salers magazine - feb 2012

The Balanced, Maternal Breed...

SalersAssociationofCanada2011/12BoardofDirectors

President:Gerald McGee.......................OF RICHMOND, QC

PHONE: 819-826-2918

Vice-President:Ken Sweetland ...........................OF LUNDAR, MB

PHONE: 204-762-5512

Treasurer:Brian Jones ......................OF OKOTOKS, ALBERTA

PHONE: 403-938-6367

Directors:

Brad Dunn..................................OF OGEMA, SKPHONE: 306-459-2523

Tammi McGee ........................OF GATINEAU, QCPHONE: 819-561-7789

SalersMagazineContents:

• President’s Message............................................................................................... 2

• Going Forward ......................................................................................................2

• Salers Optimizer Program......................................................................................3

• Crossbreeding........................................................................................................3

• Top 10 Reasons to Use Salers ................................................................................6

• Weiss Ranch ..........................................................................................................8

• Ray Custeau ........................................................................................................12

• The Salers Cow ..........................................................................................................................19

• Around the Rings.....................................................................................................................20

• Provincial Reports ...............................................................................................23

• Announcements ..................................................................................................25

• Calendar of Events ..............................................................................................28

SASKATCHEWAN SALERSASSOCIATION

c/o Garfield WilliamsBox 33, Borden SK, S0K 0N0PHONE: 306-997-4909FAX: 306-997-2242

SALERS ONTARIO

c/o Dale Butler1253 Huff ’s Corners Rd, RR3

Croton, ON N0P 1K0PHONE: 519-692-4145

MARITIME SALERS ASSOCIATION

c/o Steve ParrishWaterville, RR #1

Kings County,NS B0P 1V0PHONE: 902-538-9174

ALBERTA SALERS ASSOCIATION

c/o Carol Eigner,Box 209, Thorhild, AB T0A 3J0

780-398-2494

SALERS ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBAc/o Ken Sweetland

Box 84Lundar, MB R0C 1Y0PHONE: 204-762-5512FAX: 204-762-5113

QUEBEC SALERS ASSOCIATIONc/o Kacie Mason546 5th Rang

St. Felix de Kingsey QC, J0B2T0PHONE: 819-674-3907Fax: 819-848-2659

(Gerald McGee) QUEBEC LIAISON

315 Chemin Grande Ligne, RR3Richmond, QC J0B 2H0PHONE: 819-826-2918

SALERSASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Mailing Address:P.O. Box 879Carstairs, ABT0M 0N0PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATIONS

Phone: 1 -855-263-2383email: [email protected]

website: salerscanada.com

Salers Magazine Page 1

Salers Magazine

Hello Everyone,Welcome to a brand new year - full of

expectations, hopes and good prices for ourcalves again this year. I would like to wisheveryone a happy, healthy year and on intothe future.

This past year has been a year of changefor our Association. Many changes havebeen implemented and many are stillongoing since the Annual General Meetinglast May.

We now have a "Going-Forward"Committee working on our behalf for thebenefit of the Salers Association of Canada.

We are now associated with OldsCollege and will be part of various programsbenefiting from the student’s enthusiasmand progressive ideas while we contribute totheir education, as they share in thechallenges and opportunities of workingwith our Association. We have closed ourCarstairs office and are located on campusutilizing a project office . We see this as agreat opportunity to move this breedforward and ask everyone to support ourefforts

Darlene Hondl is working with alljuniors on projects across Canada.

The Salers registry will be handled bythe same lady who does the registry for theMaine-Anjou Association.

We are in the process of implementingthe Optimizer Program which has now beenaccepted by Ottawa.

Kathy Adams will be staying on as abackup person for registrations and someadministration. As you all know, Kathy hasbeen very instrumental in keeping the Salersoffice running smoothly and efficiently for

many years. She has been a great help to eachand every one of us. I would like to publiclycongratulate Kathy for all her hard work anddedication to the Salers breed throughoutthe years. Thank you, Kathy.

As you can see there has been a lot ofwork done on your behalf for the bettermentof our Association. Be sure to read thereports on these topics in this issue. TheBOD has been working very hard on newideas that promote your programs and as wellprovide you value for your membership inSAC.

The "Going Forward" Committeeconsists of Ray Depalme as Chairperson,Randy Mader, Brian Jones and Reg Baldwin.They have been doing a fantastic job. Theydeserve our congratulations and manythanks for the hours spent on thiscommittee.

Now we, the Salers Association ofCanada, are moving forward with confidenceinto the future. Are you coming with us intothe future or being left behind?

Gerald McGee

President’s Message

Association Projects* Calving books are now being sent out tomembers. There will be no cost to membership orAssociation due to sponsorship funds. Thanks tothose who assisted in putting these together andRhonda Bollum for final presentation. We willhave a limited surplus for those holding bull salesor who would assist us in getting them out toauction marts, vet stores, co-ops, etc.*SAC has followed up on an offer presented at thelast AGM and we are nearing completion ofarrangements to again have engraved Salers tags.These will be supplied through All-Flex and theirdistributor Kane Veterinary Supplies Ltd. Detailsof cost and distribution will be available in thecoming weeks. There will be two basic styles, twosizes, and colour will be the choice of the Breeder.You will be supporting your cattle and our BreedAssociation by using these tags.

*Two presentations have been made to OldsMarketing students as part of our commitment tocontributing to their education. We are the firstorganization to be invited to present our materialas part of the colleges curriculum. It is now thestudents obligation to conduct a marketing surveyof our breed and prepare papers which form themajor part of this semester. These papers willfocus on the value of being a member in theassociation, as well as developing a brand ofrecognition for Salers. Please provide feedback to

these students when contacted.* We are hoping to organize an All-Breed Junior

Show sometime this summer. We are still in theearly stages of planning however we want thisevent to be educational and fun. With theinvolvement of the other breeds we will havesufficient numbers, and build workingrelationships. Please contact any Director to offeryour assistence.

*Upcoming projects that the BOD will beworking on include awards programs for Breederof the Year, Performance Breeder of the Year(based on EPDs), Commercial Breeder of the Year(nominated by members), and Junior of the Year.We will keep you posted!

Olds College and the SalersAssociation of CanadaPartnership Update

The Olds College School of Business

will be providing marketing andadministrative support for the associationover the next 6 months. This will includeassistance in the transition to a virtual officeenvironment as well as marketing planningassistance in the areas of youth engagement,brand promotion and membership retention.In January, the School of Business will behosting SAC in its project office to assist innext steps towards organizational efficiency.Office Administration program students willbe offering their skills in documentmanagement to assist the association inarchiving items such as historic photos andgovernment compliance documents.Agricultural Management students will becreating marketing plans for the associationto improve promotion of the breed, as well asdevelop programs to increase value to themembership.

