Photo by Laura Mushrush

Cow-calf producers who don’t use science when selecting genetics may find their herd on the wrong end of a smoking gun.

A herd sire packs a powerful punch when it comes to the genetic development of a cow herd. An elementary school science lesson and plain common sense teaches the 50:50 relationship when it comes to the creation of offspring — take that logic to the cow pen, and a bad bull = bad calves.

However, with years of brain power invested into research and the development of technology, cattle producers have access to the most advanced genetic selection tools of their time, and those tools are right at their fingertips.