We have stayed with Galloways for several decades now. The reasons are numerous. Following are a few of those reasons:

Galloways are quiet natured, with good mothering instincts. They have spunky calves that are quick to get up and nurse. These have been valuable assets while working full time off the farm. They are important to anyone that puts a value on their time.

Galloways are an intelligent breed with good herding instincts. This is valuable when it comes to working cattle. It saves time and it reduces the level of anxiety for those working the cattle.

Galloways are a low maintenance, self reliant breed. Many times over the years we have been able to take advantage of winter grazing and the cost savings that go with it. We have numerous testimonials of Galloways grazing in harsh, cold winter weather that other cattle will not venture into.

Galloways offer the calving ease, growthiness and the fleshing ability needed in an increasingly competitive industry. Purebred Galloway bulls are gaining up to 4 lbs./day and crossbred Galloways are gaining over 4 lbs./day.

Galloways are completely unrelated to the other popular breeds in the industry. For this reason they offer significant levels of hybrid vigor in a crossbreeding program.

The added hybrid vigor of crossbred Galloways reduces the incidence of disease and the need for growth hormones. As more beef producers move toward natural or organically fed beef, Galloways are worthy of serious consideration; particularly when the use of growth hormones and antibiotics are restricted.

The Galloway breed is one of only two breeds of cattle in the world that are naturally polled.

Meat graders, butchers and chefs, that have experience with Galloway beef, will testify to the high quality of Galloway meat. The tenderness and superior flavor of Galloway meat is quickly finding favor with consumers world wide.

As the beef industry matures and becomes more competitive, the popularity of Galloways continues to grow. As the popularity of Galloways grows, their value grows. We believe Galloways have a lot to offer the commercial beef industry.

Big Deal Galloways offer depth and repeatability for milk, growthiness, and overall performance, emphasizing maternal strengths. Big Deal has over 35 years of selection, using the best bulls in the breed on some of the best females in the breed. Structural soundness and fertility are overriding principles in the Big Deal program.

Big Deal Galloways started in 1964. It was built from the Dun Gal Galloway herd of Gordon and Joan Horvey, Cabri Sask. established in 1956 & 57.

We put significant emphasis on performance testing and we have continually incorporated the highest performing bloodlines in the breed into our program.

We have built our herd around females that will compete in a competitive commercial industry. Only the most complete females in the breed stay in our program.

We have used some of the highest performing bulls in the breed, on some of the most complete females in the breed to produce progeny that will do well on pasture, on test or in the show ring.

We have 3 lines of selection: Calving Ease, Maternal Strengths & Growthiness
Calving ease in our program is low birth weights and more. It is slight, angular calves born unassisted. It is selecting for roomy heifers with lots of pelvic slope. There are females in the herd measuring over 300 sq. cm, giving birth to calves under 70 pounds. Calving ease bulls are used on our first calf heifers. This way, calving ease is continually integrated into our overall program.

Maternal strength in our program is lots of milk and more. Maternal strength in our program include longevity, structural soundness, good feet, strong pasterns, proper leg set, angular shoulder and hip set, strong udder attachments, small teats, good mothering and herding instincts.

Growthiness is layered into our program by using high gaining bulls off females that meet the above maternal characteristics. Big Deal bulls have sired performance tested bull calves gaining up to 4.44 lbs/day. The majority of the performance tested bulls selected have been fed on a lower energy, growing ration.

Fertility is an over riding criteria to all of the above. Fertility in our program is large scrotal circumferences and more. Fertility in our males is large, properly formed and properly attached testes, with the structural soundness and libido to settle females run under harsh environmental conditions. Fertility in our females is the ability to mature early and to rebreed consistently.

Again, in summary, we have used some of the highest performing bulls in the breed on some of the most complete females in the breed to produce progeny that will do well on pasture, on test or in the show ring.

We have tried to select for highly productive cattle that do well under various management conditions; from the short grass prairie to the moist aspen park land. We have selected these bloodlines through periods of drought, shifting markets and tough economic times.

We have tried to select for highly productive cattle without losing the natural strengths of the Galloway breed - strengths like winter hardiness, structural soundness, longevity, easy fleshing ability, foraging ability, mothering instinct & calving ease.

We believe that we have selected for self reliant, productive Galloway cattle that will perform well with a minimal amount of care.