A Breeder’s Philosophy

I am committed to breeding for maternal function. There are presently no EPDs to take me where I want to go. Other breeders may seek outlier genetics to create useful terminal bulls. I want to create a holistic herd of cows, one capable of thriving off grass in diverse environments. I began by crossing Viking GD60 on daughters of Rito 054. At that time my notions of what constitutes maternal function was limited to managing the effects of milk. I experimented with using foundation Wye genetics on pure lines of Shoshone cattle. I repeated proven nicks such as Fabron of Wye on Prince of Malpas or Viking on Emulation 31. As I began to see the fallacy of terms like “maternal power” (which promises maternal function and growth) I began a whole-herd program using Wye genetics to fix the cow type. Several generations later, that has happened. The Wye herd offers both grass-based genetics and cow efficiency; the two go together.

Realizing that the Angus “breed” is now represented by a dysfunctional composite animal which hides its lethal genes in breeding programs that continuously market change as progress, I have sought out breeders who have demonstrated integrity and single-minded purpose. The genetics I am using now come from the Wye herd in Maryland, from the Dunlouise herd in Scotland, from the Pinebank herd in New Zealand and from the Octoraro herd in Pennsylvania. I believe my cows are at a level of development where they can really benefit from bulls of these programs. In a very short time, I will be using bulls like Dunlouise Cortachy Boy and Dunlouise Jipsey Earl on daughters of Pinebank bulls whose dams and grandams were sired by Wye bulls. I am very close to achieving the goal of a unique herd of cows well-positioned for the move to grass-fed beef.

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