Spotlight on Speckle Park Vol 1 Issue 2

SPOTLIGHT ON

SPECKLE PARK

Spotlight on Speckle Park Mission Our mission is to educate and inform our membership, to build enthusiasm and create community within the breed, whilst continuing to market and showcase the Speckle Park cattle to their maximum potential - with emphasis on the breed’s efficiency, longevity & quality beef production.

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECKLE PARK TEAM

EDITOR & PUBLICATION MANAGER

Cayley Boychuk-Brown

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Keltey Whelan

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECKLE PARK PUBLICATION

SCHEDULE

SPRING DEADLINE PUBLISHED Feb 15 March 1

FALL DEADLINE PUBLISHED Sept 15 Oct 1

AD RATES SIZE

Full Page 8.5” x 11” plus ¼” bleed

$1,150

Half Page 7.5” x 4.7” no bleed

$600

Quarter Page 3.6” x 4.9”

$425

Business Card 2.125” x 1.5”

$150

Premium pages will be priced upon request and sold first come, first served. If an ad is placed in both the Spring & Fall editions, a 15% discount will be applied to the second ad rate. For more information and to book space, contact Cayley at info@canadianspecklepark.ca

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

JEFF GAYE

Jeff Gaye has been writing about the beef industry for a dozen years. He had previously worked in breweries and an ice cream factory, fought forest fires, served in the RCAF, and played French horn in symphony orchestras. He is the publisher and editor of Respect, a biweekly newspaper for seniors (and seniors-to-be) in Cold Lake, Alberta.

MONA HOWE

Mona Howe is the owner and operator of Mo Angus, a ranch in Southeastern Alberta raising purebred and commercial Angus cattle, Quarter horses and Border Collie and Corgi dogs. She began freelance writing in 2018 in her spare time as an opportunity to share her passion for all aspects of the livestock industry.

CATHERINE BROWN

Catherine is an avid writer with a lifelong passion for cows. Her day-to-day life involves cattle management in both commercial and purebred enterprises. She has a special interest in subtle energy, particularly as it relates to cattle and cattle handling. She has written for and edited several Canadian livestock publications for over 35 years and will soon launch her first book project.  She and her husband currently manage a cattle ranch in the southern interior of BC.

NICKI WESTERSUND

Nicki Westersund was raised on a commercial beef farm just outside of Blackie, AB. She spent 8 years involved in the Alberta 4-H Program with beef steer, replacement heifer and horse projects. Nicki attended the Univeristy of Lethbridge where she graduated with a bachelors degree in agriculture economics. Throughout university Nicki held summer postions at Farm Credit Canada, Western Feedlots and BASF. After graduation Nicki accepted a position with DuPont where she was the Account Manager and Grower Specialist managing over 80 strategic accounts within southern Alberta for pesticide products. Nicki now occupies the role of Western Canada Territory Manager for Neogen Canada managing beef genomics. Nicki enjoys helping with operations on the farm, mountain biking/hiking and training her working cow horse to get back into the show pen. It is an excting time to be involved in genomics with evolving technology and a diverse product portfolio, Nicki is looking forward to helping producers manage their genetics and to be part of the Canadian beef industry.

SPECKLE PARK

ANGUS

ANGUS ANGUS

SPECKLE PARK

SPECKLE PARK

CSPA CORNER

We are excited to release the second edition of the Spotlight On Speckle Park Magazine.

The Speckle Park breed continues to be one of the fastest growing breeds in the world. Our registry continues to grow along with our membership. As of February 15th, 2023 there were 16,024 registered animals in the Canadian Speckle Park Association and 296 memberships renewed to date. Globally, there are more than four Speckle Park breed associations. All of these associations are collaborating to improve breed standards and integrity which is imperative to see growth in market share across the beef industry. Genetic exports continue to be on the rise across international markets.

Since the release of the inaugural publication, numerous shows have taken place, with the Speckle Park breed being very well represented. The continued comments from astute beef colleagues without a doubt shows the breed is going in the right direction. Speckle Park cattle are continuing to be selected by producers

in commercial crossbreeding operations as attributes of hybrid vigor, longevity and a quality meat product are being expressed.

Reflecting on the year of 2022, I am very proud of our team. Our Registry & Business Manager, Ciara Mattheis along with our Marketing & Promotions Manager, Cayley Brown are committed to the Canadian Speckle Park Association providing us with strong positioning for future years. Our board of directors continue to represent members and the breed through various projects and meetings while maintaining their own seedstock operations. They are a talented group with a wealth of knowledge.

With calving season in full swing and bull sale season just around the corner, I wish everyone a very successful 2023. This truly is a very exciting breed to be a part of!

Janice Harasymchuk CSPA President

Nous sommes ravis de publier la deuxième édition de la revue Spotlight On Speckle Park.

La race Speckle Park continue d’être l’une des races qui gagne de la popularité le plus rapidement au monde. Notre registre continue de croître avec nos membres. Au 15 février 2023, il y avait 16,024 animaux enregistrés et 296 membres à l’Association canadienne. À l’échelle mondiale, il existe au moins quatre associations de race Speckle Park. Toutes ces associations collaborent pour améliorer les normes et l’intégrité de la race, ce qui est impératif pour réclamer notre part de marché dans l’industrie de la viande bovine. Les exportations de la génétique continuent d’augmenter au niveau des marchés internationaux.

Depuis la sortie du numéro inaugurale, de nombreuses expositions ont eu lieu, la race Speckle Park étant très bien représentée. Les commentaires de nos collègues astucieux confirment sans aucun doute que la race se dirige dans la bonne direction. Les bovins Speckle Park continuent d’être sélectionnés par les producteurs dans

RAPPORT DU PRÉSIDENT

le cadre d’opérations commerciales de croisement, car les attributs de la vigueur hybride, de la longévité et d’un produit de viande de qualité s’expriment.

En réfléchissant à l’année 2022, je suis très fier de notre équipe. Notre responsable du registre et des affaires, Ciara Mattheis, ainsi que notre responsable du marketing et des promotions, Cayley Brown, se sont engagées envers l’Association canadienne du Speckle Park en nous fournissant un positionnement solide pour les années à venir. Notre conseil d’administration continue de représenter les membres et la race à travers divers projets et réunions tout en maintenant leurs propres opérations d’élevage pur-sang. Ils sont un groupe talentueux avec une richesse de connaissances.

Alors que la saison des vêlages bat son plein et que la saison des ventes de taureaux approche à grands pas, je souhaite à tous une très bonne année 2023. C’est vraiment excitant de faire partir de cette race!

