A24-Latv;aster Farming, Saturday, June 20, 1998
(Continued from Page A2l)
year, Boyce and Delhi care for a
mixed herd of commercial and
purebred stock with an annual total
of 72 head. They plan to grow to
100 head soon.
In the years since purchasing the
farm, Boyce converted the farm
that was run down, on acidic, dry,
and shale-type soil, into a grazing
farm. It wasn’t easy Boyce had
to clear acres of reforested land,
shove aside debris, retill and
rework a lot of the acreage, lime
the soil, put up permanent fence,
level the livestock lanes, and set up
watering and feeding systems.
In addition, Boyce and wife
Kate have been busy on extensive
renovations to the house, the yard,
and the garden virtually every
aspect of the old farm.
Boyce has been using rotation
ally grazing systems the past five
years, working the systems gradu
ally into a cow-calf operation that
supplies show stock to 4-H and fair
participants. Lil’ Ponderosa has an
extensive freezer beef business.
“Our objective,” Boyce said, “is
to take a small herd and to breed
the absolute best”
The Angus Association regis
tered herd includes DHD Traveler
6807 sire genetics mated to a Mea
dow Mist HD 883-034 dam. More
impressive are some of the bull
calves on feed. One included a
Cruz bull that weaned at 709
pounds at 201 days (calved Sept 9,
1997). The weight almost matched
a yearling Leachman-Prompter
bull, calved May 27, 1997, that is
ready to breed.
“Genetics do make a differ
ence," said Boyce.
When calving, the dams are
moved to a calving area con
structed in a bam designed for
horses and beef. The cattle have
access to calving areas, water, and
seven different paddocks.
The paddock system allows the
farm to quarantine the animals
newly acquired to prevent the
introduction of shipping fever and
other illnesses to the herd.
Why does Boyce openly graze
cattle in an industry that tradition
ally focuses on confinement and
grain feed? Answer to reduce
labor, grow healthier animals, and
to improve return on investment
The two stocks are fed
separately.
The finishing slock for freezer
beef, Boyce indicated, is grain fed.
The ration is composed of 600
More impressive are some of the bull calves on feed. One Included a Cruz bull, at
left, that weaned at 709 pounds at 201 days (calved Sept. 9,1997). The weight almost
matched a yearling Leachman-Prompter bull, calved May 27,1997, that Is ready to
breed, at right. He noted that genetics make the difference.
Boyce’s Lil’ Ponderosa Farm:
One Giant Grazing Experiment
pounds of oats, 700-800 pounds of
barley, and the balance with ear
com, salt, and minerals.
However, the purebred cows are
never fed grain nor com during
their lifetime, he said.
In the winter, alfalfa hay is fed
from round bales that are stored.
He also feeds smooth bromegrass
to all stock. In addition, some
clover/timothy/alfalfa and matua/
alfalfa bales are kept for winter
feed.
Paddocks are also used for hay
storage when excess hay is made.
The bullpen contains a loafing
shelter measuring 12 by 18 feet
near the round bales. The shelter
was constructed in April this year.
Additional acres have been
chisel plowed and will be planted
on the contour with a matua-alfalfa
graze mix. Some fields arc stock
piled for late-season grazing.
Also, Boyce and Deihl manage
a total of 24 acres of com, 18 acres
of soybeans, 10 acres of barley, 8
acres of spelt, 10 acres of oats, and
18 acres of wheat. The majority of
what they raise is used on the farm,
except for soybeans and wheat,
which are cash crops.
Cows that graze are healthier
because they are exposed to less
bacteria, get fresher feed, and
show improved weaning weights.
Since only about 17 percent of the
beef from Angus animals is mark
eted for the Certified Angus Beef
(CAB) program, grading from
mid-Choice to Prime, it is impor
tant to breed animals that have
some of the best expected progeny
differences (EPDs) for marble and
ribeye.
The cattle that can finish with
the highest degree of muscling and
marbling are more likely to be
selected for the CAB.
Years ago, Boyce noted, Angus
cattle were “short fat and square,
with their belly dragging on the
ground,” he said. Now, cows need
to be moderate size, with good
calving ease, good udders, and
marbling these are characteris
tics sought after and available
through a good breeding program.
In the LiT Ponderosa program,
calves are bom at an approximate
weight of 80 pounds. They reach
about 680 pounds at 205 days and
1,200 pounds at 365 days. Animals
may be ready to slaughter in 11 -12
months.
Some of the cows have
“Dividend” blood in them, one the
association recognizes as a pre-
Boyce used a lane bordering fencerow as an experiment. On the left side, next to
woodland, looking down a long slope, he seeded ryegrass. On the right side, near the
fence, he seeded an orchardgrass-perennlal ryegrass mix. He uses no fescue on the
farm.
The bullpen also contains a loafing shelter measuring 12 by 18 feet, constructed in
April this year.
mier bull. Those genetics carry CAB program. grade of 3.0 or lower,
over into the finished stock, which The program is looking for a hot Boyce relies on a lot of sources
can move up in weight, finish carcass weight of 735-750 pounds for information. He regularly con
quickly and with high quality with a rib eye area measuring suits “The Stockman’s Hand
meat. 12.5-14 square inches at a yield
With that kind of genetic consis
tency, Boyce indicated, the pros
pects are high that they will be part
of the 17 percent accepted by the
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Additional acres have been chisel plowed and will be
planted on the contours with an grazing alfalfa-matua mix.
Tj
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(Turn to Pago A 25)