Things are Buzzing at Salers Canada

We trust that all going on the ISF Tourthroughout Ireland in August will enjoythemselves. There is always room for more.

Details on the website orcontact a Director for details.

Crossbreeding systems necessary to beef industryBy Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSUExtension Service

Once the industry decided that the wallswould not cave in when Hereford bulls weremated to Angus cows or vice versa, the world ofbeef cattle systems was created.

In the beginning, life was simple because all aproducer needed to do was take an establishedherd of purebred or straight-bred cows and put adifferent breed of bull with the cows. Given that,the world of crossbreeding started to emerge.

As a point of significance, for manyproducers, such crossings were consideredimproper in those days, and one perhaps couldeven use the word sacrilegious. For youngerproducers, those concepts seem foreign becausebeef cattle genetics is a much broader pool of genessourced from many distinct breeds of cattle.

So why bring up the past? It is a reminder ofwhat followed those initial crossings because eachbreed had been meticulously tracked and theparentage documentation exhaustive. Someextraordinary results even were becoming visibleto the naked eye.

These so-called crossbred calves excelled ingrowth. They were very vigorous from birththrough death. They withstood the stresses of theenvironment better and were all around bettercalves, so producers loved it.

A term called heterosis (hybrid vigor) wasput forth. It is a term that technically refers to themeasurable and non-measurable advantage in thecalf that was greater than the average of what onewould expect based on the average measureableperformance of each parent breed.

If a producer ever received a gift fromMother Nature, this was it. This was the beginningof crossbreeding in commercial cattle production.Commercial production systems soon weredeveloped to explore and document theadvantages of crossbreeding, and more refinedbreeding systems were established.

The classic black baldy was produced andnamed. The Hereford- and Angus-crossed calvesexcelled. When the females were kept asreplacements, these crossbred cows had improvedfertility and successful pregnancies. This wasgood. However, as with so many people, beinggood is never good enough.If the traditional English-bred cattle wouldrespond to crossbreeding, why not search theworld and bring in more breeds? Producers didjust that. They brought in new breeds that weredistinctly different from the traditional breeds.Real advantages

Again, the classic black baldy cows were bredto imported Charolais cattle. Calf growthmushroomed after that. These “terminal” calvesexcelled in red meat production and feedlotperformance. These classic crossbreedingprograms were well-documented and theadvantages were real. The premise of a goodcrossbreeding program was to keep the productionunit (cow) smaller and refine the costs to make thecow practical. The terminal sire advantage is thatall the pluses achieved through heterosis would bemaintained, plus the cow would have the uniquetraits associated with the selected breed. This wasgood.

The beef cattle breeding systems were

expanded to handle even more breeds. Programseither maximized production through terminalsires or more sophisticated rotational breedingprograms that allowed for the inclusion of newbreeds on the maternal side as well. This meantthat the world of beef production was not limitedto black baldy cows.

The issue is not the validation of the benefitsof crossbreeding in today’s cattle, but rather thedismissal of crossbreeding systems. The reason isimprovement in individual breeds. Seedstockproducers have improved their genetics throughselection to leave the impression that increasedproduction attained through selection outweighsany advantages attained through heterosis or thecrossing of unrelated breeds.

So what is the point? In the genetic world,remember that measurable and non-measurableadvantages are evident as diverse genetics arecrossed. That is simply a fact. More importantly,the concept of crossbreeding systems was placedon the back shelf. As a result, the tool chestshrunk. As producers explore new ways to addressbeef systems in the current world, a large tool chestis needed.

As producers look to downsize cows, thoseearly black baldy concepts are real. A small cow isnot efficient if she only has the capacity to wean asmall calf. Real efficiency comes when the smallcow produces a calf that exceeds her own capacityto grow. This means terminal sires. In addition, itmeans crossbreeding systems are needed.It is nothing new, just a reminder.Source:http://westernfarmpress.com/management/crossbreeding-systems-necessary-beef-industry

Submitted by Gerry IsleyG I T Performance Cattle

Recently there has been an excitingdevelopment in our breed. The Salers Optimizerprogram has been approved under the AnimalPedigree Act for use in Canada. It has been a longhaul for all involved. For the past few years a groupof progressive SALERS members saw a need inour breed for a performance verifiable crossbreeding program using ONLY purebredregistered animals on both sides of any mating.These breeders worked hard and long and createda program that mirrors principles adopted by theAmerican Salers Association. By having similarprograms there are “no borders” and what workswell can be duplicated in either country.

This spring is the first time CanadianRegistered Optimizers will be offered for sale inCanada. An exciting first for our breeders andbreed. Commercial cattlemen will be importantbenefactors of this new development. While theadvantages are many and more to come, animportant gain with Optimizer for thecommercial market will be the enlargement of ourgenetic pool. The most obvious advantage ofOptimizers is that they are registered cattle withpedigrees and all will have performance recordsavailable. This is a major”plus” for cattlemen thatwatch closely the pedigree and past performanceof their breeding stock. Using registered stock and

only registered stock is the most reliable way tomonitor your genetic inputs.

The Optimizer program allows breeders togo outside the purebred SALERS genetic genepool to identify and use traits that will accentuateand benefit offspring. By adding desirable traitsthrough use of other purebred cattle from otherbreeds and having knowledge of pedigrees andpast performance, will enable purchasers as well asbreeders involved in program the ability to foreseewith good accuracy how the resultant offspringwill turn out. Guess work largely eliminated.

With Optimizer you can now select specifictraits that will meet your needs and the needs ofthe market while still being able to capitalize onbasic SALERS strengths that cannot be matched,calving ease, motherability, mobility andlongevity. In the past as a commercial cattlemanand if had a history of SALERS genetics in yourherd, you were tempted and did use on occasion abull from another breed to improve hybrid vigourbut you may have lost another desirable trait.With Optimizer you will improve hybrid vigourbut will retain or improve the strong traits thatSALERS are known to provide.

Historically SALERS have always done wellunder test conditions. They have topped or beennear the top year after year in ALL test trials. Thesame results have been seen in carcass tests, here inCanada or in the USA. The past few years in theStates the same results have been seen with

Optimizers, with weights gains and eff1ciencies ator near the top in test after test. Strong sales ofOptimizers naturally have followed theseimpressive results as cattlemen appreciate theadvantages of Optimizers, the SALERS influenceand are willing to pay for the improvementsprovided to them.

