Herefords Make the Move

by B. Lynn Gordon

photos courtesy K7 Herefords

After relocating, K7 Herefords found the space to expand.

A 4-H project in 1968 that got out of hand is how Tom Heidt owner of K7 Herefords, Lockridge, IA describes his entrance into the purebred cattle business.

Growing up one of 11 children on a southwestern Wisconsin dairy farm, Tom learned hard work early from the hands-on daily chores of caring for animals. That experience transcended into his interest of learning as much as he could about raising and breeding beef cattle. Heidt lived in Wisconsin until making the decision in 2007 to move his family to Iowa. High land prices in Wisconsin made cost of production high and was limiting the ability to expand their Hereford herd. Tom, his wife Jo, and children Victoria, Shane and Patti, relocated to southeastern Iowa, about 40 miles from Missouri and 40 miles from Illinois. They were able to purchase more acres and continue their strong focus of building a quality Hereford herd to about 100 cows.

Oldest daughter, Victoria, currently lives in Loganville, WI, along with her husband Hank, and two young sons. Son, Shane lives near Des Moines and works at Waste Management in the energy recovery plant. Youngest daughter, Patti, lives at home, works second shift, and helps with the night shift cow checks, along with being the operation’s computer assistant. Everyone comes together to put in their own weight, input, and talents.

BUILDING A MARKET

In a step towards building their market in Iowa, K7 Herefords decided to host an annual bull and female sale rather than exclusively sell their cattle private treaty. Having a 50-year history in Herefords, with a little over a decade of that in Iowa, Heidt believed by conducting promotion for an onfarm bull sale would bring more visibility to his breeding program and a way to build a customer base. Interestingly, K7 Herefords is currently the only registered Hereford herd in the state of Iowa to host an annual bull and female sale. The first couple of years they were a guest consignor with neighboring friends who hosted a Red Angus sale. When those friends left the business, K7 took on the venture on their own. “We believed having a sale would be a better way to get people to see our cattle, rather than just an ad in the paper,” Heidt says.

K7 Herefords believe in an on-site sale, inviting folks to come and inspect their offering each year.

In addition to selling top bulls, they will be offering pick of their entire 2019 spring-and fall-born heifers. All heifers will be paired up as they go into the ring and the buyer can choose his pick. K7 will keep the other heifer to go back into their herd as a replacement female. 2020 will be the farm’s third year of offering this deep pick into their genetics.

Exhibiting at state, regional, and national shows has also been a method K7 has used to spread word about their program. Fellow breeders and commercial customers can view K7 cattle at the National Western Stock Show, American Royal, and the Iowa State Fair. The Hereford operation has exhibited either a pen of bulls or heifers or both for the past 12 years in the yards in Denver, taking home the Champion Pen of Heifers banner in 2010. Anyone that knows Tom Heidt loves to visit at these cattle events and does not sugar coat anything. As he says, “Those boots are to be worn for a reason,” and those who know him well often joke about this as Tom always has a story to tell.

BREEDING GOALS

In order to ensure longevity in the business, Heidt has kept a keen focus on the genetics he adds into the program. Ultimately, he would like to buy a Hereford bull that would meet all the qualifications of the herd: however, he has found a better fit by selecting top Hereford genetics and A.I. to those genetic lines. Becoming proficient in A.I., from his years in the dairy cattle business, he is able to do all his own A.I. work for his herd and likes the flexibility that comes with being able to influence the sire selection more efficiently than having to go out and purchase new bulls.

K7 Herefords exhibit at the NWSS in Denver each year, taking home Champion Pen of Heifers honors in 2010, Reserve Champion Pen of Heifers in 2011, and Reserve Division Senior Pen in 2018.

“Not every bull works in every cowherd,” he says “but when you find one that works you need to keep A.I’ing to that bull.” He recalls a wise breeder telling him ‘use a bull for two years and then move on. If the bull is good he will produce a son that is even better, and if the bull didn’t work out, in two years, he won’t have moved your program back too far.’ Heidt has always kept this theory in mind and primarily uses a sire for only two years.

With a base cowherd that is both horned and polled genetic lines, K7 has set out to maintain those genetics. They breed horned females to horned bulls, and on the polled side they are striving to get their cowherd all homozygous polled. “Bull buyers interested in polled bulls are generally seeking ones that are homozygous.”

When selecting and evaluating genetics, Heidt explains he focuses on EPDs, actual performance data to back up the EPDs, and a moderate birthweight. “Ultimately we want to have a below-average birthweight that then translates into above average growth and have that curve bender.”

“I also put a lot of focus on the mature cow weight EPD in comparison to carcass weight.” He believes the industry can benefit from heavy carcass weights, but he does not want to have 1,800 lb. cows to produce that 1,300 lb. carcass. Thus, he watches this closely and is putting an emphasis on this selection parameter within his EPD focus.

We don’t breed show cattle; we show the cattle we breed.

- Tom Heidt, K7 Herefords

Additional carcass traits such as ribeye area and marbling rank high at K7. “If they don’t have marbling, they don’t fit in my program.” Marbling has ranked high because of the return on investment it offers. With a wide Choice-Select spread, there is more profitability available for cattle feeders and this increased return can be passed back through the chain. In the end it can result in commercial customers paying more for a high-marbling bull.

Tom Heidt of K7 Herefords is proud of the quietness of his cattle, penning sale bulls on the lawn with just electric tape and moving heifers on foot shows they are easy to handle.

“All of our sale cattle will have genomically-enhanced EPDs, and we DNA all our cattle.” Heidt would like to see more reliability in EPDs industry-wide but understands they will continue to get better and they are the best they can be at this time. Plus, he says, “you can’t have too much fertility in a cow or bull, if we don’t stress fertility, we will not be able to improve it.”

WHAT’S AHEAD

The long-term philosophy that will continue to carry K7 forward is, “we don’t breed show cattle; we show the cattle we breed.” K7 is striving to someday exhibit a carload of Hereford bulls in Denver. With a strong focus on building their breeding program with focused selection parameters, K7 looks forward to bringing 10 bulls all from K7 genetic lines.

learn more k7herefords.com

K7 Herefords Annual Bull and Female Sale is March 22nd, Lockridge, IA. Selling 25 bulls and 34 heifers.

The Heidt family (l-r) Hank & Victoria Kypke, Patti, Jo, Tom, Katie Krengle and Shane Heidt.

K7 regularly exhibits at the Iowa State Fair.

Tom Heidt and his family raise both horned and polled Herefords in southeastern Iowa.