Thill Cattle Co.
Welcome to another episode of the American Cattlemen Podcast and our Producer Profile. Just ahead, we have Gale McKinney, the Publisher of American Cattlemen, along with Bryan and Riley Thill from Thill Cattle Co. The Thill family’s journey in cattle breeding began when Brian and his wife purchased 26 Angus-based cows early in their marriage, starting with affordable, older cows and gradually improving their herd’s genetics through strategic breeding techniques. Brian, who has a background in animal science and dairy science from Iowa State University, spent most of his career in cattle consulting, which helped shape the Thill Cattle Co’s approach to incorporating new technologies and innovative breeding strategies. Over the past 30 years, they’ve implemented artificial insemination and later expanded into embryo transfer, focusing on developing high-quality genetic lines. The operation has recently become particularly interested in the dairy-beef cross market, recognizing an opportunity to improve dairy cattle genetics. Thill Cattle Co. aims to produce bulls that can create more marketable crossbred calves with desirable characteristics like moderate frame size, excellent foot quality, and superior carcass traits. Riley, a pre-veterinary student at Iowa State University, is actively involved in the family business and has conducted research on early life impacts of beef-dairy cross calves. The family plans to showcase six animals at the Iowa Beef Expo, including four fall-born bulls and two show heifer prospects. These animals represent their commitment to both show stock and commercial cattle markets. Their breeding philosophy emphasizes diversity, with separate genetic lines for show cattle and commercial producers. They prioritize traits like homozygous black and polled genetics, good carcass characteristics, and adaptability for different market needs. The Thill Cattle Co. sees their approach as a way to serve multiple markets and respond to evolving industry demands, particularly in the growing beef-on-dairy sector.
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