Labour is always at the forefront of decisionmaking. SALERS have always been part of theequation to minimize labour. SALERS are alsopart of the profit equation. More live calves percow exposed that grow quickly with little or nohealth issues will improve your bottom line.OPTIMIZERs with the strength of SALERSincluded in the package are a good bet to get thisimprovement.

These are exciting times in the cattlebusiness, prices are up across the board and levelsare such that profits are achievable. A “retired”bull will give you a solid start towards buying areplacement and we now have some newopportunities in Canada, Optimizers, withtailored genetics. Come out to at least one ofseveral sales with SALERS and OPTIMIZERSon offer or call and visit breeders holding privatetreaty sales. See how a purchase will help toimprove your herd and your results. Remember ifyour purchase is backed by registration papers andperformance data you know what you have andwhat you can expect.

Salers Optimizer Program


Live Healthy calves- more pounds weanedper cow.

Low maintenance- proven track record forhighest returns in industry.Volume on moderate frames.

Unsurpassed mothering ability- earlymaturity, consistent calving ease, protective

with the milk to raise her calf.Exceptional feet and legs-

can go where other breeds can’t.Great coats- can survive and thrive

in poor conditions.Proven longevity- less replacements and

more calves during lifetime.Docility guaranteed- planned mating, strong

management and careful culling.Profitable- work on range, feedlots, packing

plants and on the table.

Bulls, Females and Semen Available.

Located 18 kilometers south west of Okotoks, less than 40 kilometers south of Calgary.Breeding Salers since 1983 for performance and disposition. Docility GUARANTEED.

Our 30th year consistently producing and raising ONLY Registered Purebred SALERS.True to the original practices when introduced to Canada.

Semen available. Sire of 2011 and 2012 calf crops.

SALERS, after 7000 years, still EXCEL in fertility, low calf mortality,weaning weights, early maturity and carcass quality and cutability. SALERS are theonly continental breed to thrive in Western Range Conditions. Genetic Purity provides

exceptional hybrid vigor for crossbreeding.


Top 10 Reasons to useSalers Genetics

1. Ease of calving/vigorous newborns - built in “sleep well”

genetics.

2. Healthy cows/healthy calves means less work, more profits.

3. Outstanding maternal & reproductive performance/

prolific breeders.

4. Longevity- more productive years from both dams and sires.

5. Disposition- Salers breeders are committed to

easy to handle cattle.

6. Range /pasture management advantage-

Salers go where other cows won’t.

7. Strengthen hybrid vigor- heterosis can boost performance

by up to 15%.

8. More pounds at weaning/ strong feedlot gains/ optimal carcass

weights.

9. Optimal marbling - excellent tenderness,

besting all continentals.

10. High yields - average 60% or more lean meat in every carcass.

TestimonialWe have used Salers bulls on our Charolais cows for several years and are very

happy with the cross. These easy calving, vigorous tan calves yield a few more centsper lb on sale day and also make excellent replacements to add to the herd.Soura-Horan Farms, Bowsman, MB

Martin and Deona Horan

2011 calves

Page 6 Salers Magazine

Salers Magazine

“It’s more than a business. It is a way of life.I’m doing what I enjoy, so to me you can’t have itany better than that.”

That is how Allen Weiss sums up his cow-calf ranching business operated with wife Eileen inthe rolling Alberta foothills northwest of Sundre,Alberta. Eileen adds, “You must love what you dofor a living in order to succeed at ranching.”

Salers cattle make up a major part of theircommercial cattle herd. The change to Salers wasmade in 1996 when they bought their first 15 bredfemales from Mader Ranches. Salers genetics makeup part of the equation on both the sire side aswell as an essential asset to the productive, easy-to-care-for cow herd.

The family operation located only a half milefrom where Allen was raised has been built upover the years to now cover five quarter sections.Pasture land and forage production feeds the 130head cow herd that calves out in January. Feedercalves are marketed at the Olds Auction Marketeach fall.

Their commitment to raising fine cattleshows in their sale last year. In early October 2011,their steers averaged 710 pounds and brought$1.45 a pound while heifers weighed an average of650 pounds and sold at $1.40 per pound. These

top of the line prices showed they had one of thebest calf crops brought to town during the fallfeeder calf run. This is a long ways from whenAllen brought his first Salers cross calves into theauction mart, where a cattle buyer scoffed at Salerscattle.

Allen sits back in his chair, and stares offwith a bemused smile twitching at the corners ofhis mouth. “He’s not making a living at cattleanymore, but I am, so..” That he lets the sentencedie instead of completing it shows how proud ofhis cattle he is, and lets his modest, laughingmanner shine through.

Allen believes that a 50% or more Salers cowis ideal. “Straight Red Angus are too small. Salersgive you the length. I like Salers because they haveconsistency, feed well, milk well, and make goodmothers.” Eileen adds that, “They’re good rustlers,good movers, just an overall good cow. We’ve haddifferent cattle over the years, but find the Salerscow ideal.”

“The calves are up and eating when they’reborn; it saves a lot of labor.” Eileen adds, “They’rejust little bitty things when they’re born, they’rewonderful mothers, too. Just wonderful.”

When asked about his optimum Salers bull,he says, “a birth weight of about 90 pounds is

ideal. With good feet, legs, and disposition.”Allen and Eileen use Salers bulls in their

crossbreeding plan. Heifers are bred to Salers bullsfor calving ease solutions. As well, the best 40 cowsare bred Salers to get replacement heifers to goback into the cow herd. Other cows, mostly half-blood or higher percentage Salers with someHereford or Red Angus base, are bred toCharolais bulls for a terminal cross that yields tanand tan brockleface calves that suit the feeder calfmarket well.

The praise they have for the cattle iscontinuous, and without fault. Allen commentswith regret though, “It’s hard to buy Salersfemales, there’s just not any out there. The onlyones that are, are purebred, and they’re tooexpensive for a commercial person.”

The Salers cows at the Weiss ranch are allwonderful mothers. When we walk out to thepasture we see a day old calf basking in the unusualwarm winter weather we’ve experienced so far, it’smother a few steps to the side peacefully andproudly looking on, as if she were showing off hercalf for all of us to see.

Over the years since getting married andpurchasing the first part of their land in 1967,Allen and Eileen have managed the ranch while

Salers work atWeiss Ranch

By Kate Bollum


Allen also worked off-farm. A combination ofgrain, hay and cattle is typical for the area.

