The Angus Conversation

Genetic progress happens faster today than it did decades ago. Is there an ideal pace?

Two Angus producers discuss how they use embryo transfer (ET), artificial insemination (AI) and natural service in their breeding programs, and how they draw on genomic and phenotypic data to make their selections in the first place.

“A really good breeder told me about 30 years ago … part of this thing is getting there as fast as you can. He said, just as importantly, never back up. So, you know, try to balance risk and reward,” says Ben Eggers, Sydenstricker Genetics.

He and Darin Meyer, De-Su Angus, cover a lot of ground in this one.

HOSTS: Mark McCully, Brett Spader, Miranda Reiman 

GUESTS: Ben Eggers, Sydenstricker Genetics; Darin Meyer, De-Su Angus

GUEST BIOS:
Ben Eggers has been involved in breeding registered Angus cattle since he acquired his first 4-H project heifer in 1964. He was active in 4-H, FFA and junior Angus, and as he grew up, became one of the youngest members of the Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association, while performance testing was in its infancy. He has worked for several Angus breeders through the years, and has been at Sydenstricker Genetics, Mexico, Mo., for 40 years this month. His wife, Darla, handles all the data submission for SydGen. He is a past president of Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, the Beef Improvement Federation and the American Angus Association.

Darin Meyer grew up on a diversified farm in northeast Iowa, where he gained experience with both dairy cattle and commercial beef cattle. Early on he showed an interest in the genetic side of the business, and his dad allowed him to take ownership in their breeding programs. Since then, he and his family have expanded the dairy business and added a registered Angus herd, forming De-Su Angus with locations in New Albion and Fremont, Iowa, which is the former Summit Crest Iowa farm. They have 1,500 cows, and focus on creating the highest $C cattle, while maintaining function. A crew of dedicated employees do everything from cattle care, reproductive ultrasound, artificial insemination to an in-house embryo transfer flush program.

Related Reading:  

http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/0322-et.pdf 

http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/ararecommodity.pdf 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

It’s the original maternal breed, but are all Angus cows maternal? 

“The cows are kind of the employee. They have to show up. It’s our job to take care of the cow, it is the cow’s job to take care of the calf,” says Joe Lowe, Smiths Grove, Ky. 

Lowe; Chad Denowh of Sidney, Mont.; and Kelli Retallick-Riley of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) discussed what it takes to have cows that work where they live and work further down the line.  

The trio talk data, phenotypes, tools they use and ones they wish they had.   

Maybe you have some ideas of your own? If so, be sure to find us on social media or drop us a line in the comment box at TheAngusConversation.com. 

 
HOSTS: Mark McCully and Miranda Reiman 

GUESTS: Chad Denowh, Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch; Joe Lowe, Oak Hollow Angus; Kelli Retalick-Riley, Angus Genetics Inc.  

GUEST BIOS: 

Chad Denowh, Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch, has been in the seedstock business from day one. He grew up helping his parents and extended family at their Sidney, Mont., ranch, and returned to the operation after graduating from Montana State University with a degree in animal science. He and his wife, Jenn, and their three daughters make up the fifth and sixth generation of cattlemen raising sires that “go out and get the job done for commercial cattlemen.” They are longtime participants in the Angus Herd Improvement Record (AHIR) program and have taken nearly every step to equip their customers with all the information available from embracing genomic technology to focusing on more difficult to measure traits like foot score. 

Joe Lowe is an eighth-generation beef producer in Smiths Grove, Ky., where he and his father own and manage Oak Hollow Angus. The Lowe family was involved in backgrounding, finishing and commercial cow-calf production before Joe’s father began the seedstock herd in 1978. Oak Hollow calves in both spring and fall and hosts two on-farm bull sales each year. The breeding philosophy emphasizes data-driven maternal selection for fertility, structural soundness and environmental adaptability to fescue while producing a highly marketable calf crop at all marketing points in the supply chain. Joe received an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Louisville and a master’s in agricultural economics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, before returning to the operation full time in 2013.  Joe is active with the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association and currently serves as Kentucky Beef Council chair. 

Kelli Retallick-Riley, president, Angus Genetics Inc. 

Related Reading:  

https://www.angusjournal.net/post/even-better 

http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/1021-by-the-numbers.pdf 

http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/0422-by-the-numbers.pdf 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

From a  young age commercial cattlemen Jordan Willis, Cokeville, Wyo., and Ryan Noble, Yuma, Colo., both had a laser focus career goal: they wanted to ranch.  

Separate operations, but similar paths.  

“I didn't understand what it was going take for us to all be back here on the place, but I always wanted to be here,” Willis says. Today, he and his wife, Jennie, manage their family ranch with his extended family. 

