Early Beginnings Of Gaffney Family Cattle
Gaffney Family Cattle was founded in 1976 as the result of Jerry and Nancy moving to Wisconsin from the Adams Brothers & Company Hereford Ranch in Kilgore, NE. In this move they brought with them 40 Horned Hereford cows and their three children Sara, Scott and Erin. The farm was set up for dairy cattle and a variety of small livestock.
The farm has been since been changed to meet the needs of a growing 180 cow beef herd. In the '80s Jerry and Scott also started a small herd of commercial cows as a way to diversify the operation. The commercial cow herd met the growing needs for recipient cows as more embryo transfer was used. As we make strides to salvage the genetic pool prior to AM, NH, and CA, our recips are now registered Angus with a full set of outstanding EPDs.
In the Black
Angus began to roam the hills of the southwest Wisconsin farm in 1995. That year ALC Extra Special 504E was purchased as a herd sire. 504E was a descendant of the great Primrose Lady family. He was a cornerstone of the cow herd and the foundation of Gaffney Angus Farm. Pedigree, performance and structure are always emphasized in breeding decisions.
Management and Technology
We strive to take advantage of the latest genetics and technologies to develop our herd. AIMS software through the American Angus Association is used in order to identify value of the individual in a contemporary group. All yearling Angus heifers and bulls are ultrasound scanned for actual carcass merit that allows us to get compared nationally on our progress. We are using AGI genetic testing as a way to first hand see how an individual's DNA stacks up to the results on the scale. The DNA results have been encouraging and back up production EPDs and continue to add value to our program.
Cow Families
As our program has moved forward there is one constant. The power of FAMILY. In 2001 that became a clear focus as we partnered with Sunny Valley Farm to purchase GAR Precision 939. The purchase price of $100,000 at the time was the highest in GAR history. This Rita has had a huge genetic impact on our program and we believe her to be the best all-around daughter of the great GAR EXT 614.
In 2002 we decided in a private treaty transaction with Fairview Angus Ranch, MT to purchase our next progressive family through GAR New Design 1139. This $110,000 half interest female added the Blackcap family to our program. Her full brother GAR New Design 5050 proves the long term genetic merit of this great cow. In 2003, the decision to introduce the power genetics of GAR Precision 1559 was made. This $60,000 investment in the GAR sale through this Rita has been monumental in our program. We believe her to be the most powerful daughter of GAR Precision 1680. Her ability to translate muscle is unequalled in our program. The same year we purchased Murphy's SVF Erroline 6M. This great Erroline sired by SVF Bandolier has proven to be one of the great descendants of the Connealy program in Nebraska.
Continuing with 2003 we purchased half interest in SVF Primrose Lady 141N. This excellent Primrose Lady added the cow family that produced SVF Bandolier. 141N has produced progeny that are visually flawless. Today, we are partnered with Bolan Cattle Company on this cow.
Our goal are to raise the best females in the breed. OTG Rita 186M 6141 is one the first to help us achieve that goal. She has produced numerous embryos with each flush. Bear Creek Angus has partnered with us as we look to advance this cow family. Her photo, pedigree, and EPDs on the Donor Page say it all.
Gaffney Blackcap T711 has kept our goals in line of producing females with strong performance epds. Recently we used the Pfizer 50K test to verify that her calf Gaffney Blackcap 085 held true to her epd performance. Gaffney Blackcap 085 ranked in the top 10% for WW, YW, RE, Fat, and $YG epds.
Rounding out our current genetic offering are two females that are an outcross from our main cow families. Silveiras Elba 8552 and Gaffney Beebe Queen are two exciting new genetic packages. Both have a balanced set of epd's that will be the foundation to some new matings in our herd.
We are proud of our genetic advancements as we strive to meet the demands and needs of the purebred producer and commercial cattlemen. Visitors are always welcome to stop by and see our program at work.
Involved
Our success in the Angus business would not be possible without the support of our friends and family. We try to remain active and involved in a variety of industry activities. Through organizations such as the American Angus Association, Wisconsin Angus Association, Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association, and UW Extension's Beef Connection, we try to stay involved with the latest industry issues.