BEEF magazine named DeBruycker Charolais #8 on the Seedstock 100

Fri 13 Mar, 2015

DeBruycker Charolais #8 on the Seedstock 100!

DeBruycker Charolais cattle ranked #8 among the top 100 seedstock operators

Owner: Lloyd DeBruycker
Location: Dutton, MT
Breed: Charolais
Sale Month: April
Sale Type: August
Number of Bulls Sold: 875

“We focus on the animal. If the numbers follow, that’s fine. If they don’t, that’s fine, too,” explains Brett DeBruycker of DeBruycker Charolais at Dutton, Montana. “Our whole goal with the Charolais program, from the beginning, has been to do our best to make bulls and genetics that will go out and help the commercial rancher be profitable. Our attitude is that if our commercial customers are profitable, then we’ll be profitable.

“We’ve never based our herd off of EPDs, ultrasound measurements or any of those things. We’ve always focused on the quality of the cow, the cow type, believing that type of cow would yield the right type of bull for our customers,” DeBruycker explains.

“Number one, we’re trying to make 2,000 cows that are all the same – same teats and udder structure, same leg structure, same body type, same calving ease. We want to make it so that our customers can’t see any differences between the first bull in our sale and the 550th bull.

And DeBruycker Charolais has never selected for a single trait. “We make sure it’s the right type of cow for the environment, working very hard to keep them balanced. “We’re basically a line-bred herd but we aren’t afraid to bring in genetics from two or three outside bulls to sample every year,” Brett explains.

The DeBruyckers breed cows mostly through natural service – heifers are bred in an intensive 35-day A.I. breeding program. “We’re doing our best to help those fertile females get bred as early as possible,” Brett says. “In our opinion, early maturity is what helps our cattle marble as well as they do.” It’s common for their purebred Charolais calves to be 85% Choice and 85% Yield Grade 1-2.

The DeBruycker crew also agrees on what they’re trying to produce. “We’ve had some high-selling bulls. We’ve also been fortunate that others have used our genetics and had success in the show ring, but none of that has never been a focus of ours,” Brett explains. “We want cattle that breed early, calve easily, and grow quickly on milk and grass. Those same genetics carry into the calf. Those calves will go to the feedlot and packer, and do very well there.
DeBruycker reflects: “Our word is our bond. Our customers expect integrity and to be treated fairly, no matter what the situation is.”

Phone: 406-476-3214