Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with Donnell Brown, a past president of the National FFA Organization and rancher at the R.A. Brown Ranch out of Throckmorton, Texas.
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At the recent Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association convention, Brown talked about survivability, sustainability, and the joy of life. Those three things, Brown said, must work together.
“In my 54 years, I have learned so many things, and the more I learn the more I realize there is less that I really know,” Brown said. “What I am really starting to understand better than ever before is that we need to look at a holistic approach to make sure that we are sustainable.”
Sustainability, Brown said, means doing more with less.
“When we do more with less, the land is better, the water is better, the livestock is better,” Brown said. “With that, we can increase profitability, while finding true joy not only in the workplace, but in our family. To me, that is essential.”
The R.A. Brown Ranch has been an early adopter of many kinds of technology, Brown said, as they are partaking in virtual fencing, invitro fertilization, gene editing and more.
“We are doing some exciting things that I think are going to help us make faster genetic progress,” Brown said. “What is really exciting about it is we have better tools today to identify the most superior genetics better and more accurate than ever before.”
DNA testing, Brown said, helps to identify the superior genetics to use advanced reproductive technologies and make them better.
“Better means to me, more profitable,” Brown said. “Cattle that grow well with less cost and produce a great product with better fertility.”
While the industry puts a lot of focus on the carcass side, Brown said, too often, it has been at the expense of the commercial cattlemen that may have cows that are bigger than what his environment can sustain.
“It is more than just about output,” Brown said. “It is also about input because the profit equation says it is income minus expenses, and we have got to keep that in mind.”
In most breeding systems, Brown said, the cow is about the same size as the finished steer.
“Most of our environments will not handle a 1700-pound cow,” Brown said.
Looking at competing protein industries, Brown said those industries are over 95 percent hybrid. It is important to remember, Brown said, that the cow is what pays the bills on the ranch, so raising hybrids may be a good way to increase efficient fertile longevity on the ranch.
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