Herd Quitter® Blog
Motivation
I am a wrestling coach and our season just started. I have noticed that I spend a lot of time talking about motivation. It wasn’t always like this. I don’t remember having a lack of motivation when I played sports. What has changed? Much of the research I did has...
Visual Appraisal
I was going through a status-quo bull sale catalog with my kids the other night. We enjoy looking at the pictures and practicing our “livestock judging” skills. If something looks decent, we may take a look at the EPDs. My kids are getting pretty good at visual...
Deanna’s Cat
Deanna’s cat has doubled in size since we took him to our mountain cabin a little over two months ago. I don’t know what his name is, but I call him Walter in honor of Walter the Cat in the Chevy Silverado commercials. For a good laugh, watch the two videos below....
Bend in the Road
Helen Keller once said, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the turn.” That’s a very simple, yet profound, statement! It applies to all people in all walks of life. It has application for me – and it has application for you! What...
Happy Thanksgiving
Most Americans will be getting together with family and friends tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Perhaps the following Old Testament verses will help prepare us for this special day. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good...
Having Fun
I recently read a blurb about occupations and how we should be having fun. I wonder how that applies to agriculture. How many people do you know who really love what they are doing? How many are engaged? How many just treat it like a job?It got me...
Sissy Bulls… and Fat, Dry Cows
In my recent travels, I have seen several cowherds from the roads and highways. I have also seen several bulls. Some cowherds still have the bulls running with them. Many of the bulls I have seen don’t look much like bulls. They have a steer head and show very little...
The Problem with… Testing Bulls for Feed Efficiency
More and more seedstock producers are using GrowSafe equipment to measure and compare feed efficiency in the bulls they sell. On the surface, this seems like a very simple and accurate way to test and compare animals for feed efficiency. There is one very important...
Eight Pounds of Sugar –
Johan Zietsman, a very astute rancher and consultant from Zimbabwe, said, "Grass-efficient animals will look like eight pounds of sugar in a 5-pound sack." We believe that to be a very accurate analogy. Grass-efficient animals will be moderate in height, with extreme...
Bull to Cow Ratio
Recently, I have had several phone conversations with customers and potential customers about how many cows you should run with a bull during breeding season. As you might expect, there is a difference between what status quo bull producers recommend and what Pharo...