Author: Chrstine Mushrush

  • New Fall Sale Coming October 17th

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    The last several years we have been open about some of the big changes happening on the ranch.  From the conversion of cropland to cool season perennial forage to the implementation of virtual fencing even to our aggressive use of embryo transfer, all  these decisions have been made with a single goal in mind, to…

  • Updates on Virtual Fence

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    For the past three years, Mushrush Ranches has been using virtual fence initiated through a partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Kansas State University, and other various conservation organizations to study the effects of livestock access on bird habitat and populations of various species in the tallgrass biome.  Though the study is still in progress, enough data…

  • Delay weaning Fall Calves

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    For the last several years we have switched how we use our largest resource base (Warm Season Native Pasture) and have stocked in a way we can time the flush of early growth with fall unweaned pairs. The cycle these calves go on is the following: calve in large native pastures in September-October-move to cool…

  • Why we are using $Ranch

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    We think the key to ranching is more pounds per acre, not pounds per head and hidden costs like infertility caused depreciation are why so many ranchers slowly lose their equity. $Ranch keeps this in mind

  • $Profit Introduction

    Chrstine Mushrush
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  • Do Your Cows Fit Your Ranch?

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    This is one question we are constantly asking, and when we pay attention our cows will give us the answer. Certainly, they tell us with a pregnancy diagnosis each fall, with their body condition score and their production record (progeny weaning ratios). But to really fine tune our selection so that our factory functions at…

  • Docility: A necessity trait at Mushrush Ranches

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    Like all other traits the docility we experience results from both genetics and environment. We have been students of our craft, and continually looked for ways to refine our processes in order to reduce stress or anxiety in our cattle – both in our handling techniques and in the redesign of our handling facilities.  Plus,…

  • Calving Interval & Relative Calving Date…the Ranch Profit indicators everyone has, but very few actually use…

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    Even as we select for faster post-weaning gains, Prime carcass quality, heavier carcass weights and more efficient feed conversion, most of us know our bottom line will be no better than our cow herd’s reproductive success. So, unless our management and marketing strategy prescribes that we purchase all of our replacements and breed them to…

  • Same Name – Different Index

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    This fall the Red Angus Association of America replaced, HerdBuilder and GridMaster with three new indices.  Two of the new indices kept the names HerdBuilder and GridMaster, but they will mean something different from what they represented the last 7 years. At Mushrush Red Angus, we want our customers armed with knowledge prior to using…

  • Artificial Insemination (AI)…. Is it something I should or could do?

    Chrstine Mushrush
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    Breeding season is in full swing all over the U.S., including here at Mushrush Ranches.  We just finished artificially inseminating about 500 head of commercial heifers and the rest of the month is full of synchronization and breeding.   As you can see from our color coded calendar below, May 19th starts a marathon preparing breeding…