Testimonials 2009

From Jamey Altman - Rocky Run Farm - Virginia

Rocky Run currently has 73 commercial and registered Tarentaise cows that we work with in our grazing program. This is a low input/no input operation. The goal is to graze 12 months out of the year without feeding hay and the only supplement that is provided is a mineral mix. We get a little more efficient each year allowing us to extend our grazing season further into the winter and closer to spring. We have selected away from both the larger framed as well as the heavier milking cows and have had good success with the cattle that we have selcted for. They maintain well, calve easy, and rarely have any health problems such as pink eye, for example, which is very prominent here in Virginia. My outline for the future of this farm goes as follows: high efficiency, moderate production, good genetics, low input. Tarentaise cattle fit well in each category.

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From Bonnie Phillips- Ponderosa "Red Man's" Farm - Virginia

I have 3 Tarentaise cows that I breed with our Tarentaise bull, Norris. I purchased these from Dr. Tucker. They breed and deliver beautifully and within weeks of each other for the past 2 years. They are all pregnant again. This is all done naturally. They are also grass-fed only and supplemented with natural minerals, and the steers that we sold this fall produced superb meat.
We also cross breed with Highland cows, and the calves produced are also excellent. The Tarentaise calves grow very fast. The Highland/Tarentaise mixes grow a little slower, but are very muscular. All are gentle and easy to handle. I am so pleased with the health of the herd and the ability for them to do so well on grass. I kept one of the Tarentaise bull calves and he gets along well with Norris. Norris did not sire him, and I will use him to breed with the cows sired from Norris. I currently have 3 Highland/Tarentaise heifer calves that Norris sired. When they are old enough, I will breed them back to our registered Tarentaise young bull, Jeronomo.
I had 2 of my young bulls on display in the Big Red Barn at the Virginia State Fair 2007. They were so friendly and let everyone pet them. Many people asked me about the breed as they were not familiar with them. I am so glad that I chose the Tarentaise. Doctor Tucker was right. They are a fault-free breed. Since we are new at this, we started off slow, but are so satisfied that we will be expanding our herd.
The photos are of Norris, our bull, and of last year's calves. A Highland/Tarentaise mix heifer calf is in the middle of the 2 Tarentaise bull calves. The photo was taken April 2008. The mixed heifer was born in October 2007, and the Tarentaise bull calves were born 4 months later in February 2008.

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from Amber Densch - Illini Tarentaise - Illinois

Illini Tarentaise is a 60 acre farm located in Eldorado, IL. Cow/cal operation started in 1993 w/2 bred heifers from Stenger's Bluegrass Tarentaise in Kentucky.
We currently have 17 breeding females, both purebred and percentage Tarentaise. We have 1 Tarentaise herd bull which was purchased in 2003 from Ankenman Ranch in Oklahoma.
The goal of our operation is to produce quality purebred and percentage Tarentaise cattle that carry, and pass on, the essential traits that make Tarentaise the great breed that they are today. The traits that we have most strived to concentrate in our herd genetics are lower birth weights in combination with competitive weaning/yearling weights, sound confirmation, superior maternal instincts, and last but not least, an easy-going temperament.
This farm is self-sustaining, with each acre being utilized to the fullest extent. 15 Acres are put in corn or beans each year. 7 Acres seeded in Eastern Gamma Grass, which is used for hay production. The rest of the acreage is seeded in fescue, timothy, and orchard grass. A majority of the remaining acres are used strictly for grazing purposes, while a small portion are used to get a first cutting of hay, and then grazed for the rest of the summer.
In years past, when we were running more cattle on our farm, we utilized the practice of management intensive grazing (MIG). We found this to be quite beneficial for both the pastures and our herd. With the current size of the herd, MIG is no longer necessary to sustain the pastures during summer months.
We are able to produce all of our hay on these few acres, therefore controlling the quality of forage fed to our cattle. Hay is fed primarily from September to May, but sometimes longer, depending on weather conditions. During the cold winter months, a ration of 70% soybean hulls/30% corn gluten is fed to keep the herd in good condition. Trace mineral is supplied to our cattle year round, and high magnesium blocks and tubs are made available in the spring months.
Along with good quality nutrition, we also believe in the necessity of a comprehensive vaccination and deworming program. All of our cattle are vaccinated each spring for the most common respiratory and reproductive diseases and dewormed at six month intervals. As calves are born, they are vaccinated, weighed, and if necessary, dehorned.
As for the future of Illini Tarentaise, we plan on increasing the size of our herd while, along the way, preserving and strengthening the quintessential traits that attracted us to the Tarentaise breed 15 years ago.