To tailor their herd to best fit their grass-finishing program, Bouw and his family select low-input females that can take care of themselves throughout the year on forage only. The genetic combination to thrive in this system is very specific, he explained, highlighting the importance of longevity, maternal traits and fleshing ability.
“The animals that are going to finish on forage do look different than typical Angus cattle,” said Bouw. “They do have to be a moderate size and have the rib capacity and width.”
Selecting for fertility is vital to the success of their herd. By decreasing the length of their breeding season and using multi-sire breeding groups, they’re able to ensure the most fertile bulls and females reproduce. Their cowherd is exposed to purebred Angus bulls for the first 30 days of their breeding season, then a Simmental bull for the remainder of the season, allowing the most fertile females to produce purebred progeny.
Genetics are only one part of the equation, Bouw noted, as the type of forage makes a difference. At their farm, cattle take about 36 months to finish on grass.
“If I wanted to put the work and money into growing a higher-quality forage for them, I could probably get them finished at 24 months, but right now, especially in this drought, that’s not an option,” he said.
Taking longer to finish cattle with low inputs, however, results in a greater carcass weight at slaughter. “Maybe people think it’s too long, 36 months, but I’m getting paid by the carcass weight, and I want them to have a nice cover.”