Philosophy
The Hoak program is grounded in a balanced multiple trait selection philosophy. The main goal of our program is to develop cattle that work well through all phases of the production chain to deliver a high quality product to the final consumer of Angus beef.
Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transplant are used extensively with proven sires to continuously improve herd genetics. AHIR and ultrasound are used to monitor our progress. The target is to maintain a herd with better than breed average in all epds provided by the American Angus Association.
While numbers are important, phenotype cannot be sacrificed to get there. Cattle breeders have long known the importance of structural soundness, udder quality and fleshing ability. New tools should enhance, not replace, what we know to be important.
Management shouldn’t be made more difficult than it already is. Docility is something we select for. Our children help us work the cattle, and we need to know they are safe doing so. Mean or ornery cattle are in for a career change. A cow needs to be able to calve in the manner nature intended.
We maintain a young herd average age which means you have the opportunity to buy excellent females in mid-career.
We know that trying to breed cattle that are outstanding in every trait is probably a goal we will never achieve, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get as close as possible.