Janice Harasymchuk

Présidente de l’ACSP

CSPA

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

Janice Harasymchuk

Saskatoon, SK 306-260-6200

janiceh@maxies.ca

VICE PRESIDENT

Curtis McAleer

Unity, SK 306-228-3689

ctmcaleer@sasktel.net

DIRECTORS

Cory Ducherer

Neilburg, SK 780-870-7584

coryducherer@gmail.com

Peter Watson

Branchton, ON 519-242-0933

petemar162@gmail.com

Harv Fehr

Hague, SK 306-290-6780

highmark.hf@gmail.com

MEMBER AT LARGE

Art Pruim

Warman, SK 306-222-8455

ajpruim@sasktel.net

DIRECTOR/YOUTH PROGRAMS

Heather Brundige

Bonnyville, AB 780-573-2597

youth@canadianspecklepark.ca

OFFICE MANAGER’S REPORT

CSPA CORNER

What an amazing show season we had with Speckle Park cattle! Our breeders certainly brought the best to town and the quest for excellence within the breed was noticed by all.

As Bull sale season is now underway, we have a few reminders from the registry department for our members;

Please ensure any DNA testing is submitted well in advance as Neogen does not offer any rush services and has a minimum turnaround time of 21 days from start of sample testing to completion. For those using the online system for entering calf data, please remember to notify the office by email with your list when you are sending samples in and that the complete and accurate Tattoo and UNR of each animal is clearly marked on each individual sample submitted to the lab. This will assist Neogen in reducing delays getting started on processing your sample once it arrives to their office.

Animal transfers are the responsibility of the Seller to submit to the office. Under the animal pedigree act; animals sold as registered stock must be transferred by the seller within 6 months of the date of sale. We cannot simply accept verbal notification to transfer an animal from the seller or buyer and do require animals with printed certificates to have the back side completed and mailed back to the office for all changes in ownership. If the animal certificates are held digitally for online transfer, the seller

can log into their online account and complete their transfers directly through the system. This will result in the transferred certificates printing off immediately on our end and able to be mailed directly to the buyer saving everyone time.

We appreciate all our members that work tirelessly day after day to produce the quality genetics we can be proud of here in Canada. The international demand for Canadian genetics is constantly increasing and we are so proud of the great accomplishments our Canadian genetics have had around the globe. Animals with genetics being exported must have SNP-100K parent verification and their 3 conditions on file. If you still have some of those older parent animals (2019 and prior) in your herd that only have Microsatellite DNA on file, we encourage you to pull a hair or TSU sample for your records when possible and consider upgrading any of those animals to SNP parentage. This will speed up the process and reduce the headaches immensely down the road if you have plans to export any progeny from these animals (or simply to save you money year over year on your parentage testing for progeny registrations).

Regards,

Ciara Mattheis Business Manager Canadian Speckle Park Association

CANADIAN SPECKLE PARK ASSOCIATION

5160 Skyline Way NE Calgary, AB T2E 6V1

Hours of operation: Monday to Wednesday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Tel: 403-453-9544

info@canadianspecklepark.ca canadianspecklepark.ca

Quelle saison d’exposition incroyable nous avons eue avec le bétail Speckle Park! Nos éleveurs ont certainement apporté leurs meilleures bêtes en ville et la quête de l’excellence au sein de la race a été remarquée par tous.

Comme la saison de vente de taureaux est maintenant en cours, le département des enregistrements voudrait vous offrir quelques rappels;

Veuillez-vous assurer que tout test d’ADN est soumis bien à l’avance, car Neogen n’offre aucun service urgent et dispose d’un délai d’exécution minimum de 21 jours entre le début du test de l’échantillon et son achèvement. Pour ceux qui utilisent le système en ligne pour saisir les données sur les veaux, n’oubliez pas d’informer le bureau par courriel de votre liste lorsque vous envoyez des échantillons au laboratoire. Assumez-vous que le tatou et l’UNR sont complets et exacts pour chaque animal et clairement indiqués sur chaque échantillon soumis au laboratoire. Cela aidera Neogen à réduire les délais de traitement de votre

RAPPORT DU CHEF D’ENTREPRISE

échantillon une fois qu’il arrivera à leurs locaux.

Les transferts de propriété d’animaux doivent être soumis par le vendeur. En vertu de la Loi sur la généalogie des animaux; lors de la vente d’animaux pur-sang, le vendeur doit transférer les enregistrements dans un délai de 6 mois à compter de la date de vente. Nous ne pouvons pas accepter une simple notification verbale pour transférer un animal. Pour les animaux avec des certificats imprimés, il est obligatoire de remplir le verso et le faire parvenir au bureau de l’association pour tous les changements de propriétaire. Si les certificats d’animaux sont conservés sous forme numérique pour un transfert en ligne, le vendeur peut se connecter à son compte en ligne et effectuer ses transferts directement via le système. Ainsi, les certificats transférés seront immédiatement imprimés de notre côté et pourront être envoyés directement à l’acheteur, ce qui épargnera du temps pour tous.

Nous apprécions tous les membres qui travaillent sans relâche jour après jour pour produire de la génétique de qualité dont nous

pouvons être fiers. La demande internationale pour la génétique canadienne est en constante augmentation et nous sommes très fiers des accomplissements de celle-ci partout dans le monde. Les animaux dont la génétique est exportée doivent avoir une vérification parentale SNP-100K et leurs 3 conditions au dossier. Si vous avez encore certains animaux plus âgés (2019 et antérieurs) dans votre troupeau qui n’ont que de l’ADN microsatellite en dossier, nous vous encourageons à prélever un échantillon de poils ou de TSU lorsque cela est possible et à envisager de mettre à niveau ces animaux avec la technologie d’ADN « SNP ». Cela accélérera le processus et réduira considérablement les problèmes si vous envisagez d’exporter leurs descendants. Vous économisez aussi année après année sur vos tests de parenté pour les enregistrements de leur progéniture.

Salutations,

Ciara Mattheis Chef d’entreprise, Association canadienne Speckle Park

SOUTH OF UNITY 27KM, 1KM WEST

viewing, dinner & refreshments available from 1pm until sale close

BULLS SELL ON FARM GATE TIMED AUCTION

KFC KICK OFF 36K

KFC KEROSINE 76K

KFC KINGPIN 30K

SPECKLE SPOTS

COMMERCIAL BREEDER OF THE YEAR

Current CSPA President, Janice Harasymchuk, presented Kara and Nita Wilson with the 2022 Commercial Breeder of the Year Award during the Canadian National Speckle Park Sale in November. We acknowledge Kara and Nita for championing the Speckle Park breed and thank them for all the ways they have, and continue to, contribute to our breed and industry as a whole.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Current CSPA President, Janice Harasmychuk, presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to the Chibri family of PAR Ranch during the 2022 National Speckle Park Show. Congrats to the Chibri family on their successes over the years. We thank you for all you have contributed to the Speckle Park breed and community over the years.

