LASATER

"The Pedigree

       is in the Name"

The 6 Essentials

BEEFMASTERâ RANCH

FOUNDATION HERD OF THE BEEFMASTER BREED

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DISPOSITION

FERTILITY

WEIGHT

CONFORMATION

HARDINESS

MILK PRODUCTION

THE SELECTION PROGRAM

"Each of the Six Essentials is equally important to hitting the target of producing optimum cattle.  Removing any one of the Six Essentials results in the animal's functional and production value being greatly diminished."

                                                                                           Mr. Tom Lasater

Multiple trait selection means compromise and will eliminate individuals who may excel in a single trait (for example weight), but do not meet the other optimum criteria outlined in the Six Essentials.  Nature itself culls out extremes.

We believe that optimum cattle are those which will sustain long-term profitability through the efficient conversion of forages into lean beef for the least possible cost.

The Six Essentials

  1.  Disposition

        Having been raised under identical range

        conditions, the difference in disposition

        between individuals is apparent during

        the first several days following weaning

        Those with poor dispositions are culled.

        Thereafter, disposition is judged continually

        and animals which exhibit unacceptable

        behavior are culled from the herd.

2.  Fertility

Bulls retained for use in our herd go into service at approximately 14 months of age.  All breeding occurs in large multiple-sire herds.  For more than 50 years, the bulls with the highest libido and the strongest competitive instincts have left the most progeny.  Less fertile bulls, or those less willing to compete, have left little or no progeny.

Females are first exposed at 12 to 14  months of age.  All age groups are bred under range conditions during a 45-day breeding season. Since 1948 every female has been required to conceive during a short breeding season and also wean an acceptable calf each year. There are no exceptions to this rule.  If a cow does not conceive or for any reason does not wean an acceptable calf (even if her calf is killed by lightning) she is culled from the herd.

3.  Weight

Bulls to be retained as herd sires are

selected based upon weaning weight,

post-weaning gain and yearling weight.

Weaning weight primarily measures the

milking ability of a bull's dam, but also gives an indication of a bull's own growth potential.  Post weaning gain to a year of age (in our program) measures how efficiently a bull is able to convert  forage to pounds of beef.  Yearling weight is a combination of weaning weight and post weaning gain and therefore is the most important weight used in selection.

Approximately 85% of the heifer crop is retained for replacements.  Only defective

heifers or those that appear unable to reach puberty at 14 months of age are culled

at weaning.  After that time a cow is not culled on her own weight, but for weaning a

light-weight calf.  What do we do with all the females resulting from keeping so many

heifers?  The strict selection for the Six Essentials and the resulting rapid attrition,

drastically limit internal herd growth.

  4.  Conformation

        "Conformation is defined as "type on the

         hook, not type on the hoof."  Muscling,

         along with length and width of hind

         quarters is emphasized in the selection

         of bulls as potential herd sires.  Animals

         with any type of structural defects such

         as problems with their feet and legs

         or frame are culled from the herd. 

5.  Hardiness

Hardiness is exemplified by those animals

which relentlessly carry on their production

assignments year after year in a range

environment with minimum assistance.  For

example in our herd, first-calf heifers are

expected to calve out on the range with no

assistance.  This criteria favors those

individuals that are able to carry on production with minimal intervention and with the least cost.

6.  Milk Production

Only bull calves with above average weaning weights are considered as potential herd sires.  These bulls will most likely sire daughters that will perpetuate the heavy milking characteristics demonstrated by their individual dams.  Light-weight calves, both bulls and heifers, are culled at weaning.  Also dams weaning bottom-end calves are culled from the herd.  

For more information on the Lasater Philosophy of cattle breeding and the philosophies of management being implemented on the Lasater ranch, please see the following page.  Reference Material