After college, Noble came home to his parent’s ranch that had survived the 1980s. Making it work to support another family, which now includes wife Ronella and their kids, would be just that:  work. 

Both families built their herds and developed a marketing path over the years. They use American Angus Association programs and reap the benefits of an investment in themselves.

This conversation touches on genetic selection, how their seedstock supplier helps them reach their goals and what they’ll need more of in the future.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Troy Marshall, director of commercial industry relations, American Angus Association  

GUESTS: Ryan Noble, Noble Ranch; and Jordan Willis, Willis Ranch

GUEST BIOS:  
Jordan Willis, along with his wife, Jennie, and their four children, own and operate Willis Ranch near Cokeville, Wyo., alongside the rest of his extended family. Today, 24 pivots cover nearly 3,700 acres of flood-irrigated soil with 1,800 commercial cows surrounding it. Willis Ranch is a diversified operation, committed to producing top-tier commercial Angus cattle, collecting detailed data, irrigating and farming their native lands, and keeping their family ties strong.
 
Ryan Noble, Yuma, Colo., ranches with his wife, Ronella, and their two children, along with Ryan’s parents on the place that’s been in the family for more than a century. After college, Ryan found a way to stretch their eastern Colorado ranch to support two families and continued growing that Angus-based cow herd each year. An innovative “always getting better” mindset, along with a focus on cattle that do it all on the ranch and on the rail earned the family the 2019 Commercial Commitment to Excellence Award. Drought has changed their “how,” but not their “why,” and today they operate successful heifer development program.

Related Reading:  

Register for Angus Convention:
https://angusconvention.com/ 

The Way to Do It
https://www.angusjournal.com/ArticlePDF/1019-CAB-commercial.pdf 

Legacies for a Living
http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/0218-cab-willis.pdf 

Healthy Hearts Start with Knowing More
https://www.angusjournal.net/post/healthy-heart-starts-with-knowing-more 

The Link to Profitability  
http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2020/05may20/0420fp-B-ABB-Willis.html 

The No Judgement Zone
https://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2022/08aug22/0722mk_B_TheLink.html 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

With more than four decades of experience in the cattle business, Jarold Callahan has a pretty good idea of what he expects of seedstock breeder, himself included. 

In this episode, the president of Express Ranches shares his breeding approach for serving a wide variety of customers. He talks the show ring versus the commercial customer, genomic technology and the recent trends in semen sales. 

He discusses the difference between the “good” Angus bulls and the “great” ones. 

“If you sell cattle that do the job that they were intended to do and don't cause them problems, they become an asset,” he says. “If they cause them problems of any kind, they tend to be a liability, and [customers will] go somewhere else and buy them.”

HOSTS: Mark McCully and Miranda Reiman 

GUEST: Jarold Callahan, president, Express Ranches

Jarold Callahan was born on a farm and ranch in Welch, Okla., and graduated one of the top 10 students in the College of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University. Upon graduation, he was an instructor at Northeast Oklahoma A&M, and while at NEO, he received his master’s degree in agriculture from the University of Arkansas. In 1981, he joined the faculty at Oklahoma State University and was an assistant professor in the animal science department, was in charge of the purebred beef herds and coached the livestock judging teams.

 In 1991, Callahan became the executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, and in 1996, he joined Express Ranches initially as chief operations officer and then became president.

 Callahan was elected to the American Angus Association board of directors in 2005 and served as president in 2011 to 2012.

Related reading:
The Pursuit of Excellence
https://www.angusjournal.net/post/the-pursuit-of-excellence

Express Yourself
http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/0320-express.pdf

Forging Trails
https://www.angusjournal.com/ArticlePDF/Forging%20Trails_Pres%20Pers%2011.12.pdf

Phenotypic Data in a Genomic World
https://www.angusjournal.net/post/phenotypic-data-in-a-genomic-world

Diving Into the Data | Angus University Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxXCr5KCg5c

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

When the Board of Directors comes into the American Angus Association office, it’s a week full of productive meetings and extra energy all around. This episode gives a behind-the-scenes peek at some of the high-level conversations the 17 breeders from across the United States had in St. Joseph, Mo. 

 From the growing value differentiation in feeder calves to data submission and the role of Angus Genetics Inc., they covered a lot of ground. 

 Guests Jim Brinkley, Brinkley Angus Ranch; Jerry Connealy, Connealy Angus Ranch; and Alan Miller, Prairie View Farms; join hosts Mark McCully and Miranda Reiman to provide the recap. 

