6 minute read
President’s Message
by Dan Hunt
It is an honor to serve as your NALF President heading into 2021. The Limousin breed has been an integral part of my family’s livelihood for decades and we are truly invested in this breed of cattle and its membership. Since I have been involved with the NALF board, it is amazing to see how far we have come with technology and services, all in an effort to make superior quality seedstock.
When I first began serving on the NALF board we were just getting used to our new registry system as we switched to DigitalBeef from the CREO system. The updated service has helped us tremendously to not only record and transfer cattle more efficiently, but helped us with our matings by utilizing the “matings tool” in the system as well.
The ability to query potential sires against our cowherd with projected EPDs using the “matings tool” in DigitalBeef, has been of great value to us come breeding season to help us improve our EPD set as a whole. Having the ability to search for potential sires by their classification, along with polled and color status, is at our fingertips now. Revamping and upgrading the LIMS whole herd reporting program five years ago has improved information and accuracy on our EPDs as well.
EPDs have improved dramatically the past five years on our cattle, which is a credit to our breeders and membership within the breed itself. The switch to IGS has proven to be a valuable asset to get EPDs generated on a weekly basis with the instantaneous incorporation of genomics, performance and pedigree data versus the old Cornell method of blending in MBVs into the genomic calculation.
The greater accuracies reflected on our EPDs are apparent when looking at the progeny equivalents on both weight and carcass trait EPDs when combined with accurate performance data. The switch to SNP parentage versus the old micro-satellite has also helped to clean up parentage in our herdbook as well.
We are continuing to upgrade to keep pace with technology and will remain focused on staying at that forefront as a NALF board. The LimVision Cow Herd project was launched last year and offered to LIMS members a chance to get their cow factories genomically-enhanced at a cheaper research rate. This program will be offered through the 2021 calendar year. This will also enable us to capture the research rate on genomics on our replacement heifers each year thereafter. I would encourage you to take advantage of the program prior to year-end if possible.
The inclusion of more than 45,000 carcass phenotypes into the NALF herdbook this year puts Limousin down as a leader in actual carcass phenotype submissions among breed associations. This has increased the accuracy on carcass traits for many of our herd sires and their progeny in the system. This, in combination with the new USMARC update last year, resulted in improvement on our marbling EPDs for both Limousin and Lim-Flex® by 0.2-0.3. Our family has seen this first hand, given the cattle dad and I feed and grid proving to us that our cattle not only excel in feed performance and lean yield, but have the ability to grade Choice as well.
We feel Limousin cattle not only excel maternally as seedstock breeders ourselves, but realize their additional value when analyzing feedlot performance and harvest data as well. Capturing all of these dollars is critical when trying to stay in business given our tight operating margins today.
We are excited as a NALF board to focus our attention to promoting and marketing the Limousin breed and the advantages they offer to the commercial cattle industry. In an effort to do this, our board feels we need to update the research on our cattle to verify those marketing claims through targeted research. We are excited to announce the formation of the North American Limousin Research Foundation, (NALRF). The mission of the NALRF is as follows:
“To serve the beef industry through targeted science-based research efforts designed to advance, improve and promote the Limousin breed”.
Read more about this exciting project later in this issue.
This should be an exciting year for all engaged in the breed. Bull sale season has started off strong this year and we look forward to capturing more value for our genetics and increase the demand for both Limousin and Lim-Flex® cattle in the future. I look forward to serving the membership throughout the next year and appreciate all your support in the country!
2021 NALF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT, Dan Hunt................................................Oxford, NE 308-991-3373 • huntlimo@huntlimousin.com VICE PRESIDENT, Bruce Lawrence................................. Anton, TX 806-790-2535 • bll1@speednet.com SECRETARY, Wade Beckman...................................... Roberts, ID 208-313-0235 • beckmanlivestock@gmail.com TREASURER, Dr. Mark Barker........................... Oklahoma City, OK 405-520-5846 • diamondhillcattle@gmail.com AT-LARGE, Randy Corns ............................................Altoona, KS 620-750-0924 • randycorns11@gmail.com EX-OFFICIO, Curt Wieczorek .............................Mount Vernon, SD 605-227-4601 • clwzrk@santel.net
DIRECTORS
Rob Brawner, Wood Lake, NE, 402-376-4465, bulliscreek@gpcom.net Ronn Cunningham, Rose, OK, 918-629-9382, colronn@yahoo.com Joey Freund, Elizabeth, CO, 303-475-6062, jfreund@myedl.com Troy Gulotta, Independence, LA, 985-662-1561, liveoakcattle@gmail.com Austin Hager, Karlsruhe, ND, 701-626-2345, hagercc@srt.com Bart Mitchell, Wauzeka, WI, 608-553-8070, springcreeksbart@gmail.com Joe Moore, Raphine, VA, 540-569-6219, jomolimo69@gmail.com Kevin Ochsner, Kersey, CO, 970-396-5525, kevinkochsner@gmail.com Jay Wilder, Snook, TX, 979-268-5491, jwwilder1993@gmail.com Jerry Wulf, Morris, MN, 320-491-1390, jerry.wulf@wulfcattle.com
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New Guard The exciting new sires we plan to sample heavily.
PO BOX190• PLATTEVILLE, CO GARY MAGNESS, OWNER
Office, 970-785-6170 John Pence, 970-396-3584 Austin Gottschalk, 970-396-0115
