Simmental cattle are making waves in the beef industry, and for good reason. At the recent Cattlemen’s Congress, KC Shepherd sat down with Luke Bowman, Director of SimGenetic Development with the American Simmental Association (A.S.A.), to discuss what makes this breed so successful. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is featuring comments from that conversation in today’s BeefBuzz.
Bowman’s goal for Simmental Genetics is to continue the march already started. “We want to be the ultimate commercial animal, and the ultimate animal for folks with diversified portfolios, whether they are selling commercial bulls or marketing Junior heifers,” Bowman said. “Simmental takes the cake when compared to other breeds, year after year.”
Simmentals are known for their adaptability. The A.S.A. has long had an open herd book so that genetics can be selected for the environment the cattle will live in.
“That has always been a foundational piece of our breed association and continues to be a driving force today,” Bowman commented.
Like other breed associations, A.S.A. uses IGS to have a common base for the breed’s EPDs so that breeders can intelligently cross-breed their cattle. “We know that composite, or hybrid cattle are the superior animals in the beef business, therefore, it is important for breeds to unite on a genetic evaluation basis so that producers can cross their cattle in order to be more profitable,” explained Bowman.
Simbrah (Simmental/Brahman), SimAngus (Simbrah/Angus) HT, Purebreds, and other composites are all included in the IGS data and herdbook. Bowman said, “Simmentals are the ultimate breed to be used in a crossbreeding scenario. They are docile, calve easy, grow fast, produce high yield grades, and even better quality grades.
“We are very proud of the stayability EPD in our cattle because that is the most profitable cow in your program, the one that stays the longest and causes the least problems.”
In addition, Simmental cattle thrive in different environments. This is due, in part, to the openness of the herdbook which has incorporated basinicus and British breeds into the continental base.
“So, when you cross-breed any used breed complementarity, there is nothing that can hold you back in different environments around the country,” Bowman detailed. “We are fascinated with the results that we are getting in terms of increases in membership, registries, transfers, and prices of bulls. Therefore, we plan to stay the course we are on now.”
In addition to traveling the world to talk about Simmental genetics to cattlemen in other countries, the A.S.A. also publishes SimTalk Magazine which is geared toward commercial cattlemen.
“When you follow the science and give people the buffet of animals to select for, people logically gravitate to Sim Genetics and that is why our international interest has grown exponentially in the last five years,” Bowman said.
For those interested in learning more about Simmentals, Luke recommended two excellent resources: simmental.org and internationalgeneticsolutions.com. Additionally, events like the A.S.A. Fall Focus Symposium offer opportunities to delve deeper into the world of Simmentals.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
