The Chitticks recently won championships with their Herefords, but they also raise purebred Simmental and Red Angus
EDMONTON — Grant Chittick plays no favourites.
The Mayerthorpe, Alta., cattle breeder raises purebred Simmental, Hereford and Red Angus and he loves them all.
He may love his Hereford a bit more. On Nov. 11 his Hereford bulls won junior and senior champion in the Hereford Genes gala, a Hereford promotional event at Farmfair.
Each entrant in the Hereford Genes gala could ask five customers to check out the animals and enjoy a meal, go to the rodeo and possible win a bull.
One of Chittick’s customers won his junior bull, Chittick was awarded best senior and junior bull and he received $10,000 for top prize.
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Since then buyers from Denmark and Finland are interested in Hereford embryos or semen.
Over the past two years about 50 Hereford heifer calves were shipped to Kazakhstan and in October 33 bred Angus heifers were sold to Mexico.
It was while on a holiday in 2005, two years after BSE, that Chittick stopped at a friend’s farm who was disillusioned with the cattle business.
Chittick bought 40 purebred Red Angus, papered cattle for $1,000 each and was in the Angus business.
At about the same time, he bought six purebred Simmental cows with bull calves at side at a dispersal sale for $1,000 each.
A year later, their area in northern Alberta was hit with dry weather and was short of feed. He sold 100 commercial cows and bought 30 purebred cows, hoping to maintain less cows with the same value.
“BSE wasn’t good for a lot of people, but it has been great for us,” said Chittick, while waiting for the Simmental show to start at Farmfair.
Since BSE, the herd has expanded from 95 to 400, all purebred cattle.
With four children, a brother and father still in the business, there is enough interest and help to keep growing, he said.
“Once it’s in your heart, it’s in your heart.”
Contact mary.macarthur@producer.com
