Seeing is Believing
by Teresa Wheeler
“If you try to bring cattle to this ranch, they’ll starve to death.”
These were the teasing words of Don Esch’s father when he first saw the land his son planned to ranch in the high plains of Colorado.
“We want
everyone to
see what a Chi
hybrid can
do…Once they
see the cattle,
they’re sold.”
~ Don Esch |
Although they were only eight hours from the central Nebraska ranch Don had been raised on, the area was vastly different and much less welcoming to a farmer or rancher. There were no fields of cornstalks to fatten cattle on, and, with an average annual rainfall of only 11.5 inches, there was little chance of producing a crop large enough to maintain a healthy cowherd.
Don and his wife, Linda, had decided to settle in Colorado to raise their family, however, and they were confident in bringing their combined knowledge of the cattle industry to work for them at the new ranch. The challenge was in finding the right cattle for the land. Cattle that not only would survive, but would excel. Don explains, “Cattle here have to stay sound, stay fertile and last a long time in very difficult conditions. We’re 40 acres per cow in this country.”
Don says he discovered Chi cattle “almost by accident,” about six years ago, when he purchased a few Chiinfluence bulls. Those first calves proved themselves quickly, with an average of 60 extra pounds on them at weaning. When the herd went to the feedyard, the Chi-influenced calves “absolutely smoked everything else.”
When the family decided it was time to start a registered herd, the decision to raise and promote Chiangus was a simple one. That herd began about two years ago, and the Esch family currently maintains about 200 head of performance-based Chiangus & Angus cattle. They have proven themselves to be efficient, structurally sound, fertile and, most importantly for Don, docile.
“We are very excited about Chi and Chiangus cattle. We’re new yet, but we hope to establish ourselves as one of the up-and-coming Chi families.” To do that, the Esch family has several challenges they have to overcome.
First is the simple fact that many commercial cattlemen in Colorado and the surrounding highplains states are unfamiliar with Chiangus. “We want everyone to know about these cattle. We want everyone to see what a Chi hybrid can do. If people see them perform then our marketing is easy, but up until that time, it’s not.” Don says he has repeatedly witnessed that as soon as a new breeder sees the cattle and their performance, they are sold.
This offers a unique challenge for the Esch family, whose cattle are located 35 miles from the nearest town. “Once they see the cattle, they’re sold. But it’s a long trip to get there!”
Another challenge Don recognizes is that for some people in the area, “Chianina” carries a negative connotation of a large breed that will “hunt you down and jump every fence in order to hunt you down.”
Although Chi breeders have spent more than 20 years fighting that false image, Don knows its another case of breeders having to see it to believe it. And he’s doing his part to let as many breeders see it as he can.
Recently, Esch Cattle Co. took some bulls up to Kremmling, Colo., to be tested for use at high altitudes. The bulls hadn’t been there too long when he received a call from the surprised manager – “I wasn’t sure I would have fences to hold them, but I just can’t believe how docile your Chiangus bulls are!”
The Esch Family Don and Linda own a construction company, and used a job transfer in 1993 to settle in Colorado, closer to the ranch co-owned and operated by his nine older siblings, and in the area where they wanted to raise their family. Don and Linda had similar upbringings on central Nebraska ranches; and although Don works in the construction industry and Linda is an accountant, both hold agriculture-related degrees, Don in Animal Science and Linda in Agricultural Business.
Hannah, the youngest daughter, loves the cattle and is eager to get up early to do the morning chores. One of the deciding factors for Don was that the Chi cattle are docile. |
According to Linda, the two make a perfect team for a family-run business. “Don is the risk-taker, and he always has such good ideas. I am steadier, and make sure all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed.”
For Don, Linda is the unsung hero of the ranch. “She keeps things in order, keeps the paperwork ready to roll and just keeps us on track.”
The couple now has plenty of help in managing their 200 head of registered cattle: their daughters Jessica, 15, Allison, 13, and Hannah, 10.
The Esch’s live on a small acreage on the outskirts of Longmont, Colo., which allows them to keep their show animals, both the Chiangus heifers and the club calf steer projects, at home. The girls are in charge of the daily feeding and care of these animals, as well as preparing them for shows.
Most important for Don and Linda is that their daughters are learning the consequences, both good and bad, of their actions. If they don’t get up and do their chores, don’t care for their cattle every day, then there is a negative consequence to that choice. Work hard, and you can expect positive results.
