Dickinson Ranch

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Description

We began increasing cattle numbers in 1957 after the drought of the 1950s. We started taking weaning weights and culling cows based on their production in 1961. In 1962, we began to use A.I., experimenting with crossing Shorthorns and Angus sires on our Hereford cows. We liked the hybrid vigor of the calves. We used some of the first Simmental semen in the fall of 1968. These Simmental cross calves were terrific and we liked the performance philosophy of the American Simmental Association. Since we came from a commercial cattle background, we knew the kind of cattle that would work on the pastures of western Kansas. Therefore, we have stayed away from the extremely hard doing strains of cattle. Our show rings have been the bull tests and steer futurities. We have had the high gaining bull and the high sire group many times at the Kansas Bull Tests. We have also won many steer futurities. We run a spring herd of 450 registered cows. The heifers are synchronized with M.G.A. and prostaglandin with a thirty day breeding season. The last four years, we have calved out our heifers in large pastures and have only checked them twice a day. They are expected to calve unassisted and to mother up without help. This has worked really well with no scours. Out of 400 head and the first calf heifers, only six came up dry at processing time on the first of June. The ones without calves at the start of A.I. season are sold by the pound...

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