Iowa Farmer Today
01-31-07
Versatility, foresight required for seedstock success
By Jeff DeYoung, Iowa Farmer Today
CRESTON -- Tim Loudon’s boots crunch in the snow as he checks on new
calves and their mothers. Gathered around a hay ring, the cows seem content,
their calves not far away.
This semi-circle is a perfect representation of Loudon’s Southwest Iowa
seedstock business, the range of hide colors painting a picture of the two breeds
he uses — Shorthorn and Maine-Anjou.
Loudon and his wife, Karen, run about 120 cows on their farm near here in Union
County.
Called B Good Livestock Co., it’s a healthy mixture of the two breeds as well as
some crossbred cows that make their seedstock business successful, he says.
“These breeds make an excellent combination with the British and Continental
breeds working well together,” Loudon says.
Karen has been around Shorthorn cattle most of her life, while Tim’s family has
been in the seedstock industry for many years as well. Combined, they have well
over 50 years of experience.
When it comes to long-term success in the seedstock business, high-quality and
versatile cattle are a necessity, says Daryl Strohbehn, Iowa State University
Extension beef specialist in Ames.
“Is it hard to get into the business? No. Is it hard to be successful? Yes, it is,” he
says.
“You have to be pretty multi-faceted. You have to have a fundamental
understanding of the industry, and you have to be able to recognize the direction
the industry is going and react to those changes in your breeding program to
position yourself with the right type of breeding stock.”
Strohbehn says a producer can have top-of-the-line cattle, but if no one knows
about it, the pros-pects for long-term success are not good.
“You need to be very good at public relations,” he says.
“You are working with a lot of different production systems that come through
your gate looking for genetics. You have to be able to deliver your message, and
it’s going to take some time for you to develop name recognition for your
business.”
Many longtime seedstock producers are active in state and local cattle
organizations, as well as 4-H and other young organizations, he adds.
“There is a tremendous amount of interest among our young people when it
comes to seedstock,” Strohbehn says. “Do what you can with youth because we
are going to need these people to keep our industry strong.”
Success in the seedstock industry does not happen overnight, he notes.
Developing a good reputation is nearly as critical as developing quality genetics.
“If you are a seedstock producer, your word has to be gold,” Strohbehn says.
“You cannot afford to have anything bad said about your business. You need to
have a high degree of integrity, and you have to back up anything you sell.”
Successful seedstock producers also are proficient at storing information, he
says.
“You have to keep your records up to date. Your customers need to know what
those cattle are doing,” Strohbehn says.
“EPDs are another useful tool because you can use them help build your
program, and it’s more information to pass on to your customers. EPDs are
something a producer can use to identify lines that are really going to help you
down the road.”
The Loudons hold a fall production sale, selling primarily Shorthorn bulls and
heifers, as well as some crossbred cattle.
New genetics are brought into the operation, Loudon says, as he continues to
improve his business.
“I am constantly looking for better genetics, so we bring in a
lot of different bulls,” he says. “As a seedstock producer, that’s my job.”
Loudon not only has genetic information on his cattle but also offers customers
information on performance traits. Customers also know how cattle perform in
the feedlot.
“We have several steers in the Adams County Steer Futurity, and that helps us
find out what specific bloodlines are doing,” he says.
“We utilize EPDs (expected progeny differences) as a tool in our operation, but
we won’t buy or cull strictly on EPDs. Our cattle need to be functional, and we
need them to have eye appeal.”
Loudon says he also is working on developing more solid-colored Maine-Anjou
cattle.
“We need the solid reds and the solid blacks to get into that commercial market,”
he says.
Loudon says customer service is something he takes seriously, adding he enjoys
working with youths.
“We have helped some kids with breeding their heifers,” he says. “If we can help
get a young kid started, that’s the future of our industry. We want them to have a
good experience.”
Loudon also will let customers sell a calf or two through a production sale,
helping them market their cattle.
Loudon says he sells about 25 females per year and about half as many bulls.
Loudon is not worried about the number of cattle in his operation but rather the
quality.
“We cut back in numbers a couple of years ago because it’s just the two of us out
there, and we wanted to be able to devote our attention to quality and our
customers,” he says.