HOSTS: Mark McCully and Miranda Reiman 

GUESTS: Jim Brinkley, Brinkley Angus Ranch; Jerry Connealy, Connealy Angus Ranch; and Alan Miller, Prairie View Farms

GUEST BIOS:

Jim Brinkley was born and raised in northern Missouri on his family’s farming operation. Today, the family’s diversified farming operation near Milan is made up of more than 1,300 acres and 400 registered Angus cows. Brinkley has hosted Brinkley Angus-influence feeder-calf sales and often places customer cattle into feeding programs where their calves are rewarded for the added value bred into the bulls that sired the calves. Brinkley is serving as Chairman of the Commercial Programs committee.

 Jerry Connealy is a fifth-generation cattleman who has operated the family ranch near Whitman, Neb., since 1981 with his wife, Sharon. The Connealys have three sons, Jed, Gabriel and Ben; as well as a daughter, Hannah, and can often be found with grandkids close by. Jerry focuses his cow herd base on productivity traits and manages two bull sales per year, selling 300 bulls at each. Connealy is the current Association president. 

Alan Miller, Gridley, Ill., is a third-generation Angus breeder. His grandfather, Adam Schlipf, began an Angus cattle herd in the late 1940s and was active in the purebred Angus business through the 1960s. Forty years ago, Miller’s parents, Orlan and Carol Miller, began revitalizing the Angus herd and named the operation Prairie View Farms (PVF). PVF is a family operation that Alan and his wife, Theresa, operate in close cooperation with brother-in-law and sister Brandon and Cathy Jones. Miller is serving as Angus Genetics Inc., (AGI) chairman.


Related reading: 

Letter from the President: https://www.angus.org/pub/LetterFromPresidentSept2022.pdf
 
Phenotypic Data in a Genomic World: https://www.angusjournal.net/post/phenotypic-data-in-a-genomic-world

Reputation Verified: https://www.angusjournal.net/post/reputation-verified

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Change can be exciting and fun, or it can be hard and messy. It can take work and brain power, but it can move you toward better cattle and more profit. That’s what has always motivated longtime Angus breeder Bill Rishel to invite innovation.

 “This change thing, the worst thing anybody can ever do is be afraid of it,” Bill says. 

 Listen as Bill and his friend and fellow breeder Larry Patterson talk about the developments they’ve seen in their lifetime. This episode goes from loading cattle on railcars to GPS collars for cows, with plenty of Angus breed improvement in between. 

Mentioned in this episode:
CAB at 30: http://www.angusjournal.com/articlepdf/cab%20history%2011_08%20aj.pdf

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

HOSTS: Mark McCully and Miranda Reiman 
GUESTS: Jerry Connealy, Connealy Angus Ranch; 
and David Dal Porto, Dal Porto Livestock 

Decisions, especially in the cattle business, have a way of sticking around for a while; their influence felt long after they’re made. 

Dining room table discussions often turn into the strategy that shape Angus herds across the United States. This episode features two well-known Angus breeders to get at how they approach the things both at home and while conducting business on behalf of the American Angus Association. 

We talk labor shortages, breeding philosophies, hard conversations and more.  

Some items mentioned in the episode:

• American Angus Association Board contact information: https://www.angus.org/assoc/board 
• Bovine Congestive Heart Failure: https://www.angusjournal.net/post/healthy-heart-starts-with-knowing-more

Guest bios:
Jerry Connealy is a fifth-generation cattleman who has operated the family ranch since 1981 with his wife, Sharon. The Connealys have three sons, Jed, Gabriel and Ben; as well as a daughter, Hannah, and can often be found with grandkids close by. Jerry focuses his cow herd base on productivity traits and manages two bull sales per year, selling 300 bulls at each.  

David Dal Porto and his wife, Jeanene, manage their registered and commercial Angus operation in California and now also in Anselmo, Neb. They have three children — Lindsey, AJ and Dawson. David has firsthand experience at every level in the evolution and application of performance information and complements that knowledge with a management background developed from experience. Dal Porto and his bull sale partner, David Medeiros, earned the 2011 Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) Seedstock Commitment to Excellence Award.

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Be part of the latest discussions in the Angus breed. Hear different perspectives from fellow breeders, researchers marketers and more. Join co-hosts Mark McCully, Brett Spader and Miranda Reiman in this pre-episode. It’s “get to know your hosts” with podcast goals and some future of the Angus breed thrown in, too.

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Join us for “The Angus Conversation,” a new podcast by the Angus Journal team. Listen every other week as we bring you new episodes with dynamic topics and keep you informed on all things Angus. 

 Subscribe anywhere you listen to podcasts, or visit AngusJournal.net. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.