I have visited with thousands of cow-calf producers all over North America. With very few exceptions, these producers are all looking for the same type of momma cow. They say they want an efficient, 1100-pound cow that can wean at least 50% of her own weight for many years – without being pampered. That sounds doable, doesn’t it?
Later, though, when I ask about the bulls they have been using, I quickly see the problem. Although they want to produce efficient, 1100-pound cows, they are buying bulls that were produced by 1400 to 2000-pound cows that must be pampered to stay in production. How is that gonna work? It ain’t!
Nearly all of today’s seedstock producers still have 5 to 7 frame cows – that weigh substantially more than 1100 pounds. They are producing big-framed bulls that must be overfed to look good enough to sell. They continue to produce these big, inefficient Diesel Bulls because they mistakenly believe that is what commercial cow-calf producers want.
Pharo Cattle Company has built a very successful program around efficient, easy-fleshing, 3 and 4-frame cows that weigh 1100 to 1200 pounds. Ironically, our mature 3 and 4-frame Solar Bulls will often outweigh everyone else’s 6 and 7-frame bulls. How can that be? Our shorter bulls have more muscle, thickness and condition than everyone else’s taller bulls. Our bulls can maintain and gain weight on an all-grass diet.
Like begets like… If you want to produce the right size and type of momma cows, you need to be using bulls that were produced by the right size and type of momma cows. It’s as simple as that!