I. Humor
"Helping a guy out"
Several years ago I was helping a friend who had gotten himself in the cattle business. Problem was he was pretty new at it and he needed a little coaching. So, for several seasons I let him borrow a bull, gave him advice, and offered up my meager services when it came to, tagging, vaccinating, and palpating his cattle. On one occasion, while I was literally "arm deep" into my work, a friend of his showed up. You know the type; pressed jeans, expensive boots, big buckle, white hat, and a starched popper shirt with an most extraordinary color scheme...:). He was curious to how I worked the cattle, and he was really fascinated that I could age a calf inside the momma....something he said he would like to try. As I stood at the back of the shute I could not help but volunteer how easy it really was. I offered him a go at it and to my surprise he accepted. I told the man I would let him try when I found one which was far enough along to present some structure (bone), that way he could real feel the calf. Problem with those is, you can't just do a reach around the shute with your arm for shorter term ones, you really had to be behind them to get the reach down deeper.
Well as luck would have it, I found me a real mover about the size of a cat. What an opportunity. I told him to doff his shirt and come on in. He told me that loosing the shirt would not be necessary. He rolled up his sleeve and allowed me to assist him with the arm length glove. Now I had already done the dirty work of cleaning out the track, so it was a fairly simple set of instructions for him. To his surprise he felt the calf and he was very amused. About that time I started to give him one more piece of advice, but that's when he drew his arm out as if he'd been bit. The problem with fast extractions from the intestinal track is that it has a tendency to cause what little waste that remains to kinda...well...come out under pressure if you know what I mean. What followed was an explosion of muddy green liquid square in the man's chest. That's when I finished my sentence and said "pull your arm out slow"...:) His young daughter, who was watching, laughed hysterically. All I could was is grin, and tell the man the color would probably not wash out...;)
The moral of the story:
Be careful what you ask for.....:)
From a cattle raisers point of view:
Fast is not always the best way to get something accomplished!
II. INFORMATIVE
"Disposition"
I was glad to see the Hereford Association start to track the disposition or "shute score" in the Hereford breed. If you spend any amount of time around cattle you learn to appreciate this very important trait. Many of the breed associations affiliated with cattle notoriously known for their bad behavior are also adding this to their list of tractable traits. They are hoping to gain control of a key element that buyers consider when choosing cattle. Basically, it boils down to marketing. It's hard to sell a breed that comes with increased risks Most of us that have some education and exposure to the different breeds, or that have just been exposed to Herefords for that matter, know that this is a trait (the better side of it anyhow) which has been identified with the Hereford breed since its conception. Our personal exposure with various cattle dispositions has come from raising other breed types, assisting other breeders with their cattle, showing cattle, and of course raising our own Herefords.
I know that in the fourteen years we have been raising the breed I have only been "bumped", never rolled, by a momma in the field when tagging and tattooing her newborn. I have never been chased over the fence by a cow or bull, and I can always get in and around my cattle without the feeling I am being watched...:) That doesn't mean you don't work a large animal without caution, but it sure helps with peace of mind. Of course having cattle too docile can also present a unique set of problems. You can be trampled at a trough, or get very frustrated when trying to get them to run through a shute (meaning they usually don't get spooky and nervous and they have to be prodded). Just ask my vet. I think he would sometimes prefer the wild ones because it makes the job go faster when they bolt through the pens! However, for the average breeder who may not have the facilities to control and work cattle like the local vet, having calmer cattle is a plus.
Does the Hereford breed really need this or is it just a way to prevent other breeds from having an edge on data collection if we don't do it? No matter what, it can still be of some importance when it comes to a marketable edge for sellers, but like any other tractable trait it still rely's on someone's judgment, honesty, and consistent documentation to make it a useful tool. The thing to remember here is that the Hereford breed is probably the most docile breed of cattle without having to purposely tame them or settle them down, but they respond well to that too...:) If you come to our place I won't tell you to stay in the truck, or prevent you from getting an up close inspection of our cattle, and I'm pretty sure they won't mind either.
III. FARM NEWS:
Two nice weanling bulls are now for sale!
Thank you! - Jason and Stacy Earnest for being a repeat buyer...again, and thank you for the wonderful visit and the hospitality.
Thank you! - Jimmy Prentice for your purchase of Double H Farms cattle.
IV. CURRENT/ UPCOMING EVENTS:
January - Ft Worth Stock Show, Ft. Worth, Texas
January 30th - Cowtown Select sale at Ft. Worth Stockyards
January 31st - National Hereford Show - Ft. Worth, Texas
V. HEREFORD HIGHLIGHTS:
DBLH 154 Laura's Lady T02
(01/26/07)
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Newsletter
Performance on the Hoof!
Performance on the Hoof!
Performance on the Hoof!
Fall 2010
Thanks, and keep coming back!!
Table of Contents:
This is a young female out of our herd sire, Feltons Jedi. She carries the strong pigmentation typical of Jedi offspring, and has very nice udder attachment. She did a great job with her first calf, a heifer we retained, and is seen here with her bull from this spring. He carries a little more pigment then some breeders prefer, but he was good enough to make the bull cut this year. T02's maternal grandsire is our old herd sire RF Harvey, and her maternal grandam is a Stockmaster 512 daughter If you are interested in her bull calf give us a call.
A few spring bull calves that we kept, and that are now for sale.
The Harvey's
Tom, & Tina
