Altenburg Super Baldy Ranch Philosophy

Altenburg Simmental has been raising Simmentals for nearly 30 years with the commercial man in mind, and raising them like commercial cattle. The yearly calendar of events helps explains the philosophy and the cattle. The 150 cowherd is made up of Simmental and Angus, both black and red and are run in large native grass pastures on the Soapstone Grazing Association (20 acres per cow) on the Colorado/Wyoming border. They and their calves are trailed there each June, a 15 mile drive crossing several ranches and using the help of good friends and neighbors horseback. After the preg check, the cows are trailed home to graze hay stubble and corn stalk pastures two months. One week after National Western Stock Show, the cows and bred heifers are brought home to start calving February 1st. They calve outside and are brought to the barn only when we are trying to “save the ears.”

An annual bull sale is held after the 100 day gain test on the third Saturday of March (March 15th in 2008) where the Simmental, Angus (both black & red) and “Super Baldy” composite bulls are sold to commercial cattlemen in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. Branding is done in early April, with A.I. and Embryo Transfer starting the 25th of April. The cows are A.I. bred for two cycles and then go with a clean up bull. The bulls are pulled in mid June and the trail drive north to the summer pastures starts the process all over again. Sounds like a commercial operation, doesn’t it? The cows are run under range conditions, like the Altenburg’s commercial customers. Altenburg Super Baldy utilizes the technology of A.I. and Embryo Transfer while relishing the tradition of trailing cows horseback and utilizing range conditions.

Donor Females - such as ASR Dream Catcher has been a female to build a cowherd around. Even as a young cow, she became a mainstay of our breeding program and philosophy. She sold for $7,500 for one half interest in the 2003 National Western Stock Show sale to Wayward Hills Farms, Doc & Luann Allen and sons of Versailles, Kentucky. She has recently sold embryos to Bonnydale Farms in Western Australia. Other donors include ASR Little Dessi P420, and MLC Dessi K53. Check out our donor page. We are excited about the ET and AI calves to be born this spring.

Some Philosophies... and Our Goal, “Taking Technology and Information… and Making it Practical”

We believe in using all the genetic tools available to us, but also feel it is important to help interpret that information for our commercial customers. With the use of powerful tools such as A.I. and Embryo Transfer, we can reproduce the best genetics, in mass, providing even several full brothers to our larger commercial customers. If you can’t use A.I., then use A.I. sired bulls. EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences) are powerful genetic tools, however, it requires some cowboy “common sense” and practicality to utilize them. For example, my philosophy on milk EPD is “too much is as bad as not enough”. Therefore, we try to breed our Simmentals to be below average for the Simmental breed or in the 0 to +6 range. We find that best suits the western range conditions. Balancing EPDs and physical structure is also an art. Bull buyers won’t buy an unsound or visually “bad one” just because he has great EPDs, and that is as it should be. Further, cattle ought to be evaluated in the environment closest to your own. I find cattle that are pampered with added condition, don’t do well when they come home to our place. I also feel cattle need to be bred to compliment a crossbreeding program and bring their own strengths. For example, I select Simmental to add ribeye and carcass yield and Angus (both black and red) to add carcass quality and marbling… and don’t chase either to extremes. Emphasis is placed on other important traits such as udder, disposition, pigmentation, but especially pregnancy. She better be bred up early or she is down the road. Finally, using Composite Bulls (such as Simmental x Angus Super Baldy Bulls) is an excellent way to incorporate some desired crossbreeding traits into your herd. Some choose to bad-mouth the concept, but it works. Satisfied customers keep me producing them.