< PreviousIn honor of the Boar Stud Issue the Seedstock EDGE team wanted to hear from you. We contacted several breeders from across the country and asked them two questions. 1. What is the most IMPACTFUL Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Yorkshire or crossbred boar you have seen?2. What is the BEST Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Yorkshire or Crossbred boar you have seen?By Bridget HalatAUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3018 Aug SE Form.indd 307/26/2018 3:39:27 PMMARK HOGE • Good Hope, Ill.WHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL YORKSHIRE BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?When it comes to impact and Yorkshires, there are three things that come to mind. In 1994, I had the opportunity to tour Steve Cobb’s Yorkshire sow herd and it was unlike anything that I had ever seen before. To this day, it is the most impressive set of sows I’ve ever seen. This is what started my interest and love for the Yorkshire breed.A very impactful Yorkshire boar was Slam Dunk from Galen McCune in Northwest Oklahoma. I drove to the panhandle of Oklahoma just to see this boar. I believe that this boar’s design and look through his front end is what started the modern day Yorkshire “current look”. A boar that was personally impactful is Drive By. I purchased Drive By from Kent McLemore. I was at Duncan when I went to go see Drive By. I saw him at 1 a.m. by headlight in a hut, and he was the most unique boar I had ever seen. I went back and told everyone at Duncan about him and that they had to see him, but no one listened. On my way back from Duncan, I went back to Kent’s to buy a heifer for my boys. I ended up loading two heifers and this boar. I just had to have him. I only had money for one heifer. The only person that would hear me out about my purchases was my father in law. He said he would help me out with the money as long as we would build our sow herd around him. We never sold semen on Drive By, but he has played a signifi cant role in our Yorkshire herd, as well as Nathan Weisingers. He generated In Con-trol, which has generated a lot of the good Yorkshires that are out there. WHAT IS THE BEST YORKSHIRE BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?I can’t commit to just one boar. Drive By is a boar that has put us on the map, but there are too many good boars out there to name just one. I love Yorkshires and I don’t know why other than I am motivated to make my Yorkshires look like the sows I saw at Steve Cobbs. They have left a lasting impact on me.STEVE COBB • Lake City, ArkWHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL YORKSHIRE BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?My dad bought me my fi rst two Yorkshire gilts when I was in the seventh grade 48 years ago this year. When I refl ect on the many Yorkshire boars that I have seen over my career, I realize that I have had the opportunity to see many great boars. Honestly, it’s almost impossible to declare one “the best.” They all have to be considered in relation to their own era and the direction and needs of the industry at that time.WHAT IS THE BEST YORKSHIRE BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?The best Yorkshire boar that I remember seeing was UR6 Crank High 291-1 ( nickname was M.O.M). Dr. Scott Williamson from Fresno State University showed two Yorkshire boars at the 1988 National Barrow Show for Gunlund Swine Farm, California. Their two boars were very different than anything available in the breed at that time. I was fortunate to purchase one of the boars along with Hollis Shaffer. In early December, I fl ew to Caruthers, Calif., to visit the Gunland herd. It was on this visit that I fi rst saw M.O.M. 291-1 as a two year old boar. He was an extremely correct built individual. He had unbelievable muscle mass. His hip was huge, with a big wide back and big bold shoulders. He was very balanced in his length, width, and depth of body. His toes were good. His joints were clean and fl at. He had seven perfectly spaced nipples. I was fortunate enough to see 291-1 many times as he matured. He had a great maturity pat-tern. As impressive as he was at two years old, he was even better at fi ve years old.WAYNE HUINKER • Decorah, IowaWHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL YORKSHIRE BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?Dandee at Middle Creek Farms was very impactful within our own Yorkshire herd and the breed. He was so heavy structured and loosely made. Another impactful Yorkshire boar is Benchmark. He was bred by McLemore, Oklahoma. Hirschfi eld’s with A Cut Above Sires, Nebraska, has