Producing easy-fleshing cows 1,200 lbs. or less

Gary Sliworsky
Ag. Rep.

This is part 1 of an article that comes from Kit Pharo, Pharo Cattle Company. While I may not agree with all of Kit’s philosophy, I certainly enjoy reading his view points. One thing to bare in mind is he ranches in very dry, limited forage country.
Many, if not most, producers (commercial and seed stock) do not know what it takes to produce efficient, easy-fleshing cows that have a mature weight of 1200 pounds or less. They have been misled and confused by promotions. Most of what I know, I learned the hard way — but once I figure out what does and does not work, I quit experimenting. Allow me to share bits and pieces of what I do know in this area.
Old cows hold the secret. Find a herd of cows in your area that are not being pampered or fed. Study the oldest cows in that herd. What do they look like? What do their pedigrees look like? What do their EPDs look like? These are cows that have proven they can do what a cow should be able to do. Learn from them.
Old, well-proven, grandma cows in most herds, and in most environments, have many similarities. They are not tall cows. They have tremendous guts and heart girth. They hold their condition well. They don’t wean the biggest calf every year — but they have weaned one every year for 12 to 15 years. Their pedigree goes back to some old-fashioned genetics. Their growth and milk EPDs are substantially below breed average.
Breeding the right kind of cattle is extremely easy and simple once we know what to select for.
There is no such thing as a curve-bending bull that can combine extreme growth with moderate mature size. I spent many years trying to find one — with no luck. Every now and then, you may find an individual animal or two that seems to be able to do this, but it cannot be duplicated. It is a waste of time.
The most efficient and profitable cow for most ranches will be a cow that weighs between 1000 and 1250 pounds — in decent condition. Bigger cows require too much feed for maintenance to be profitable. Smaller cows will wean a higher percent of their own body weight.
If a ranch can support 100 head of 1400-pound cows, it should be able to support 120 head of 1100-pound cows on the SAME forage resources and inputs. The 120 smaller cows will always produce more total pounds of beef — that are worth more per pound. More pounds that are worth more per pound, with the same inputs — equals MORE PROFIT.
Thick, easy-fleshing cows that weigh 1000 pounds to 1250 pounds will have a frame score of 2 to 4.5. Yes, there are lots of 6-frame cows that weigh 1100 to 1250 pounds, but they are tall, slab-sided, hard-keeping cows that won’t last long in a real-world, grass-based environment. If you put some real condition and thickness on a 6-frame cow, she will easily weigh over 1400 pounds.

Dates to Remember
Mar. 1 – Dairy Producers Annual meeting, Morley municipal bldg

Mar. 3 – RR 4-H Awards Night/Banquet, 6:00 pm, Stratton Millennium Hall. Call 482-2863 to confirm attendance.