2023 AGM INFO

The 2023 CSPA AGM will take place June 16th – 17th, 2023 in Cambridge, Ontario. The AGM will be hosted at the Cambridge Hotel and Conference centre (519) 6221505 ). There is a block of rooms booked – mention Canadian Speckle Park at time of booking for the best rate. The AGM will include tours, a junior showmanship fun show, meetings and a banquet.

The Second Annual Speckle Park Summer Sale On Ice (through DLMS Farm Gate Timed Auction) will once again run in conjunction with our AGM this June. Please contact Cayley (info@canadianspecklepark.ca) to consign semen and embryo lots. We hope to see you there!

Please also keep in mind these important upcoming dates:

• Proposed Bylaw amendments must be submitted to the office prior to April 18

• Nominations for Directors must be received at the office before May 1

CBBC

Through the ongoing support of Agriculture and AgriFood Canada (AAFC), we have been able to continue to assist our members and advance our market development goals in key countries around the globe with funding provided through the AgriMarketing Program (AMP).

For further information on this program and application forms, please contact Carla at the CBBC Office: cborsa@ beefbreeds.ca

bottom line traits that SHINE

Written by Catherine Brown

The “Business Case” for the Breed

Jordon Underhill of Guelph, Ontario, got a call in the winter of 2011 from a local feedlot operator asking Jordon if he could take on a heifer that unexpectedly calved in the feedyard. Jordon obliged, not knowing the impact that heifer would have on his operations going forward.

Jordon eventually put that heifer amongst his own cows in a yard with feedbunks which were visible to him 24-7 by camera surveillance. What he noticed was how little this new mother went up to the bunk relative to her herdmates of more conventional beef breeds. And yet she kept her condition through the winter months and later on grass. It impressed and intrigued Underhill enough to look into the breed.

Underhill SPECS was founded by Jordon and his family in 2012 and grew to its current size of 60 foundation Speckle Park females. This operation was the first in Eastern Canada to win a championship banner at Agribition and the first to host an Eastern Speckle Park Breed production sale. Underhill has since hosted 20 breed production sales, both for themselves and as a marketing outlet for other Eastern breeders. Their program keenly focusses on maternal, wide-pinned females with above-average milk production.

Underhill, who owns an agricultural management company that owns and operates the Canadian Dairy XPO, has a sharp business sense and expects optimum efficiency from his beef herd of Speckle Parks. Milking ability, he says, converts to protein. And Speckle Park cows not only have that ability, he says, but they excel in production into their senior years, demonstrating exceptional longevity. A full 40 per cent of Jordon’s herd are eight years of age and older.

“My cows’ output is maximized at eight to 13 years of age,” he says, believing Speckle Park cows to have about a fiveyear lactation advantage over most conventional beef breeds. He calls it his “business case” for the breed and has run the numbers to illustrate that extra five-year advantage.

The Economics of five extra lactations, assuming at least a $2,000 annual calf value, is illustrated below. It’s the kind of math that Jordon believes will both attract new breeders to the breed and keep the ones in it sustainable for generations.

“It’s the Speckle Park breed’s biggest selling feature,” he says. And the economics are the same across multiple regions of the country and around the globe, in different management scenarios, he says, whether it’s minus 40 in Saskatchewan winters, plus 10 and damp in Ontario, or 100+ degrees Fahrenheit in Brazil or Australia. Their dark hide and pigmented teats and testicles play a big factor in that resilience, he says.

Speaking to current economics, Jordon believes full-time farmers and ranchers need economics of scale to survive, while those with other business operations or jobs must cap their cowherds at fewer cows. Either way, he says, the reality is

Underhill SPECS Farm

The Speckle Park cow, he strongly believes, is a “breed for the future” because of their resilience across environments and their longevity in the herd.

less time per cow. The Speckle Park cow, he strongly believes, is a “breed for the future” because of their resilience across environments and their longevity in the herd. A productive but older Speckle Park cow is justifiably more valuable herself, at selling, than most cows, Jordon believes, due to that longevity. And the number one reason for that longevity, in his opinion, is “lifetime production lactations.” He says that some of his best calves are produced by cows that are past their 10th lactation.

“They just keep pulling, despite age,” he says. “And the number one reason for that longevity is structural balance and udder conformation and quality.

Aside from production sales, Underhill SPECS also markets frozen genetics online into international markets and more recently, Jordon’s connections inside the dairy industry have led to selling substantial semen into the dairy market. Semex’s first Speckle Park bull on offer was purchased from Underhill Specs and that bull’s semen is still selling worldwide. Whereas a Canadian dairy producer would normally sell a week-old calf for $100, their Speckle Park-cross calves bring them closer to $400, according to Jordon, which justifies higher semen prices, particularly for sexed semen (i.e. $20 - $25/straw vs. $8 - $10/

straw conventionally).

Jordon has pushed birthweights on his females from a window of 65 – 75 lbs up to 80-95 lbs without sacrificing calving ease, partly by strict culling of replacement females and bulls. The calves have exceptional vigour, he finds. And this is not sacrificed in any of the beef or dairy breeds they are crossed with.

Jordon’s close work with the dairy industry in Canada has made him a big believer in supply management for the long-term sustainability of families on-farm. He equates the philosophy of supply management to the Speckle Park breed’s closed herd book.

“We all know what happens to price when we over supply a market and it’s up to us as breeders to set the highest quality standards that are appropriate in this developing infant breed,” he says.

Investment in the breed has been rewarding one for him, having experienced other conventional breeds in a commercial cow-calf set up. Because the Canadian commercial meat grading system doesn’t reward producers financially for meat quality, the next best thing, according to Jordon, is cows with longevity that can efficiently produce pounds of meat protein well past 10 lactations. He believes this to be the best path to “profitability for all” in the chain from farm/ranch to plate.

Justin Johner of Johner Stock Farms near Maidstone, Saskatchewan, resides at precisely the address where the

Jordan Underhill judging the 2023 National American Junior Speckle Park Show at Cattlemen’s Congress, Oklahoma

Speckle Park breed originated. He has purchased bulls from Christine Pike that were direct sons of the Lamont herd; the Lamonts being the family who developed the breed. Justin’s family and parents Dave and Arlinda, are well established Hereford breeders, having founded their seedstock and grain farming operations in 1965 on 5,000 acres of land. Justin, who says he likes to think outside of the box of convention, added purebred Angus to their operations, and later yet, Speckle Park, after hearing local butchers rave about the meat quality and marbling of the Speckle Park cattle, regardless of how they were fed or finished.

