Dams of Distinction
DAMS
OF DISTINCTION
2,542 Dams of Distinction Honored
Dams of Distinction
A cow receiving the Dam of Distinction honor is a cow that meets the highest standards of commercial cattle production. The cow must do her job, but also her owner must manage the herd correctly to give her the opportunity to excel. Only a few active cows are recognized. All heifers have the potential to be a Dam of Distinction, but only a small percentage fit the job description of an ideal cow year in and year out. For more information about the Dams of Distinction Program, visit Hereford.org, click on “Genetics” and select “Recognition Programs.” Females attaining the Dam of Distinction status are recognized with “DOD” after their names on the AHA website, Hereford.org. The 2016 Dams of Distinction list recognizes 2,542 Hereford cows from 650 Hereford performance herds in 40 different states. For 36 years Rausch Herefords, Hoven, S.D., has led Hereford breeders with the most cows qualifying as Dams of Distinction. With 444 cows recognized, South Dakota is the top state again this year. A list of the top 20 states and top 20 breeders who have females recognized follows.
Top 20 States
No. of Dams Rank State 1 South Dakota 444 2 Nebraska 314 3 Kansas 293 4 Montana 150 5 North Dakota 141 6 Missouri 117 7 Idaho 110 8 Texas 105 9 Minnesota 78 10 Iowa 75 11 Wisconsin 69 12 Wyoming 66 13 Oklahoma 58 14 Georgia 45 15 Illinois 43 16 California 42 17 Virginia 39 18 Oregon 37 19 Colorado 35 20 Utah 24 20 Tennessee 24
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/ April 2017
Top 20 Breeders
No. of Rank Owner Dams 1 Rausch Herefords, Hoven, S.D. 128 2 Van Newkirk Herefords, Oshkosh, Neb. 57 3 Upstream Ranch, Taylor, Neb. 35 4 Alexander Mih, Chanute, Kan. 33 5 Monahan Cattle Co., Hyannis, Neb. 28 6 VJS Polled Herefords, Hays, Kan. 27 7 Fawcett’s Elm Creek Ranch, Ree Heights, S.D. 26 8 Shaw Cattle Co. Inc., Caldwell, Idaho 25 9 Duvall Polled Herefords, Lockwood, Mo. 24 10 Ridder Hereford Ranch, Callaway, Neb. 22 10 Hawks Herefords, Howes, S.D. 22 10 Beery Land & Livestock Co., Vida, Mont. 22 10 Elkington Polled Herefords, Idaho Falls, Idaho 22 14 Richard and Shirley Thomas, Gold Creek, Mont. 21 14 Hillsview Farms, Eureka, S.D. 21 14 Bartling Herefords, Herrick, S.D. 21 17 Alfred Schutte & Sons, Guide Rock, Neb. 20 17 Oleen Bros., Dwight, Kan. 20 19 Mrnak Herefords, Bowman, N.D. 19 20 4V Douthit Hereford Ranch, St. Francis, Kan. 18
Dams of Distinction
PHOTO BY KATIE COLYER
The Dams of Distinction program recognizes superior cows in the breed and the cattle producers who manage them based on data submitted to the American Hereford Association (AHA). Efficient, fertile and productive females are the foundation of the most successful cow herds. To be honored as a 2016 Dam of Distinction, a cow must have: 1) Weaned a calf born since Jan. 1, 2015. 2) Produced at least three calves. 3) Initially calved at 30 months of age or less. 4) Had an interval between the first and second calves of no greater than 400 days. In addition, a 370-day calving interval must have been maintained after her second calf. The longer initial calving interval allows breeders to calve 2-year-old heifers prior to the mature cow herd. 5) Had weaning records submitted to the AHA Whole Herd Total Performance Records (TPR™) Program for every calf produced that was born before June 30, 2016. 6) Had a progeny average 205-day adjusted weaning weight ratio of at least 105.
Alabama Debter Hereford Farm, Horton Drummond Mine Ranch, Hanceville Darrell Hicks, Cullman Meadowlake Farm, Talladega Morgan Hereford Farms, Mentone Mr. and Mrs. William Pope, Grand Bay Connie Sparks, Waverly Sul-Tay Polled Herefords, Elrod Tennessee River Music Inc., Ft. Payne B.L. Thomason, New Market Arizona Tessa Frenzen, Vail Arkansas Evans Farm, Searcy Thurlo and Nancy Halford Sr., Batesville Evelyn Jennings, Pea Ridge Jim Penturf, Ogden Seagraves Farm, Pocahontas Adam Sugg, Huntsville Emily Sugg, Huntsville Luke Sugg, Huntsville Sugg Hereford Ranch, Huntsville Triple S Ranch, De Queen California Melissa Brinlee, El Nido Randal and Chris Brinlee, El Nido Tom and Kathy DeForest, Adin Jackie or Christie Davis, Lincoln P.W. Gillibrand Cattle Co. LLC, Simi Valley Lambert Ranch, Oroville
Hereford.org