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We treat people like we want to be treated

published: September 18th 2009
by: Dan Rieder
source: American Simbrah

A Texas breeder adheres to his own version of the cattlemen’s golden rule

    Joe Mask and his wife, Julie, of Wharton, Texas, have a very  busy, hectic lifestyle, with countless “irons in the fire.”
    Not only does Joe hold down a full-time position as a county extension agent in Fort Bend County, but he’s working toward a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, currently serves as President of the Texas Simmental/Simbrah Association, is frequently called upon to judge cattle shows in a three-state area, artificially inseminates cows for himself and other breeders, does some hoof-trimming on the side and still finds time to maintain a still-expanding herd of 50 head of beef cows.
    Julie, Joe’s full partner in every sense, is the mother of their two-months-old daughter, Jennifer, and is employed as a bookkeeper/ accountant by the Texas Department of Highways. “She keeps the home fires burning, taking care of the day-to-day chores with the cattle. She’s also a proficient A.I. technician and assists with our hoof-trimming business,” he says.
    “We enjoy what we do. It can be stressful at times, but it is also tremendously rewarding. The important thing, especially when it comes to marketing our cattle genetics, is that we ‘treat people like we want to be treated.’ When a buyer comes to our place, we make sure that we show courteous hospitality, so that they feel welcome enough to want to come back,” he explained.
    “And the same principle holds true with regard to the quality of our cattle. If we won’t put those cattle in our own barn, we won’t offer them to our customers. We always want to make sure that when people see our brand, they will have the feeling that it is backed by quality,” he continued.
The Cattle Herd
    Although he was not raised on a working farm, Mask had been exposed to beef cattle through 4-H and FFA projects. Also, as a youth, he had worked part-time, on the V-8 Brahman ranch owned by Sloan and Jim Williams. His first club calf projects were purebred Brahman. “That experience got me hooked and I’ve had cattle ever since,” he said.
    After meeting Julie in 1994, they began running cattle with her father, E.A. Reeh “Her dad had predominantly commercial cattle, including a handful of Simbrahs. It wasn’t until about six years ago that we really got into Simbrahs, but we have been going strong with them ever since,” he explained. “Now we have 50 females, including 25 Simbrahs and lesser numbers of Brahman, Angus and Simmental cows.
    “We have found that Simbrah are very durable, with outstanding mothering ability and herd longevity. The Simmental side of the pedigree provides thickness, meatiness and carcass quality. If you don’t have a cow with that rib shape and milk to her, she’s not going to make it,” he continued.
    “I’ve always had a built-in love for Brahman cattle and I don’t agree with those people who say that Brahman cattle have bad dispositions. We do cull heavily for disposition due to the fact that we handle them a lot, but I’d cull that way regardless of the breed,” he said.
    Mask has recently initiated a SimAngus breeding program, due primarily to increased interest shown by some of his potential customers. “Those breeders want to keep that black hide, but want increased maternal capability as well as carcass quality. We’re now producing a few SimAngus, out of a small herd of purebred Angus cows that I purchased. Originally, I bought them as commercial cows, but the guy I got them from called and asked if I ‘wanted the papers on them.’ Buying registered cows for commercial prices is never a bad thing and we’re now breeding them to Simmental bulls. I think that market is growing and has a lot of potential,” he stated.
    Mask is currently producing three breeds of bulls: Simmental, Simbrah and Simbrahvieh, a three-way cross, involving Simmental, Brahman and Braunvieh genetics, and closely resembles the Simbrah in appearance.
    In the tropical environment of South Texas, he pegs the optimal amount of needed Brahman blood at one-quarter. “I don’t think you should drop under one quarter blood. It is not only hot here, but it can be very humid, and we have swarms of insects to which the Brahman blood provides built-in resistance,” he says.
Mask’s cows run on 50 acres where their home is located, and he leases an additional 150 acres located nearby.
    In an effort to expand his cattle operation, Mask runs some partnership cattle with LaMuneca Cattle Company, Linn, Texas; Tim Smith, Giddings, Texas; and Littlefoot Cattle Company, Needville, Texas. “Before that, I purchased Simbrah cattle from LaMuñeca and Smith because I like what they are doing with their herds,” he said. “We co-own a Simbrah  bull, named ‘Roadhouse’ with Carlos and Sister Guerra and J.D. Salinas. He’s an excellent bull and has done a really good job for us.”
    He credits Guerra for his sound advice and counsel. “Not only are Carlos and Sister and their entire family good friends and partners on cattle, but they’ve been invaluable as sources of information. Carlos told me a long time ago that we needed to get our name ‘out there’ and then work to keep it out there. That’s what we’re trying to do,” he said.
    His Simbrah heifers have been in great demand, primarily by youth who utilize them in the show ring. “We’ve been fortunate in that some of the cattle we raised have won some shows and that has not only increased our visibility, but has kept people coming back for more. One man, whose children are now on their third set of heifers, calls every year when it is time to buy and says: ‘I’m on my way.’ It’s really good to have loyal customers like that,” he says.
    “Our philosophy with regard to selling heifers to these young people is that show heifers are show heifers for just two years—but they’re cows for much longer. We want to be competitive in the show ring, but above all, we want good cattle that produce over the long run,” he said.
    He maintains two separate calving seasons, spring and fall, in order to mesh with the lengthy Texas show season, opening up additional marketing opportunities. “That way, we always have heifers of several ages, to meet the needs of those juniors who are looking to buy.”
    Mask’s career has revolved around education. After gaining his B.S. from A&M, he taught Agricultural Science in Wharton, Needville and Van Vleck high schools for a total of seven years. In 2006, he earned his Master’s Degree from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, and is now concentrating on finishing his Doctoral degree in Extension Education by 2010. He has chosen “Leadership Qualities that 4-H Members Gain Through Their County Councils,” as the title of his dissertation.
    “It is a two-hour commute from Wharton to College Station and I drive that twice a week. If were not for Julie’s support, it would not be possible. Ultimately, I’d like to teach on the university level or get into extension administration,” he said.
    The Masks would like to expand their cowherd numbers, but have put that action on hold for the time being until Joe completes his schooling. “We don’t know where we’re going to be located in two years, but we hope that we’ll have the opportunity to expand, perhaps through embryo transfer,” he concludes.

Reprinted courtesy of American Simbrah