Research & Development

More details will be provided as possible, but some of our “projects” include:

• Stacking of GeneStar proven genetics to provide our exclusive Tailwind Genetics bloodlines to our customers.
• Working on a GeneStar rich crossbreeding program that will be identified as "TRX Crossbreds". At this time other breeds used include Wagyu and Irish Blacks.
• Use of New Zealand genetics to see how and where they fit in our economic plans and phenotypical models. We have a bull calf from April 2006 by Pinebank Waigroup 41/97 that looks quite interesting. We are one of the few sources in the US to sell semen on Fossil Creek Ranger, another very promising New Zealand bull. The genetics of New Zealand have almost exclusively been raised on grass and never grain-fed. To do this, they have rugged, efficient, easy fleshing characteristics that offer exciting potential to the US Angus world- not to mention how important these traits become when corn goes over $3.00 per bushel. Ranger semen is available from us at $20 per ¼ cc straw.
• We are experimenting with use of flax as the protein source for our meat customers- our goal- give them grain fed taste, with health benefits that are found in grass fed beef- those benefits look like they will include much higher Omega 3 and CLA than is found in the average corn fed beef.
• We are continuing our scoring and selection of animals that shed off early and have fewer flies on than their contemporaries. We are going into our 4th year of this project and it has allowed us to eliminate fly treatments, and this past year (hope this doesn’t jinx us) we treated no pinkeye.
• Late spring and summer calving has been implemented. Our goals are to reduce winter feed cost and labor, and have cows calving and cycling in the seasons that match with Nature’s seasons of production and reproduction.
• Cell grazing- if you have not tried this you cannot believe what it can do for you. Even without maximizing production through forage selection, what is there produces more and gets stronger with defined periods of grazing and resting. I am not sure of the feasibility where ground is already “fallowed” for a year or more at a time, but where there is sufficient rainfall, this management tool should not be overlooked. If you can even set up a few “cells” or small pasture areas to experiment with, you can soon see that it will dramatically cut down the grazing acres you need. If we can get our pastures fully renovated and fenced, we think that we will be able to cut our feed costs in half by savings of winter feed (by stockpiling for fall and winter) and grazing ahead with our calves using pasture cells before their mothers are moved into the same areas.
• Continue to work on more “partnering” with other cattlemen for purchases and sales. I read a terrific paper on the subject that I need to find and identify as the source. It basically said if you do not have at least 500 cows, then you need to associate and partner with enough other cattlemen to have a nucleus of that size. At that point, purchases can be made in quantity and often with significant discounts. On the sales side, everyone knows that a large group of uniform calves sell for a premium over a small group. This is a difficult sell to farmers and ranchers who are independent and plan to stay that way, but if you can find a group or association of producers that have similar enough goals and methods, the concept works. In our semen sales, when several breeders group together to purchase 100 or more straws of semen, a nice size discount is usually available to them. The same can go for many inputs, along with the possibility of co-ownership of equipment that can be shared without too much hassle.