Published in 2001 in Arkansas Cattle Business
Driving along in the cotton country of Arkansas, the last thing one would expect to find is an excellent herd of registered Limousin cattle. However, that is just what can be found on Avery Limousin, located between Parkdale and Eudora, Ark.
Dick Avery first became a Limousin breeder when he and his wife, June, bought seven head in 1975. He continued to build his herd by purchasing a few head every year at various sales. Avery eventually was able to sell a few animals of his own at these sales, building his reputation as a Limousin breeder.
Currently, Avery has 125 acres. He has 45 acres in Tifton 44 hay that he puts in round bales. His second cutting of hay this year yielded an impressive 18.5 percent crude protein and a total digestible nutrient content on a dry matter basis of 70.3 percent. Avery gets these outstanding numbers by paying attention to his field's needs, such as fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide, as well as cutting on time.
"The quality of my hay supplies the nutrients needed for my cattle in the winter," Avery said. "I don't need to feed any supplements, even to nursing cows."
Avery uses the other 80 acres for his 45 brood cows and 20 replacement heifers. He also raises and sells anywhere from 15 to 20 herd bulls a year. The bulls are sold to Limousin breeders in Arkansas and the surrounding states.
His marketing program for the bulls is to advertise in publications such as Cattle Today and Arkansas Cattle Business.
Avery's bulls have outstanding genetics, making them in great demand with many breeders. He utilizes artificial insemination, breeding his cattle to fullblood bulls from Limagene and also from various dispersal sales.
The Avery Limousin herd has improved from the very beginning, with Avery using only the best bulls available. He currently raises his own replacement heifers, using older proven fullblood bulls like Punch, O'Ryan, Harvest, Olympus, Special K, Cougar and other for their sires.
Avery said he found that the fullblood line keeps the muscle on the calves, making them wean at a higher rate and gain better. He weaned his first 800 pound calves this summer, and they were not fed any grain!
"They received strictly milk, hay and grass, grazing rye grass in the winter," Avery said.
He also breeds some of his cows to black and polled bulls, to add more muscle to the black and polled calves.
Avery has managed to have calves with such high gain due to his management practices. He vaccinates in late March or early April for just about everything, and worms twice a year. Avery also weighs, tags and tattos his calves the day they are born.
He said some of the credit is due to his outstanding forage. It not only helps the calves, but his cows stay conditioned as well.
"Some people have told me my cattle are too fat," Avery said. "I think they are just in good shape."
The well-conditioned cattle not only wean heavy calves, but they wean more of them. Avery's cows usually cycle within three weeks of calving, but he waits until the next cycle before breeding them. He recently culled the first cow he bought, and according to his records, she had calved 21 calves in her lifespan of 19 years.
Avery selects for various things when selecting sires and replacement heifers. Calving ease is first, with milk following.
"I try to use overall good bulls, including weaning weight and yearling weight," Avery said. "But if my heifers aren't docile, I don't keep them.
"I have to be able to run my hands along their back or they're gone."
Avery also utilizes a fall calving season to take the most advantage of his ryegrass. He puts the cows and calves out on ryegrass in December to maintain a high rate of gain for the calf and adequate body condition for the cow.
Another benefit to a fall cavling season is that Avery's bulls hit 16-18 months in the spring, ready to be sold as herd bulls.
Well the future looks bright for Avery Limousin with the fantastic combo of heavy weaning cattle with pleasant attitudes!