And like Jordon Underhill, Justin was surprised at the efficiency of this breed of cattle. He talks about a piece of grass that his now 74-year-old dad has managed cattle on since he was 18. Justin was running 10 to 11 Angus cows on this native grass and later found he could run up to 15 to 18 Speckle Park cows on that same piece of land.

While Justin admits that grass management plays into efficiency, he says he can now graze 40 head per quarter section (160 acres), versus the previous 25 head per quarter. Their cows are turned out May 1st and come back in October.

Some producers balk at the potential discounts for smaller framed Speckle Parkinfluence calves, he says. But the potential 5-10 cents that might be lost due to frame size of marketed calves is easily made up by the feed savings, he says.

Justin started experimenting with the breed by incorporating Speckle Park herdsires and while he thought he might be compromising on calf size, his calves weaned at comparable weights to the previous Hereford and Angus-sired calves. They were just typically a lower framed calf. Some producers balk at the potential discounts for smaller framed Speckle Park-influence calves, he says. But the potential 5-10 cents that might be lost due to frame size of marketed calves is easily made up by the feed savings, he says.

The Johners’ Speckle Park cows actually weigh as much as some of their Herefords.

“They are just lower to the ground and have more capacity,” says Justin, who now uses combinations of Simmental and Speckle Park genetics in their commercial herd. Calves are sold directly off the farm in the fall and have been involved in many feed trials, from Ontario to Saskatchewan. While some Speckle Park have a tendency to finish too fast (at 1,100 – 1,200 lbs), he finds that the 50 per cent Speckle Park crosses finish at an ideal 1,500 – 1,600 lbs and what’s more, they finish well on grass.

Many of his calves sold into Ontario in October are hanging by the end of May.

The Johners have selected for the Leptin gene for the past 10 years and have noticed a tremendous gain in efficiencies. The difference between those carrying the gene and those not, is demonstrated on their ranch, in cows thriving in cold temperatures versus those failing under the same conditions. Those with the Leptin gene also thrive better in extreme heat.

The Leptin gene is believed to positively influence fat deposition, weaning weight, feed efficiency, milk production, meat quality and cow longevity.

Justin Johner and wife Amber and children Casey, Tate and Tess

Underhill SPECS Cows

Justin explains that because there is little to no outcross opportunities in the Speckle Park breed, breeders must carefully match complimentary pedigrees. His family takes advantage of embryo transfer in order to multiply the outstanding females. And this contributes to consistency within the herd which is also a big selling point.

Spoken like a life-long, experienced cow man, Justin says every breed has longevity within it and that longevity can also be attributed to management. Johners make culling decisions based on udder quality and feet, colour consistency and beef quality. Last year, they kept back 35 purebred heifers and know they will ultimately breed just 20 of them. Of those 20, Justin says they’ll likely end up with 8 of them in a few years’ time and those eight are the kind that will contribute to longevity of the herd in the long run.

That being said, Justin adds that he has 10 W-model cows that will calve this year and one X-model that was flushed last year and will calve again this year.

The Johners currently hold a Private Treaty Speckle Park Bull Sale annually. And while quite humble in conversation, have accumulated multiple national championships over 50 years of attending Agribition and other local shows. Their genetics are marketed nationally and internationally.

Justin underlines that his Speckle Park herd measures up to any other good beef cows he’s had the opportunity to work with to-date, and then some.

Dustin McAleer of McAleer Ranching, south of Unity, Saskatchewan, is the fourth generation of McAleers running a century-old operation with his parents Curtis and Terri and his wife Brittany and two-year-old son Clayton. His home place is where his mother’s grandfather ranched. The only land that is cultivated there is land used to grow green feed. Otherwise, it is a grass, hay and cattle operation running purebred Speckle Park, purebred Red Angus and a commercial herd. They host the Integrity Speckle Park Bull Sale annually at the end of March and their Red Angus bulls are sold out of the yard in February & March by private treaty. They also host a purebred Speckle Park female sale from the ranch in the first week of December via DLMS.

It was Dustin that introduced Speckled Park cattle to the ranch in 2012 and he did so to improve ranch efficiencies but also to profit from the breed’s fertility, mothering and milking ability.

What ultimately “wowed” Dustin was the natural feed efficiency they added to the commercial herd. He learned quickly that he could run more cows per acre.

What surprised him about the breed was what he describes as incredible calf vigour at calving. This inevitably translates to more live calves per cow. Calving assistance is rare, says Dustin, who adds that they assist less than one per cent of the cows calving.

And some of his best calves are out of 13-year-old cows, he says, adding that he also has some 14 and 16-year-olds calving this year. This underlines the longevity or “stayability” of his cows, much like the experience of his fellow breeders, above. Dustin says he continues to use a 10-year-old herdbull and another seven-year-old bull, which are still breeding efficiently for them for two breeding seasons a year and neither have these bulls’ attitudes gone sour, he says.

The cowherd was previously Charolais-Hereford and SimmentalAngus based. But now Dustin says they are running smaller cows without sacrificing weaned calf weights. In some cases, he even has heavier weaning weights.

“Before introducing Speckle Park, we were feeding our cowherd 2.4 per cent of their bodyweight in hay [pre-calving],” says Dustin. “We are now feeding two per cent of their bodyweight in dry matter in a bale grazing feeding system.”

Dustin explains that this forage is 60 per cent hay and 40 per cent barley or pea straw, which is their pre-calving feed. The hay is an alfalfa-Brome mix. The waste is included in the two per cent that gets fed to them. Post calving, they take out the straw.

The purebred herd calves from January 15 to March 15, while the commercial herd calves on grass in April. But even the purebreds go back to bale grazing after calving through the winter months.

The Underhill, Johner and McAleer cows speak for themselves.

“This is not a hobby breed,” says Justin Johner. “I see so much good in these cattle.”

Dustin McAleer and wife Brittany and son Clayton

What surprised him about the breed was what he describes as incredible calf vigour at calving. This inevitably translates to more live calves per cow.

SHOW RESULTS

“What the Speckle Park breed has done in Canada and with these genetics flowing all throughout the world is truly impressive. You have my absolute admiration for what this breed has done. The quality that you’ve brought out in front of us today has been absolutely impeccable, both Katie and myself have been extremely impressed throughout all of the classes. With this overall quality and this type and kind, you can see why these genetics are sought after all over the world. You have a unique breed; you identified the traits that your breed excelled in and you really exemplified that and as you progressed and you bred these cattle you made them the kind that really worked for you and you never lost what you were noted for. These cattle are still noted for what they were developed for, but you’ve made them extremely good. The structure in these cattle is great, they’re deep bodied, they’re nice framed. There was probably some times when they were a little too moderate, but

you brought them up and you didn’t lose what they were known for when you brought them up. These cattle work all over the world. They’re easy fleshing, they’re stout, they marble like none other, they’re hardy and when I look through all these females in this ring, they’re really good headed, they’re stout, they’re good at the ground, they’re great bodied, they’ll be the kind that work in the show ring here because they’ve go that extra class and flash, but they’ll also work for you back at the farm and that’s the main thing and I think that’s the big thing that the Speckle Park breeders never lost. They never lost their identity, they never lost their vision, they’re just refining their breed as they go forward and that is really commendable.”

