Lazy S Ranch raises three breed lines of cattle - Red & Black Simmental, Angus and SimAngus Beefmakers.  They are red and black in color and packaged in polled look-a-like groups with a large selection of bulls to choose from at a affordable price.

Cooking the Steak at Conception
One of the most important things a beef producer juggling work, family, finances and other commitments will do in the course of a year is select their next herdsire(s).  In the day to day challenges we all face  it is easy to forget that selection of a sire influences  calf crops for several years out and when retaining heifers may affect a cowherd more than 10 years into the future.  This is the key reason why it is important to source seedstock from a supplier that has a program that is backed by a commitment to continuous genetic improvement, using information on traits that are economically important to the beef industry today and with an eye to the future.

In addition to aspects such as calving ease and growth information, collection and use of ultrasound and carcass data helps to establish the expected performance of those calf crops into the future.  Even if selling calves at weaning, it is important to establish added value on the rail simply due to the fact that the ultimate value of each calf comes from the retail shelf.  Some current work shows value differences of more than $0.15 per pound at weaning for calves in the same weight range based strictly on expected carcass merit.  Thinking further into the future, payment from retail or on the rail will be based on a combination of familiar carcass characteristics such as marbling and yield but also on characteristics such as tenderness and eating quality.  This is already occurring in other species.

Work in this area represents a tremendous challenge to seedstock suppliers as it is often difficult and expensive to collect and analyze samples, however the potential for improvement is tremendous since there is a lot of “genetic influence” over these traits of interest.  Lazy S has been investing in collection of regular carcass and ultrasound data for many years, building a substantial database.  Lazy S has recently moved to the next step in applying technology and collecting carcass merit and meat quality data for their program. Collaborating with the Canadian Simmental Association and Saskatchewan Research Council Genserve Laboratories, has allowed Lazy S to make a significant investment in collecting rib sample sections and analyzing them for tenderness, texture and cooking loss.  As part of this project, DNA samples were also provided to help seek out useful gene markers that can advance the determination of carcass merit and meat quality even more quickly.

This commitment to the future of the industry is impressive and serves to benefit not only Lazy S, but the users of Lazy S genetics in their programs.  In essence, the perfect steak starts at conception.

By: Sean McGrath
RAK Genetic Consulting