him. Drive By that Hoge and Weisinger owned is also one that comes to mind when it comes to making an impact within the breed.WHAT IS THE BEST YORKSHIRE BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?One Yorkshire boar that stands out in my mind is Middle Creek Strike. I try to compare boars back to him. A lot of genet-ics within this breed go back to him. Another boar that comes to mind is JSP Ike that the Cobb family had. One of the litters he sired, produced Bear 1-3, Avalanche and a female called Annie. Annie produced Ben, who was very infl uential in the Yorkshire breed with low feed conversion rates.FREDDIE GROHMANN • Red Bud, Ill.WHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL LANDRACE BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?Bov Av Karlstorp 1216. This boar was purchased on a shipment from Sweden in the late 1970s. His offspring was used successfully by many Landrace breeders from the late 70s through 2000. WHAT IS THE BEST LANDRACE BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?This is a very hard question for us as we have been Landrace breeders for 60+ years. We’ve seen many great Landrace boars phenotypically. Boars like Burley from 40 years ago was one of the best there was for his time. Pikkus 628-2 from 20 years ago was phenotypically maternally superior.31AUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Aug SE Form.indd 317/26/2018 3:07:51 PMEARL CAIN • Chariton, Iowawww.admani.com/MoorMansShowTec • 866-666-7626Show Feed SpecialistsAl Schminke – 217-257-3513Tadd Knight – 217-653-0528James Scifres – 580-450-5611 Krisha Custis – 307-760-0327Kaylee Keppy – 563-370-5012Josh Elkins – 979-255-8309Kent Lewis – 806-773-8981MoorMan’s® ShowTec® SOW PREMIX (12365AAA14)• Vitamin-mineral supplement for the breeding herd• Fortifies soybean meal and grain rations• Supplies highly bioavailable trace minerals• Multiple vitamins• Selenium-yeast and natural-source vitamin E for antioxidant properties and immune strength• CitriStim® for favorable impact on gut microbial populationBuilding a Strong Foundation For our youth For your breeding herd“This sow premix has been built for our purebred and crossbred sow operation and has worked terrific in situations where we are building sows with long parities in diverse environmental conditions. It has worked great with the boars in the boar stud as well. This premix is specifically formulated and designed for high performance of show pigs and purebred sows for which we have high expectations. This product simply works.”Lay the foundation for championship results!Dylan CainGrand Champion Purebred Breeding Gilt2015 National Barrow ShowSydney CainChampion Hampshire Gilt2015 National Barrow Showseal of approvalwe feed and recommendwww.admani.com866-666-7626we feed and recommendambassadorwww.admani.com866-666-7626Earl CainCain HampshiresShowTec AmbassadorWHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL HAMPSHIRE BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?Rock the House. He had a really big impact really fast within the Hampshire breed. Within his fi rst year, he won four different state fairs and was siring champions at the national level.WHAT IS THE BEST HAMPSHIRE BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?That’s easy- it’s Mean Machine. When Mean Machine was fi ve years old he still sired the Champion Hampshire Boar and Gilt at the World Pork Expo, even at that age. He was either ahead of his time or just really, really good. JESSE HEIMER • Taylor, Mo.WHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL HAMPSHIRE BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?For our program and within the Hampshire breed, I think the most im-pactful boar in recent times has been Point Taken. I remember Ben Olsen getting him out in the aisle for me at World Pork Expo the year that he sold and I wanted to buy him in the worst way. Swine Genetics International ended up owning him and during that time he sired several elite individuals for HH, including the Grand Overall and Champion Hamp-shire Barrow at the National Western Stock Show in 2013 and the Grand Overall and Champion Hampshire Gilt at the WPX Junior National in 2015. Point Taken was unique in the sheer size and function of his rear leg and more impor-tantly, he transmitted that bone size and density to a high percentage of his offspring. I would contend that Point Taken’s ability to consistently sire bone would rival many of the popular crossbred sires of his same vintage. Point Maker, the most infl uential son of Point Taken, can be found in the pedigree of many of today’s infl uential Hampshires. Daughters of Point Taken, especially