I.   LIFE STORY

"Saying Goodbye"  (True story)

I was sitting in my recliner yesterday ironing out the content of this newsletter.  The windows were open and a nice cool breeze was blowing in through the openings.  The only sound was the rustle of the falling leaves as they were being whipped around in the wind.  The sky was partly cloudy, and the trees outside were showing their shades of green, yellow, red, and brown.  It meant a change in seasons was coming, and that meant I would be saying goodbye to summer.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  It's a time in which family and friends gather and meet.  The break in the weather is a nice welcome, and the new calves hitting the ground are always a joy to see.  It means hunting trips, cutting wood, getting to bed earlier, and it means reaping the benefits of all the hard work and toil that we put in during the growing seasons.  Fall is not always welcomed by everyone though, because it marks the beginning of a time when life will seemingly go dormant.  The trees will go bare, the grass will die, the sky will be mostly gray, and it will be cold and desolate.  To me however, the signs of fall bring hope of a better season following winter and for renewed life.... by the grace of God. 
 
As I indicated in my preface, this was a tough year for us.  Not only did we experience a drought for the second year in a row, but we had several family hardships, all of which combined to make us take a real hard look at the herd, and how we would manage it into the next year.  In the last two years, we have lost six lease properties.  Two of the leases were lost to owners who finally moved out to their own property, built a house, and began making use of their land themselves.  We lost another three leases during the drought to owners who felt they could do better cutting hay on their property, then leasing it to me.. and unfortunately for me they were right!  The sixth was lost to a prior agreement.  Two years of the most severe drought conditions this region has seen in many many years also influenced our decision to cut back the herd to prevent overgrazing, and excessive feeding cost this winter.  This cutback meant that all young calves would be sold, many of the aging cows would be sold, and any animal that was not meeting strict criteria would be sold. Needless to say, we said goodbye to a few good head this year.   

One of the cows we had to let go of was a family favorite.  She was a show heifer for my son, and we had owned her all but six months of her ten years.  She had given us a calf every year since she was two.  She had grown with us as a Polled Hereford operation, and she was responsible for, and part of, many fine memories.  The decision to sell her was one of the more difficult decisions I have had to make since we started raising Herefords.  It wasn't difficult as to why, because necessity and practicality made it the right thing to do, but it was difficult because of what the decision represented....it was an end of an era.  That old girl helped start us in the business, and she carried with her fond memories of watching our children raise and show her, and her calves, as well as other animals in the herd.  Gennifer was a matriarch.  She would answer when you called, and I could always count on her to "bring in" the rest.  She always looked good in the pasture, and she almost always give one of the first calves of the season,    Our kids are grown and "almost" out on their own now, so the attachments she carried meant allot to Tina and I.

I walked up in the pasture with a heavy heart the day I was to take her to sale.  I had already put off the decision to sell her with the two previous groups, but this time she would have to go.  I took a bucket and some cube, along with a rope halter.  I hadn't haltered her in about seven years. but with her head in the bucket it made it simple to put it on.  She didn't fight, but walked down the hill and across the road as if she had a halter on yesterday.  I wanted her to look her best so I took the time to wash her up before she was displayed for the perspective buyers.  After that, I took her to a small patch of real green grass (that seemed to be the exception this year) near the house, I scratched her on the neck, then let go of the halter to let her graze in peace.  After a short period of time I loaded her up and off we went.  I walked her off the trailer at the sale, removed her halter, patted her, then told her goodbye.  On the way home my wife and I didn't say much.  After some time I looked over and saw her crying softly.  I knew why.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that my heart was heavy too...and that I walked off that hill pulling that cow with tears in my eyes.    

It's hard saying goodbye to people you love, especially when you know the goodbye is to be permanent.  Most of us understand that final goodbye will come sooner or later, but we place it in the back of our minds hoping that it will never take place.  You either prepare yourself for the moment, or you wait until the moment happens.  Although the sudden and unexpected goodbye cannot be anticipated, we can make it easier to deal with if we show them enough caring and love during the time we do have with them.  So, should that inopportune moment ever occur, we can be at peace with it.  I lost my mother to a prolonged illness just before this Fall.  We had been caring for her for some time. She had lived with us on our farm for years, and she was here when we got our first Hereford.  I think she enjoyed the cattle because it brought back memories of when she was a girl, spending time at her grandfather's dairy.  My mother had supported, and sometimes guided, my decisions and the direction I chose, all my life.  I would not be the man I am if it were not for her.  I was glad I was there for her.  My mother was not able to tell me or my family goodbye, but she had been saying it all her life, in her actions and in her words.


