The Rural Voice, 1981-03, Page 10breeds than there is between the breeds.
In selecting the Limousin and Simmental
exotics, he has settled on two breeds he
hopes will produce calves which grow
quickly for spring sale. He also has some
Charolais cattle, and is trying some
breeding experiments with them and
older cross -bred cows as well.
Last summer, the farmer bred 250
cows, and their calves will be auctioned
off this spring, at a sale on the Van
Ankum farm.
Why the decision to try an on-farm
sale? The beef producer says the main
reason many farmers prefer to buy at the
farm, rather than the stockyard, is to
overcome the disease problem. Also, the
less transportation involved, the less
stress on the cattle.
In 1980, Van Ankum's operation
produced about 190 calves. The steer
calves were sold at the Brussels
Stockyards pre -conditioned calf sale and
the heifers at the on-farm auction. But
this spring's sale will see the first of Van
Ankum's crossbred heifers go on the
auction block -and the farmer is hoping
the sale will attract commercial cattlemen
from a wide area. Van Ankum plans to
continue producing crossbreds as he says
"the big advantage of these exotics
(Limousin, Simmental, Charolais) is that
they can be put into breeding programs."
The farmer grows all his own feed for
the operation, and keeps the cows on
pretty much a straight haylage diet. In
the summer, both cows and calves are out
on grass. Van Ankum, who admits he has
spent a good deal on his barns, said the
main ingredient the cow -calf operator
requires is "lots of feed, water and fresh
air." One of the major improvement he
made to the barn, in his opinion, was the
installation of heated water bowls, which
means he can leave the barn doors open
during the winter months. He said this
lets the cows go outside for air but the
water inside the barn doesn't freeze.
Another piece of equipment in his barn
he values highly is his weigh scale. Van
Ankum, who just installed the new scale
before Rural Voice visited the farm, said
the scale is invaluable in performance
testing of the cattle. He adds he doesn't
see how purebred cattlemen can get
' along without one. Van Ankum is a "big
believer" in performance testing, and
keeps detailed records on different cows
in his operation. He advises, "only the
ones going to make an improvement in
your herd are the ones to keep."
Like any beef man, Van Ankum is
concerned with today's cattle prices. He's
worried beef prices could get so high, the
consumer will turn away from beef
•
purchases, but also knows farmers aren't
satisfied with the low beef prices they're
receiving. He said 1979 was a good year
for selling calves, although some of the
PG. 8 THE RURAL VOICE/MARCH 1981
Hilbert Van Ankum demonstrates his rzew weigh scale. which he believes is
invaluable in performance testing ol'the cattle. One animal that is proving a valuable
addition to -his herd is Major. a fullblood Simmental that fathered many of the
crossbred calves on Van Ankum's farm. [Rural Voice Photos]