Clearly, these values are being instilled in the girls. At the age of 10, Hannah already recognizes that getting up for early morning chores is “worth it,” and enjoys blow-drying her show projects to train their hair. Her older sister, Jessica, is modest about her achievements, shrugging them off with a simple “there is always room for improvement;” while Allison admits one of her favorite parts of showing is the showmanship class.
“Showmanship is where I can see how well I trained my animal, see how I did in getting ready for the show.” Although they don’t breed any club calf stock themselves, Don admits his older daughter’s “true love” is with the show steers. They have already had some success in that arena, with Jessica bringing home Reserve Division honors at Ak-Sar-Ben and a Division Champion at the National Western Stock Show.
Showing in those classes allows for a change of pace from the Chiangus, as well as offering more competition in their local shows.
The Esch Family – Linda, Allison, Hannah, Jessica & Don |
The girls are active at home not only with daily chores, but also at school, participating in track, volleyball and basketball. They are also already proving that the Esch family legacy as cattlemen is just beginning, as they are active in the Boulder County Livestock Judging. In fact, Jessica is currently working to earn a coveted spot on the state judging team.
While the show animals are kept in Longmont, Esch Cattle Company’s Chiangus herd is based in Ordway, Colo., three hours from the Esch home.
Although Don tries to get up to the ranch as much as he can, with the duties of a full time career, as well as the duties of being a husband and father to three, his free-time comes in spurts, and its important for him to leave the daily operations in the hands of someone he trusts.
Cramer Creek Ranch, the 22,000 acre ranch in Ordway, is home to Esch Cattle Company’s 200 head of registered cows, as well as an additional 200 head of commercial cows that are used as a recipient herd. It is kept on a day to day basis by two full-time employees; Mark Dixon and Justin Hergenrader.
Allison, Hannah & Jessica are all involved in the daily care of their show cattle at the Longmont, Colo., location, including feeding, washing, blowing, brushing, and much more. |
Mark Dixon is “just a really great cowman. Without Mark’s expertise and dedication to this ranch, we would not be able to pursue this venture.” Mark came, along with his wife Lisa, to help the Esch’s get established in the Chiangus business about a year ago. Justin is a recent graduate of Colorado State University, who joined the team in December, 2007.
Educated Choice Prior to deciding on the Chiangus herd, Don tried other breeds and crosses, but found they did not hold up as well to the extreme conditions at the Ordway, Colo., ranch. After one breeding program led to only a 30 percent breedback rate that year, Don knew it was time to stick with the Chiangus, which were the right cattle for his environment.
Allison, Hannah & Jessica are all involved in the daily care of their show cattle at the Longmont, Colo., location, including feeding, washing, blowing, brushing, and much more. |
In their own herd, Don saw immediate improvements with the Chi crosses. He first retained some of his heifers in 2005, and found a noticeable difference in how docile they were over the commercial herd, along with the unquestionably higher weaning weights. In addition to the improvement in straight pounds, Don says he was seeing Yield Grade 2 Choice cattle, versus the Grade 4 Choice from previous years.
In the challenging country the Esch’s ranch, it’s important to look at actual performance and the total package. This means their cattle tend to be moderate on paper. “For example, our Angus cattle show a 20, or even a little lower, rather than 28s for milk.” Don explains that cows with milk numbers that are too high rarely survive in the high plains. “And those that do survive probably run up a quite feed bill.”
Now, Don uses primarily Chiangus bulls on his cowherd, with a handful of registered Angus bulls used to bring the Chi percentage down as needed. Experience has shown him that a 10 to 30 percent Chiinfluence best meets the needs of the producers Don markets to. Therefore, he tries to keep his cowherd at about quarterblood, and adjusts the ratio of Chi-influence in the calves by choosing the right bulls.
Allison, Hannah & Jessica are all involved in the daily care of their show cattle at the Longmont, Colo., location, including feeding, washing, blowing, brushing, and much more. |
“For example, if my customer has a straight Red Angus herd, and I can provide him with a bull that is 30 percent Chi, he will have 15 percent Chi calves, which will show a tremendous amount of hybrid vigor and perform outstandingly well for him.”
Right now, Don knows they are “new to the game,” so they are still seeing how they develop and what success they will have. In the meantime, though, they are “enjoying every minute of it.” The entire family says they are very excited about the breed and about their future in it.
“We want to spread the word about these cattle. We want to get everyone in Colorado fired up about Chiangus.”
|
