It’s been a busy spring and summer here at Stella Manor, and I’ve been putting off writing this update because, honestly, things haven’t slowed down enough to sit at a keyboard. But this one deserves its own post.

We have our first Connealy Total Package calf on the ground, a heifer, and she has the look I’ve been building toward.

How We Got Here

Back in the spring, we made the decision to go heavy on Connealy Total Package through our AI program. I wrote about this in our earlier breeding update  he was a bull that caught my eye before I even knew his name or numbers. Once I pulled up his EPDs and pedigree, the decision was easy. We bred a group of cows to him, specifically targeting females where we wanted more performance without sacrificing the temperament we’ve worked so hard to build.

On the embryo transfer side, we had a strong season. Our recipient cows came through with an 80% take rate, which for anyone who’s done ET work, you know that’s a number you don’t take for granted. Good recipients, good timing, and a vet team we trust made that possible. We ran IDEXX BioPRYN Pregnostx tests to confirm pregnancies on-site pulled blood, labeled tubes by cow number, and had results the same day. It’s a tool I’ve come to rely on heavily, especially in an ET program where early detection matters.

We’re expecting a wave of Total Package calves starting in September. This first heifer is the early arrival, and she’s giving us a lot to be excited about.

Why Total Package

Every sire decision we make here comes back to the same question: does this bull move the herd forward without creating a problem somewhere else? Total Package checked every box. The calving ease numbers gave us confidence breeding him to a range of cows. The growth is there without getting excessive. And his progeny reputation for disposition lined up with what we’re selecting for, cattle that are calm, functional, and easy to be around.

We’re a small operation. I don’t have a crew. It’s me, in the evenings and on weekends, doing pregnancy checks, running blood, making breeding decisions, fixing fence. The cattle have to work with me, not against me. That’s not a nice-to-have, it’s a requirement. Total Package fit that program.

The First Heifer

She’s built low and square, with a smooth shoulder and plenty of rib shape. Good bone without being coarse. She came into the world without any drama and has been gaining well from day one. Her dam is a solid, quiet cow — one of the ones I had specifically matched to Total Package because I thought the cross would produce exactly this kind of calf.

It did.

I’ll be watching her closely through the fall as the rest of the Total Package calves start hitting the ground. If the others look like her, we’ll have a strong group to evaluate heading into winter. Some of these heifers will be candidates to stay in the herd, and the bulls will give us a good read on what this sire can do crossed on our cow base.

What’s Next

September is going to be a busy month. We have multiple Total Package calves due, plus ET calves from our donor program. I’ll be documenting the calving season as it unfolds — weights, observations, how the cows handle things. That’s the data that matters to me more than anything on paper.

If you’re following along with our program, thanks for the interest. We’re building something here at Deluisio Angus that I’m proud of calm cattle, honest genetics, and a focus on what actually works in the pasture. More updates coming as calving season picks up.