A few months ago I made an instagram (follow us @mccaffertyranchbeef) post talking about where good beef starts.
“Good beef doesn’t start with a good feed program. It ends there.
Good beef starts with genetics.
We have spent many years refining our herd genetics so that we could produce not only a strong maternal herd, but one that produces an excellent tasting experience.
Traits such as marbling, ribeye area, and yield grade have become more and more important in our herd as we sell more beef.
Our herd has become more uniform, maternal, and producers of great tasting beef over the years. It’s a process that never ends, and we are always working towards an even better product 💪.”
Earlier in the year we went to an annual bull sale where we have been buying our bulls for the last several years. A bull purchase is a very important decision, as it has a genetic impact on our herd for generations. It is also an expensive decision! The average bull at this sale last year cost $5,250. A young bull generally breeds around 15-20 cows a breeding season, and an older bull can breed as many as 30. If you do the math on the price per breed, you will understand why we really look for longevity in bulls!
As a ranch, we have always focused on making sure our herd has strong maternal traits. This means that the cows are not too large (bigger cows eat more), they are good milkers who raise big calves, fertile, docile, and have good mothering instincts. The last several years, we have been placing a large emphasis on marbling. Marbling greatly affects the eating experience, making it extremely important to our program and to our beef consumers!
It’s amazing how in depth you can get when selecting herd sires for your cows. Genetic evaluation tools in cattle are always evolving, allowing us to make more confident, informed decisions. Stay tuned for specifics on how we are working extremely hard on producing the best tasting experience possible.
- Megan