Raising the highest quality Angus cattle is an ongoing goal for the Stenberg family. We, like many other ranching families have evolved as the Cattle Industry has evolved. We don’t claim to have all the right answers. However, after multiple generations of cattle production In America and before that in Norway, we do think we have enough accrued generational knowledge to ask the right questions.

It’s very easy to get entangled in the whole EPD frenzy. While EPD’s can be a useful tool in identifying certain traits, we feel that the most important traits for the rancher to strive for are the maternal traits that makes the cow more efficient. The cow is fed and cared for year round. She is expected to breed back, even after times of extreme weather and feed stress, and still raise a top calf. The bull has the easy job in that he has the responsibility to produce pounds on a terminal calf. He can be any frame score as long as he sires calves with acceptable calving ease, makes a lot of pounds, and an acceptable carcass. The J bar S is dedicated to creating the finest maternal genetics we can, and now with the creation of bulls like Stenberg Coalition 509 we feel we have met our goal.

509

The Angus breed as a whole has enjoyed unprecedented popularity and hype throughout its American history. However, during the last 10 to 20 years, depending on the bloodlines, we have sacrificed some of our maternal strengths for high growth. While absolutely agreeing with the idea that pounds equal dollars, we feel that the Angus breed must retain its position as “Supreme Brood Cow”. Back in the 60’s and 70’s the Angus cow was thought to be way too small. I remember selling some registered Angus cows in good flesh weighing 875lbs. The amazing thing is that when mated to a terminal bull such as Charolais, we could wean calves 60% of the cows body weight and still feed a cow with unequaled efficiency.

Now we are producing Angus power bulls with as much growth power as any of the exotic bulls, but, we also no longer can wean 60% of the cows weight off range. In the 60’s and 70’s the J bar S bred a herd of Seedstock Charolais along with our Angus. These Charolais Cows were huge and weaned large calves weighing 40% of their mothers, but the cows also consumed twice the feed to maintain. These facts forced these powerful whites to be classed as only a terminal breed as they still are today. We cannot give up our Angus maternal roots in order to compete with every other breeds weaning weight.

Every year we AI breed a small group of cows to high growth Charolais in order to compare performance. It is very interesting that the results are showing less crossbred “kick” each year. I feel this trend is because, while the white x black is still producing a hybrid calf from two different breeds there has become less type and size difference between the Charolais and Angus, in other words, all the breeds look alike nowadays except maybe for the color of their hair. If you study the recent data on cow frame size research, it’s showing that the smaller, more maternal cows are weaning heavier calves. We feel the reason is because there is more outcross heterosis between a frame 4 or 5 cow bred to a frame 7 bull resulting in the optimum frame 6 feeder calf rather than today's standard practice of mating large cattle of equal size and type producing calves that are carbon copies of both their parents. It should be stressed again that by using parents of similar type and frame size you not only lose the outcross benefits but you also lose cow efficiency by using a terminal bred cow for a maternal purpose. J bar S Ranch is producing two distinct lines of Registered Angus Cattle.

Our maternal line displays a 4 or 5 frame cow that is docile, extremely thick, heavy muscled, tight uddered with heavy milk flow, wide hipped resulting in a large pelvic opening with old fashioned easy fleshing. An efficient female that can be maintained on minimal inputs and labor. We are seeking out the most range efficient bloodlines. Our Senior Maternal Herd Sire, Stenberg Coalition 509 is an example of the finest maternal genetics available with the extra benefit of added pounds at weaning.

M Parl Dam of 509

 

Our terminal line uses a lot of Scotch Cap breeding in which Doug and Molly Hoff had perfected. The Scotch Cap bred cattle will make the optimum pounds of calf under range conditions. We also use other high performance bloodlines to produce larger framed, long, stretchy, high growth bulls to produce terminal calves for the commercial rancher. The growth potential of these bulls are equal to or superior to any exotic breed. “Buy The Program” is getting to be a common selling phrase and some breeders do have excellent programs such as the Vermillion Ranch’s superb breeding operation and they have justifiably used the motto “Buy The Program” for years. In order to obtain the maximum results from the J bar S Ranch program the commercial producer would:

* Use our maternal line bulls to
1) use on heifers as calving ease bulls
2) use on cows to create replacement heifers with reduced frame size and refined maternal traits.

* Use our terminal line bulls to:
* use on cows to create the maximum pounds of weaned feeder calf.

When you produce a website you can either give the standard sales pitch or you can try to explain your operations philosophy and mind set. We’ve chosen the later. It’s what we are convinced is right for us and we feel compelled to explain why we are convinced. Forty years ago we saw our weaning weights jump 150 lbs by using Charolais bulls on our small Aberdeen Angus cows. Now we see a very small jump when we cross white on black when using our large modern Angus cows. However, when we go back to using a modern, smaller frame, highly maternal cow mated to a large Registered Angus bull or Charolais bull we once again see a huge jump in weaning weight and regain cow efficiency. Our program is what the industry is needing and demanding.

 

We strongly believe in line breeding for the seed stock breeder however this is what true outcrossing can do for the commercial rancher. This 2 year old maternal bred heifer with a 7 month old 850 lb bull calf (on grass alone) no creep feed, weaned 85% of her body weight. she woud not be able to perform like this without the the terminal x maternal concept of outcrossing. This calf had incredible growth and was sold to a large outfit where he did add a lot of pounds to a crossbred herd. However, in order to see consistant results of added pounds at weaning, based on our "Cowboy Research", you should keep both maternal and terminal lines as pure and separate as possible. If this calf was a heifer instead, she would have been a poor choice as a future brood cow. By using two distinct lines of cattle you will maximize your outcross vigor and payweight at weaning while feeding the most efficient cow possible.