The Dennis family ranches transitioned from beef cattle to registered cattle in 1995 and experimented with several breeds to find animals suited to our climate and goals of grass efficiency, health, and ease of handling. We learned some valuable but painful lessons over the next ten years.

LESSON ONE:
An animal that was appealing to us but did not suit the marketplace would not be financially profitable, while an animal that was attractive to the marketplace but difficult to handle or prone to health problems was not worthy of our time investment. We researched evolving trends in the marketplace and determined that there will likely be increasing emphasis on tenderness and meat quality over growth rates and size. We are supportive of efforts to use DNA markers for these traits as one tool to improve and market our product. We believe that increasingly the beef production process will be mechanized with use of growth hormones and antibiotics as has occurred in the pork and poultry industries. We determined that our goal would be to produce animals which could be practical and profitable for small producers and a final beef product which consumers could choose with the assurance that it was finished on grass with minimal use of antibiotics and without hormones.

LESSON TWO:
An established and successful cattleman advised us that “Your product is not your cattle, it is your grass. Whatever process is the most efficient and profitable way to use your grass will be your most economically viable business plan.” He suggested that at times that product could be harvested grain, baled hay, feeder steers, a cow-calf operation, or registered cattle. Having some experience with each of these, we most enjoy and feel most qualified to be involved with a breed of cattle that we can help promote as an evolving breeders market and healthy table product.

LESSON THREE:
Raising registered cattle only makes sense when you start with top end genetics and select carefully for predetermined criteria that fit your program. Fortunately, this is more easily accomplished with modern embryo transfer techniques and availability of semen from some of the top bulls in each breed. We have spent a great deal of time learning about the Lowline Angus breed in the United States and continue to learn from our friends in the business and from our marketing association.