A change they have made in the past fewyears is that they went out of the grain businessand switched to making bale silage for all their

forage needs. “It’s good because with the weatherconditions you see out here you get showers all thetime in the summer that makes putting up dry haydifficult.” They use a clover timothy mix, and putup barley, oats, and peas for silage for the cows.They “cut it, bale it, wrap it- we do everythingourselves. Sometimes we pull long days just havingthe two of us, but with our way we do not needfive guys like some silage feeding methods. WhenI look at people who have to rake, and rerake, Ithink it is worth the expense of tubing it. This waywe get to put our feet up.” However, it still doescome with downfalls. It is more expensive, and oneyear during a bad hailstorm everything was tornapart and they had to wrap the whole thing again.

They both firmly believe you have to have alove and passion for working in the cattle industry.There are the people in the city who work their 8-hour shift, get their paycheck, and come home.We work 24 hours a day watching calving and stilldo not get that big paycheck. You don’t grow intothe business, you’ve got to be born with thatdesire.” It is almost comical how bad they feel forthose not farming. “It’s kind of sad, actually. Whenthe nights are too long, we are bored stiff cause wecannot work. It must be very boring for townpeople. I don’t know how they can just sit and

watch TV!”The hard work they both continually put

into their farm has not dulled the love andaffection they feel for each other. It is obvious inthe way they both joke and slyly poke fun at oneanother through their answers to the questions.When asked how they managed to run the

operation by themselves, Allen starts off by saying“well, I’d work in the oilfield and Eileen adds,‘while I was at home looking after kids, and thefarm” Allen interjects, “we would really never seeeach other.” Eileen finishes with a coy wink.“That’s why we’re still married!”

Allen comments about how the nature of thefarming industry has changed. “I think it’s that wewere raised on the farm, and stayed on the farm.

Nowadays kids going to school are exposed to a lotmore, and they have other interests. There just isnot the same feeling for it. If there were moremoney in it, there would be more people in thisbusiness. That is for sure. However, what they donot realize is how much money is actually in it,just not at the time. It’s tied up into land,equipment, and stock.”

BSE that hit in May 2003 and drought hasaffected them, like all other cattlemen, but theykeep an optimistic view on the future, as thingshave looked up these past few years. Eileencomments, “BSE was a killer. Knocked the heckout of the cattle industry. Nevertheless, we willkeep doing it until we cannot anymore. Until hellfreezes over, we will keep doing it. We may be alittle slower now, but..” “Maybe you are, but I’mnot!” Allen quickly interrupted with hisoptimistic and steadfast view.

The plans for their future hinted aboutretiring, but they said “ Well, I guess this ISretirement. We should have a plan B. I think aboutit a lot but we just do not. Want to be able to.. butwe don’t.” Allen adds, “The hardest problem withfarming is that we do not know how to retire. Thisis our retirement. We’ve been at it for a long time,so we kind of got it down now.” KB

Calving ease of Salers bulls is a big reason for usingthem on the first calf heifers in the Weiss program.

Silage bales make up the bulk of the feed supply at Allenand Eileen Weiss’s ranch. Hay, barley and oats crops areswathed, baled wet and wrapped in plastic laying in longtubed rows. The feed will keep well as long as the plasticis not punctured. Although the plastic and the wrappingmachine adds cost compared to traditional dry baledhaying methods, the silage bale process allows greatflexibility against rainy weather delays whereas thesilage baling can proceed on schedule to obtain topquality feed

Although the rest of the calf crop was sold as feeder calvesin the fall, these three steers represent the color patternsthe Weiss’ are after. The two dark red calves are fromcows that are at least half Salers with some Red Angus orHereford. Their tan calves out of these red half-bloodSalers cows are sired by Charolais bulls for a terminalcross that also sells well when marketed or fed out.

Salers Magazine

Herd Sires:SC Blk Premium 76P Sire: Polled LegacyLight bwt. (82 lbs.), excellent females, bulls havedone very well in test centres.JOC Blk Pld Tin Cup 18TSire: Blk Pld RicochetAcceptable bwt. (88 lbs.) we have used him onheifers successfully, extremely easy keeping, hiscalves do very well on roughage, very little grainneeded, very good disposition.PW Kanada 1X Sire: Newsbreak 85 lb. bwt.Developed into a deep, thick bull, very gooddisposition with lots of hair.Used on 25 heifers this year.

For Sale at the Farm10 Super Good 2 Year Old Purebred Salers Heifers

Bred to 1X. Start calving February 1.Mostly 76P daughters.

EPDs, Bwt, ROP information in the catalogue.Catalogs available on request.

JOC 18T

PW 1X

He Sells

She Sells

Thank you to all our bidders and buyers at last years sale,hope to see you again.


By Claudia VillemaireSt Francois d'Xavier de Brompton -

Raymond Custeau has the courage of hisconvictions - at least, where raising Grade A beefand managing a herd of purebred Salers, RedAngus and the new Optimizer breed, the hybridcross of Salers and Angus.

But it's taken years of determination,studying sire geneaology, watching results fromsire testing stations, evaluation and matching upchoice females with outstanding males. The finalresults, according to Custeau himself, are quitesurprising.

"If you can put an extra hundred pounds on a'finishing' beef animal without the added cost thatwould normally entail, I figure you'd be a fool notto follow up on that and take a long look at theadvantages of crossbreeding with Salers females,'he says emphatically during an interview on theCusteau farm last week.

Some experts would say he definitely hasadvantages beginners wouldn't have. Farming onthe Custeau homestead where his grandfather andfather produced milk for half a century, RaymondCusteau has the priviledge of a mortgage freeoperation. With market prices hardly meeting costof production and cuts to stabilization insuranceseemingly a favorite government pastime,newcomers to beef production almost certainlywill be compelled to find gainful employment offthe farm too.

Since the 'mad cow' crisis, many producers ofboth meat and replacement stock have

disappeared. Andthe most recente c o n o m i cd o w n t u r ncertainly didn'thelp the industry,'he saysthoughtfully. "So,by developing ananimal with manydesirable qualitiessuch as ease ofcalving, easymaintenance, fewcomplications ingiving birth and aseemingly toughresistance tocurrent healthproblems whichrequire a healthprogram thatbrings vets andhealth checks on aregular basis -these are some ofthe advantages ofthese crossbreds -so far,' Custeauexplains.The Salers breed,

originating inFrance as a dualpurpose animal,with a better thanaverage milkproduction among

beef breeds and a squared-off body with a wellformed rear, (that's where those tender steakscome from) and very little fat developed on theback and ribs, has been a mainstay for beefproduction and some milk in France andneighboring countries.

