Home | Philosophy | Management | Articles | Sires Breeding Stock For Sale | Stock Wanted | Meat Prices Low-Input, Good-Profit Beef Production by Harold Waite Twenty-four years ago Bill Baker of Orford, New Hampshire decided that a small hill-farm dairy was no longer a profitable operation. As increasing the herd size would require a large investment in buildings, equipment and labor, he searched for less costly alternatives. A larger acreage of rough mountain pasture was available, some openings of natural grass and the balance cut over woodland, with a new growth of poplar sprouts, hardhack bushes and young balsam. To take advantage of grazing his land, Bill chose Scotch Highland, a very hardy breed with the reputation of picking their living under adverse conditions. "They like coarse feed Bill says, "the eat grass half a day and then by choice, browse on poplar and hardhack. These woodland pastures are owned by people who prune, shape and harvest the wild balsam Christmas trees. To save the expense of moving the grass and brush around the trees they give me free pasturing, even maintaining the fences and helping move the cattle. These upland pastures are located on the fringe of the White Mountain National Forest, several miles from civilization so predators are not uncommon. As most of the calves are born in April, after the herd goes to pasture, the natural protective instinct of the Highlanders is very important. The Highlanders are docile and good to work with, but they have a deeply ingrained maternal instinct that is beneficial in protecting the calves on there isolated pasture. Bill says of his herd sire, Baker’s Cube Mountain Randy, "His disposition is excellent, quite and easy to handle. However, he is aggressive toward black bears, coyotes, wolves and stray dogs." He protects his calves! A few crossbred calves have been lost to predators, but never one from a purebred Highlander. Because of their unusual appearance, many of the breed were kept by hobbyists and the genetic qualities that made them profitable, were sometimes neglected. Culling was necessary to restore and improve their good qualities. Shown below is 18 year old,) Baker’s Cube Mountain Genuine, pictured here with calf, (not included in this reprint) which along with other Highlanders are weeding and thinning one of our balsam areas. These pastures supply greens for the 4000 Christmas wreaths we make and retail each holiday season. Genuine has proven to be one of the most functional females we have ever bred. She weaned a superior calf every twelve months for fourteen years. As a producer of exceptionally functional females, Cube Mountain has retained seven of her heifers in our breeding herd. Note her trem3ndous capacity or volume enabling efficient conversion of browse and brass into milk and meat. Genuine is a full sister to Bakers Cube Mountain Edward, last owned by Bill Stobie of Yakima Washington. She was found open at th4e end of the latest breeding season and was removed from the breeding herd as is the standard practice. Today she is utilized to stabilize the remote summer pastures used for grazing the long winter yearlings. The intent of the program is to improve the efficiency and lower the cost. To breed unpampered cattle that are extremely functional,, whose meat will be acceptable to the consumer directly off grass, browse or hay. Essential points include:
Bill explains " As our customers live on both sides of the Connecticut River in New Hampshire and Vermont, a federal interstate license was needed. It took five months of intensive effort to qualify for our won federal interstate label, but, as the customers are health conscious, ecology minded people, willing to pay a premium for our lean and tasty grass fed beef, grown without grain or hormones, it was worth the effort." Bill finds that the Highlands are very useful for crossbreeding. He has had good results crossing with Red Angus or Herefords. Much of the vigor, disposition and grazing ability of the Highlanders is passed on, while the long horns and shaggy are recessive features that do not show up in the offspring. They inherit the polled features and markings of the Red Angus or Herefords and at market time average 150 pounds heavier than purebred Highlanders. This is a low cost, low labor operation. The herd is on pasture from mid April to mid November and wintered on hay, no grain or silage. Calves are born in a 40 day period beginning in April. Heat detectors are a great help in checking when an animal was settled. If they don’t settle after two breedings, they go for beef. Strict observance of this rule has resulted in calving interval of 375 days. In December or January the cows wean their calves. This natural weaning avoids the setback that happens when calves are force weaned. The healthy, no pressure conditions deep veterinary expense at a minimum. Hooves never have to be trimmed. Animals are never kept because of pedigree or potential, they have to produce to stay in the herd. Bill comments, "Give them a second chance and they will fool you twice." As the herd improved and records became known, breed stock animals became the most profitable aspect of the business. No animals are sold a s breeding stock that are not good enough to remain in the herd. Over the past two years, no bulls have met Bill’s standards. This year h3e expects to have three. To insure satisfied customers, every male sold is fertility tested before leaving for his new home. The yearling heifers are priced from $1,700 to $2,400 depending on breeding and potential. Cattle have bee sold as far away as the state of Washington and 1,000 ampoules of semen have been sold over the past eight years. Because of the severe culling program and the sale of breeding stock, the herd numbers about 50 head, but as more pasture is available, they intend to increase in the future. Bill Baker reflects, "It has taken 24 years to get the herd to its present state, we are proud of what we have accomplished and are looking ahead to future improvement. It is also gratifying to feel that we are working with nature, using the natural resources and helping protect and preserve the environment, both to our advantage and that of the general public". This article originally ran in the Spring 1996 edition of The Bagpipe. Home | Philosophy | Management | Articles | Sires Breeding Stock For Sale | Stock Wanted | Meat Prices |