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Focus on Females
As we look back over the last 50 years we have been in business, one aspect of our operation has stayed constant, the significance
of the Angus cow. Over the years we have seen the Angus cow take on many forms. She has been a dwarf, a giant and everything
in between because it was popular at the time, but at Stone Gate Farms we have always put an emphasis on maintaining the Angus
cow as she was meant to be. She is the cornerstone of the beef industry and should be the base of every crossbreeding program to provide maternal traits along with carcass quality.
Here at Stone Gate we strive for uniformity and predictability. We have paid close attention to the little things that can’t be measured statistically, like structural soundness, udder structure and mothering ability, to name a few. In our quest to develop a low imput, highly efficient animal, our cows have taken on their own form. They are feminine, moderate framed cows that will weigh 1250 lbs in their working clothes. They are easy fleshing and will convert available forages into beef via milk from a well-attached udder. Some say that these are so- called middle of the road females. Sounds kind of boring compared to some advertised flush cows with extreme EPD’s and offspring that have brought outlandish prices, but we are satisfied with our low-key approach to breeding cattle. It has kept us in business for 50 years.
At Stone Gate we are intent on developing a total herd of practical and efficient females, instead of concentrating on just a few cows. We don’t flush any cows or have embryo’s for sale because it is not cost efficient to the average producer. We have also cut back on our A.I. work. After years of trial and error we have found that the bulls we cleaned up with had better calves than the so-called superior A.I. bulls. By using natural service it has allowed us to have a higher percentage of cows bred and calving in a closer calving period, not to mention the time and labor we have saved.
The bottom line is to make money in the cattle business, since this is our only means of making a living we have been very cost conscious. There are no pastures with feed troughs and creep feeders; our cows maintain themselves and breed back on grass, along with hay or silage that we have grown on our land. We take great pride in knowing that we could make a profit just selling our calves as feeders.
When you walk through our pastures it is clear to see that we have maintained a disciplined breeding program. Little has changed over the years; we keep producing more of the same. A Stone Gate cow is feminine, fertile and structurally sound. She maintains herself and breeds back on forages available while raising a calf that will wean off at 50% or more of her body weight. She isn’t pampered and has become more efficient as a result. She is a good mother and does her job year after year.
We invite you to come and visit with us to see for yourself how an
ongoing, real-world breeding philosophy is continuing to thrive in
today’s beef industry.
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