I. Life Story
"Stick with it...and it will stick to you!"
It's March 20th, the day before Spring, and it's snowing outside. This has been the wettest year on record for many decades, and it is not the way you want to be introduced to what the locals around here call "Houston Black". We have been at the new farm for over 6 months now. In that time I have managed to stick my tractor and truck multiple times in this new found muck! My cattle fared even worse. Since I couldn't get the fencing in, they spent the winter in a small paddock knee deep in the mud. Without my working pens completed, I was left to rope and man handle any sick cattle that needed vacinating. I feel lucky to have only lost just one head and have only one miscarriage under these stressfull conditions. My work days were already long with a 230 mile round trip, and the nights were made even longer by the circumstances I was dealing with. I found out real quick that it would be back to square one in working this type of land, and I would once again need to rely on the locals for advice, assistance, and as a guage for the right time to work the soil. I have to remind myself that these challenges will always come when you choose farming as a lifestyle, and that the adjustments you have to make will prove whether or not you are making the right decisions.
It's been a long time since I wrote a newsletter and updated our web site. We will try to provide you with some new pictures and information on our cattle and the farm happenings. Allot has gone on this past year, so there is allot to talk about. Sadly, we lost a couple dear relatives to us. My niece who passed unexpectedly, and my only uncle on my mom's side. We will miss them. Tina and I managed to get our two kids married off this past year, plus we worked through a serious knee injury to Tina, which occured the day before we moved. She was wheel chair bound for a couple weeks, then it was crutches for over month. You can sure miss the small things your wife does when they are not able. It made for a long move from one farm to the next...in fact, it took over a month for me to make the necessary trips to get it all done. Thank goodness I was under no pressure to move, and that we were able to sell the other place before maintaining two farms got the best of me. The great news is that Tina really loves the new place! She'll be allot happier if I can get everything unpacked, but that will have to wait until my work schedule changes back to normal. So, all in all things are working out for the better. I have stuck with my career for nearly 27 years, Tina says she will stick with me after nearly 28 years, we have high hopes that our children and their new spouses will stick together and experience the same things in life that we have enjoyed, and finally, we think we will stick to raising Herefords...;)
The moral of the story:
Man was made from mud.........we are already one with it!
From a cattle raisers point of view:
Sooner or later we all get bogged down, just plan ahead for those times you will be stuck!
II. INFORMATIVE
"Cow Fax"
Just a brief note on records. For those of you who are commercial cattle raisers, we understand you may or may not deal with record keeping to the extent us registered breeders do, but it still matters. It matters because when you come to us for registered bulls or females it is important to know what their potential is, especially if you are raising the same breed type. During these last two years of turmoil with my job, combined with moving and other family issues, I haven't been the most prompt with getting my records updated with the AHA. That's not to say we are not keeping records, but for a registered breeder they don't do you allot of good if you don't get them included into the AHA's genetic analysis. Records provide feedback. Feedback is how we improve our service and our product. Fortunately, the folks at the AHA are extremely helpful and considerate when it comes to reminding you that there is missing information on your registered stock. Sure I could use local software that figures all the same things the AHA does, but the credibility and the amount of data the AHA has to contribute to your program in the way of genetic trends is well worth the effort. It is just as important to maintain accurate records as it is to give your cattle proper nutrition. That way you can estimate their full potential.
Although I am not sold on EPD's (data) alone, I do understand their importance to the breed and to our program. Genetic trends on paper don't always identify a specific animals true performance, phenotype, fertility, or disposition, and they are only as good as the data being reported. I have seen some very good animals overlooked for the sake of some numbers, despite your naked eye telling you that is the best dang cow/calf pair you ever saw. Records are another tool in the toolbox of registered breeders, and if used correctly with the proper matings, it can turn your program and the value of your registered stock around. If you don't understand the data on a registered animals paper and you don't want to seem ignorant when approaching a seller about their cattle, then the AHA's website is a good source to learn the basics. All registered breeders should be willing to explain the basics too...just remember, when buying cattle don't be afaid to ask for the "Cow Fax"
III. FARM NEWS:
We moved!
We are rebuilding the herd, and will have some show heifers by this fall, and some females and bulls for sale by next spring.
No hay will be for sale this year.
Notes:
We currently have only a few cattle to sell. Call to find out what we have or just check our web site sale page.
IV. CURRENT/ UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 27 - Cross Timbers Sale, West, Texas
May 31 -- Texas All Star Sale - Sherman, TX
June 16-20 -- State Junior Show - Amarillo, TX
July 4-10 -- Junior Nationals - Indianapolis, IN
V. HEREFORD HIGHLIGHTS:
FCC M201 JohnPaul S11
(04/02/06)