those with a resemblance of their sire, have been very impactful within the breed and I give one in particular a lot of credit for impacting our crossbred program. Thunderstruck’s dam was the most extreme Point Taken daughter we’ve ever worked with and I’m convinced she deserves the credit for the bone you’ll fi nd in T118, his sons and grandsons. In an effort to have him on the farm for better access, I traded my 50 percent of ownership of Springsteen in exchange for ownership and possession of Point Taken. He is still active and producing today. WHAT IS THE BEST HAMPSHIRE BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?The problem with the best I’ve ever seen' is that the best ones rarely have the ability to fully transmit the traits that make them the best, especially on a consistent basis. I’ve seen several elite boars be named Champion and I’ve witnessed more than one break a record selling price, yet it’s usually the outliers that make the biggest impact. He wasn’t perfect but Point Taken will always be one of the best ones I’ve ever seen. The best display of Hampshire consistency I ever saw was the Cherokee Lady infl uence on the Mapes program. I will never forget those sows in the dirt lots and the gilts on the Cargill fl oor. They were all related, they all traced back to Cherokee Lady and the quality and consistency left a lasting impression on me. POINT TAKENNATHAN WEISINGER • Fort Madison, IowaWHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL CROSS-BRED BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?Bone Thug has been the most impactful crossbred boar that I’ve seen, particularly within my own herd. Even though he only lasted one year, he is the boar that really put Weisinger Farms on the map. A lot of my genetics go back to Bone Thug sows.WHAT IS THE BEST CROSSBRED BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?The best crossbred boar that I’ve seen is Visionary. Every year, Mark Hoge and I take a boar tour. Every year for the past four years, I’ve seen Visionary at Laird’s and he is still a freak on a leash. To last this long and look that good is impressive. He is just an absolute beast. I would also say Exclusive is one of the best crossbred boars that I have seen. Exclusive is a Visionary son that I raised that has been housed at Laird’s Premium Blend Genetics since 2015. Exclusive and Visionary look identical, almost like full lit-termates. Exclusive is still being used aggressively.I say these two boars because they are older. Now, boars are getting outdated within two years of use. However, these boars still compete with the modern trend today. Both of these boars are the elite package.VISIONARYAUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3218 Aug SE Form.indd 327/26/2018 3:07:54 PMBRETT BEYERS • Sibley, Ill.WHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL DUROC BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?For our program especially, and for others as well, I believe that most impactful Duroc boar has been Full Shift. We bought Full Shift with Purple Power Boar Stud at the 2008 Fall Classic. At that point in time, he was exactly where we wanted our program to go with the different pieces he offered. We have Full Shift in a lot of our sow herd. We have Full Shift and Prenup lined up on the bottom side in a lot of our herd, which has helped produce some of our best sows. I believe that he made an impact within our herd, as well as a lot of people who still have him within their operations. WHAT IS THE BEST DUROC BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?The best Duroc Boar I’ve ever seen was Cyclone. I was able to name Cyclone Champion Duroc Boar at the National Bar-row Show when I judged it in 2014. I still remember that hog walking out of the gate towards me. He was tall shouldered, big chested, square made with a good look and was really fl exible. That was a pretty neat one to look at.CYCLONEBlane Olson • Lincoln, Ill.WHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL DUROC BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?From a farm and industry standpoint, the most impactful Duroc boar that I’ve seen is a boar that Weisingers raised, Iconic. He sold at World Pork Expo for $97,000 to A Cut Above, Nebraska. I actually used him for two to three seasons on my own herd which doesn’t happen very often anymore. He worked on many sow herds and is on the bottom side of a lot of pedigrees, carrying on his legacy. Iconic produced a lot of good hogs not just in the show ring, but also in people’s herds. He really made an impact in many herds from a production standpoint as well, with how the