The Doehring girls are growing up with a passion for livestock and the showring
CONWAY, MO. – In Southeastern Dallas County is a small farm with 3 young ladies that are working hard to make sure their Papa is looking down on them from heaven with a smile.
The girls all got their start growing up on the farm with their grandparents who passed down the love and passion of livestock to their mom and her siblings. Although the girls like to focus on different species and breeds of livestock, they all agree that their family has been the biggest supporters of the paths they have followed.
The girls frequently travel to different livestock shows around the state of Missouri and have attended shows as far away as Houston, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee. They also enjoy showing their market hogs and steers at their local county fair which gives them the opportunity to sell in the premium auction of the fair.
For Hailey, the Hereford breed has been her favorite to raise and show and she credits her Uncle for getting her started in the breed and always supporting her and pushing her. She has been able to develop a small herd and has sold calves to other junior members to begin showing and has sold a bull at Farmfest.
“Taking cattle to local shows and other larger shows in neighboring states as well as displaying cattle at FarmFest has been a really good way for me to market my cattle.” Hailey said, “Thanks to my Papa and Nanny, I have gotten pretty good at reading EPD’s and picking out good quality cattle. I have learned over the last 8 years, your best cows won’t always be the prettiest and your best quality show heifer won’t make the best mother or milker sometimes.”
When it comes to choosing what cattle to keep or cull in her herd, Hailey says.
“I take into consideration their EPD’s, disposition, bone structure and soundness. I need to know my cattle can go out and calve unassisted, milk enough to feed a good healthy calf and travel around well.” Hailey continued, “This means I have to do my research and take my time picking out a good bull.”
Twin sister Kailey has chosen Registered purebred Simmental cattle and crossbreds to develop her cattle herd.
“My crossbred cattle are probably my favorite because there’s no stress of registration and worrying about certain bulls getting in with them.” Kailey shared,
“I sell my crossbred cattle at the local sale barns and occasionally through Facebook. All of my cattle (is) black so even the one I cross with the Hereford bull I get black baldies and I learned from my Papa and Nanny that black sells at the top of the market!”
Little sister Adylee has branched out and is focusing on a breed of cattle that are not typical to Southwest Missouri. Her Papa got her hooked on raising and showing registered Brahman cattle several years ago.
“I started out raising and showing Brahmousin cattle with my Papa and then switched over to Brahman cattle in 2023. Although I still have one Brahmousin heifer left, my herd consists of Registered Brahmans.”
“I have 2 grey cow/calf pairs, 2 grey heifers, 3 red heifers and my herd bull is a grey Brahman. My favorite species is definitely beef cattle and Grey Brahmans are definitely my favorite.”
Before her Papa passed away this spring, they talked about long-term goals for their herd and what genetics they wanted. Although her sisters focus on AI for their cattle, Adylee says she has found better success with the Brahman cattle with natural cover.
One of her biggest challenges has been marketing the bulls as they mature later than most beef breeds. Her sisters can usually market and sell their Hereford and Simmental bulls at 12 months old because they have passed their semen test. The Brahman and Brahman Influenced bulls typically don’t pass their semen test until 18-24 months of age.
“Another struggle I have is Brahman cattle are not a big breed in Missouri and junior breeders is an even shorter list. So at fairs I’m usually the only junior with Brahman’s which makes some shows want to shove me in with haired cattle in AOB or in crossbred classes even though we are a registered breed.” Adylee continued, “Most judges around here don’t have a lot of knowledge of Brahman/Influenced cattle, so trying to compare us to a haired breed is like comparing apple to oranges.”
The girls all utilize local businesses to help keep their animals healthy and growing and they have worked closely with their family to develop a feed ration that works well for them. They add in some different feed additives at different stages, such as cotton seed hulls and beet pulp depending on the animals needs.
They have developed a client-patient relationship with Eastburn Veterinary services in Phillipsburg, Mo. which is very important when they need advice on the best products for de-worming and vaccination. They also keep up on hoof trimming if needed thru their vet and another local producer who specializes in show cattle trimming.
The girls all agree that the biggest marketing tool for their cattle have been at the Ozarks Fall FarmFest in Springfield, Mo. and the Missouri State Fair.
For Hailey she says one of the biggest challenges she has faced so far is perfecting the best feed program for all of her cattle and getting her Brahmousin cattle to breed AI. When asked if she plans to stay involved in agriculture when she grows up, Hailey says she is not really sure.
“Not long ago this question was an easy yes for me, but as I’ve gotten older and my future plans have changed, I’m honestly not sure.” Hailey continued, “My plans are to hopefully play college basketball and get a degree in the sports medical field.”
Although she doesn’t plan to go on to college for an Ag degree, her feet will always stay rooted in raising beef cattle. Her love for the industry is too strong to just walk away and she plans to keep a small herd whether it is registered or crossbred.
Twin sister Kailey said her biggest challenge this year has been getting her crossbred cattle halter broke. She plans to always run some sort of crossbred beef herd but she doesn’t plan to have a job involved in agriculture as she wants to go to college to become a pediatric nurse.
Adylee wants to stay involved in agriculture and plans to attend College of the Ozarks and eventually go on to Veterinary school. Her and some friends have talked about running a vet clinic together one day because they all love agriculture and different species.
No matter what the future holds for these three girls, it is obvious they have strong ties to their family and the agriculture community they have grown up in. They are doing all they can to make a positive impact in agriculture with the support of their family and one special Papa who is smiling down on them from above.
