17/10/2025
The steer cashes the check. The heifer decides if you stay in business.
A follower nailed it last week:
“Breed for the heifer and deal with the steer.”
It’s simple, but it says everything. Every steer marketed is just one generation’s byproduct, but every heifer is the next generation’s investment.
It’s like running a business. You can focus all your energy on sales, but if your systems, people, and cash flow aren’t solid, the success won’t last. The same is true for cattle. If you breed for the steers that perform in the feedlot, you’re also shaping the sisters that have to live and produce on your ranch, and she’ll need the same level of support he did.
But when you breed cows that can thrive in a low-input environment—cows that stay fertile, sound, and efficient under real-world conditions—their brothers do just fine in the feedlot too. You end up with the best of both worlds: a durable cow that pays her way and a steer that finishes beautifully without relying on genetics that can’t survive outside of perfect conditions.
Sustainability doesn’t start in the marketplace. It starts in the breeding pasture, with cattle built to serve both sides of the equation.
Photo Credit: Meitler Cattle