American breeders recognized these qualitiesbefore the breed made inroads into Canadian beefherds, but in the last decade, the Salers breed canbe found in just about every province with thewestern producers claiming the highest number ofSalers in their herds. Crossbreeding is well startedwest of us, and now, according toCusteau and his recorded successwith hybridization, the CanadianLivestock Records, theorganization which establishesbreed standards set by breedassociations has given thispromising beef-type animal anofficial name, the Optimizer, andofficial status in the CanadianBreed registry.

The Custeau farm covers over600 acres, much of it wooded and,"I would like to have morecropland. But I do have to buy somecereals although I don't feed anygrain to any gestating andproducing cows. Only the animalsdestined for the marketplace willget a 'finishing' ration for aboutthree weeks."

Custeau is a firm believer in feeding highquality forage. "I insist on the best hay I canharvest or purchase. It must be mowed at the righttime, properly cured and wrapped and carefullystored," he describes as we take a walking tour toget acqauinted with his gestating females and hisprized Red Angus sire. We walked among these'stars' quite comfortably, admiring excellent breedstandards, the well developed hindquarters, alwayssought by breeders of replacement stock, qualitieswhich include strong hind legs, well spaced ribs,strong shoulders and front legs standing square.These animals can weigh close to 2,000 poundswhen mature and body frame and bone structureare important considerations. "I bought the bestbull I could find," he points out as the Red Angussire and star of this group of Salers females amblesdocilely by us.

In the stable where Custeau worked besidehis father and grandfather among the milk cows,two lines of Angus, Salers and Optimizers are tied.Stables are clean, animals are in prime condition,well fed and housed with care and attention. Neartheir mothers, newborn calves romped in front ofthe manger. "You can see the quality here," Custeaupoints out, adding these are firsts from his newRed Angus sire. "He has that square frame with awell rounded rump and look, you can see that inthese calves already," he adds proudly.

"You have to be on the job seven days a week,"he says, giving an almost-due-to-calve female aback scratch. Anyone who thinks being a beefproducer is the easy side of farming, (no cows tomilk twice a day, no expensive technologyrequired by agriculture), taking proper care ofthese animals, spending time studying thegeneaology of sires that interest you, paying strictattention to production costs, rate of gain, doingultra sounds and back fat studies, watching thedevelopment of the all-important rib-eye, takingthe time to study sire-testing stations reports andslaughter-house grading - that and more isinvolved in meat production. If we can continue toimprove meat quality, rate of gain and keep costsdown by using these Optimizer calves and satisfyconsumers demands for well-marbled, lean beef ata reasonable cost - a challenging goal to say theleast," Custeau concludes.

Ray Custeau


Claudia VillemaireÀ St-François-Xavier-de-Brompton,

M. Raymond Custeau a eu le courage quivient avec ses convictions. Au moins, il élève unbœuf de qualité et gère un troupeau de Salers,Angus Rouge puresang et le nouveau croisementappelé « Optimizer », un croisement hybride deSalers et Angus Rouge.

Ça lui a pris des années de détermination,d’études de génétique, d’analyse de résultats desstations d’épreuve, d’analyse de performances deses meilleurs vaches. Le résultat est très surprenantavoue l’éleveur.

« Si tu peux mettre cent livres de viandesupplémentaire sur un animal sans les coûts quecela peut engendrer, je pense qu’un producteurserait un peu fou de ne pas considérer les avantagesdu croisement avec une femelle Salers » C’est ceque Raymond a dit lors d’une entrevue à la FermeHondo la semaine passée.

Les experts diront que Raymond adéfinitivement un avantage sur les débutants. Ilélève ses bêtes sur la ferme qui a été transmisdepuis 3 générations de producteurs laitiers.Raymond a le privilège de n’avoir aucunehypothèque. Avec le prix du marché qui couvre àpeine les dépenses et les coupures à l’assurancestabilisation, les nouveaux venus dans laproduction de bœuf sont pratiquement obligé detravailler à l’extérieur pour arriver à leur fin.

Depuis, la crise de la vache folle, plusieursproducteurs bovins ont disparus. La crisefinancière des dernières années n’a certainementpas aidé l’industrie bovine. Alors, en développantun animal avec plusieurs qualités soit : la facilité auvêlage, entretien minimum, peu de complication àla naissance et une bonne résistance aux maladies,sont toutes des avantages du croisement «Optimizer ».

La race Salers originaire de France est unanimal à deux fins, avec une production laitièremeilleure que la moyenne des vaches à bœuf. Deplus, elle possède une bonne musculature, desfesses profondes et arrondies (c’est là d’où provientles bons steaks tendre) et avec très peu de gras surle dos et les côtes. C’est pour cette raison que cetterace est utilisée en France pour la production debœuf et de lait.

Les producteurs américains ont reconnu sesqualités avant que cette race face son chemin àl’intérieur des troupeaux canadiens, mais dans ladernière décennie la race Salers peut être trouvédans toutes les provinces et surtout dans celles del’ouest où l’on trouve les plus gros troupeaux devaches de race Salers. L’hybridation est bienimplanté à l’ouest du Québec et maintenant selonRaymond et son succès dans le croisement de larace. L’Associaton canadienne d’enregistrementdes animaux, cette organisation qui établit lesstandards de race, a donné à cet animal à bœufprometteur un nom officiel. « Optimizer » est unstatut officiel dans l’enregistrement des racescanadiennes.La ferme de M. Custeau couvre 600 acres de terre

dont la plus part en bois. « J’aimerais avoir plus deterre pour faire pousser du grain pour combler lesbesoins du troupeau même si les vaches enproduction et en gestation ne mangent pas degrains. Seulement les animaux destinés au marchéde la viande vont recevoir une ration de finitionpour trois ou quatre semaines. »

M. Custeau croit fermement en unealimentation de fourrage de haute qualité. « Ilm’est d’une grande importance de récolter lemeilleur foin possible sinon je vise l’achat de foinde très bonne qualité. Le foin se doit d’être coupéau bon moment, être bien conservé et entreposer.» Voici ce que Raymond décrit pendant que nousmarchons dans son troupeau de femelles Salersgestantes et de son super taureau Angus Rouge.Nous marchons confortablement avec ses «étoiles » en admirant les excellant standard derace avec des bons fessiers bien développéstoujours prisés par les éleveurs. Les qualitésrecherchées sont de bons membres avant et arrière,des côtes bien espacé, des épaules musclées etprofondes. Ces animaux peuvent peser jusqu’à2000 livres à l’âge adulte c’est pourquoi ils ontbesoin d’une bonne structure osseuse. « J’ai achetéles meilleurs taureaux que j’ai putrouver. » En pointant le taureauAngus Rouge qui marchedocilement près de nous.

