2024 Fall Cattle Journal | Hague Angus
Efficient cattle in the Nebraska Sandhills
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Nutrition is at the forefront of management at Hague Angus Ranch. Courtesy photo
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While Freiburger believes it is his God-given duty to be a good steward of the cattle in his stead, he also relies on the cream rising to the top in terms of superior genetics. Courtesy photo
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Freiburger transitioned to bull production when he realized the bulls from his program were just as good as those he was purchasing. Courtesy photo
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OLE Fahrens Blaze 723C.
Ole Fahrens Blaze 723C
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Hagues operate on a sixth-generation ranch in the heart of Nebraska.
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Fairview Lady Ida.
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Freiburger operates differently than most Angus producers, but is seeing results. Courtesy photo
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Hague Angus Ranch brand. Courtesy photo
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The Freiberger family represents six generations of ranchers on their Nebraska ranch. Courtesy photo
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Introducing genetics from New Zealand have allowed the Freibergers to reap the benefits of true outcrosses. Courtesy photo
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With six generations having lived on the ranch, Josh Freiberger and family have a long history of ranching in the Sandhills of Nebraska. They got their start with Herefords and dabbled in Simmentals before finally landing firmly in the Angus breed. The family is committed to producing high quality Angus genetics.
“My great-great-grandpa came to western Nebraska in the 1870s with Herefords and ran a little over 100,000 acres between owned and leased ground,” Freiberger says. “Five generations later, we run both commercial and seedstock Angus cattle. My children will make the sixth generation to ranch on this land.”
Prior to Freiberger returning to the ranch after college, the family had been purchasing bulls to use on their cows and had not put much thought into the idea of running registered cows.
“One day, I started looking around and realized the bull calves coming off of our home-raised cows were just as good, if not better, than the bulls we were spending thousands of dollars on,” he says. From then on, I knew I wanted to focus on genetics and produce great bulls from our own cattle.”
In his mission to raise the best of the best and find a true outcross to the genetics found in the U.S., Freiberger found himself on a plane to New Zealand.
“I found myself looking through countless sale catalogs and seeing the same genetics over and over again. So, I hopped on a jet 14 years ago to look at some bulls in New Zealand,” he explains. “From a forage efficiency standpoint, they are leading the world in these types of genetics. This kind of outcross can enhance just about every gene pool in America.”
Freiberger notes he was drawn to the improved foot structure, overall longevity, and the cattle’s ability to thrive on low inputs is what drew him to the genetics in New Zealand. Freiberger has since partnered with the Resurgam Ranch and continues to utilize these genetics in his herd.
“The Kiwis are just doing something different down there and I knew I had to be a part of it. The bull I was drawn to the most was Pine Back 4197, he had been in the States and had some daughters and I knew he was something special. He had meat in places I had never seen on any animal before.”
He continues, “When I started this journey raising bulls, I knew I didn’t want to do what everyone else was doing. I had seen the American genetics and I knew we needed a complete outcross to reach the goals I wanted to reach and we definitely found that source of outcrossing in New Zealand.”
Freiberger’s goal has always been to produce the very best cattle with the smallest amount of input possible.
“A true outcross is really going to improve traits that commercial cattlemen rely on,” he says. “The cattle we are raising aren’t getting creep feed or added protein. They get green grass, hay, and a mineral tub and they have to make it work or they don’t make it in our program. These types of cattle are what will make a producer money in the long run.”
Freiberger is a firm believer in the power of nutrition to improve the overall health of his cattle. With an emphasis on a healthy microbiome, he has been able to minimize the use of medication in his herd, which brings down the overall cost for producers.
“I use a supplement to help with lower GI health called By-O-reg+ Beef to help my cattle maintain a healthy gut. My cows see two needles their entire life and will never see another again,” he says. “By focusing on gut health, we have solved a lot of major issues we had before. The less we tried to micromanage their health, the better our herd health is overall.”
With a healthy cow herd, Freiberger notes his calves are healthier than ever through fetal programming, and cow nutrition is the key.
“We aren’t completely against medicine, but if we have to doctor them, we remove them our replacement program,” he explains. “God called us to be stewards of his creations. I will take care of them, but we try to let the cream rise to the top on its own.”
Freiberger is well aware that his approach to raising cattle is far from the norm, however his mission is to force people to ask questions and challenge the established norms of raising cattle to make decisions that work for them.
“I know what we do is different,” he says. “When I am across the table from people explaining our protocols, I know it gets them thinking and if they leave there at least questioning why they do the things they do, I know I made an impact.”
