Flying G Ranch

05/04/2026

Episode 29: Profit Per Acre & Practical Fertility with Johann Zietsman

Did we trade fertility for feedlot efficiency? Was it a fair trade?

Bigger cattle, more inputs, lower fertility, slower progress. At some point that became “better.”

This conversation with Johann Zietsman challenges that idea by stepping back and asking a different question. Not how to get more per animal, but what actually drives profit per acre.

From fertility and body condition to grazing and land response, it all starts to connect in a way that feels simple but forces you to rethink what’s been normalized.

And maybe more importantly, why getting more precise with EPDs does not always mean getting closer to the right answer.

If you’ve ever felt like something does not quite add up, this one will make sense.

www.bossires.com

Listen here:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/bnwszEXy-Lc?si=IIBbd-_s98MzLwzD

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bbG8U0Vb1kTBMDPxPWhXQ?si=kaf-_zI2TwKEHjVPNAZgHQ

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-29-profit-per-acre-and-practical-fertility/id1790007147?i=1000766019166

04/20/2026

I made this video about a month ago but held off posting it because I didn’t really like it lol. But the topic has come up a bunch lately as interest in the breed grows, and I haven’t had time to make a better one, so I’ll stick with this one for now. I’m reading from a script I wrote so I apologize in advance for the rigid delivery lol.

1 comment. "The Benefits of Lowline Cattle "

04/19/2026

The calves are comin’!

03/31/2026

This is a great episode if you're interested in low-input cattle. We've been on the same path here, really pushing our Lowline cows for the last few winters in order to find the most efficient and fertile ones. Last year we had a 94.5% calving rate in spite of the push. This winter we pushed harder, forcing the cows and calves to graze through the snow as much as possible, fed low quality forage when needed, and left the calves on the cows until the first week of March. They'll calve out late April/early May. We'll see what the result is. This is where incorporating Lowlines into your program can really give you an advantage. This is what they were built for.

12/07/2025

Boxes of our premium, grass-finished, ground beef are in stock. Save as much as 18% on bulk orders! Stock up for winter!
You can order yours at www.flyinggranch.ca

09/17/2025

There's many reasons why I love Lowline and Lowline influenced cattle, but one of the big ones is their ability to wean a high percentage weight calf. What does that mean and why does that matter? The answer is - more pounds of beef produced per acre, and here's how it's figured. Typically you can put 30% more 1000lb cows on the same acreage where you'd fit (now) conventional 1400-1500lb cows. So, if you had a hundred 1500lb cows weaning 600lb calves (the norm is 40% of their body weight), you're producing 60,000lbs of beef on that acreage by weaning age. Now take your hundred and thirty, 1000lb cows weaning 500lb calves (norm is minimum 50% of their body weight), and you have 65,000lbs of beef produced by weaning age on the same acreage. That's 5,000lbs more beef produced at no extra cost! When you hear ranchers talk about moderate framed cattle being more efficient, higher percentage weaning weight is only one aspect of that efficiency. The Lowline Advantage is a real thing! That said, I do acknowledge that the cattle auctions won't give you a fair price for your Lowlines, and that's because the feedlots can't turn your 500lb Lowline calf into a 1400lb finished steer. BUT, if you are running a grass-fed / grass-finished program, selling direct to consumer - whether that's individuals, restaurants, stores, or just raising beef for your own family, you'll be hard-pressed to find a beef breed better suited to that! www.flyinggranch.ca

09/10/2025

It was nice to finally have a day available to spend in the woodworking shop and get started on building some rustic Flying G Ranch furniture. This end table is turning out nicely. Select pieces will be available for purchase in the near future.

09/09/2025

Spectacular late summer evenings!

08/31/2025

"Grasslands are literally the lungs of the earth, and restoring them with animals is not only necessary, but it's the most efficacious way to restore water cycles and the carbon cycle. Right now, nothing else comes close to remediating broken ecological systems as quickly or completely as restoring large herds of grazing animals through holistic, or long-term, management." Joel Salatin ~ The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs

08/31/2025

I was given the opportunity to do something a little different earlier this week. Photographing Lowline cattle out at Flying G Ranch near Tees, AB!

Lowline Cattle are a unique, stocky breed that I admittedly didn't know much about prior to researching for this session. We don't tend to see these guys in the cutting or cow horse pens! I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the breed and working with another Alberta Small Business. I can't wait to finish editing the rest of these images so they can get put to use!
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08/19/2025

It was a bit of a special day as it was picture day on the ranch. The cows and calves were great and we appreciated the calmness and skill of Krystina Lynn Photography. She even took her drone out! Didn't phase the cows one bit. Here's some of my poor quality photos of Krystina doing her thing.

Thanks to Kristin Knudson for making it happen. If you are looking for website design, creation, marketing solutions and many other things that may be way over your head, or you just don't have the time for, visit herth.ca.