Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is back with the Chairman of the Cattlemen’s Congress board of directors and president of Express Ranches, Jarold Callahan. Hays and Callahan talk about the genetics on display at Cattlemen’s Congress.
This year’s Cattlemen’s Congress will take place December 31, 2022, through January 14, 2023, at the Oklahoma City fairgrounds.
Callahan said the genetics on display throughout the entire show will be nothing short of outstanding. Because of the tools and technology that have become available in the cattle industry in the last 15 years, Callahan said quality in the cattle industry has increased greatly.
“The tools are really outstanding now, so you are seeing more rapid genetic progress all the time and it is really fun, and it is really fascinating to watch it develop and grow,” Callahan said. “The cattle of today certainly are much better. They should be, and we are making huge strides in the cattle industry in the U.S.”
Not only live animals will be sold at Cattlemen’s Congress, Callahan said, but also semen and embryos.
“Some of the sales here will actually feature what they call ‘frozen genetics,’” Callahan said. “Those will be embryos, that will be semen out of top bulls, breeding interests, and breeding shares out of top bulls. The opportunity to avail yourself of superior genetics has never been greater, so as we look at the future, I think that a lot of the genetics that will be for sale and featured in the sales here will be the genetics that really make a huge difference as we go down the road in the beef cattle business.”
Callahan said Cattlemen’s Congress is a good opportunity for cattle producers to come to evaluate and compare cattle and make decisions based on what they need to change or want to change in their operation. Producers also will have the chance to converse with other cattle producers about their operations and genetics, he added.
“There is a wide range of breeds and there is a wide range of genetics within those breeds, so I would encourage them to avail themselves of that opportunity to come and look and see if there is something they feel benefits their program at a price they are comfortable with,” Callahan said.
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