blackfoot-valley

eighteen as of October 2001, plus three in the Missoula business office where management presides at 619 S.W. Higgins Ave. The focus of everyone at the Ranch is the cattle! When Bob Meyer acquired the Wales property in his first major land purchases in the area in 1990, the cattle were of the Simmental breed. Soon after the original purchases, emphasis was placed on the genetics program to develop purebred cattle. The decision was made to change over from Sim- mental cattle and concentrate on Red Angus, a breed with no diluted genes. Its genes are all recessive - therefor any “outside” genes would be easy to identify. Outstanding traits of the Red Angus breed include excellent fertility, low weight at birth for bulls which eases birth problems of heifers, and good disposition and maternal characteristics. Reds have a moderate appetite com- bined with efficient feed conversion, good heat tolerance, and, at the other end, excellent carcass quality which translates into superior beef. 171