Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife
Grandfather says his Angus cattle herd produced five steer calves which measured up to those produced by modern breeding methods from some of the biggest herds in the US, in the American Angus Association’s national carcass quality contest in 1991. The calves were fed in a feedlot, slaughtered and evaluated by USDA graders, pursuant to the award.
Grandfather followed the 150-year-old methods of the breeders in Scotland, where the Angus breed originated. This method depends on cow family phenogtypic traits, rather than breeding decisions based on evaluating a bull’s genotype.
For example, the bull Euloband of Argobrite, who sired the winning calves, was descended on the maternal side of his pedigree from Erica 843, a cow owned by Sir George Macpherson-Grant of Ballindaloch Castle in 1861. Erica’s greatness resided in her own individual ability to produce great calves of both sexes.
In the Scottish system, all descendants of that cow have names beginning with an “E.”
Grandfather (on the right, *chuckle*) with Euloband of Argobrite
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About the Author: RD Blakeslee is an octogenarian from West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.
Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family
When I was younger, a man came to our house and told me that if I picked a newborn calf up and carried it into the barn, and carried that calf into the barn once a day, every day, eventually I’d be able to carry a full grown cow into the barn.
I never tried it with cows, but I did try with a newly hatched chick. Eventually I was carrying a fully grown chicken into the coop every evening. So, based on a possibly flawed research method, I conclude that the man who told me that might have been on to something.
I think YOU were on to something, Jason. Don’t rely on men who come to the house and say you can carry a cow!
as for the chicken, I can give you some SOUND advice: Let it walk to the coop …
*chuckle*
Sequel: Grandfather’s herd was sold to Woodstone Angus in New Ulm, Texas, where his livestock continues to be bred along traditional lines.
A few heifers stayed in WV, where Grandfather’s son has used them as foundation stock for his herd.
Life goes on.
It is great that your son was able to build his herd off of yours! Most of the cows in my area (Central Maine) are Holsteins. Occasionally you see a Jersey, but not often.
What about the Belted Galloways? I first saw those on a trip to Maine.
I’ve seen some Belted Galloways at the state fair, so there must be some around, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one outside of the fairgrounds.
My daughter raised a Jersey calf as a 4-H project, years ago. It will be seen in a family photo incidental to Grandmother’s graduation from college, in a future “Grandfather Says” episode.
Later, we bought a mature Holstein cow from a neighbor here, for the family’s milk supply, which my daughter milked and took care of.
The Cow’s name was “Buck” (!)
We used to keep a couple cows and have calves, but having to borrow a bull and associated birthing problems made me give it up. Now I just buy a few steers (mostly Angus crossed to Charlois) to keep our pasture eaten down and to put one in the freezer from time to time. Last one we slaughtered, dressed out at 800lbs (have a hanging scale I can weigh the quarters, but not the whole carcass). We do our own slaughter/cut up here on the farm, both beef, pork and chicken.
Hi Andy,
i don’t butcher anymore, but my son feeds out and has one of his animals butchered from time to time by a custom service near here.
Wife and I freeze some of the best lean hamburger on earth each time.
“Wife and I freeze some of the best lean hamburger on earth each time.”
AMAZING how much better home grown beef is, huh ? I can’t bring myself to order much other than seafood on the rare occasions we do go out to eat….the taste is that inferior.
Fresh-caught seafood is awfully good, too, Andy
I wish I were young enough to go again to Alaska as I used to and eat sockeye salmon, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char caught a few minutes earlier.
Fish from the surf at Hatteras, too.