The moral of the story:  

The decisions we make in life, follow us to the end...so they should be made with that in mind.

From a cattle raisers point of view:
 
Base you management decisions on necessity and practicality, and put your heart into your operation!




II.   INFORMATIVE

"Making the Sale"

This will be a two part article, with the remainder of it airing in our next newsletter.  I'll try to keep this half fairly short.  For the next two months I will express a few insights in regards to cattle sales and some things to consider if you happen to find yourself sitting at an auction barn, a production sale, or even a dispersal sale, bidding on an animal.  Now I'm no expert by any means, but over the years I've been exposed to a few things which have opened my eyes....just a little.   I've been that person sitting in the stands bidding, or the one who consigned an animal to the sale..  I have also worked behind the scenes at cattle at sales, and participated in internet sells, so I feel I have a reasonable amount of experience here.  What I want to talk about is some of the things that happen at sales and some of the things you should be considering when you go to make a purchase.  There are allot of things that go into making a cattle sale.  First of all, you must have a market for the product you want to sell.  Then you need to have the important things like the cattle, the sellers, the buyers, the facilities, the support staff, and the advertising.   The one thing you don't always have in these sales is quality, and/or integrity.

There are not a whole lot of people out there that are going to sell you there absolute best, without you paying the price.  There are however, allot of people out there that will try to sell their culls and their less desirables for a price well above their worth.  Unfortunately many of the cattle sales have these type cattle in them.  Time and time again I see poor cattle make their way to seedstock herd sales based on their genetics, their EPD's or because the sale needed animals to fill the number of lots in order to make it successful.  Then there are the "dispersal sales" which insinuate a chance to pick any animal from an entire herd without any prior selection of the owner, but in truth many dispersal sales are only a way for breeders to move a select group of cattle in their herd.  There are very few true dispersals of herds any more, so the word has taken on a new meaning and it is characterized by a quote from the owners similar to "we are not getting out of the business", or "we wanted to offer all cows under the age of three", or "we are keeping all our older cows (with bad udders, bad feet and bad eyes) with which to rebuild our herd".  I got news for you.  What they mean is "we are getting rid of the genetics we don't want anymore or that don't work".   The production sales are a better way to get a decent animal, but even these have gotten so hyped up with Bands, BBQ's and bragging that you end up paying a couple extra thousand for the song and dance!  At least the owners at production sales have an obligation to make the cattle look good since their ranch or farm is responsible for the sale. They also know that word of mouth travels, and a nice place, with what seems to be an excellent management program, can go along way. 

Commercial sales are good in that they are a "buyer beware" up front sale, and they "usually" don't have ringers working the price up.  That don't mean it doesn't happen.  The local sale barn has it's tactics for moving cattle, and a good friend of a seller can sit in the stands "helping him out" if you know what I mean...:)  Just make sure that if you are buying females or bulls from the salebarn for a commercial program, that you study the animals well...before the sale starts, and take someone with you who knows cattle!  Some of your best and worst deals can be found at the local sale barn.  Select sales are a little better in that there are some requirements for the cattle up front (ie: vaccinations, weaning requirements, etc.), and they are grouped by size, kind and age, prior to the sale.  If you are looking for commercial cattle, or sometimes even registered bulls and females, then a local select or preconditioned sale may be the best and most economical way to go.  They are typically going to be a little pricier then the average area salebarn, but the requirements of these type sales help make your purchase a sounder investment.  Of course there is no better way to purchase animals then straight from the source, and by that I mean a ranch visit.  There is allot to be said for an atmosphere where you can look at the cattle without any pressure to buy, and see them in their working environment.  Plus you get a little personal service to boot! 

Some simple shopping advise I could give you is to first, know your intended use for the the type of sale which you intend to buy from, and then have an understanding of the way that sale is to be managed.  It really doesn't benefit you to buy registered females at higher prices, for use on a cross bred bull, when you could get the same phenotype much cheaper through a select sale, without paying for the paper.  Management of the sale will affect overall price if animals have to meet certain requirements, or if the sale is expensive to run (ie: registered, vet checked, sale perks). Knowing who manages the sale and how it is managed will also help you in identifying substandard lots, especially if the sale requires them to be screened prior to, and for sale order.  Secondly, study the cattle and the breeders involved the sale.  You may be able to see why an animal has been placed in the sale if you do your homework (on paper and in person).  By understanding the breeders/consigners philosophy, operation, and/or management practices you might be able to read between the lines.  Next, understand that there are plenty of cattle out there, and don't get caught bidding up a lot for sentimental reasons...know your limits!  Pick an animal that fits your program or your need and pay what you feel that animal is worth.  Finally, realize an animal is only capable of making you so much money in a lifetime. Some of the larger operations can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a single animal because they have the name, the credibility, and the means to market that animal and her offspring to get some return (though it doesn't necessarily mean they are worth it).  Spending twenty thousand dollars on a new cow or bull for a mediocre size operation with no reputation, other then spending allot on money on cattle, will not pay for itself....so be practical!

