Herd Improvement

Change doesn't happen overnight, but cattleman John Moes says the right tools accelerate herd improvement.

"Utilizing our commercial herd to use different protocols, to figure out what is working and how we can synchronize these cattle and get more of them bread at day one instead of waiting 21 days". Tightening up the breeding season led Moes to look for other areas of variation: "We started AI and started using growth bulls, once we got into straight Angus, we started seeing technology that we can use in synchronizing and getting cattle more consistent, grouped together in 270 head when we can have them gone at 13 months of age, it's just like clockwork."

Moes finishes his calves in an on-farm feedlot. Harvest groups have improved from 25% Certified Angus Beef brand acceptance to 67% in just two years. That's while holding yield grade 4s to less than 5 percent. "The biggest thing is use the new technologies, they are out there. If we use them and utilize synchronization, use the best of the best of the breeds, whether we use artificial insemination or just herd sires, use best of the best of the breeds, growth bulls... That's what we need to do." Moes recently received C-A-B's 2014 Progressive Partner Award