Canadian National Speckle Park Show judge, Dennis Serhienko (associate judge Katie Serhienko)

SHOW RESULTS

EXPO BOEUF

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE

October 9-10, 2022 Victoriaville, Quebec

Judges Speckle Park Show Grayson Berting with Associate Judge Scott Sunderland

Pair of Bulls Lee & Dawn Wilson/Grayson Berting/ Cole & Jill Harvie/Kyle Lewis

Photographer Showchampions

RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE

Colgan’s Chanel 22C Underhill SPECS

GRAND CHAMPION BULL

Portercrest Candy 2C Rebenmatt Farm

RESERVE CHAMPION BULL

Lougami Kod Special 9J Ranch Lougami Ltee

US Godfather 13J Underhill SPECS

OVERALL BREEDS

CHAMPION PAIR OF BULLS

Ranch Lougami Ltee

PREMIER PREMIER & BREEDER EXHIBITOR

US Samsonite 3K & US Capacity 14K Underhill SPECS

MANITOBA AG EX

October 27-28, 2022 Brandon, Manitoba

Judge Katie Songer Photographer Showchampions

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE

Wolf Lake Ida 4J Colgan’s Cattle Company & Lazar

GRAND CHAMPION BULL

INC Talladega 11J INC Cattle Company & The Talladega Group

RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE

INC Carnival Ride 67J INC Cattle Company

RESERVE CHAMPION BULL

Colgan’s Kingsman 01K Colgan’s Cattle Company

INC Cattle Company

PREMIER BREEDER & PREMIER EXHIBITOR

LLOYDMINSTER STOCKADE ROUNDUP

October

RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE

RH Southern Komfort 58K River Hill Farm

RESERVE CHAMPION BULL

Greenwood Kobra 3K Greenwood Speckle Park Ravenworth Kraken 505J Ravenworth Cattle & Wolf Lake Speckle Park

GRAND CHAMPION BULL

FARMFAIR INTERNATIONAL

November 8-12, 2022 Edmonton, Alberta Judge Blake Morton & Darcy Olesky Photographer Showchampions

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE

Ravenworth Willow 510H with calf at side Ravenworth Willow 304K Ravenworth Cattle

GRAND CHAMPION BULL

Ravenworth Kraken 505J Ravenworth Cattle & Wolf Lake Speckle Park

RESERVE CHAMPION FEMALE

Wolf Lake Ida 4J Colgan’s Cattle Company & Lazar Livestock Ltd

RESERVE CHAMPION BULL

INC Talladega 11J INC Cattle Company & The Talladega Group INC Cattle Company

PREMIER BREEDER & PREMIER EXHIBITOR

RESERVE NATIONAL CHAMPION BULL

INC Talladega 11J INC Cattle Company & The Talladega Group

Notta 305E Prime Time 312H Notta Ranch, Kager Enterprises & Hidden Valley Beef

NATIONAL CHAMPION BULL TOP TEN CN BEEF SUPREME CHALLENGE QUALIFIER

2022 NATIONAL CHAMPION HERDSMAN AWARD Johner Stock Farm

2022 NATIONAL CHAMPION PREMIER BREEDER INC Cattle Company

2022 NATIONAL CHAMPION PREMIER EXHIBITOR KFC Farms

Judge Shannon Eaton Photographer Christine Boake

solving the mystery of INTERNATIONAL MARKETS :: LIVESTOCK GENETICS

Written by Mona Howe

If you haven’t marketed cattle and/or genetics beyond Canadian borders it may seem like a daunting task or even too far outside of the realm to be considered a viable option for your operation. Allow us to answer some of those questions you may have. Let us give you some tools to aid in choosing whether it could be the key to expanding your market opportunities. Experts PJ Budler and Dr. Don Miller help us shed some light on the process and the potential.

While everyone in the seedstock sector is familiar with the process of marketing our respective livestock and genetics here at home, one of the first questions you might ask is, “How do I go about generating interest for my genetics in other countries?’’

“First off, by travelling to these markets and attending their shows and sales,” says PJ Budler of Global Livestock Solutions. Having been raised in South Africa and currently residing in Texas, running the “Champion of the World Competition”, speaking at, consulting for and judging cattle shows in over 100 countries around the world has made Mr. Budler a go-to guy when it comes to marketing genetics internationally. He stresses that meeting producers, getting to know them and hopefully taking the opportunity to visit their operation is key to building a solid foundation on which to do business. As Budler states, “People do business with people they know,” so that initial contact and continuing to grow the relationship are critical first steps. Equally as important, is taking the time to host international visitors and going out of your way to make them feel welcome here.

PJ Budler judging the National Speckle Park show at Agribition 2021

A few essential elements that need to be understood when it comes to marketing your genetics to breeders in other countries include the objectives, resources and environment of the client. Aligning your genetic product with these fundamental needs is pivotal to the success of the transaction.

When it comes to effectively marketing your genetics to other countries, it is beneficial to have a close working relationship with a semen and embryo collection facility well versed in export production. “Being able to produce genetics that meet the health requirements of the importing country in a timely manner and getting them shipped there quickly is a necessity,” explains Dr. Don Miller of Sundown Livestock Transplants, who has been in the business since 1986. “Depending on the country, these regulations can change overnight”, cautions Dr. Miller so working with an experienced production facility will ensure the process goes as smooth as possible. When marketing to countries with relatively stable health requirements, Budler adds, “Creating a semen and embryo inventory is helpful. Sales can happen quickly and consistently if one has a product that is qualified for specific markets and is ready to ship.”

From a collection facility perspective, Dr. Miller stresses the importance of dealing with reputable people and signing contracts for the genetics that will trade hands. The process to produce these exportable frozen genetics is not cheap so prior to them being shipped it is critical to “make sure the money flows” as he puts it. “Once they are on their way I can’t whistle and make them come home,” jokes Miller. He also makes mention that collection facilities are strictly the middle-men in the process so to speak. “We are in the production business and leave the marketing up to individual breeders. If we receive requests from breeders abroad, we refer those to our customers who either have genetics

stored with us or animals being collected in our facility.”

