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The
company held a herd reduction sale in 2001. Out of a herd of 275 cows,
they kept only 75. Then they began purchasing quality donor cows to
improve the overall genetics of the herd.
The
company acquired its first donor cow in 1998.
Compared
to the prices of commercial cattle, donor cows carried quite a sticker
shock.
"I
paid $7,500 for one of my first donor cows," recalled Ray. "I
thought I was in high cotton."
He
noted that some proven donor cows can sell for several hundred thousand
dollars.
He
owns one donor cow that is on record as the parent of 259 offspring.
"We
have implanted about 10 more embryos from her since we came up with that
figure," said Ray. "I will keep her the rest of her
life."
Ray
noted that even if the cow only yielded a couple of eggs from future
flushings the result would be worth the effort and expense because her
offspring are proven to be highly desirable.
Good AI
Program is Essential
For
those who are not familiar with how the registered donor cow system
works, farm manager Kyle Norris offered an explanation.
"We
purchase donor cows at sales all over the country," said Norris.
"We have our veterinarian come and flush eggs from those cows.
"The
eggs are then mixed with sperm from the bull of our choice and the
embryos are then implanted into recip cows."
Ray
compared the process to that of surrogate mothers in humans.
The
benefit of the program is that desired genetic traits from the donor
cows and the bulls can be used to strengthen an entire herd.
"Last
year we had a 68 percent success rate with our embryo program,"
said Norris, who has been with the Ray Cattle Company since April 2001.
Norris
noted that after three or four flushings, donor cows will be allowed to
conceive a calf naturally.
"It
helps the process if they’re allowed to have their own calf every few
years," he said. "The cows just seem to do better."
The
cattle company uses Clay Burnley of Southern Embryo Service of Athens,
Ga., for its artificial insemination program.
Travel
Time
Even
though the herd is where they want it numbers-wise, Ray and Norris spend
a lot of time traveling to sales across the country.
"We
go to 25 or 30 sales a year," said Norris. "We are always
looking for good donor stock."
Ray
noted that many times the cattle company will partner with someone else
to purchase a donor cow.
"It
helps us out financially to split the cost with someone else," Ray
said. "Some of these desirable cows come with a big price
tag."
Ray
said that in these partnerships he prefers to take possession of the
cow, noting that he likes to see what is going on with an animal he
owns.
Accommodations
Ray’s
current herd numbers 380 registered cows, 400 commercial recipient cows,
100 registered bulls and 300 registered calves.
To
accommodate the nearly 1,200 head of cattle, Ray owns 1,050 acres and
rents 800 more.
Ray’s
home place includes 175 acres located behind the Wrangler plant.
"For
feed, we blend soyhulls, cotton seed, corn gluten and crushed hay,"
said Norris. "We supplement with VMS minerals from the Co-op."
Ray
said they also rely on the Marion County Co-op in Hamilton for some of
their animal health needs.
"Steve
is good to work with," said Ray, about Marion County Co-op’s
general manager Steve Lann.
Lann
is the current recipient of the E.P. Garrett Award, which is commonly
known as the Manager of the Year.
Pharmacist
for 43 Years
Cattle
isn’t the only line of work for the Marion County native. Ray has been
a pharmacist for four decades.
His
schooling and the first couple of years as a pharmacist make up the only
time Ray has been away from his home of Hackleburg.
"I
went to Howard College, which is now Samford University for my pharmacy
degree," said Ray. "I’m in my 43rd year as a
pharmacist."
He
owns the Ray Pharmacy on Alabama Highway 43 in Hackleburg.
Other
Sales
In
addition to the upcoming sale in January, the Ray Cattle Company also
hosts two other sales annually.
The
second Saturday in April is the day for the production sale, during
which females are sold.
The
last Saturday in October is the day for the two-year-old bull sale.
This
past October was the company’s first two-year-old bull sale. Forty
bulls were sold. Ray said more would be available for the 2007 sale.
Anyone
interested in contacting the Ray Cattle Company can phone (205)
935-3737. The mailing address is P.O. Box C, Hackleburg, AL 35564.
Susie
Sims is a freelance writer from Haleyville. |