Dans l’étable où Raymond atravaillé aux côtés de son père etson grand-père avec les vacheslaitières, deux rangées d’Angus, deSalers et de « Optimizer » sontattachées. L’étable est propre, lesanimaux sont dans des conditionsoptimales, bien nourrit et bientraité au petits oignons. Près deleur mère, les nouveaux nés sontattachés en avant de celles-ci. « Icion peut voir la qualité des veaux. » Raymondpointe fièrement les premiers nouveaux nés de sonnouveau taureau Angus Rouge.

« Un bon producteur se doit d’être au travailsept jours par semaine » dit Raymond en grattantle dos d’une de ses vaches préférées. Pour tous ceuxqui croient que la production de bœuf est facile

(pas de traite à faire deux fois par jour ), prendrebien soin de ses animaux, prendre le tempsd’étudier la génétique des taureaux, accorder uneattention particulière au coût de production, augain poids journalier, les ultrasons pour lesépaisseurs du gras dorsal, surveiller ledéveloppement de l’œil de longe, étudier lesrésultats des stations d’épreuve pour choisir lestaureaux, étudier les classifications, tout ça et plusencore font partie de la production de viande. Enconclusion, si on peut continuer d’améliorer laqualité de la viande, le gain moyen quotidien(GMQ) et garder les coûts de production les plusbas possible en utilisant les veaux « Optimizer »,tout ça pour satisfaire les demandes de nosconsommateurs qui exigent une viande persillé etun prix raisonnable, est un défi de tous les joursconclut M. Custeau.

Translation by France Custeau

Ray Custeau


Salers Magazine

Sired by SC Lawman 67L, 46N is a power cow. She has great disposition,length and natural muscling. Many time champion, including NationalChampion! Embryo opportunities available. Michael & JacobMorin

41 ch. des DomainesSt. Felix de Kingsey QC

T: 819 848 2627 C: 819 470 8844Contact us about our breeding stock available at the farm, from bulls, heifers and F1's...we've got 'em!

The Salers CowMaster of

Efficient Beef ProductionMacDonald Ranches, Bismarck, ND ,www.macdonaldranches.com

There are many reasons why Salers geneticsmake up the primary framework of our breedingprogram. We have experienced firsthand the valueof the traits in which Salers cattle excel. Many ofthese positive traits are centered around the Salersfemale.

This begins at calving where they areuniquely designed to lessen the workload. Theslender shape of the Salers calf combined with thelarge pelvic area of the Salers female combine tocreate an easy-calving experience. Salers calves arevery lively at birth and get up and suckling fast.These traits together are what we call calfsurvivability and nothing will beat a Salers-crosscowherd at this game.

Fertility is another profit-driving trait thatSalers cows are blessed with. Ask anyone who haspreg checked a lot of cows. Salers cows come inbred at a higher rate than any other breed crossand they do it over a longer life span.

Which brings us to another important Salers

trait – longevity. Salerscows just last longer. Onour place the average cowdoesn’t really start to showher age until about 11 or12 and 14 year old cowsare not uncommon. Someof the proven-producing grandmas are still havingcalves at 16.

When you add up the traits of calfsurvivability, fertility and longevity, you get a cowthat weans more pounds of live calf in a lifetimeand puts more dollars in the bank than any othergenetic component you can add to your cowherd.

Salers cows also have milk that is particularlyhigh in butterfat content, allowing them to bringin big calves without requiring big udders. Theyare foragers, too, grazing out where other cowsdon’t like to go and up to higher elevations whereother cows refuse to graze.

Salers genetics in the cowherd are even apositive for today’s debate over efficient use of theearth’s land resources. Dr. Jude Capper,Washington State University animal scientist and

well-known authority on resource efficiency incattle production, is quoted as saying, “Only 86%of cows have a live calf every year. If that were90%, 95% or 99%, that would make a hugeimprovement in productivity.” (Angus Journal,November 2011, p. 146). The reproductiveefficiency of the Salers cow could be a big boost toefficiency of production in the US beef cattleherd.

The Salers cow is truly a master of efficientbeef production. The value of having Salersgenetics in your cowherd must be experienced tobe appreciated. Give us a call. We’ll be glad tohelp you plan how you can best put Salers geneticsinto your cowherd.


Salers Magazine

Around the RingsNovember 2011 FarmFair - Edmonton, AB

Champion Bred Heifer - All Breeds Class:SFE Pld Xena 19X shown by Sarah Eigner of CareFarms, Thorhild ABCongratulation to Sarah for winning with her2011 4-H project! Well done!

October 2011 Expo Boeuf - Victoriaville, QCA great turnout for our Provincial show with

seven breeders from across QC & NB showingalmost 40 head of cattle.Grand Champion Bull: OBR Traveler byOutback Ranch Land & Cattle (Ernest & BobbyHunter)Champion Jr Bull: Windbec X-Treme byWindbec Salers (Gerald & Mona McGee)Champion Heifer Calf: OBR Pld Twilight byOutback Ranch Land & Cattle (Ernest & BobbyHunter)Grand Female: TCJ X-Factor by TCJ Salers(Tammi, Christine & Joanne McGee)Reserve Champion Female: Pinegrove Pld Ninaby Pinegrove Salers (Mike & Jacob Morin)Breeder’s Herd: Outback Ranch Land & Cattle(Ernest & Bobby Hunter)Premiere Breeder: Outback Ranch Land &Cattle (Ernest & Bobby Hunter)Premiere Exhibitor: Pinegrove Salers (Mike &Jacob Morin)September 2011 NB Beef Expo Sussex, NB

Breeders from across the Maritimesparticipated in a great show & got a chance tocatch up with each other.

Grand Champion Bull: Millstream Yankee byMillstream Salers (Brian & Linda Walker)Reserve Champion Bull: OBR Traveler byOutback Ranch Land & Cattle (Ernest & BobbyHunter)Grand Champion Female: OBR Gypsy by

Outback Ranch Land & Cattle (Ernest & BobbyHunter)Reserve Champion Female:Millstream X-Ray byMillstream Salers (Brian & Linda Walker)Premiere Breeder: Millstream SalersPremiere Exhibitor: Millstream Salers

September 2011 Richmond FairRichmond, QC

5 Breeders participated in a wonderful showof Salers Cattle. It was a weekend of great cattle,great judging, and good times had by all.Grand Champion Bull: Windbec X-Treme byWindbec Salers (Gerald & Mona McGee)Reserve Champion Bull: Marlas Tennence byMarlas Salers (Doug & Marion Beard)Grand Champion Female: Pinegrove Nina byPinegrove Salers (Mike & Jacob Morin)Reserve Champion Female: TCJ X-Factor byTCJ Salers (Tammi, Christine & Joanne McGee)Breeder’s Herd: Marlas Salers (Doug & MarionBeard)Premiere Breeder: Wind Dancer Farms (Mark &Kacie Mason)Premiere Exhibitor: Pinegrove Salers (Mike &Jacob Morin)

Peace Country Beef Congress 2012January 6-7, 2012, Grande Prairie, AB

Congratulations to all breeders for a job well donethis past show season! Keep up the great work!

