Maternal function and marbling go together in real life
“You just don’t want to select for too much marbling, so you wreck your cowherd.”
That makes me crazy. When I hear a smart person stand up in front of cattlemen and speak that fallacy like it’s the gospel truth, I want to interrupt. I want to show them the facts and then tell the stories of all the intelligent ranchers I’ve met who tell me you can have both.
One of those cattlemen is Joe Anderjaska of Hayes Center, Neb. I met him and his wife, Brenda, during one of the worst droughts our country has ever seen. Neighbors were encouraging him to sell cows and buy some females back if it rained.
“I’ve got a lot of years of history and genetics that I’m not going to just haul to the salebarn and get rid of,” he told me.
Carcass quality was always in the back of his mind, but he built up an enterprise selling heifers. “We have really worked the hardest on the female,” Joe said. “We always sell our heifer calves for more than our steers.”
But, that’s not to say their steers don’t hold their own. They routinely hit 100% Choice, with well over half qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand.
“We’ve worked really hard to get cows that can convert grass and roughage to pounds as easy as they can. I think that’s why our calves in the feedyard convert really, really good,” he said.
The cows winter on pasture and corn stalks, without much, if 
any, supplementation. “If a cow can go out there and do it for herself, I’m not going to do it for her.”
Joe’s parents started the herd, but he and Brenda have added their own stamp since returning to the operation in 1988. They are strong proponents of using proven bulls and AI to increase uniformity. They’re also very loyal to one breed.
He says you can get carcass traits and maternal function in the same herd: “When you have really good Angus cattle like we do, I don’t know why you’d do anything any different.”
We agree, Joe. We agree.
May your bottom line be filled with black ink,
Miranda
PS—To get some scientific facts to back up this anecdotal story, check out this research paper: Selection for Marbling and the Impact on Maternal Traits.
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