Heartstone Genetics Produce
BETTER BUILT BULLS
Our mission in our genetic selection is to always recognize and balance traits that influence profitability without sacrificing other beneficial qualities of the animal. We have carefully selected our herd genetics to retain those traits that create the best quality and most balanced animals we can.
Efficiency
Feed Efficiency
We are in the top 15% of the Angus breed for feed efficiency.
All of our cattle are pasture raised with some supplementation of protein during the dry season and mineral year-round to ensure they receive necessary nutrients.
At our March 2017 Ready for Work Bull Sale we sold a yearling bull that ranked in the top 1% for both residual average daily gain (RADG) and dry matter intake (DMI).
The herd sires and AI sires we have genetically selected rank in the top 20% of the breed for DMI. In 2017, our bull, Heartstone C060, was one of five bulls to rank in the top 1% for both DMI and RADG. Click here to view more about our herd sires.
Efficiency in Calving Interval
It is critical to herd efficiency and profitability that our cattle stay in a calving cycle under 365 days. The most fertile cows consistently breed in their first cycle with a bull. We have cows as low as 348 days, currently.
Our mother cows are required to calve in a 60-day window. Later born calves have shown to return less profit by $240 compared to the earliest born calf. By condensing our calving season to a shorter window, we have reduced that loss.
Production
Low Birth Weight Calves
This is an essential standard in our program. We understand the importance of calving ease and have produced calving ease bulls for our clients for years.
High Weaning Weights and Moderate Mature Weights
Low birthweights do not have to mean lighter weaning weights or smaller yearlings. Our objective is to have our mother cows wean 50% of their bodyweight and for that calf to grow to a moderate mature weight of about 1000-1200 lbs. for a female.
Marbling
Marbling is a direct genetic trait inherited from the parents. Higher marbling improves the quality and taste of the beef and is necessary to grade high choice or prime. The importance of this trait has influenced us to select bulls that meet the criteria for CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF.
Efficient Range Utilization
Having cattle that will utilize remote areas of rangeland is important in sustainable ranching, especially in the southwest where resources vary from year to year. We have been identifying and retaining cows with more efficient range utilization for generations. These are cows that will travel further from water sources and come in less often for water. From 2011-2013, Derek Bailey, from New Mexico State University, included our herd in his study for Genetic Influences on Cattle Grazing Distribution, published in the Rangeland Ecology & Management Journal in 2015 and the Angus Journal in 2016. Read the article here.