Champion Reserve Heifer - shown by Voss Salers

Grand Champion Bull Expo Boeuf - OBRTraveler

Grand Champion Bull Richmond Fair -Windbec Extreme

Reserve Champion Steer at the Grande PrairieBeef Congress shown by Voss Salers

Provincial ReportsQuebec Salers Association

The Quebec Salers Association started the year off with our annualgeneral meeting on February 13th 2011. At the meeting we welcomed Mr.Claude Lavallie as a guest speaker, who spoke to us about the Salon de Boeufproject he was working on. The association agreed this would be a project wewould like to participate in.

The spring and summer kept our members busy with the regularplanting, haying and harvesting. The Salon de Beouf project came at the endof the summer, where the association donated 50 lbs of Salers beef from PineGrove farms to be taste tested by the public. The project was very successful.

September brought us Richmond Fair, where 5 breeders participatedshowing around 25 head. At the end of September four members traveled toSussex New Brunswick to watch the Salers show there. As always we werewelcomed with wonderful hospitality from the Eastern Breeders.

In October we welcomed some of the eastern breeders back to Quebecfor Expo Boeuf, where almost 40 head of Salers cattle were shown by 7breeders. After the show the participants were treated to a wine and cheeseput on by the Quebec Salers Association.

Currently we are planning for the New Year, where in January twomembers are traveling to Denver Colorado for the Livestock show.

Kacie Mason, SecretarySalers Association of Manitoba

In early January, we took a breed display booth to the Interlake BeefSeminar. Although inclement weather reduced attendance, our display waswell received. Later in January, the display accompanied a stall of yearlingbulls at Ag Days in Brandon. It was a very busy venue during this 3 day event;

we visited with manycattle people anddistributed severalinformation packages,CD’s and magazines.

Salers bulls were on testat the Manitoba Bull TestStation at Douglas. Againthis year the Salers breedtopped the ADG categoryfor the third consecutiveyear. Station results bybreed were as follows:Breed

ADG WDASalers 4.26 3.41Charolais 3.79 3.42Limousin 3.86 3.17Angus 3.72 3.26Shorthorn 4.08 3.57Speckle Park 2.49 2.66Blonde 3.60 3.25Simmental 4.08 3.56Maine Anjou 4.23 3.58Sale average for Salers bulls was $2300.Six Salers heifers were also on test, one of which was the high gainer for thestation.

Breeders reported strong response to the ad that SAM placed in Cattle

Country, the official magazine of Manitoba Beef Producers. We appreciateadvertising contributions from our members and grants provided by SAC toassist with provincial advertising.

4-H members exhibiting Salers animals in their beef projects wereawarded engraved USB flash drives in appreciation for their promotion of thebreed.

Manitoba breeders, Ken & Wendy Sweetland were able to attend theSAC annual meeting in Carstairs in May. Thanks to the Jones, who hosted usand enabled us to visit several Alberta breeders while in Alberta.

In August, Richard and Gil Grudeski hosted a foreign visitor, Iain Livseyof Cleuchhead Salers, of Lilliesleaf, Melrose, Scotland whose family was ahost farm for the International Salers Tour in 2009. Rick toured Iain to visitManitoba breeders, prior to Iain’s fall harvest employment on a Hamiotagrain farm. Upon leaving Canada, he was returning to Scotland briefly, thenon to pursue his interest in Salers cattle touring in New Zealand andAustralia. We thank him for his visit and wish him and his family continuedsuccess with their Salers herd.

By fall, demand for Salers females in the province was strong, withbreeders reporting strong sales of both bred and open heifers to bothexpanding Salers breeders and to commercial herds.

We enter 2012, (and with “winter” yet to arrive) in a stronger cattleenvironment than we’ve seen in a long time. Happy New Year to all!

Alberta Salers AssociationIn January, 2011, Pat and Brian Jones with Kathy Adams attended the

Denver Stock Show. While there all attended the ASA AGM and Directorsmeeting, meeting our counterparts in the US. Brian and Pat also representedour purebred industry and our breed by participating in round tablediscussions held between industry and government officials from bothcountries. Later in winter Best Valley Salers, Care Farms and Windrush HillSalers exhibited cattle at the Farm and Ranch Show in Edmonton. True toour breed, these animals, especially a new mother and calf, were starattractions with the public with their quiet disposition and the ease that theydisplayed interacting with our “City” cousins.

In July Pat and Brian Jones accompanied two Juniors, Ellen Hondl andCorrissa Voss to the American Junior Show in South Dakota. These juniorsparticipated in all activities and were provided cattle to show as they wished.A great fun time and education on how things work in their Juniorassociation. We all attended workshops and meetings and our visit was mostappreciated. We look forward to their Juniors coming here to join us.

Activities around shows was limited for us as for all breeds, but wethank all members that got out and showed cattle locally to promote ourSalers. Congratulation to Sarah Eigner of Care Farms on her great winningperformance at Farm Fair. Her heifer was a deserving choice and a reward forher hard work.

Maritime Salers AssociationThe annual meeting of the Maritime Salers Association was held on April

2, 2011 at the Wandlyn Inn, Amherst, N. S. Members were also there toattend the 37th annual breeding stock sale at the Maritime Beef TestingStation in Nappan, N. S. Amongst issues discussed were breed promotion andthe upcoming N.B. Beef Expo to be held in Sept 2011 at Sussex and the needfor a good turnout including out of province exhibitors

At the AGM, the Maritime Salers Association “Best Bull PerformanceAward” was presented to Brian & Michael Walker, of Millstream Salers,Lower Millstream, N. B. for their Salers bull on test at the Maritime BeefTesting Station . Millstream PAB Xman 15X had an ADG of 3.77 lbs, WDAof 3.00 lbs. This award is presented each year at the AGM to the breeder ofthe Salers bull with the best performance while on test at the Maritime BeefTesting Station. At the Maritime Beef Test, Chris & Pat McQuaid ofBedford, PEI consigned and sold the highest selling Salers bull for $2,500.

