‘Hi! My Name’s Bossy’; Cow Convention Ambles Into Town

When dairy rancher Bryan Draper examines some of the 130 head of high-priced Holsteins milling about the Sheraton Harbor Island East over the next two days, he’ll do so in the hope of milking an industry that is capable of kicking up as many dollars as it does scents.

“I don’t know if I’ll pay as much as $50,000,” said Draper, referring to the going price for some of the prized bulls and heifers, “but I’m certainly looking to buy. When you’re in this business, you’re always looking to upgrade your stock. Some herds can bring in $25,000 to $30,000 monthly.”

Draper, of Genola, Utah, is one of nearly 2,000 members of the National Holstein Assn. who have gathered at the tony hotel for the group’s annual convention and Holstein auction.

Not Exactly a Cow Town

Convention coordinators said San Diego, a town noted more for its sand and surf than for its contributions to the cattle industry, was selected mainly for its pleasurable climate. The convention is held in a different city each year.

The event, which begins Wednesday and continues through Thursday, will give ranchers from all over North America an opportunity to poke, purchase and peer at what many cow experts view as the globe’s premiere breed.

“Holsteins are considered the best breeders in the world,” said Robert Fitzsimmons, 36, a Vermont rancher who sells Holstein embryos for as much as $5,000 apiece. “Their genetics can make them very valuable. Some can have calves as valuable as or more than the mother.”

“We’ve sold Holstein embryos for breeding to Japan, Europe, England and Canada,” said John Gross, who works with a Holstein dealership that transplants embryos from Holsteins into other breeds. “They have cattle, but they want our (Holstein) genetics.”

But, although ranchers praise the superior genetic composition and breeding abilities of the Holstein, which is raised for both milk and beef, they concede that it doesn’t always fare well at the mating game.

“Only a certain percentage actually breed well,” said Gross, who owns a farm in Ohio. “You can have the finest phenotype and the finest genotype, and that still won’t produce well. It’s quite disheartening, because breeders have put a lot of time and money into these cows and won’t get results for four or five years later. By then, they find out too late.”

Rolling With the Punches

Still, the ranchers didn’t seem overly concerned about the possibility of selecting poor breeders. Most simply dismissed it as an occupational hazard.

Said Ed Gilman: “It’s very much a crap shoot.”

“If you want good odds, go to Las Vegas,” said Draper. “If you really want to gamble, get into agriculture. In agriculture, you groom your product and then pray to God that it’s ready when you’re done.”

Still, members of the association acknowledged that poor cattle selection can doom a businessman.

“Yes, selecting the wrong cows could make or break a farmer,” said Lloyd Boyd, 45, a Missouri farmer who is seeking a position on the association’s executive board. “If you pay too much or if she dies, that can be tough. But most of the people here can afford to take those risks. A lot of the smaller farmers back home can’t.”

But selecting top-notch Holsteins isn’t a complete gamble, they said. Many dairy farmers have become more discriminating buyers, thanks to the technological revolution.

Computerized Mating

“You wouldn’t believe the computerization of breeding of these cows,” said Draper. “Now you can put the genetic makeups of the bulls and heifers into computers and compare them against their mates. If you can get some to proof (compare favorably)--which is pretty slim--you breed a few, and that can be profitable. But nothing is a sure thing.”

Ranchers said the convention also affords them chances to network and share information about the farming industry.

“You can learn a lot,” said Fitzsimmons. “You can talk to people and find out where the good cattle are. You can make contacts for potential sales, and you can find out about new trends in the business.”

Fitzsimmons said a number of guests not associated with the ranchers group have ventured into the area to view the cows, but haven’t shown much interest in buying at Thursday’s auction.

“I think they were just fascinated by what’s going on,” he said. “I don’t think too many of them were connected with agriculture.”

Because the Holsteins are staying in the basement of the Sheraton, most guests aren’t even aware they are sharing their hotel with cows.

“Most of the residents are in rooms on the other side of the hotel,” said Nancy Eckis, public relations director for the Sheraton. “And the floor has been covered, so no smells can drift over to that end. But, when some do find out that there are cows here, they are fascinated.”

And, although the men jabbing at the hunks of beef are also enjoying the cows, they make no effort to hide the fact that they are businessmen first.

“A cow has to get pregnant,” said Draper. “She’s no good to us when she can’t. When she’s no good to us, that’s when you see her. At McDonald’s.”