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In 2004 Bush Angus is
celebrating their 76th year in the Angus Cattle Seedstock business.
We firmly believe that as a family operated cattle enterprise we
have passed the test of time and are in position to achieve the
goals facing a breed-leading herd. To achieve these goals we will
use current breeding technology combined with a common sense
approach in all decisions relating to the improvement of our herd.
We should continue to provide a product for our customers that will
be problem free and profitable for them. We will do whatever is
necessary to build and enhance our relationship with the people that
invest in our product.
This
farm was homesteaded by Joseph Bush around 1880. His son W.E. began
his farming career in the early 1900s. He added land and started to
build up the main farm yard of which several buildings are still
used today. W.E.'s main interests were Registered Percheon horses
and Registered Alfalfa seed which he sold all over the Midwest. With
one of his sons, Clifford, he began the Registered Angus herd in
1927. They purchased one cow-calf pair. Today, this herd can be
traced back to that initial investment. Clifford is 87 years old and
still remains an active member of this family farm. His son, Jim,
returned to the family farm after graduating from SDSU in 1964. Jim
and his wife, Carol, have expanded the farm both in land holdings
and cow herd size. Jim and Carol's son, Scott, returned to become a
partner after also graduating from SDSU in 1992. Scott and his wife,
Jo, also live on the farm with their two children, Brittany and
Tyler.
 Registered
Angus are the only cattle found on our farm. The herd has remained
closed since the beginning and no outside females have been added.
The purpose was to create a herd that was closely bred and would
respond uniformly in type. We are known for the great females we
keep. They are good sized, flesh easily, are deep sided and have a
lot of natural muscling. Because they are all bred alike, they also
all look alike. Through the years many great bulls have been
produced to complement the bloodlines already established here. In
addition, artificial insemination has allowed us to use other sires
in the advancement of the Bush herd. We presently mate 50% of our
cows to bulls that were bred in this herd. The results have been
excellent as evidenced by the increase in the performance level we
have attained. Embryo transfer has enabled us to progress at a much
faster pace in supplying our customers with more great bulls.
 The
day-to-day management is handled by both Jim and Scott. We truly
believe the "hands on" approach works best for us. Since were not a
super-sized outfit, we must use intense management to squeeze out
the most potential possible from all our enterprises. We pay close
attention to the details that will affect the final outcome. Our aim
is to take whatever time necessary to do the job right the first
time. Both Jim and Scott are called upon quite often to advise other
breeders concerning their programs. |
