You guys may have been wondering about the results of the bull naming contest.  Well we had some farming drama.  Shortly after we began the naming contest, we took Red Prince to the vet for a breeding soundness exam.  I’ll save you the gory details but they check to make sure that everything is in working order and that his swimmers are swimming.  Much to our dismay Red Prince flunked his exam decisively.  The sale was contingent upon good exam results so we called up the seller and arranged to audition a second bull – Rodeo King (shown right).  Rodeo King aced his exam and is now hard at work in the herd.

Now for the results of the contest.  Rodeo King will henceforth be named – Heff!  Nicole Ottavian and Kitty Tilson both suggested names inspired by Hugh Heffner.  Both will receive a pack of Hot Italians links, a pack of mild sausage, two lbs of ground beef, and a dozen eggs for their efforts.   Come visit Heff sometime, he’s a friendly and charming  philanderer.

Now for the more technical side of what we are trying to accomplish with Heff and how this might affect your beef.  The bull(s) are most important genetic part of your herd has he will supply 50% of you all of your calves’ genetics.  Like any good farmers we evaluate our herd carefully and try to chose a bull with genetics that will steer our herd toward our ideals.  Unlike the industrial markets which values black hide, heavy carcass weight, and high fat content we have a much more complicated set of criteria that we wish to promote with our genetics.  Our herd is strong in calving ease, parasite resistance, docility.  When looking for a sire we wanted and animal that would keep these traits, and add consistency, early maturing, and increase forage efficiency.

We think Heff is the fella we are looking for.  We selected him mainly on breed characteristics and the reputation of his previous owner.  Heff is a purebred Devon.  Devon cattle are a British breed renowned for their efficiency with forage, docility, early maturation, and tolerance to weather extremes due to their thick hide.  Devon’s have recently gained popularity in North America along with the popularity in grass fed beef.

Heffs good looks and enthusiasm for the job give us hope for a strong crop of calves next spring.  With luck we’ll be tasting the fruits of his labor in about 2.5 to 3 years.

We need you to assist in naming our gorgeous Devon stud! His official name is Red Prince, but I think we can do better than that! His Devon genetics will mesh nicely with our predominately Angus cattle herd and we can expect his offspring to begin making their appearance about this time next year. In the meantime, our handsome devil needs a name, please suggest one at http://facebook.com/Broadviewranch. The winning entry will receive a delightfully delicious prize. Special consideration will be given to those names evoking the philandering bachelor lifestyle.