Earning the Range Tested® mark doesn’t come easily.
Each cow within the OH herd, both commercial and purebred,
must exhibit specific, quantifiable traits
or it is culled.
Since 1987, with the purchase of the ranch at Longview, Alberta, the OH has managed its cattle and its land within the strict confines of the Range Tested® program. A synthesis of environmental sensitivity, traditional cowboy methods and modern technology, the Range Tested® program has proven itself and is producing some of the best cattle in the world.
THE ELEMENTS OF THE RANGE TESTED® PROGRAM
| Zero-Tolerance Management of Cow Herds Use of Modern Technology Stewardship of the Land |
Zero-Tolerance Culling
The Range Tested® Program requires cattle to make it on their own and zero-tolerance culling is used to ensure these rugged characteristics are part of every animal in our program.
The ability to forage and winter well within our supplementation regime is required. Cattle which don’t carry sufficient weight into the spring are culled before the next breeding cycle. Even our purebred Red Angus herd is run under the Range Tested® Program utilizing the winter supplementation regime. That means calving in open fields and foraging through the rough country under harsh conditions. Only the best, most efficient, most consistent performers stay in our program.
The OH Ranch starts zero-tolerance culling from the moment of birth. If a cow is not in good physical condition when she calved or if she requires assistance to birth, both she and her offspring are culled from the operation. Zero-tolerance culling is used for physical soundness, conformation and performance. We use a defined and rigorous set of culling criteria to ensure that only the very best genetics are propagated within our herds.
Culling for reproductive ability, physical soundness and conformation are only one side of the Range Tested® Program. Performance is also mandatory. We use a variety of tests, evaluations and technological measurements to ensure we are breeding stock for excellent performance. For example, all the young bulls are weighed after the feedlot and again after they have been on grass to measure gains. Only bulls which demonstrate performance, marbling and muscle gain on grass continue in our program. This data, coupled with feedlot performance rankings, scrotal and pelvic measurements, gives us the information we need to select only the best performing bulls.
Modern Technology
The OH Ranch makes extensive use of artificial insemination and embryo collection and transplants to help improve and diversify our breeding stock. New technology is part of the business at the OH Ranch and it allows for selection and development of highly reproductive, high-performance, easy-handling cattle suitable for any commercial cattle operation. We have extraordinarily high expectations of our cattle. If they can make it under the harsh environmental conditions at the OH Ranch and through our rigorous, zero-tolerance culling program, they have earned the right to be called Range Tested®. If they can make it on our range, you can bet they will excel anywhere.
Stewardship of the Land
While effective, disciplined management of our cattle herd is part of the equation of success at the OH Ranch, efficient utilization of the land and water resources is also critical. We must exercise environmentally responsible stewardship of the land to ensure the OH can continue to operate at maximum potential for years to come. We normally don’t feed our cattle in the winter. They have to make it on their own, which means we have to ensure adequate forage is available. This involves intensive, well-managed grazing programs as well as appropriate development of water resources.
We use a variety of techniques to ensure our range is in top condition:
- Deferred Grazing – utilizing grass after the growing season is complete and plants have the opportunity to fully develop root systems and correct soil nitrogen.
- Rotational Grazing – bi-annual rotations of intensive grazing and rest.
These methods help to ensure we get the most from our grass while guarding against soil erosion and over-grazing. In addition, we use natural and mechanical methods for brush clearing and range development. We use an intensive sheep grazing program to clear brush, meaning less negative impact on the delicate ecosystem of the range. With our sheep program, we are able to clear approximately 35 acres of brush annually.
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