Frozen genetics tend to be the most cost effective and efficient way to move genetics internationally. While it may make sense to export live cattle in some instances, semen and embryos present a greater opportunity for you and your international clients. As Dr. Miller says, “The economics of shipping 500-1000 embryos abroad is much more feasible than sending one live animal. Semen is a great option too.” Also, “When an imported embryo is transplanted to a recip local to that environment she passes on immunity to many diseases present in that environment to the resulting calf in utero, at birth and through nursing,” notes Dr. Miller. In contrast, a live animal may take a year or more to adapt to a foreign environment if it ever really does acclimate properly and thrive there. The one exception to this rule of thumb being live cattle trade with our neighbours to the south in the US, where the Speckle Park following continues to grow.

One aspect of the process that must not be overlooked is the health testing requirements before, during and after the production of these frozen genetics. These are necessary for both the bull when producing exportable semen and the donor cow when producing embryos. Dr. Miller briefly outlines some basic regulatory considerations for producers.

• Use of exportable semen for the flush or the sire at least having the same health status as the donor female

• All embryos produced and froze by a CETA ( Canadian Embryo Transfer Association ) certified and CFIA accredited veterinarian and transplant center.

• Once produced and froze, all export eligible embryos must remain in control of a certified transplant center and when transported, in export tanks under an export seal.

• CFIA export health certificates for the destination country must be completed, along with dates and results of any requested health tests and record of donor isolation if required.

• All health certificates must be endorsed by CFIA prior to shipment.

As Dr. Miller says, “The economics of shipping 500-1000 embryos abroad is much more feasible than sending one live animal. Semen is a great option too.”

As Budler states, “People do business with people they know,” so that initial contact and continuing to grow the relationship are critical first steps.

Dr. Don Miller searching for embryos

Group of embryos ready for freezing

“Fortunately,” says Dr. Miller, “The transplant company you are working with has all the necessary information for the respective destination and will arrange for the appropriate testing”. “China, the EU and New Zealand are currently the most difficult to navigate from a health perspective. However, Canada is fortunate to have such a high health status, that getting embryos and semen shipped around the world is relatively straight-forward,” includes PJ Budler.

It’s no secret that Canadian breeders produce some of the most sought-after genetics in the world, especially within the Speckle Park breed. Marketing these genetics to other countries not only helps improve the genetic potential of their bovine herds, it also presents a significant opportunity for economic gain to producers here at home. “Genetic exports allow for a breeder or breed association to expand their market share beyond their boundaries,” points out Budler. “It allows for more premium to be captured on live cattle, semen and embryos,” he continues.

The good news for the Speckle Park breed, and of course, its breeders is that these genetics are rapidly becoming a hot commodity. “The Speckle Park market is growing exponentially internationally,” affirms Budler.

“Australia is certainly the dominant import country. New Zealand has developed a strong nucleus of breeders and genetics. Growth in the UK and Ireland is slow, but steady. The live animal trade into the US will see a good decade of growth, provided the right genetics move south and there is continued mentorship from the Canadian breeders. Argentina is sampling some good Canadian genetics. South Africa is interested in establishing the breed too, but has some political hurdles to overcome,” summarizes expert PJ Budler.

With the breed gaining popularity in several countries beyond our borders it does indeed bode well for breeders considering the international marketing option.

“Genetic exports allow for a breeder or breed association to expand their market share beyond their boundaries,” points out Budler.

PJ Budler

GENOMIC TESTING

in Canadian Speckle Park Herds

Written by Nicki Westersund

As the popularity of the black cattle with white patterns known as the Speckle Park breed grows, utilizing genomic tools that are available becomes important. The Speckle Park (SP) breed is unique in many aspects; the noticeable colour pattern of the animals, the quality of the carcass and the fact that it is only the second Canadian beef breed to be given distinct breed status. This breed has been experiencing increases in herd size locally as well as gaining global awareness. With SP cattle being the combination of different breeds, the genetic management of these animals is essential to breed preservation and improvement. So how can we use DNA testing to manage the breed heritage as well as genetic improvement? Producers can use parentage verification testing to identify who the sire is of each calf for both management and registration; making sure only the productive, profitable sires continue to be used. Testing for desired traits whether it be polled cattle, coat colour, or other genetic conditions, can help in achieving specific goals. Screening for genetic conditions and abnormalities is important in ensuring the longevity and health of your herd and the animals that you are selling. Both seedstock and commercial producers can use genomic profiles as a tool in their heifer selection process to ensure any challenges or shortcomings in their herd can be addressed and evolved. Genomic testing is a very valuable tool that shows the genetic merit of each animal to help make better and informed breeding decisions that have a positive economic impact. A key question to ask is why are you genomic testing? Or is it because you have identified some areas of improvement in your herd? Herds evolve as specific heritable traits are passed down over the generations and the more you know about what heritable traits you are breeding shows you what you can select for or against.

One valuable aspect of genomic testing that gives insight into your sire performance is parentage testing.

In seed stock or commercial production who use multi sire pastures it is important to know which bulls are performing and delivering results. Feeding, vaccinating, deworming, transporting, registering, etc. of a bull is a large investment. Parentage testing your calves for your bulls performance can prove if they are worth that investment. For commercial producers it is highly valuable to know which bulls are producing the highest weight weaned calves or the best replacement heifers. In addition to parentage, genomic testing can give insight on many different traits. When a calf inherits its DNA from its parents it inherits different genes. These genes can express different visible traits. These can include whether the animal is polled or horned, what colour the coat is, and whether the animal is double muscled.

Seedstock and commercial SP producers are always looking to maximize the genetic gain within their herd, however part of that is ensuring that you are not breeding genetic disorders or conditions into your herd. In SP cattle a genetic disorder that needs to be screened is Myostatin nt821 (M1), a strain of double muscling. M1 is a mutation in the DNA that results in the animal appearing very heavily muscled with a large rounded rump with little fat cover and the bones of the animal will be thin. This variant of Myostatin can also lead to calving issues. This condition is most easily managed with genomic testing. Genomic testing will verify which SP animals are carriers to help make more informed decisions to manage this disorder and can also give the producer peace of mind and credibility to focus on their herd productivity goals.

To focus on specific goals, many Canadian beef breed associations use a genetic evaluation based on a 100K density SNP panel test (Bovine GGP-100K) that uses the genetic information to predict the performance and genetic merit of economically important traits with results delivered as genomically enhanced

Using the Igenity® Beef Profile breeders can use the results much like an expected progeny differences (EPD) chart.

