Does your breeding program have a destination, or does it simply have a direction? Most ranchers have no specific target to shoot for. They have a direction, but they have no destination. They are moving, but they don’t know where they are going. If you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to know when you get there? Once you have reached your destination or goal, you should try to maintain that level without going any further.

      Direction. A breeding program that has a direction, but no destination, would constantly be trying to increase or decrease one or more traits. For example, it would increase a 350 pound weaning weight to 400 pounds, and increase that to 500 pounds, and increase that to 600 pounds, and on and on. That first 50 pounds might be easy to achieve, but every increase after that will become more and more difficult and expensive. For every dollar invested you will receive less and less in return. When you go beyond your optimum level, your net profits will actually begin to decrease. I know several ranchers who have finally concluded that their optimum (most profitable) weaning weight is only 400 to 450 pounds.

     Remember, you can’t get something for nothing. Every increase in production comes with a cost. It’s ironic, but several ranches that were paid for with 350 pound calves are going broke with 600 pound calves. What went wrong?

     For forty years producers have successfully increased growth and size in their cattle, and most are still running in the same direction. Seedstock producers are leading the pack. They are willing to do whatever it takes to continue increasing their weaning and yearling weights. But what happens when they go beyond the optimum level? Feed costs will increase along with cow size. Calving problems will increase along with birth weights. Herd fertility and efficiency will suffer. But most importantly, net profits will decrease. This may go unnoticed by seedstock producers who are able to sell their bull calves to commercial producers at an over-inflated price, but what about the commercial producer who buys and uses these bulls? How will these bulls affect his profitability?

     As ranchers, we’ve been conditioned to believe that our progress can only be measured by the visible changes that occur in our cattle. It’s difficult for us to stop at the optimum level for any trait because there would be no more visible change. Since we can no longer see an improvement, we feel compelled to keep pushing on in the same direction. Direction is good, but only if we have a destination in mind.
Destination. A producer who has a destination knows what it takes to maximize profits. He knows what size and type of cow is optimum for his environment. He knows what his optimum level is for birth weight, growth, milk, etc. All of his breeding decisions are made with his destination in mind.

     He realizes there are genetic antagonisms between several of the important economic traits in beef cattle. For example, extreme growth rate will negatively affect calving ease, fertility, and feed requirements for maintenance. There are trade-offs that must be considered when making breeding decisions. We can only select for so much growth, muscle and milk without having some negative consequences. Therefore, the optimum level for many traits lies somewhere in the middle. All the flashy extremes that everyone is drooling over must be avoided. It’s unfortunate, but most seedstock producers don’t seem to have the discipline required to quit using the extremes.

     Once you’ve reached your destination you can start working on uniformity within your herd. This isn’t difficult if you know what your optimum levels are for all the traits you select for. There is absolutely no reason you cannot reduce the variations that exist for birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, cow size, fleshing ability, etc., within your herd. To do so, though, requires that you know exactly where you are going. Your breeding program must have more than just a direction. You will need a destination.