REGINA — William McLaren enjoys the commercial nature of the Canadian purebreds.
“At home, people breed for a different-looking animal; these genetics here are aimed at the commercial herd,” he said.
“In their Continental homeland the breeds look very different than they do here. And this show here in Regina (Canadian Western Agribition) is one of the best in the world to see great animals bred for performance. It’s in the top three shows for certain,” he said.
McLaren runs Netherton Angus in Perth, Scotland. With 300 both black and red cows and 98 years of Angus production and strong genetics business, the fourth-generation Scottish producer travels to Canada nearly every year to acquire embryos and look at new stock.
Read Also
Teamwork and well-designed handling systems part of safely working cattle
When moving cattle, the safety of handlers, their team and their animals all boils down to three things: the cattle, the handling system and the behaviour of the team.
An accomplished international cattle judge, he has reviewed cattle at many events including Farmfair in Edmonton and Agribition in Regina, as well as shows in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
“Agribition has the best international program in the world. Second to none. And for buyers of genetics, it is easy to buy and export from here,” he said.
A one-time importer of live animals, for efficiency he now sticks to embryos, but his interest in having Canadian animals has grown to the point that he is establishing a herd of his own in Alberta.
“We are hoping to start our own cows here and outcross to bulls we don’t have access to otherwise,” he said about plans for 2023.
McLaren has been producing a line of cattle that are smaller than their Scottish and European brethren and have different conformation structures and higher marbling scores. United Kingdom grading standards, unlike those in North America, aren’t aimed at marbling. A strong believer in marbling, his farm has partnered with a large Wagyu producer in the area to further enhance the brand’s reach.
Agribition was held Nov. 28 to Dec. 3.
