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With a purchase of the first registered Gelbvieh cow in 1993, Tim Marshall's then 4-H and FFA project has since grown into a diversified cattle operation that includes three breeds of registered cattle, commercial cattle, a custom AI technician service, and a custom grazing enterprise. From the start, the main goal has been to produce phenotypically correct cattle that excel in practical production traits and do so in an efficient manner, without the excessive inputs required by many of the cattle being produced and marketed by other seedstock providers. The cow herd is comprised of Gelbvieh, Angus, Balancer, and commercial cows. Artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and top quality herd sires are used to produce offspring that are either retained as replacement heifers, marketed through the annual Carcass Plus Bull Sale, sold as weanling calves or stocker cattle, or fed out in a retained ownership program and marketed through US Premium Beef. Individual data is collected on all calves, including birth weights, weaning weights, and carcass data when available. In addition, every cow is weighed at weaning so that a percent body weight may be calculated as a measure of efficiency. The commercial cow herd is often used as a testing ground for new AI sires and the data from those calves is used to determine if a sire should be utilized in the registered cow herd. Grass management is another area in which Marshall Cattle Co. has demanded efficiency. In 2005, the JJ Ranch was divided into 12 smaller grazing cells of approximately 200 acres each and new water sources were developed that allow for better utilization of the native grass. By forcing cattle into areas that they might normally avoid and providing rest for areas which are prone to overgrazing, the health of the rangeland has improved while maintaining a higher stocking rate than the traditional season long system. This additional carrying capacity has aided in the development of a portion of the custom grazing enterprise. Another favorable management decision was to plant approximately 300 acres of crop land at the home location to Red River crabgrass. This forage resource is utilized for two different seasons: in the custom grazing of yearling cattle in the summer months and when the cows come home from the rented native pastures at the JJ Ranch in the fall. Some of the crabgrass acres are also no-till planted to wheat in early September for higher quality grazing during the late winter and spring months. More crop acres were also planted to native grass to provide more protection from the weather while calving in January and February. By utilizing different forages in an intensive rotational grazing system at different stages of production in the cows' annual nutritional requirement cycle, and relying less upon harvested forages, the annual carrying cost for each cow has decreased substantially. Tim believes that as a seedstock producer, it is paramount that his cattle are subjected to production pressures to allow for genetic selection to take place. Through ongoing experimentation and refinement, both the genetic foundation of the cow herd and the overall business model will continue to evolve and improve. Marshall Cattle Co. is growing by trying new ideas, diversifying, and continuing to strive for maximum efficiency in all aspects of beef production.
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