Nice to Meat Ya: Jonnie Schreffler
Genetic improvement explains how Certified Angus Beef brand acceptance rates doubled in 10 years. But why did that happen after decades of stagnation? Because the cattle industry found laborsaving ways to make the best genetics available to everyone.
That was no accident, but the focus of work by reproductive physiologist Dave Patterson’s team at the University of Missouri’s Thompson Research Center, Spickard, Mo. Yet this isn’t about Dave, whose timed breeding protocols made artificial insemination (AI) accessible to all. It’s about the farm manager who cares for the 243 Angus cows that will calve there in a few months.
Jonnie Schreffler might admit to being a “good old boy,” but it’s mostly good. Jon to those who aren’t yet friends, worked his way up from “Green Thumb” part-time help after high school in 1978, to farm manager at Thompson since 2010.
“I started at the bottom of the ladder and experienced every wrung on the way up.” he says, noting he mostly swept floors that first summer, but specialized on the cow side by the late 1980s.
“We started with crossbred cows, a mixture of everything, leftovers of the heterosis studies of the late ’60s,” Jonnie says. “Then we went to Brahmas, then Angus bulls on Hereford cows, then composite bulls and then primarily Angus.”
Angus represent the North-central Missouri area well and helped the herd develop a consistent base for research.
Along the way, Jonnie grew to appreciate the cows so much he was concerned that some new tech like synchronized, timed AI (TAI) might be unfair to the cows.
“I was really skeptical and didn’t know what to think to be right honest,” he says now. “The first time we did TAI and it was over, I just looked around and thought, where’s the rest of the cows? I thought we forgot to do something. I mean, it was over. But that’s when I really started to see the light. Dave showed me, and everyone else.”
“The improvements seen in 15 years and the data that proves it, that’s just amazing – it’s been a thrill to be a part of it. We have functional cows because we focus on maternal along with carcass traits, and the bulls we use are highly proven, and that made a big difference on both sides.”
Jonnie likes to recall the conversations with Dave a few years ago when first bowled over by the eye appeal of the next year’s heifers.
“Seems like every year I’m saying that’s the best ever, the best replacements and steers – and every year he tells me, if we’re doing things right, they should be.”
How good are they? Well, the last five years have seen CAB and Prime from 85% to 90% and last year’s were 30% Prime. The herd stands out for uniformity, too.
“Now we’re working on culling the bottom end and adding more growth and performance without giving up the quality,” Jonnie says. “There’s lots of dollars in efficiency and getting more pounds, especially when they’re premium pounds.”
Anybody can do this, he says. Producers may not realize how simple it is.
“It doesn’t take high-dollar facilities, just that can handle a cow. If you can preg check, you can hold a cow in a chute, you can AI her. It’s that simple.”
“Really I’m just a poor ole country boy. I grew up with cows, but I didn’t understand EPDs (expected progeny differences) and all, until Dr. Patterson came along talking accuracies and this and that – I just tagged along to see how it went.”
“The fun part is getting to use these high-quality, high-accuracy bulls, and then seeing what you get at calving time. It’s kind of like having Christmas twice.” Or more, as you see how they grow up. “It constantly rewards us for what we’re doing.”
Jonnie emphasizes, “This is feasible if people use the tools available. It works, believe me – it made a believer out of me.”
Me, too. Thanks to guys like Jonnie and his team of two other full-timers, plus summer help, more and more of us are learning how simple and satisfying it can be to produce the best.
–Steve
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PS–Want to catch up on the whole series? Check out these links below:
- Introduction: Nice to Meat Ya
- Day 1: Ashley Pado
- Day 2: Scott Redden
- Day 3: Jesse Stucky
- Day 4: Bridget Wasser
- Day 5: Amanda Barstow
- Day 6: Josh Moore
- Day 7: Ruth Ammon
- Day 8: Bill Tackett
- Day 9: Dan Chase
- Day 10: Danielle Foster
- Day 11: Eric Mihaly
- Day 12: Jennifer Kiko
- Day 13: Mark Morgan
- Day 14: Meg and Matt Groves
- Day 15: Rod Kamph
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