females can get in a crate and generate, and how their sons go on to produce as well. Iconic has played a role in our Duroc herd, as he helped us produce Can’t Stop and Won’t Stop, who are both in stud at Upperhand Genetics, Indiana.WHAT IS THE BEST DUROC BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?The best Duroc boar that I’ve seen is a boar named Indian Outlaw. He is a son of King of Outlaw that the Hendrickson family raised back when they owned Top Cut three to four years ago. This boar was just visually impressive. He was one of those when he took three steps out of the building you knew you just had to use him. It’s unfortunate however, that he never really had good semen quality. I believe he only produced one litter, but within that litter he put two to three sons in studs, and generated Hadley Hendrickson’s World-Record-Selling-Duroc Gilt. I actually wanted to own her, but never placed a bid as she sold so high so fast in Louisville. She now is producing good offspring as well. ICONICKIRK SWANSON • Red Oak, IowaWHAT IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL CROSSBRED BOAR THAT YOU’VE SEEN?100 years ago, Henry A. Wallace with Pioneer Seed Corn, who later became the Secretary of Agriculture, made a good point that I think we can all learn from. He would go from county fair to county fair judging seed corn on physical appearance and make his planting decisions off of this. However, his results were very disappointing. Henry realized this wasn’t working and he then started to line breed his corn. His yields went up 50 percent. I think we need to apply theories of genetics when it comes to the swine industry to help lead us down the right path again. We can buy the neatest boar at a fair but that doesn’t always mean he will produce better offspring.If I had to think of one boar that had a big impact, I would say JML 7-2 at Jerry McLemores in 2001. The Super 7 line goes back to him as well as he is partially in Big Shot. A lot of good animals go back to him.WHAT IS THE BEST CROSSBRED BOAR YOU’VE EVER SEEN?I would say Big Shot is one of the better ones that I have seen. I had the chance to buy Big Shot off of the farm for $25,000, but I actually didn’t even drive to go look at him. I saw him at the 2008 Indiana Crossbred Classic, and as soon as he stepped out of the pen I wanted to buy him. I turned around and asked if I could still buy him for $25,000, but he said not anymore. Big Shot wasn’t perfect, his rear right leg bowed out a little. However, in three to four years, Big Shot is the type of boar we are going to need. His structure, blade, power, and how open he is in his body cavity is something this industry is going to need.33AUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Aug SE Form.indd 337/26/2018 3:07:54 PMVIEWING AT THE FARM1839 State Route 734Bloomingburg, OhioAUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3418 Aug SE Form.indd 347/26/2018 3:07:55 PMCLEAN SWEEP$350 REGULAR$200 OVERRUNFIRST KISS X ARMED AND DANGEROUSCLEAN CUT$250 REGULAR$150 OVERRUNFIRST KISS X ARMED AND DANGEROUSALL OR NOTHIN’$200 REGULAR$100 OVERRUNBREED EM ALL X CARRY BEYOND X AUGUSTASUGAR DADDY 131-4$250 REGULAR$125 OVERRUNSUGAR DADDY X MOST WANTED X BOONDOCKTHE BLESSING$300 REGULAR$150 OVERRUNKISS MY SOCKS X KING JAMES X BANDWAGONLITTLE WHITE LIE$250 REGULAR$125 OVERRUNDIRTY SECRET X RED 7 X NO LIMITSJOIN US ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3Great food, drink, door prizes and a short retrospective of Real McCoy Genetics’ 25 years in the business!WWW.REALMCCOYGENETICS.COMJim McCoy: 740-572-0271 • Mike McCoy: 740-572-02721887 SR 734 NE • BLOOMINGBURG, OH 4310635AUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Aug SE Form.indd 357/26/2018 3:07:55 PMSummer is almost over, which means the fall breeding season is right around the corner. Across the country, showpig breeders are studying catalogs, watching show results and making plans to attend boar stud open houses. As it comes time to select boars, attending an open house o ers a hands on opportunity to view new sires, as well as successful and proven boars, while strengthening your relationship with fellow breeders. AUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3618 Aug SE Form.indd 367/26/2018 3:55:37 PMBy Angie RuffoniLynsee Pullen of Sha er’s Goldrush, Indiana, and Mike Miller of Hi Point Genetics, Illinois, give us an inside look at the behind-the-scenes work that goes into hosting such an event. They also share tips to keep in mind when planning and promoting an open house. 