The code of the West is that a man’s word is as good as his bond. This is the philosophy behind Chimney Rock Cattle Company and the GENETRUST partnership.
To understand the full story we must start at the beginning. Bill and Gail Davis, successful entrepreneurs in the trucking and racing industries, purchased a piece of property in Concord, Ark., in 1999 and embarked on a new journey raising cattle.
“I grew up in Northwest Arkansas,” shared Bill Davis. “My grandfather owned a sale barn and the Northwest Arkansas Packing Company. My father took care of my grandfather’s ranch and leased ground to run stockers for the packinghouse. I can remember going to sales at Forth Worth and Oklahoma City and always having a love for cattle, horses and this lifestyle.”
Initially their ranch, Chimney Rock Cattle Company, started out as a commercial operation building their herd on Brangus influenced genetics.
Bill explained, “There is no other choice for this part of the country when you factor in climate, temperature and fescue pastures. It doesn’t take much research to conclude that you can take a Brahma and make a better black cow. They are built for sustainability. They can take anything thrown at them and these cattle will hold up in the winter. A Brangus can take the cold way better than an Angus can take the heat.”
It didn’t take long before Bill decided to venture into the registered world in an effort to improve his calves. In 2002 Bill visited Camp Cooley Ranch to purchase bulls. During his visit to Camp Cooley Bill met Craig Green. Craig would eventually help Bill select 18 donor cows that would become the foundation at Chimney Rock. During the early stages Bill also purchased donor cows from Vern Suhn, of Suhn Cattle Company in Eureka, Kan.
“Vern and Craig have been mentors to me,” said Bill.
After purchasing donor cows Chimney Rock retained their top-quality commercial females to use as recipients for their ET program. “We AI and ET every cow on the place. We have spring and fall calving herds with a 45-day calving window,” commented Bill.
Chimney Rock hosted their first production sale in 2007. Then in 2008 Bill along with Vern Suhn and fellow Brangus breeder Joe Cavender, of Cavender Ranches, began to discuss the possibility of marketing their herds together. A total of 10 Brangus breeders joined in on this thought process and GENETRUST was born. The partnership was founded on the guiding principle that trust, respect and honesty are the central pillars of any business relationship. The first GENETRUST sale was hosted at Chimney Rock in the fall of 2009.
“This marketing alliance gives us a better representation in the industry,” explained Bill.
Today, Craig, now marketing director for GENETRUST, Cody Gariss, field director and Vern work one-on-one with the eight ranches to help develop a cohesive breeding strategy.
“One advantage of this strategy is that when it comes time to sell we test bulls and feed them the same ration. We are comparing apples-to-apples. This gives us the opportunity to put bulls where they will work best for our customers,” said Bill.
The goal is to breed for a well-balanced animal that will work for the commercial cattlemen by focusing on moderate frame score and performance. Bill continued, “We’ve been fortunate to have some of the best genetics come from the GENETRUST pool. We are trying to produce good, solid, balanced EPDs in functional cattle that are sustainable.”
GENETRUST uses all of the tools available to them from AI to ET to EPDs to provide their customers with complete and accurate data.
Ed Slisher, ranch manager explained, “The females in the GENETRUST program are developed on a commodity ration through their first calve. We push them hard to get them into puberty. Brahma are slower to develop than other breeds which helps with their longevity.”
As Vern always says the best way to make genetic improvements is through a strict culling program.
“When culling, weaning weight is our priority followed by disposition and eye appeal,” Ed said. “Cattle have to earn their keep. They have to get it done here. Only the top 25 percent of females make it into our registered herd.”
Customers have the opportunity to purchase GENETRUST genetics at one of their four yearly sales. This year the sale hosted at Chimney Rock, during November, will sell 100 registered females and 150 bulls.
“In addition to our sales we sell semen all over the country and the world from Mexico to Argentina to Australia,” concluded Kelsey Jackson, GENETRUST office manager. GENETRUST also has bulls for sell through private treaty throughout the year.
