Stavely (Rural Roots Canada) – “We gauge our success here at Cudlobe by our customer’s success; that’s what makes us happy. When our customers are successful, we’re successful.”

For Dyce Bolduc at Cudlobe Angus and David Bolduc at Cudlobe Angus West, it’s about family.

It’s been that way for five generations as they have built two purebred cattle operations.

“We feel the clients are part of our family, and we’re part of their family; some of these relationships have lasted 30 to 40 years.”

The two families farm about 6,000 acres of land near Stavely, Alberta.

The two operations were one before the families grew, prompting them to separate but continue to sell and work together.

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In recent years, both operations have started the Cudlobe Influence Sale, a chance for their bull buyers to sell their cattle in a special sale.

It all started when their clients came to them eight years ago with an idea.

Bolduc says their clients reasoned that because they were buying these cattle with these high genetics, they should be selling them by genetics.

That’s when the Bolducs sat down and figured out a way to work with them with the assistance of Rob Bergevin at Foothills Auction.

That’s when the idea of the Cudlobe influence calf sale was born.

Bolduc says that they now help sell pot loads of calves that come from Cudlobe bulls during the sale every year.

“We’re selling the buyers the DNA, the genetic package behind those calves.”

He says the buyers know they are getting quality.

“Those bulls are all genetically tested for carcass data and performance data, so we’re selling those calves not on how they look, but on how they’re going to perform in the market in that feedlot industry, as far as grading and yielding.”

Bolduc adds the results have spoken for themselves.

“They’ll bring a 10 to 15 cent premium over CanFax price that week.”

The influence sale will take place on October 4 at Foothills Auctioneers in Stavely and online on DLMS.

He says their buyers come back year after year.

“The buyers who bought calves in the first sale are still buying calves today.”

Time after time, he says they’ll grade 27 per cent prime, 95 per cent AAA, and 99 per cent of them will qualify for Certified Angus Beef.

Cudlobe and Cudlobe Angus West were the first in Canada to be recognized with the Commitment to Excellence Award from CAB.

As cattle breeders, Bolduc says they aren’t doing their job if they aren’t constantly improving their practices.

“We are always trying to think whether or not this set of calves was better than last year’s.”

He adds they aren’t doing their job as purebred breeders if they aren’t harnessing the genetic potential with all of the tools at their disposal, such as EPDs, DNA, and ultrasound.

It’s not just looking at the cattle and saying they look good.

“We can tell what these cattle look like on the inside; we can also tell what their production is going to be.”

They also hold a heifer sale in the spring.

“We try to work with our clientele as much as any breeders in the country, and you know what I mean, and I think that’s why 95% of our business is repeat business, and it’s volume repeat business.

Both operations are also part of the Verified Beef Plus Program.

As Bolduc says, their operation is about family, and they gauge their success on their client’s success.

For more information on Cudlobe Angus and Cudlobe Angus West and their Influence Calf sale, check out their websites.

www.cudlobe.com

www.cudlobeangus.com