|
Rancher Heidi Guertin of Lincoln, CA, can be a hard lady to
catch on the phone. It’s not that she doesn’t want to visit
about her cattle, it’s just that she’s quite busy with the work
that goes along with running a ranch that includes 150 Red Angus
cows, 50 Black Angus cows and a commercial herd of about 400
head.
But if you get a minute to visit with Guertin, you’ll find that
she revels in the work that goes along with raising cattle.
Raised on a commercial ranch, Guertin has enjoyed learning about
the seedstock business through both the Red and Black Angus that
she has raised with her husband Jim and two sons Jesse and
Justin for the past decade.
The Guertin’s foray into Red Angus began about nine years ago
when son Justin, who was 10 years old at the time, took a steer
to the fair and also decided he wanted a registered heifer.
After looking at a few different breeds, the Guertins decided on
Red Angus.
With her commercial background and Jim’s background growing up
with Brangus, the Guertins have continued to expand their Red
Angus herd and always maintained an eye on quality. Heidi took
the reins of building up the cowherd because Jim, who is a
plastering contractor, is equally busy with his construction
work.
Heidi does not have a herdsman, but her sons and her brother who
also ranches, help with some of the work. She also hires some
high school students and mentors local 4-H’ers who are
interested in beef cattle. Because of her passion for the beef
industry, Guertin’s work with local 4-H’ers even includes
loaning kids a heifer so they can go to the fair.
Today, Heidi herself still enjoys going to cattle shows and
sales as well. She says, “I’m a workaholic, so shows are kind of
my chance to get out and see people.”
They are also a chance for her quality Red Angus genetics to be
recognized. For the past six years, Guertin’s Red Angus
consignments have earned the top herd sire group award at the
Midland Bull Test. She is also a regular consigner of both Red
and Black Angus at the Red Bluff Bull Sale. This year, she also
consigned to the newly established Madras (OR) Bull Test.
The remainder of Guertin’s cattle are offered for sale private
treaty.
Looking ahead, Guertin hopes some of her success with Red Angus
will help the breed continue to gain supporters – and for beef
producers not to be color-blind. She says, “We [the Red Angus
breed] have got good quality. If you peel off the hide, the Red
and Black Angus carcass are the same. Red Angus has a lot of
good things. We’ve got the size in the breed now. I hope the
breed is able to expand.”
Asked why she raises Black Angus as well, Guertin says she likes
to cross the blacks and reds for hybrids. She enjoys dabbling in
genetics and matings and is especially interested in Black Angus
that throw red calves. She recently bought shares of a new Red
Angus female that had two Black Angus parents. Guertin says,
“Who knows, she might be a new great cow family.”
Of her breeding selection goals, Guertin says her top goal is to
produce a herd sire group with consistency. To do so, she stays
with basic cow families, and her focus isn’t only on the bull.
“My goal is finding the best quality females. If there isn’t
good quality on the mother, then the offspring won’t have it,”
says Guertin.
To reach her cow herd quality goals, Guertin also maintains
strict culling criteria. She says, “Growing up in the commercial
world I get criticized for being rough on my cattle, but I’m
trying to look out for the little guy. I want my cattle to make
them money. If a cow’s not productive and comes up open, I cull
her. I don’t care who she is.”
Looking ahead, Guertin says she’s focused on continuing to
improve and advance the Red Angus breed. For her, the hard work
is about gaining personal satisfaction. She says, “Being able to
do well at cattle shows is nice, but being happy with quality of
cattle you raise, that’s the most important. And, when people
are impressed with the quality of your cattle, that’s my
reward.” |
