“We wean off 600-pound calves.” It is said with pride, listeners should be impressed. Or should they? Weaning 600-pounds can be impressive, but it is commonly mistaken as a measure for success. An operation that weans off 600-pound calves is presumed to be better than an operation that weans off 500-pound calves. 600-pound calves bring in more total money, right?… Read more »
Map leases – driving Map leases and specs Cox’s – upper field is pasture. Lower half of the top section is “below the Rat Shack” and the piece to the east is “behind the houses.” Middle and lower sections are hay fields and then fall pasture. “The Orchard” is the upper part of the middle section, with “the field above… Read more »
“They grow better with love.” I’ve said it for years. It’s not just some saying to be cute, it’s the truth. In recent years, producers and all segments of the cattle industry have started paying attention to cattle disposition. Some bull producers have started to rate each bull and score them on their docility, notably Kit Pharo, who explains his… Read more »
I really appreciate the conversations on Facebook! If you haven’t read or joined in on some, please come and check them out!! One of the individuals I’ve really been enjoying conversation with is a producer in Canada that has larger frame cows. We’ve been having great conversation about large cows, cow selection, profitability, etc. She’s the one that I got… Read more »
Only thing left at the house is Lily (the dog), Kitty (inside cat), Robin (outside cat), and eight chickens, one of which is named Chaser and the rest are so similar they can’t be differentiated from each other (isn’t that what people say about black cattle?). Up early this morning. Must finally be catching back up on my sleep after… Read more »
Calves sell by the pound. More pounds at weaning means more income. Higher income, the more the business can grow. Sound logic, right? Maybe in some other business, but not in cattle. I mean, it does make sense…sort of. A 600-pound calf will sell for more than a 400- or 500-pound calf, right? Let’s just say yes, simply because of… Read more »
Jangles, a cow maker bull with added bonus of super tenderness. I received an email from a friend, he forwards me stuff from a forum that he thinks I may find of interest. This particular email was talking about a producer that had elephants–1800-2000 lb cows–and how he was trying to reduce the size of his cows. He’d bought a… Read more »
Ask 20 people and you will get 20 different answers–as long as they don’t all raise the same breed or you aren’t attending a breed association meeting. The truth is, the question is incomplete. To fully get the real and best answer–which still has other factors, so there really is no “correct” answer–the question should be “What is the best… Read more »
Mondays always seem to snowball me. I think I have everything scheduled and perfect and then WHAM, everything falls apart and by the end of the day I don’t know what I got done and I’m completely exhausted. Honestly, if it weren’t for date stamps on pictures and videos, I would be mostly lost as to what I did. Well,… Read more »
June 14, 2016 VBS, irrigate, clean house (yes!). That was when Jer sent me a private message on Facebook with this picture. Cutting the cake (a barn) at our wedding reception (in a barn, dirt floor). June 14, 2008. Oh, how sweet. He’s thinking of our wedding. He’s never sent me something like this before. Phone rings. It’s Jeramie. Me:… Read more »
