O’CONNELL
© Sue Graue
RANCH
ANGUS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME by CCA Associate Director of Communications Maureen LaGrande When it comes to a set of boots everyone has a pair that they prefer over another. This preference may be based on durability, fit, size, looks and comfort. Just like a pair of boots, ranchers have a preference when it comes to finding the right “fit” of livestock to use in their operation. The Angus cattle breed originating from Scotland made its way to the United States in 1873. At the time livestock commonly were all horned, so those who had the opportunity to see the few Angus in the states were intrigued by their naturally hornless appearance. By the late 1800s, more Angus cattle were being imported to the United States. As the breed gained momentum and popularity amongst cattlemen the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders Association was created in the early 1900’s and shortened in the 1950s to the American Angus Association (AAA). To run a purebred Angus operation an owner must keep detailed records of their animal’s lineage, submit health data and continually keep these records up to date to ensure the most accurate information to those in search of a purebred animal to add to their herd. Angus producers Dan and Barbara O’Connell, Colusa along with their children Daniel and Shayleen have been building upon their operation ever since Shayleen began raising animals as a youth, and the family has been selling their animals for the last 29 years. 24 California Cattleman March 2024
The O’Connell’s operation got its start when Dan and his daughter Shayleen were walking around the beef barn at the local county fair when they stumbled upon a cow-calf pair. Dan turned to Shayleen and asked, “Is this something you’d be interested in doing?” Shayleen looked at the animals, then at her dad and said, “Sure!” From there the pair spent their time researching the different breeds, and their traits and looked for what would best fit their needs. “We knew nothing when we started, it was a whole new world,” said Shayleen. Once they decided upon Angus, it was off to the sale yard where she purchased her first two Angus heifers in 1986. While their daughter’s interest in raising purebred livestock was a new venture, both Dan and Barbara growing up had been around livestock. Dan’s grandfather had managed a cattle ranch in Rio Vista and Barbara had grown up on a small dairy. They had cattle in their blood. Shayleen began to show her animals at the local fair, state fair, Cow Palace, and jackpots. Gaining knowledge, showing experience and forming relationships with others who raised Angus, the family’s aspirations grew to expand the herd. In the beginning, the O’Connell’s had some females but due to limited pasture space, did not expand the herd until they purchased their home surrounded by some acreage just outside of Colusa. Today they run their cattle on five different owned and leased properties throughout Colusa County. All of their females are artificially