It has been a philosophy at Rocking R Red Angus to focus on the female cow when building the herd. Therefore, selection of females has been highly discriminatory. Also, every bull purchased to be a herd sire must excel on the female side of the equation. ProS, Herbuilder Index, Calving Ease, and Stayability, are very important aspects of any cow brought into the Rocking R herd.
Our females must be efficient, fertile, and highly functional in a very harsh environment. Our females must raise a great calf and get bred back in mountainous terrain at elevations between 9,100 and 10,000 feet. Life on the ranch in the summer is not easy. Extreme elevation in our area makes cattle susceptible to High Mountain Brisket Disease. We PAP Test every female that is chosen as a replacement. We cull our females based on PAP scores and high altitude performance. They must excel in these categories. We pride ourselves on developing a Red Angus herd that not only withstands the extreme altitude, but flourishes in that environment. We demand great feet due to the range conditions where our cattle spend the summers. Our females must have good dispositions and good udders in order to stay in the herd. Overall, we have many requirements that our females must meet in order to maintain a place in our cattle operation. But, that is not surprising since we place so much emphasis on the female side of things. |