Volume 17 Issue 2 September 2017 What’s Inside Ron Noble — Simmental Sized Right For Canadian Producers
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Gate Post — Tagged With Pride
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Breed Improvement — The Dance Steps of Genomics
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Vet’s Advice — Blue Green Algae Poisoning
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Remembering The Last 50 Years
36
What’s Happening
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Commercial Country
Simmental Sized Right for Canadian Producers
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Story By Lee Hart
on Noble admits some of his first experiences with Simmental cattle nearly 50 years ago got off to a rocky start. But the northeast Alberta beef producer, now mostly retired, says he recognized opportunity with the newly imported European breed, so he hung in there. He’s certainly glad he did. “If we had been quitters we probably would Ranch Entry have changed breeds,” says Noble who, along with his wife Marilyn, started Double RN Ranch near Lloydminster, Alberta in the late 1960s. The first Simmentals, bought in the early 1970s were big, bony cattle. The 1800-pound cows produced big calves. There were increased cases of calving difficulty. Big bulls produced big steer calves, but carcass yield wasn’t great. It crossed his mind to give up on Simmentals. “Some of those first bulls we bought in the 1970s had their issues,” says Noble. “But at the same time, we saw some real potential with the breed and we kept going. It wasn’t too long before we started to see some more moderate sized cattle, with a less frame and they just worked so well in our cross breeding program.” A FAMILY TREND The long-time commercial beef producer has been a loyal supporter of the Simmental breed for 46 years. In fact it has become a family affair. When Ron’s son Ryan and his wife Chelsa bought the Double RN ranch five years ago, they stayed with Simmental sires in the herd. Daughter Lexi and her husband Todd Balisky farm near Grande Prairie, in the Alberta Peace River region. They use Simmental in a cross breeding program with their cattle. Another daughter, Leann and her husband Daren Priest use Simmental bulls with their commercial cattle near Lloydminster, as well. Across the three families there are a total of 10 grandchildren, and those involved in 4-H are also raising Simmental-cross calves in their beef projects too. Simmentals have worked well for the Noble generations. Pen of steer calves just weaned, weighed and heading to a feed lot in southern Alberta
Ron and Marilyn bought their first Simmental bull to cross with their commercial Angus and Hereford cowherd in 1971. They had tried about six other exotic or continental breeds for a couple years before introducing Simmental bulls to the ranch. “We crossbred them primarily with the Hereford cows,” says Noble. “Some of the other breeds were good — produced good calves — but some like Charolais were more suited to just a terminal cross at that time.” continued on page 8