TESTING

expected progeny differences. Although there is no breed- specific genetic evaluation for SP breeders today, until this tool exists, SP producers can use Neogen’s Igenity® Beef Profile. The Igenity® Beef Profile draws off the database from International Genetic Solutions (IGS), the company that provides most genetic evaluations for Canadian beef breed associations. Using a common database for genetic evaluations ensures consistency and relevance for SP breeders and commercial beef producers alike. Using the Igenity® Beef Profile breeders can use the results much like an expected progeny differences (EPD) chart. The Igenity® Beef Profile evaluates 17 traits and provides a score of 1-10 on each trait. These traits include maternal, performance and carcass traits. A producer can use these traits to help make selections to achieve their herd goals. Each trait and score represent a metric of the estimated impact, the chart below identifies each trait with its unit of measurement and the prediction based on the reported score.

For example, if a producer has identified that their weaning weights are not consistent across the herd or they are declining in recent years, using the Igenity® Beef Profile they can select replacement heifers who have high milk and weaning weight

scores to transition the herd. Another profile that the commercial producer can use in addition to the Igenity® Beef Profile is Envigor™. Envigor™ is the first and only test measuring the level of heterosis in crossbred cattle. Reported on a scale of 1 to 10, the results can be used as an indication of hybrid vigor. A higher score indicates increased heterosis. The benefits of hybrid vigor are increased fertility, lower cull rates, and more lbs. weaned per cow exposed. Making Igenity® Beef Profile+Envigor™ a powerful replacement heifer selection tool to select females that will not only excel because of increased heterosis and genetic potential, but also pass that same genetic potential on to their progeny for many generations.

Genomic testing can help each SP producer whether seedstock or commercial reach their goals in their herds faster. Through genomic testing SP producers can identify the polled, Myostatin free cattle that have the desired coat colour who will contribute genetic improvement to their herd and breed. Commercial producers can contact Neogen Canada directly to use the Igenity® Beef Profile and Envigor™ in their herds. Then the producer can take the 1-10 scores on the 17 traits plus the measure of heterosis to make more informed breeding decisions to get them to their goals.

Genomic testing can help each SP producer whether seedstock or commercial reach their goals in their herds faster.

Igenity

is the first & only genetic tool that can improve your bottom line.

Herbert Land & Cattle Co. Ltd. (Spots

'N Sprouts Speckle Park)

Offering two year old bulls & yearling heifers in the Supreme Speckle Park Bull & Female Sale on Thursday, April 13th & Friday, April 14th.

YOUTH SPOTLIGHT

On June 16th after the AGM farm tours, there will be a Jr showmanship show at the Watson’s farm. There will be a few extra heifers available for youth that are not able to bring their animals to participate.

On July 10th-15th the National Jr Speckle Park Show will be taking place in Olds, AB at Summer Synergy. This is a Junior Beef show and geared towards personal achievement and development!

Any 4-H members with a Speckle Park project can have their club leader apply for a breed token award. To apply fill out the form on the CSPA website under the Youth tab. Keep in mind that we are also now accepting Youth Bursary applications (deadline December 1st, 2023).

BURSARY RECIPIENTS

Isabelle Carter $500

Heidi Fradette $250 Hadley Tanner $500 Amy Fradette $250

DREAM “a marketing dream”

SPECKLE PARK SPARKLES IN DIRECT SALES

Written by Jeff Gaye

Two family ranching operations in two different parts of the country; two approaches to raising and marketing their beef; two different customer bases.

But one beef breed: Speckle Park.

At least as far as their direct marketing goes, that is—both the Onward Ranch in BC and Codiak Acres in Alberta raise Angus cattle as well. But when they are shipping direct to customers or selling from the farm gate, it’s their Speckle Park beef that stands out and brings customers back for more.

Gary and Nancy Kiziak own Codiak Acres near Ardrossan, Alberta. Their operation deals in purebred genetics for export, bull and heifer sales, commercial cattle, and “Meat Me At Codiak,” their direct-to-consumer shop.

Codiak has been raising Speckle Park cattle for 32 years, and Gary was instrumental in giving the breed its foothold in Australia. He and Nancy know the breed well, and they know what their

customers like: tender, marbled, flavourful beef.

Nancy runs the meat shop on the farm. She says they will sell 40 to 45 animals per year through the shop.

“I think it was about 40 animals last year,” Nancy said. “Which I think is pretty decent for a small business.

“Our advertising is just basically through social media, Facebook and Instagram,” she said. “We’re working on doing up a website for Meat Me at Codiak with a link to Codiak Acres. And we have a girl we’ve hired to do our social media stuff, so it’s not us—it’s professionally done.”

The Codiak Acres cattle are raised on pasture and finished on barley. This gives the beef its desirable marbling and the flavour the Kiziaks and their customers like.

Onward Ranch, on the other hand, chooses to raise and finish their Speckle Park herd on grass. Ty and Ingrid Johnston, who

DREAM

own and operate Onward, say the grass fed and finished approach suits the ranch’s terrain and gives them the product their customers prefer.

Part of it is about playing to their strengths: to feed with grain, they would have to have it shipped in from the prairies or from the US. But their ranch has plenty of grass.

“For someone in British Columbia it really makes sense to grass-finish because that’s what we have here,” Ingrid said. “We’re valleys and mountains and river bottoms and lakes. All those things are on our ranch. We don’t have grain fields, we’re not growing wheat and barley on our farm.”

She says the techniques of raising and finishing beef on grass have developed and improved, and she and Ty are proud of the meat they produce.

“Growing up,” Ty said, “you’d see these grass-fed cows, and they were the older cows and things like that that would end up in a rancher’s freezer. So you’d be like, ‘oh man, grass fed.’ But now that we’re doing it right, it’s just like night and day.”

The Johnstons run about 600 Angus and 100 Speckle Park. Most of the cattle are sold into the main market, but five to ten per cent—all Speckle Park—are selected for their direct sales enterprise.

Like the Kiziaks, they see Speckle Park cattle as a perfect breed for direct sales.

“The main markets are looking for ‘big is best’ and

‘the bigger the steak the better.’ But with us, we always see grass as our strength on our ranch. So we really push that it’s grass fed, grass finished,” Ty said.

“It takes longer. But the Speckle Park breed is fitting that profile ideally: the size of the animal, the size of the steaks, the marbling, there’s a lot of tenderness. And we’re really proud of our product.” That attention to quality is important for both operations and their direct sales. Unlike with supermarket or restaurant beef which typically doesn’t carry a brand name, consumers know which farm they buy from. And a happy customer will come back.

“We cow-calf as part of our purebred operation,” Gary Kiziak says. “And then we look at our corrals and if we like it really good, we keep it as a genetic animal. If we don’t, then we pasture them. Everything we have is pastured 24 months before we finish them.”

From there, a handful of animals at a time may be selected for Meat Me At Codiak. The Kiziaks have a couple of abattoirs they work with regularly— with demand for hook space outpacing availability, Gary says it’s important to have a good relationship with the abattoir.

