Firm Foundation Farms is growing a herd of LimFlex for the future
LEBANON, MO – Tyler Pollock remembers being around cattle since he was 2 years old. Thirty-two years later, he is still in the cattle business, taking lessons from generations before and incorporating new ideas into his growing herd.
“My grandpa (Quenton Donigan) bought this farm in 1948,” Tyler explained. “He was originally a dairy farmer, then transitioned to a beef herd with Herefords. In 1980, my mom (Jeana) married my dad (Danny Pollock), and Dad went full bore into the Hereford world.”
Tyler and his family, including his wife Stephanie and sons Stetson (2) and Houston (9), live on a 30-acre portion of the original family farm, with two other family members owning the remainder of the original property.
Herefords and commercial cattle remained a part of the Pollock family for many years, but about three years ago, Tyler decided to move Firm Foundation Farms in another direction.
“I have transitioned over to the LimFlex,” Tyler said. “Herefords were always portrayed as docile, and the Limousin and LimFlex have come a long way as far as docility. The main goal for me is performance and docility.
Tyler readily admits changing breeds was a quick transition.
“I had no idea what I was doing,” he said with a laugh. “The Heart of America Limousin Sale is here in Lebanon, and we had a little money in our pockets that weekend and jumped in. I bought my son his first show heifer at that sale, and after seeing the way she was, I thought we needed to dig a little deeper into it.”
The registered herd consists of 10 foundation females, and Tyler is working to slowly grow by retaining and obtaining genetics that offer the performance he seeks.
“They are going to be the core,” Tyler said of his females. “I had to sort through some mistakes, but you can’t build Rome in a day.”
Tyler’s goal is to wean calves that are 55 percent of their dam’s weight.
“If you have a 1,000-pound cow, I want to see a 550-pound calf,” he said. “If she can’t do that, she doesn’t fit, and there is no need to have her.”
He added that his cows achieve that goal with few inputs.
“I live on the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ method,” Tyler said with a chuckle. “I don’t go out and buy the newest formulas, tubs, salt or mineral; I keep it simple. I have a simple mineral program to ensure the cows are in good health, and I have good forages in front of them. Their performance is based on their pedigrees, selective breeding, and knowing my cows; it’s all on them.
“I want length, depth and a cow that has a build that shows she is going to be able to handle herself, raise a big calf, and not have to put a ton of supplements in her. I don’t want her to shrink down to nothing after calving.”
Tyler added that calves are offered creep feed, but only about two or three weeks before weaning at 6 months of age.
“That two weeks isn’t going to make a big difference on that calf’s performance,” he said. “It’s basically getting them geared up to go onto feed without momma. I am sure there are benefits to creep feeding as soon as they can eat, but for me, I want to keep it simple.”
Tyler said the philosophy of keeping things simple was instilled in him by previous generations, but he is adding a few other things to the mix.
“The performance of the cattle is night and day to what it was in 1948 or the 1980s. I think today’s cattle would blow my grandpa’s mind,” Tyler said.
Tyler co-owns a bull, but the breeding program at Firm Foundation Farms is focused on AI.
“I would suggest to anyone to use an AI program,” Tyler said. “It doesn’t cost that much when you compare semen, CIDRs and all of that to keeping a bull; you can rent a bull for the backside. I highly suggest an AI program if someone has less than 20 cows.”
Having diversity through AI has allowed Tyler to select specific pairings to improve the next generation.
“Not every female gets the same bull; there is nothing across the board,” he said. “I want to look at each female, and at whatever they are lacking; I want that bull to improve it. I want growth, but I won’t put all my eggs in one basket on growth alone when she is lacking somewhere else. With AI, I can piece together what might be lacking.”
In addition to his LimFlex, Tyer also owns a couple of Red Angus females.
“When we had the Herefords, that red baldie was an amazing cross, and I was very pleased with their performance,” he said. “I had a handful of stragglers, and I just couldn’t justify getting rid of them, so they are still around.”
Tyler breeds for fall calving.
“I want my calves in the tail end of November through December, all the way to mid-March,” Tyler said.
Females are typically bred the first time at least 14 months of age.
“They are closer to 15 or 16 months old with the way my calving season is,” Tyler said. “By then, they are in good enough condition, and I feel confident breeding them.”
Cows are fully vaccinated twice a year, and calves are vaccinated about a month before and after weaning.
Tyler’s focus is producing quality females.
“Even on my crossbred females, I can market them better when I have the seedstock side going. I want more heifers because the bull market, I feel like, is kind of flooded. I try to hit the target time to make show steers out of my bulls.”
Tyler halter breaks his commercial heifers and steers so young people can have experience in the show ring, just as he did.
“Showing cattle, for me, at the county fair, the state fair, Ozark Empire, and at national shows, was so memorable, and I want any kid who has the drive and passion to do it to have the ability to do it. On those crossbred females, I want the kids to take them home and get good cows. I don’t want that kid to take a heifer home and her not breed, have trouble calving, just be a problem. I want those kids to go home and grow their herd.
Growing and improving in the cattle industry will always be a part of Tyler’s way of life and his family legacy, and he is ready to be a show dad, just like his dad, who passed away in 2006.
“I miss those nights in the barn with him and look forward to those times with my kids. The name of my farm is Firm Foundation Farms,” Tyler said. “It’s the legacy that my grandpa and dad had before us, and being able to carry that on and eventually pass it to my children. Dad and Grandpa set the foundation, and we are building our best. We are getting established, and it’s happy times.”
