Tom Lasater, founder of
the BEEFMASTER breed, was one of those rare individuals who knew from childhood what profession he was going to pursue.
He was fond of saying that ranching is his avocation as well as his vocation. Tom Lasater's philosophies of cattle
raising encompasses all aspects of the business from range ecology to merchandising. Perhaps his philosophy can be labeled
"creative radicalism." "A good manager must be in love with results. A sound breeding program,
oriented toward results, should be based on the Five Commandments of Livestock Breeding.
The First Commandment is to select only for the SIX
ESSENTIALS; Disposition, Fertility, Weight, Conformation, Milk Production and Hardiness.
The Second Commandment
is to strive for reproductive efficiency.
The
Third Commandment is to performance test in a constant environment.
The Fourth Commandment is to employ direct selection, which means selecting for the specific traits sought and not for a combination
the breeder hopes will produce the desired results.
The Fifth Commandment is to utilize the adaptive powers of nature. Tom Lasater's policy was to ask the impossible
of nature.