Nancy agrees. “We’ve got two animals booked in with each abattoir per month, we just do a standing order of two per month,” she said. “If we sell them or if they’re pre-sold, then we’ll take them in. And if they’re not, we can give up those spots. But at least we have them.”

And as for repeat business, Gary says “some people are buying their eighth and ninth and tenth animals from us since we started to get into this.”

The Johnstons also hand-select animals for their direct sales, and they too rely on a small butcher

The Kiziak Family of Codiak Acres

The Johnston Family of Onward Ranch

And as for repeat business, Gary says “some people are buying their eighth and ninth and tenth animals from us since we started to get into this.”

to give them the product they want. In their case this is not only grass-fed, but dry-aged. This, Ingrid says, is “really important. Just the quality of what they’re getting makes people come back.”

Ty says they have never heard from a dissatisfied customer. The problem for them hasn’t been making customers happy, it’s finding them in the first place.

“The difficult part is actually just reaching people. That’s because we’re ranchers first, and this direct marketing came later.”

The Johnstons ship frozen beef to their customers, packed in insulated boxes chilled with dry ice. An interruption to their delivery network gave them an opportunity to see who their remote buyers were.

To hear Ingrid tell it, she was pleasantly surprised.

“We had an interesting thing happen a couple of years ago in B.C. when we had those big storm systems that moved in. Highway 1 was shut down, the Coquihalla was shut down. We decided to collect all of our orders for Christmas and drive down and hand deliver them,” she said.

“We spent a couple of days in the Lower Mainland doing that, and to meet our customers at their doors and hand them their package was actually a great honour. But one thing we realized is they were all ages; and there were single people, there were couples, there were big families, and they were from all different economic backgrounds.

“And along those lines, I found it so encouraging just how big the market is, because I know that some of the direct marketers view everybody else as competition.” But as they drove around, “bombing down every back road,” she said, they got a sense of how much opportunity is out there.

“The market is so big, and I believe the public just needs to appreciate the higher quality. And to know your farmer, know your rancher behind the scenes,” Ingrid

said. “It’s so valuable.”

Codiak Acres, meanwhile, is located in sprawling Strathcona County not far from Edmonton. They have experienced the same benefit from meeting their customers, although in most cases the customer comes to them.

“We’ve been very blessed that there’s a couple of farm tours that the county puts up,” Gary said. “You get a multitude of people on a couple of different days in summer that come in and Nancy and her girls put out some samples and we cook them there.”

“One is through 360 Alberta and the other is Alberta Open Farm Days,” Nancy said. “Gary will do a spiel and show people the cattle and stuff. And then we do some samples of meat. I call in a crew and they come and help sell and promote and feed people and all that kind of stuff. We do that at both of them.”

At one event they sold $3,200 worth of beef and beef products. “We were digging in our own freezer for meat to sell,” Nancy remembers.

Those are the occasions where the beef speaks for itself.

“Someone asked me recently how [Speckle Park] would compare to Angus, and I said, ‘I can’t tell you that,’” Nancy said. “I don’t like to judge Angus. I said you’ll have to try it to find out, and then you tell me.”

But, she said, “I don’t know when the last time was that I had a piece of Angus beef.”

It’s a changing and at times volatile world for selling beef. Consumer demands are constantly evolving, and many people are looking for different, better beef products than what they’ve been used to buying. Others have environmental or health concerns.

Disruptions in feeding and packing during the Covid pandemic also showed how fragile the supply chain can be—and it’s often the producers who wind up with the short end of the stick.

Photos, top to bottom: Codiak Del Ray; Onward Ranch Meat; Codiak Acres Meat; Meat Me at Codiak Apron

“The market is so big, and I believe the public just needs to appreciate the higher quality. And to know your farmer, know your rancher behind the scenes,” Ingrid said. “It’s so valuable.”

Direct sales are an opportunity for producers to get the best price for beef, and for consumers to find the beef they want. And the Kiziaks and the Johnstons have found Speckle Park cattle to be a difference-maker.

“They are a marketing dream,” Ty Johnston said. “Just their markings are so striking alone, but that’s just a small component of it. Basically, the breed is tailor made for what we do: grass fed, grass finished, smaller frame, beautiful product, easy to finish. They fit perfectly into what we’re doing and a consistent product as well. So yeah, the Speckle Park has really, really helped us.”

This is key to the success of the breed. As Gary Kiziak explained, the numbers aren’t there for Speckle Park to be handled and marketed on a scale comparable to Angus, for instance.

It’s harder for feedlots to buy Speckle Park cattle because they’re looking to fill a pen with a hundred animals they can feed in a specific way. And while Gary has had some small restaurants looking to buy, they want a steady supply of very specific cuts. Again, it’s hard to guarantee the supply.

But when Nancy was asked if Speckle Park beef was driving the success of their direct sales, she replied with one word: “Absolutely.”

SALE RESULTS

LADIES OF THE FALL SALE

High Seller $20,000

Gross $327,550 for live lots

Avg $6,824 head

Gross For Frozen Genetics $2,700

Avg Frozen Genetics $338/lot

AUTUMN DEBUTANTE SALE

High Seller $29,000

Gross $177,750 for live lots

Avg $5,734 head

Gross For Frozen Genetics $9,650

Avg Frozen Genetics $567.65/lot

PRAIRIE GATEWAY ONLINE SALE

High Seller $9,500

Gross $98,900 for live lots

Avg $3,532

Gross For Embryos $3,300

Avg Frozen Genetics $550/embryo

PRAIRIE INTEGRITY ONLINE SALE

High seller $8,500

Gross $98,675 for live lots

Avg $3,947

Gross For Frozen Genetics $17,300

Avg Frozen Genetics $309

PAR CHANCE OF A LIFETIME ONLINE SALE

High seller $8,000

Gross $123,800

Avg $3,258

BIG CHILL

High Seller $27,000

Gross $123,600 for live lots

Avg $6,867 head

Gross For Frozen Genetics $113,050

Avg Frozen Genetics $ 1,528/lot

CWA SALE NATIONAL SPECKLE PARK SALE

High Seller $48,000

Gross $111,750 for live lots

Avg $4139 head

Gross for Frozen genetics $25,200

Avg Frozen Genetics $788/lot

DLMS NEW YEAR EVE GENETICS SALE

Frozen Genetics Avg $467/unit

Maidstone, SK

David & Arlinda Johner

P: 306-893-2714 C: 780-205-4630 jsf3@sasktel.net

Justin & Amber & Family

P: 306-893-2667 C: 306-248-1305 johnerbulls@gmail.com www.johnerstockfarm.net

SID & ANNE HOLLIER • DORSET, UK

t: (44) 01 300 320343 c: 07973 390244 sidhollier@hotmail.com