Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

@Senile_Texas_Aggie thanks for the kind words. Just a note, the guy that I would have married, was a dairy farmer.... so we were of like minds on many things..... However he was a "holstein " guy, and I like my colored breeds..... But we both loved purebred chickens and he was a very astute breeder and a big exhibitor of them.... and he was wanting to get into some "market gardening - "truck farming" it used to be called..... and start selling at farmers' markets. Yes my life would have been different, and I would have been doing it with someone who really respected me as a person. We joked about my beef cows, and I know that there would have been some differences of opinions.... but we talked things out all the time, and always tried to see things from a different perspective. He was very special.

 

[Baymule]

I used to buy hay from a guy who also had cows, I think we were his only hay customer. He went to the sale one time and bought 10 longhorn heifers for $150 each-NOBODY wanted them! He had a black Angus bull and all the calves were black. He hustled the calves to the sale before the horns started showing and got top dollar. He wound up making a lot of money from those longhorn heifers that nobody wanted.

If the animals are being bought for meat what the heck does it matter what color they are?

The BLACK Angus people have done a spectacular marketing job. More than spectacular, maybe super fantabulous! The entire country has been conditioned to look for the Certified Angus label on the meat packages and it is ALWAYS more expensive. You can't fix stupid, but you sure can laugh at it.

 

[Baymule]

@Senile_Texas_Aggie thanks for the kind words. Just a note, the guy that I would have married, was a dairy farmer.... so we were of like minds on many things..... However he was a "holstein " guy, and I like my colored breeds..... But we both loved purebred chickens and he was a very astute breeder and a big exhibitor of them.... and he was wanting to get into some "market gardening - "truck farming" it used to be called..... and start selling at farmers' markets. Yes my life would have been different, and I would have been doing it with someone who really respected me as a person. We joked about my beef cows, and I know that there would have been some differences of opinions.... but we talked things out all the time, and always tried to see things from a different perspective. He was very special.

There is someone for everyone, but no promises on how long you get to keep them. He sounds like he was a good man, really sorry that you didn't get to keep him for a lifetime.

 

[Baymule]

@farmerjan, thanks for this thread! I get a lot out of it and am glad others have some of the same issues.

x2 and I don't even have cows anymore. I only had a few at that, but I enjoyed them. Now I get to live vicariously through our dear farmerjan.

 

[thistlebloom]

And I have never had cows, but am learning so much through Farmerjan.

 

[Baymule]

And I have never had cows, but am learning so much through Farmerjan.

Now that you are a cow expert with @farmerjan on speed dial, go getcha' some! LOL

 

[farmerjan]

There are a few Longhorns that go through the market here. I bought one a couple years ago with a little heifer calf by her side. Someone had "dehorned" the cow and did a lousy job. Paid about 350-400 for the pair. The cow had a dead calf the next year and wouldn't consider letting me graft a calf on her so she went for beef. Got about 250-300 back out of her, cull cow prices were up compared to today. Her heifer has grown into a beautiful animal, has an impressive set of horns, perfectly matched, and has been with the angus bull so I will know when we preg check if she is bred. Since angus are polled, the polled gene is dominant and the calves should be polled. Sometimes the longhorn and watusi breeds have a gene that will "over ride" the polled gene and they will have horns. I named her "Majestic" for the horns, call her Jess, and she is not a pet but is fairly calm. She hates dogs in the field, so am hoping that she will also be a deterrent for coyotes and that her protective streak will be even a little stronger when she calves.

She is one of my "lawn ornaments" along with my 2 "belted galloway" heifers that I got to satisfy that guy where we were supposed to go back and rent a farm we used to have several owners before him; and who had to have some "pretty cows" to keep at his place. He did not follow through on his part of the deal and the fences never got built there (yet) so the heifers are mine. I paid for them but was supposed to get reimbursed. Now I don't care if he ever does anything. I suspect the place will get sold again, as even though he "seems to have money" and supposedly owns several places, to my way of thinking he is all talk and no action. I love the belted cattle.... again, one of those breeds that will not make any money and you get killed at the stockyard with them. But I want to kill a beef and do some comparisons..... maybe able to market some beef from them if it is good. But I am lucky, I have that "extra outlet" of having hot dogs and stuff made up so if the beef is just okay, it will make great "value added" products. Not USDA but I can skirt that and "give to people for a purely free will donation..... I love chipped beef on toast and that place makes good stuff.....

 

[Mike CHS]

I would be interested in seeing how the quality of the meat was between the belted cows and the others. I have read some pretty impressive reviews on them.

 

[farmerjan]

I would be interested in seeing how the quality of the meat was between the belted cows and the others. I have read some pretty impressive reviews on them.

You will have to hang around for a few years..... I want to breed these 2 girls. One isn't even a year old and she is small. she may never be a breeder. But the bigger one will get bred next june to calve in spring of 2021. If I get her to where I can get her in, I may breed her to a belted bull. I have some semen in the tank. I may even keep my eyes open at the stockyard and see if I can pick up one or two more for "cheap"..... I know I have to make a bit off the beef cows.... that is part of the idea of having them, to supplement my SS, especially when I totally quit testing. But I want to have some I LIKE to look at too.

 

[Baymule]

Eye candy is definitely part of breed selection for me. As long as important criteria is met, why not a little color?

There are several Longhorn ranches around here. One is a big place, nice operation, with lots of bulls in small pastures in the front. There is another about a mile from us.

I had a Longhorn Bull once, pretty red speckles on white, he was beautiful. He also jumped the fence like a deer and ran up and down the road. I got tired of the Sheriff department calling me to put him up, so I sold him. Not to mention he charged at me all the time and I carried a pipe to beat him in the head with. At his new home, he jumped the fence and bred a neighbor’s registered Angus herd. There was almost a range war over that. If I were to ever get cows again it sure wouldn’t be durned Longhorns!