Herd Quitter Blog
Dollars to Donuts
As a form of entertainment, I like to thumb through beef publications looking at bull sale advertisements. With almost no exceptions, bull suppliers continue to be focused on nothing but helping you increase pounds per cow (bragging rights). That’s the only game they know. Some, however, appear to understand there are problems associated with this approach – but they are unable to switch directions.
The Aha Moment…
Over the years, the illustration below provided the “Aha Moment” hundreds of cow-calf producers needed to STOP focusing on increasing pounds per animal (bragging rights) and START focusing on increasing pounds per acre (profit). Year in and year...
Big-Calf Syndrome – It Can Be Fatal
No, this is not an ailment that affects big calves. This is an ailment that affects ranchers who believe they must produce big calves to be profitable. Big calves are not always profitable. In fact, small calves are almost always...
Spring 2021 Newsletter
Crazy Times in a Crazy World — By Kit Pharo I have inhabited this world for most of seven decades — and I do not remember a time as crazy as the current times! Just when I think the world can’t get any crazier, it does! I wonder what my grandparents would think if...
Buyer Beware –
All of the beef publications I receive are still jammed full – cover to cover – with bull sale advertisements. You will quickly notice that nearly all of the bulls being offered have been bred and selected to help you increase your production per cow...
Q and A –
Question: I’m sure you have explained this before. Why are your bulls able to cover more cows than bulls coming out of other programs? Also, I am wondering how many cows you recommend putting with a bull. Answer: The fact that our bulls can...
The Up-Periscope Syndrome –
A periscope is a very handy instrument used to observe activity above the water’s surface from a submerged submarine. When the command “up periscope” is given the periscope is raised for use. Once in place, it has the ability to swivel around...
Sex Is NOT Work.
Have you ever heard a veterinarian or a seedstock producer caution against overworking a bull, especially a young bull? What do they mean? How can you overwork a bull? When someone advises you against overworking a bull, they are...
Seems A Little Early –
I look in on a couple of internet discussion forums on a regular basis just to see what the status quo whiz kids are saying and thinking. On Monday, February 1st, one discussion forum started a thread on “Horn Fly Control.” Really? ...
Annual Cow Cost
I recently read an article in a beef publication that quoted Stan Bevers who is a ranch economist in Texas. Stan said, “The average cow cost in the late 1980s and early 1990s was about $365 per year.” In other words, every calf had to sell...