The Rural Voice, 1981-03, Page 9Beef farmer jokes:
"/ used to be in hogs and / couldn't stand the prosperity."
BY ALICE GIBB
In the early 1970's, 9 farmer could
buy a cow for the selling price of a dry
sow. It isn't likely many did - after all,
pork prices were good and beef looked
risky. But Hilbert Van Ankum, a
Wroxeter -area farmer, wanted a chal-
lenge - "and we got one." The challenge
was switching from the pork industry to a
cow -calf operation and fattening Hereford
calves for sale. As the young farmer says
jokingly, "I used to be in hogs and I
couldn't stand the prosperity!"
Today the Van Ankum farm, just off
Highway 86, between Brussels and
Listowel, is still a cow -calf operation, but
cross -breeding has become the name of
the game. With the cross -breeding of
hogs still in the back of his mind, the
farmer decided to try the same thing with
his beef operation. Van Ankum believes
"certain breeds are stronger on certain
characteristics and just as in corn or hog
production, the cross -bred animal has the
most vigour and is the best for the
commercial producer."
In the last few years, the farmer has
started a breeding program with the goal
of finding a cross -bred female which has
good mothering abilities and will produce
milk. Then the calves are bred to a
"terminal" sire, from a breed which
produces a desit able carcass.
The line Van Ankum, and the young
man who worked for him decided to
pursue was mating Simmental bulls, an
exotic breed, with Hereford and Angus •
cows, keeping the female offspring.
These heifers in turn were then bred to a
Limousin bull, which Van Ankum hopes
will mean easier times at calving.
The reason for the cross -breeding
selections is that Van Ankum believes
Simmentals are a good milking breed,
and that the rugged, strong -framed cows
are an ideal "maternal breed." The
reason he decided to cross -breed the
Simmental bull withHerefords and Angus
was simply these cattle are popular
breeds and "easily obtainable." The
choice to then breed the heifers in turn to
a Limousin bull was to produce a top
quality carcass. Limousins are noted for
producing big, growthy, meat -type calves
which can thrive on low-cost roughage.
The Wroxeter farmer admits breeders
are prejudiced towards their own breed,
and adth there are good cattle in most
breeds. He's inclined to believe there's
more difference between cattle within the
Hilbert Van Ankum and his three-year-old son Jonathan browse through a
cattleman's magazine and the product a/ that research can be'seen below -a cow and
her one-year old crossbred daughter. sired by Van Ankum's bull Major.
[Photo by Brown]
THE RURAL VOICE/MARCH 1981 PG. 7