Shade Ranch Beefmaster Cattle
Grover and Sue Shade have been raising Beefmaster Cattle in Fayette County, Texas since 1978 when they purchased their first Beefmaster bull which was out of a Lasater Ranch semen sire. An upgrading program was started through the Foundation Beefmaster Association and some females were purchased from Dr. Watt Casey. Since then our herd sires have come from Isa Cattle Co., the Lasater Ranch and other breeders who use Lasater genetics.
We have a 90 day breeding season and require cows that stay in our herd to breed in this window. Our herdsires are gain tested primarily on forage. We emphasize the Six Essentials set forth by Tom Lasater: Disposition,Fertility, Weight, Conformation, Hardiness and Milk Production.
We were a commercial operation using a variety of breeds long before we started the purebred Beefmaster herd. They worked better in our commercial operation than any other breed. We raise and price our cattle primarily for the commercial cattleman.
In 2000 we ran some Beefmaster steers through the Texas A&M Ranch to Rail Program.There were 600 steers of various breeds in this group. Our steers averaged $190.87 per head profit compared to the group average of $141.02.They out gained the group average and and their cost of gain was 2 cents per lb. less with an average rib eye of 14.4 and all graded choice or select.
We live on the ranch 10 miles S. of Smithville and 18 miles N. of Flatonia and run a “no frills” operation. We cull our cattle hard and they have to perform to stay in the herd. It’s a simple philosophy that results in good honest cattle that work for us and will work for you.
Please scroll down to view pictures of some of our Cattle
Shade Ranch Beefmaster Cattle
Lasater 3517 "Buck" is now owned by J.A Girgenti of Amite, La. and
tied for honors as the high selling bull in the two year old group in
the 2005 Lasater Sale. His weaning weight ratio was 106 and his
yearling ratio was 104. His sire is the outstanding Lasater bull 9627.
Semen is available from this bull for $25 a straw. Discounts are available for
volume purchases and at half price for JBBA members.
Contact J.A. at 985-748-6992 or 985-517-8559.
LASATER 1326 is a retired Lasater Ranch herd sire purchased by Shade
Beefmasters. 1326 had 9 sons in the 2007 Lasater Sale. He is also
the sire of two bulls in the Lasater herd sire battery.
Shade Ranch bull on the Laird Whiting Farm near Edinburg, Pennsylvania.
This bull is a grandson of L Bar 5502.
DS Bar 79, a daughter of L Bar 1175, is no longer in our herd but
served us well for 12 years. This picture was taken at age 10.
This big red cow is another good one.
A two year old cow with her first calf.
A 10 month old son of Lasater 1326
DS Bar 92 son of Lasater 3517,
now owned by Jim Hightower of Bartlett, Tx.
J.A. Girgenti moving a shy Lasater 3517 into position for a photo.
Salt Creek 820 is our latest herd sire addition. He was purchased at the 2009 Beef On Forage Sale. He has Lasater genetics on both the sire and dam side and indexed 101.56 on the 162 day forage test and 101.64 on the 62 day supplement test preceding the sale. He had a actual weaning weight of 714 and his 205 day adjusted weaning weight was 695.
Birthweight EPD -0.9, WW +3, TM +3, SC +0.4
Drought and lack of affordable quality hay have caused us to disperse our herd. In the meantime if we can be of help to you in finding bulls or females from other Beefmaster breeders or at sales please give us a call. Also, if you want someone to graze and develop your heifers we may be able to help.
Shade Ranch is a lifetime member of Beefmaster Breeders United and participates in the BBU Weights and Measures Program. To learn more about the organization and the breed, visit www.beefmasters.org.