101Attendees enjoy a ring-side seat to view boars at the 2017 Shaffer's Goldrush Open House.37AUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Aug SE Form.indd 377/26/2018 3:55:38 PMQ. How do you market and promote your open house? How do you get info out to customers? The Shaffer’s Goldrush Open House is a standing tradition that people look forward to every year.“Utilizing word of mouth and speaking with customers who call us help self promote the event verbally,” Pullen said. “Advertising in the Seedstock EDGE, printing ads in our personal catalog and promoting on our social media sites also help. Finally, we also live stream the event with Walton Webcasting and provide the direct link, archived on our page, to make it convenient for customers to view at any time.”For Hi Point Genetics, social media marketing is one of the most versatile and effective ways to promote their open house.“Here at Hi Point, social media is a powerful way for us to reach current and potential customers,” Miller explained. Our customers are already interacting with us through social media, and we can speak directly to our customers through social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and our website. Live streaming the open house through Walton Webcasting and linking to the archive is also a useful tool.”Q. What are the “must-have” components you include in your open house? Providing and giving back to the people of the ag-swine industry is Shaffer’s number one goal.“Our mission is to always provide hands-on education and be approachable for others to learn from,” Pullen said. “We want people to be confi dent and educated in their own ability to breed females. One of our “must-have” components at the open house is an A.I. demo. As people move into breeding season we want to provide them with all the necessary steps they need to be confi dent in the boars and have success.”Miller believes in helping ensure they are supporting youth and families and providing them valuable opportunities. Hi Point Genetics supports NJSA and Team Purebred members by offering youth attendees either a $250 credit on purebred semen or a $250 credit on a spring showpig purchase.“People are driving in from all over and choosing to spend their time with us, so a few of our “must-haves” are to provide a family-fun atmosphere,” Miller said. “We provide lunch before the boar viewing, along with giveaways, a bounce house and snow cones for the kids and a live band at conclusion of the viewing.” Q. How do you decide what boars to showcase?With more than 90 boars in stud, Shaffer’s Goldrush knows their customers time is valuable.“We try and keep the viewing in a two hour time frame,” Pullen explained. “We know from experience we can show around 45 boars in two hours.”Showcasing boars they believe will be valuable for customers is key.“We bring out all new purchases, as well as proven boars that have had a lot of success,” Pullen explained. “If an older boar has been shown repeatedly for the past two or three years, we will switch it up and showcase a boar that may be new to some – boars we think will be valuable for customers moving forward.”Pullen also shares that Shaffer’s Goldrush currently has a boar that is one of her all-time favorites in their stud right now. “There is a boar that I expect will stir up some excitement that many may not know about. I expect when he comes out he will be a ground breaker,” Pullen said.“Deciding what boars to showcase and what to leave in the barns can be a challenge,” Miller stated. Hi Point will showcase all new boars to the lineup, along with older boars that continue to be successful for a large number of their customers.“We know it can be an exciting and busy day for customers, so we are precise in what boars we show,” Miller explained. “We will have around 35 boars in the lineup this year. After the open house, if we haven’t shown a boar that someone is interested in we are always willing to boot up with them and show that boar to them.”Q. Can you share some general information about your open house, along with how do you decide the best time of the year and date for your open house? Shaffer’s Goldrush knows September and October is the most popular breeding season for their customers, so they choose to host their open house traditionally the weekend after the Indiana State Fair.