01/07/2020
When you raise seedstock for a living the planning starts months in advance selecting what you believe are the best genetics available to create something special. The little guy pictured was born today at 3:30 PM CST but the vision of this calf was spawned in my mind months ago. We selected Sydgen Enhance, the flagship sire of Sydenstricker Genetics, as our pick to mate with our flagship cow CHF 3874 Rita 1706 who we co-own with Welytok Angus in Richfield Springs, New York. Once a mating is set and the dam is bred the waiting begins, and you wonder did I make the right choices, will the pregnancy go full term and produce a live calf, will the right chromosome match occur and produce a "genomic lottery " baby. And you wait and pray. Then the time gets close for that baby to arrive and you watch and fret wondering why is she almost a week past due or in the case today your surprised because she calved a week early. And then you see that baby alive and struggling to get to his feet and you want to help him but you know he needs to do it on his own. And he does, in about 15 minutes this baby was up and nursing his mama. And you realize that you have just watched a miracle of Gods creation. And, if your me, you feel humbled and elated at the same time. This is what a typical day is like at Cardinal Hill Farms and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to see this miracle take place since I was a child.