The Maritime Salers Association presented Steve Parrish of Parrish SalersFarm, Rockland, N. S. with an award in recognition of his family’s 25 years ofdedication to the breeding and promotion of Salers Cattle.

Maritime Salers Association wishes everyone good luck in the comingyear.


Salers Magazine

Announcements

In December 2011 Kathy Adams, Office Manager,lost her son in a tragic car accident. Kathy’sdedication to the Salers Association and tirelesspromotion of the Breed we all love has beenunprecedented. Our thoughts and prayers as anentire association are with Kathy and her Familyduring this difficult time.

Congratulations to Charlene Sereda and herhorse Fancy on winning the 2010 CanadianNational Quarter Horse Youth Reining Title.

Congratulations to Madison Sereda and her horseBaily on their 2011 Canadian National QuarterHorse Reserve Champion Supreme Halter Marewin.

***Ray & Wendy Mader of Sandy Lake Salers,Lakehurst ON welcomed another Grandchild justbefore Xmas. Campbell Regan Mader was bornon November 9, 2011 to Blair & Mandy Mader. Abig healthy boy weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs 13oz! Congratulations on the newest addition

Congratulations to Stephanie Grundke, daughterof Werner and Debbie Grundke, on her marriageto Ryan Workman, of Trail, B.C. on July 2, 2011.The happy couple are residing in Spruce Grove,Alberta.

Congratulations to Jacob Morin of Pine GroveSalers, St. Felix de Kingsey Quebec who graduatedfrom MacDonald Campus of Mcgill University inMay 2011. Jacob earned a three year diploma inthe Farm Management and Technology Program.He also placed first in his class with his FarmProject and was presented with the "Farm CreditCanada Business Planning Award." His parents,Michael and Judy and sister Katelyn Morin arevery proud, and wish Jacob much success andhappiness with his future.

***

*B ROWA R N Y,Walter (Walt)Nov. 28,1935 -August 24, 2011

The Cattleindustry lost arespected andd e d i c a t e dsupporter thispast year. Thew o n d e r f u lmemories hisphotos bring to usall will forever live

on through his son Allen’s work. The entireAssociation was deeply saddened by Walt’s passingand sends out condolences to the BrowarnyFamily.

*Proud Grandparents Doug & Marion Beard ofMarlas Salers welcomes their first Grandchild!Liam Arthur Beard was born on March 12, 2011to Jason Beard & Erin Nixon. Best wishes to thewhole family!

****

January 8, 1938 – August 20, 2011 *Joe McCool,beloved husband of Evelyn of Airdrie, passed awayon Saturday, August 20, 2011 at the age of 73years. The call of farming was strong so Joe andEvelyn started Black Jack Cattle Company. Theythen bought the ranch at Hanna where they raisedworld renowned Salers cattle. The Purebred Salersoperation was moved to Bottrel in 1981 where Joeand Evelyn began their career as internationalmarketers, selling their Salers genetics to all partsof the globe from the U.S. to Australia to SouthAmerica. The Canadian Salers Association lost aPioneer Breeder this year and sends oursympathies to the McCool Family. Theirdedication to the Salers Breed will never beforgotten.

Harold L. Parrish passed away May 14/2011, aftera lengthy battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.He was an upholsterer in Berwick NS for 45 yearsand during that time, he worked hard to maintainthe family beef farm. Harold was proud to be the5th Parrish generation on the farm in KingsCounty and through his efforts, the farm becamethe largest registered purebred Salers farm in NovaScotia. He also enjoyed fishing, hunting, playingcards, and was known for his generosity. Haroldwas a long time member of the Salers Associationof Canada and the Maritime Salers Association.He was recently awarded a lifetime achievementaward, from the Maritime Salers Association, for25 years of dedication to the breeding andpromotion of Salers cattle. Harold will truly bemissed by everyone who knew him, especially hisfamily, who continue to operate the family farmand Salers herd.


Salers Magazine

CARE FARMSREGISTERED SALERS

Russell & Carol EignerBOX 209, THORHILD, ALBERTA T0A 3J0

(780)398-2494

V & S EffaBox 217

Springside, SKS0A 3V0

(306) 782-5636


Calendar of EventsFeb, 19, 2012 Mader Ranches Bull Power & Female Sale

Olds, ABMarch 15, 2012 New Trend Bull Sale, Olds, ABMarch 27, 2012 3rd Cow Booster Bull Sale, Lethbridge, ABApril 7 , 2012 Manitoba Bull Test Sale, Douglas MBApril 7, 2012 Maritime Bull Test Sale, Nappan, NSApril 21, 2012 Lundar MB Purebred Beef Show & Sale


Ad IndexAGW Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,27All Wright Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,27Best Valley Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27CPM Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Care Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Cleopatra Salers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Co-Alta Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 28Dynarich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Elderberry Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 26GIT Salers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 26Grundke Family Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,28Harbrad Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,27Mader Ranches Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 26New Trend Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFCOutback Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,27PW Stock Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,27Pine Grove Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,28Quebec Salers Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,28Sandy Lake Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,28Sereda Stock Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,27Sky West Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, OBCSweetland Super Six Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, IBCTCJ Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,28Tall Tree Salers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Voss Family Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,26,27Windbec Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 28Windrush Hill Salers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,26

J.G.(John) Arnold, P. AgVice President Commercial Financial ServicesAlberta South WestRoyal Bank of Canada614 4 Avenue SouthLethbridge, AB T1J 0N7

Tel: 403-382-3832Fax: 403-320-9122Cell: 403-393-8832

[email protected]

RBCRoyal Bank

Fred Mertz Professional Corporation

F. Fred Mertz, CGA/Robin Burwash

Telephone: (403) 277-2605Fax: 403) 230-0955Toll free: 1-877-AGRI-TAX (247-4829)email: [email protected] 101, 4603 Varsity Drive NW Calgary, AlbertaT3A 2V7

Watch for our exhibits and consignments at:Manitoba Bull Congress/Ag Days,

Jan 2012 www.agdays.comManitoba Bull Test Station April 7 (bulls)

www.manitobabulltest.comLundar PB Beef Show & Sale (bulls & heifers)

April 21 www.buyagro.comSelection of prime bulls and heifers at the farm.

20+ years of developing bloodlines for docility,productivity and profitability.

Thank you to our many 2011 and previous customers for theconfidence you place in our breeding program.

salers magazine - feb 2012

Documents

salers magazinehello

salers cow

salers optimizer program

healthy year

past year

year of changefor

brand new year

tammi mcgee