for pedigree and visual ap-praisal only. In 1968 we started production testing and added select-ing for heavier weaning weights. Now we are selecting for traits with the help of genomic data--we use indexes to make improvement in several traits at the same time—we identify and eliminate genetic

defects--and we are on the verge of selecting for genetics that help prevent diseases. WOW, That’s Progress! But all of this progress must be tempered with the reality that everything must start with sound, functional beef animals that can produce and reproduce while making a living turning sunshine, rain and grass into delicious beef.

Once I have identified the type of bull genetics I need for my cows and my environment then I need to find the right bulls from the right seed stock operation that are developed and ready to work in my environment.

Flying H Genetics uses the team approach to make sure you get the right bulls for your operation. We offer ROUGHAGE ‘N READY and GROWN ON GRASS developed bulls in different genetic packages and promote the use of crossbreeding because we know that no one breed or bull is right for everyone. Call us today for a free consult on matching genetics to your environment—308.962.6500.

Continued from page 4DNA ... The Right Bull

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F Ly i N G h G e N e T i C S

WheN yOU ThiNk

yOU’re iN ChArGe—

think again.

Common sense isn’t as

common as it used to be.

Left, back row: Casie, Cody. Front: Kylan and Hayden Helms

Left to right: Kayla holding Abby, Kyle, Bonnie, Dick, Lilly, Bryan and Dawn Helms

From left: Kayla with Abby, Kyle and Lilly.

You have to have mud

before you can have grass.

STOP – and smell the rain, feel the warm sun and gentle breeze, listen to the grass grow, taste

the fresh air and see the beauty around you.

Aaron Ishmael and Dallas Wicklund

Chris Kohle

Left to right: Kylan and Hayden

Shay

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iT’S QUiTe SiMPLe, no one buys dead calves. So, you don’t want to buy a bull that causes calving difficulty and we don’t want to sell you one. Flying H Genetics utilizes every tool available to identify and eliminate hard calving bulls and guarantees every bull we sell to not cause above normal calving difficulty due to genetics. Things like breech births and abnormal presentations create calving prob-lems but are not caused by genetics. Flying H Genetics also identifies and guarantees some bulls for use on virgin heifers. Bulls not identified as 3, 4 or 5 star Heifer Bulls or Show Me Select are not guaranteed for use on heifers.Even though there are 15 things that affect calving difficulty, birth weight or calf size is the most common cause. Today, the best way to select for acceptable calving ease is to utilize the Calving ease ePD. This EPD is better to use than either the Birth Weight EPD or the Actual Birth Weight because it utilizes actual calv-ing data in calculating its ratio. At Flying H Genetics we also incor-porate visual appraisal and environmental influences in our analysis.

remember, there are two components to calf birth weights—genetic and environmental.

1) When we talk about the genetic influence on calving ease and spe-cifically birth weights we know we cannot be 100% accurate in our selections. But, with all the data and research and tools available, our accuracy is above 99%. So, for the less than 1%, we cover them

with our Calving Ease Guarantee! And we need to remember that the cow has more influence on the birth weight of her calf than the bull does. She has the same influence from her genetics for birth weight but she had the added “maternal” influence that the bull does not. Some cows influence may over power the bull’s genet-ics—some cows have big calves no matter what bull is used.

2) The environmental influence on birth weight is even greater than the combined genetic influence of both the bull and the cow. Birth weight is estimated to be 44% heritable (genetic) which means 56% is influenced by other or environmental effects. Influences such as age of dam, sex of calf, temperature the last 30 dates of gestation, nutrition and % protein in the diet, condition of the cow, etc. There are many things that affect the birth weight of each individual calf. The only constant is their sire and that is why the genetics for calving ease of the sire is so important. But, his genetics are not the only influence so one big calf is probably not the fault of the bull. Several big calves’ means there is a prob-lem and it could be the bull. That’s where Flying H Genetics steps up and helps our customers determine the cause of the calving problem. If it is the bull, he is eliminated and replaced with one of equal quality and value that does not cause calving problems.

If you want guaranteed calving ease on every bull you buy, Flying H Genetics is your partner for profits.

CALVING EASE GUARANTEEDFor over 30 years, Flying h Genetics has guaranteed

calving ease on every bull we sell.

WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE MONEY IN THE COW/CALF BUSINESS?

eliminate the losers!!!eLiMiNATiNG A COW that is losing you $100-$200 per year because she did not raise a calf big enough to pay all of her bills plus a return on investment will make (save) you more on a per head basis than any-thing else you do! And you don’t even need ear tags or a scale. it’s easy—just identify and sell them before they lose you more money. The best way to do that is at weaning or another time when you sort your calves from the cows. After sorting, walk the pen of calves and start pulling the smallest, poorest calves and put them back with the cows. Keep pulling until you feel all of the calves in the pen will make you a profit; sell for more than your total costs to carry a cow for a year. Now, sell those pairs and you’ve eliminated the cows that are losing you money. Let’s say that you just culled 5% of your cowherd because of poor production. It doesn’t matter why the calf is too small to pay the bills, his mama is not paying her way and by eliminating her you will lose less money. But what do you do because i now have extra grass etc.? Replace the culls with cows or heifers that don’t lose money. Either purchase known quality cows or heifers or retain additional heifers as replacements. Even though you are digging deeper into your heifers calves for replacements, they are still from the top half of your herd and should perform better that the bottom enders you

Purebred red Gelbvieh cow with Balancer heifer calf at side.

just sold. The value of the culls should provide sufficient money for replacements whether purchased or retained. Selling the calves with the cull cows also eliminates retaining calves that may continue to lose money due to low growth etc. What will this do to my cost of production and profits? It will lower your costs because every cow will be paying her way and your average profit per cow will go up since you don’t have to subsi-dize the losers. WOW, that was easy!

✔ MORE MUSCLE and more pounds while qualifying for Angus quality programs...

✔ IMPROVED FERTILITY and increased longevity equals better cows...

✔ BETTER FEED EFFICIENCY in the pasture and the feedlot saves money...

✔ AND MORE PROFITS!!!

Check out our sale prospects on the web!Find us on Facebook

The Tradition Continues...

kyle & kayla helms, Ne 308.962.6940Cody & Casie helms, MO, Ne 303.842.9071

Aaron ishmael, MO 417.309.0062Dick and Bonnie helms 308.962.6500

FLyiNG h GeNeTiCS

They’re LIKE ANGUS ON STEROIDS– ANGUS + Heterosis!!

Don’t forget our Spring 2016 bull sales

Roughage N’ Ready Bull SaleTM featuring our Money Makin’ MamasTM

March 5, 2016 — Arapahoe, NebraskaGrown On Grass® Bull Sale

featuring Fescue Adapted Bulls March 19, 2016 — Butler, Missouri

Gelbvieh | balancer® | anGuS | SimanGuSTm | SimmenTal | FuSion www.flyinghgenetics.com

Complimenting the best Angus and red Angus with Superior Simmental and Gelbvieh genetics produces...

They’re Like.. .

CCR Cowboy Cut 5048Z (SM) Other Simmental sires: Mr. Beef Maker102Y TNT Tanker U263 W/C United 956Y

Connealy Consensus (AN) Other Angus sires: KCF Absolute Duff New Edition 6108 Schiefelbein Effective 61

Schuler Rebel 0029X (AR) Other Red Angus sires: Schuler Rogue A669 FHG Lacy Legacy 6097

call, Text, email or click on our web site for more information

BULLS

250SELL!

Lazy TV Watchman W021 (GV/BA) Other Gelbvieh/Balancer sires: Flying H Professor 22W BGGR Gravity 803A Butlers Red Oak 908W