“By the end of the Indiana State Fair we have our full lineup, and our customers are leading into the busiest breeding season,” Pullen explained. “Live streaming the day also helps make our open house accessible for anyone to watch at their leisure throughout the year during various breeding seasons. Education is our number one goal. We are a family-oriented operation and strive to be accessible and approachable to everyone. We host our Elite Gilt Sale at our Open House and it has proven to be very popular for us. As people move into the breeding season it gives us an opportunity “One of our ‘must-have’ components at the open house is an A.I. demo. As people move into breeding season we want to provide them with all the necessary steps they need to be confi dent in the boars and have success” – Lynsee PullenAUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3818 Aug SE Form.indd 387/26/2018 3:55:38 PMto help provide our customers an additional chance to acquire a high quality gilt that maybe they weren’t able to get bought or located earlier in the season.”With 10 plus years of experience hosting their open house, Hi Point Genetics knows weather plays a factor into an event of this caliber.“We are one of the earlier open houses, as we host our open house at the end of July,” Miller said. “With World Pork Expo being the leading show it is, we switched our open house to shortly after June instead of doing it later in the summer. We usually get lucky with the weather, and it provides a cooler day and atmosphere. With an average attendance of 500+ people, the boars and people are both happier! Our goal is to make the customers’ lives better and easier. If we have done that then we have had a successful day. By making our event family friendly, providing something for everyone and providing substantial giveaways, discounts and taking the time to get to know our customers on a personal basis we feel we accomplish that.”Q. Is there a specifi c challenging aspect of planning an open house? Is there one thing you wish you had known the fi rst time you planned your open house?“The whole event in itself is truly challenging,” Pullen explained. “For the most part, I think the challenge is that we still have some boars in isolation, especially the most recent purchases. For those boars that we buy out of state fairs like Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, etc. we bring in pens and set them up under tents. We want to be responsible about herd health, while recognizing we have hundreds of people from all over the country coming to our property is a challenge that we don’t take lightly. Shaffer’s Goldrush was at the forefront of open houses, so there wasn’t a template. We went with the fl ow and created what worked best for us and our customers. One thing I wish we would have known was to install a wash rack outside, instead of washing boars in the grass and eventually the mud years ago – makes me laugh just thinking about it!”“Planning months ahead of time to get all the fi ne details organized and perfected for our customers takes more time then many would think,” Miller explained. “Working on advertising, deciding tent and meal type and size, taking extra time to decide promotional details like t-shirts and giveaways to make sure everyone leaves with something extra. We want to provide a special experience for our customers so they can enjoy the day as a whole while showcasing the boars. The planning starts right after this year’s event for the following year.” Q. What is your favorite part of the open house? “Our open house along with the Customer Appreciation Sale is sometimes the only time I see a lot of customers in person, instead of on the phone,” Pullen explained. “Getting to have that personal interaction and talking with customers is huge for us and we appreciate it. Even though the day may be crazy we are so humbled to see all those who take time to come out to the farm. It is great to see everyone catch up with old friends and enjoy the day, but it is also neat to see the crowd go silent and focus on the boars as they are each driven out.”“Getting to have face-to-face conversations with customers so we can put a name with a face is one of my favorite parts of the day,” Miller said. “Even though it’s a big day we still get around and talk to everyone. I also enjoy seeing everyone arrive to the farm and seeing the excitement they have for the boars. We are appreciative of all those who attend or watch from home. It’s a family-oriented business, and we enjoy getting to interact with past customers and getting to know new customers.”“I also enjoy seeing everyone arrive to the farm and seeing the excitement they have for the boars. We are appreciative of all those who attend or watch from home. It’s a family-oriented business, and we enjoy getting to interact with past customers and getting to know new customers.” – Mike MillerThe 2017 Hi Point Genetics Open House had over 500 people in attendance.39AUGUST 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Aug SE Form.indd 397/26/2018 3:55:38 PMNext >