Farm Show A Means To Compare Beef Breeds
Breed Beef Show, the Metzlers are
taking up nearly a dozen animals to
the Farm Show, including a late
spring bull calf, one early spring
bull calf, one junior bull calf, and
one late junior yearling bull.
They’re also taking several
females, including two late spring
heifer calves, two early spring
heifer calves, two junior heifer
calves, one senior heifer calf, one
early summer yearling, and one
late junior yearling.
Already the stock they’re taking
up has shown great promise. Two
of the exhibits placed high at reg
ional shows this year. One was
named champion at the New York
State Fair and the other was named
champion at this year’s Eastern
National Show. The Metzlers
received champion cow/calf at this
year’s Keystone International
Livestock Exposition in
Harrisburg.
Also, some of Metzler grand
children will be showing animals
at the junior shows, including John
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
MOUNT JOY (Lancaster Co.)
If you want to promote your
breed of choice, try the state Farm
Show.
Farm Show is more than a tradi
tion for Salunga Acres, which
maintains 125 registered Polled
Hereford brood cows. The annual
event, at the Farm Show Complex,
is one of the best ways “to com
pare our cattle to other people’s
cattle,” said C.J. Furlong, farm
manager.
George and Dorothy Metzler
and family, owners of Salunga
Acres, have been raising Polled
Hereford cattle since 1983. At that
time, they started with seven ani
mals four cows, two bred heif
ers, and a calf. In 1986, the first
year they exhibited their stock at
the Farm Show, they garnered pre
mier breeder and premier exhibitor
awards.
And that’s a tradition they’d like
to continue. For this year’s Open
Salunga Acres won champion cow/calf and overall grand
champion female of the Polled Hereford Show during this
year’s Keystone International Livestock Expo.
John Hess helps walk one of the Salunga Acres steers.
John will be showing his Angus steer, Comet, a September
steer, at the Farm Show.
Nicole and brother Chris Hess help feed the calves at Salunga Acres Farm.
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LIVESTOCK £xpos,
“Dateline,” a March 94 Polled Hereford bull calf, along with the Metzler family In
Mount Joy, Is getting ready for a banner year at the state Farm Show. With Dateline
are, from left, Chris Hess, 7; Nicole Hess, 9; John Hess, 13; Dorothy Metzler, and
George Metzler. C.J. Furlong Is herd manager. Photo by Andy Andrews
Hess, 13 and Nicole Hess, 9. Chris
Hess, 7, will show at the 1996
Farm Show.
Each year, according to farm
manager C.J. Furlong, Salunga
Acres keeps about 10 yearling
bulls for breeding stock. The
remaining bulls are sent to con
signment sales. They sell the bulk
of the animals in cow/calf pairs to
different feeders.
During the past several Farm
Show years, the Metzlers have gar
nered a wide variety of champion
and reserve champion honors at
the Farm Show. Most notably, for
George, it was gamering premier
breeder awards in 1989,1991, and
1993 that are most significant.
They hope to rebuild for another
championship drive.
“ We’ve-increased the quality of
the animals the last few years,”
said George Metzler. “•! think we
have very good quality to show
and to breed. ” '
In all, over three farms, the
Metzlers maintain about 300 acres.
“We’re self-sustaining on every
thing but minerals, and we purch
ase our oats,” said Metzler. “We
specialize in breeding for seed
stock. Everything is registered.”
In the late 1980 s, the National
Polled Hereford Association
started making use of expected
progeny difference (EPD) infor
mation on registered sires. EPDs
are used to select for improved
traits against the average of the
herd. Breeders can use EPDs to
improve select traits in the herd,
such as birth weight, weaning
weight, yearling weight, milking,
etc.
Chris Hess will be showing steers at the 1996 Farm Show.
“Our goal is to try to use gene- we’re not selecting for one major
tics from different sires Al-bred trait,” said Furlong. “We’re look
er from females— which we feel ing for a balance in EPDs.”
will provide the best progeny,” According to Dorothy Metzler,
said Metzler. Salunga Acres chose the Polled
The Metzlers have been using Hereford breed for its calmness
EPD information to select farm and “docility.”
stock since 1989, going for a “They’re docile and I felt they
“balance” in their herd genetic would adapt to our operation better
line, according to C.J. Furlong, than any other breed,” said
farm manager. George
“We’re at a stage now where
Nicole Hess attends Martin, named after the TV show, an
April steer.
(Turn to Page F 27)