In the next newsletter I will continue with this subject of making the sale.  I will mention some of the actual tactics breeders use to sell their cattle, and some things to look for when you are shopping a sale for a purchase.  I will also use some examples which I have personally experienced while in the business.  By the end of this article I will have hoped to help make you a little wiser when you go shopping for an animal, and perhaps even avoid some of the common traps that many of us have fallen into when....."making the sale". 

 


III.  FARM NEWS:

Congratulations!


Willis Polled Herefords and Stewart Polled Herefords for your top placing's at the recent Shows!

The Earnest, and Estraca Families and their recent additions of their new P35 calves!




Here is a look at our first P35 calf! 
(Him and his momma are for sale!)

          


Thank You!


Yates Longhorns for your recent purchase of DBLH 621 Frank S03


Notes:

Double H Farms has passed the 10 year mark for raising Polled Herefords!

Our herd bull Feltons 621 who is co-owned with Stewart Polled Herefords and Willis Polled Herefords will be placed in the AHA's new non-certificate program. So, if you were considering a Felton's bred bull with a Trait Leader bull for a sire and a DOD for a Dam and didn't want the added expense of buying certificates, then 621 may be what you are looking for.

Due to us selling back quite a few head in the last year, we do not have much to sell.  To date, we have only 1 bull, and 4 to 5 females (some pairs) currently for sale.  However, we do have semen on our bulls and frozen embryo mating's that are available. 

Our son suffered a career ending injury during college football this year, but his team still went on the win the American Southwest Conference!  After two surgeries, some pins and a rod, and months of recovery, Matt is back to normal and he has landed himself a new career.
 



 IV.   CURRENT EVENTS:

Ft Worth Stock show is just around the corner.  Jr. Show is the 1/20/07 and the Open Show is 1/29/07  

STPHA Sale is March 3rd

NETHA Sale is March 10th





V.  HEREFORD HIGHLIGHTS: 


BHF Miss Gemini 606G
(03/19/96) 

Farms
The Harvey's
Tom & Tina, 
Double
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Fall 2006
Thanks, and keep coming back!!  
Our Highlighted Hereford for this month is one of our matriarchs which got us going in the Hereford business.  It's hard to believe we've been raising Polled Herefords for over 10 years! "Gennifer" as she was affectionately called was purchased from the late Charles Branton herd located right here in Canton, Texas.  We paid $300 dollars for her as a calf, and knowing what I know now, I wish I would have bought the whole calf crop! Miss Gemini is one of the main influences in our decision to switch our cattle direction and began raising nothing but Polled Herefords. Her disposition, easy keeping nature, and good calf raising abilities convinced us that we wanted more Herefords. Our son showed her numerous times, and although she never placed that well at shows (I think her best was second place), the experience was always a rewarding one. She made us money, and raised calves that were successful in show, or which  sold for a respectable price.   We couldn't
ask for a better investment then that.  Was she perfect?  Of course not, and at 10 years of age we had to sell her when, for the first time ever, she came up open at the end of breeding season.  Even though it occurred after a hard year of drought, it was still a necessary decision based on the nature of the business.  It was, however, a very hard decision to make, and probably one of the toughest I had to make in these 10 years considering the emotional attachment the family had with her.  We still have a daughter of hers in the herd, and we hope to keep her bloodline in the herd for years to come.  I could always rely on Gennifer to bring in the herd, or give me one of the smallest and earliest calves of the season.  We will miss her....too. 
It seems ironic that my last newsletter was all about the year starting off right.  I was talking about kids showing our calves, ample rains in the spring, and the new grass growing.  I also said I would try to get a summer newsletter in, but things never turn out like you hope.
Mom, leaning on Gennifer
"STOOBY"
Daughter
Son
050
Cooper, Texas​
doublehtx@gmail.com