Pre-Breeding Checklist

I know many of you are just starting the fall calving season, but as the calves hit the ground, it is never to early to start planning to re-breed those cows and heifers.  Here is a list of things that can make your fall breeding go the best it can.

For me, it can be broken down into two basic categories:  Nutrition and Health

Nutrition:  Once a cow has calved, her nutritional needs change drastically from when she was pregnant.  Your cow is now eating to provide nutrition for her recovery, along with providing all the nutritional requirements her newborn calf requires.  In most cases, these increased needs can be met by using a protein source in conjunction with the nutrients provided by grazing.  Other cases may require the use of supplemental energy and protein to meet these needs.  Proper vitamin and mineral needs can be achieved through basic supplemental feed such as range cubes, the use of injectable nutrients such as MultiMin 90, or by well-balanced mineral supplements like Concept-Aid.  The key to good conception rates is achieved by having the cattle gaining weight going into breeding season, along with allowing the cows 60-90 days post-partum to be physically and hormonally ready to breed.

Health:  The other half of the equation is making sure your cows are vaccinated annually for many of the diseases that can cause low conception rates in cows, and lower mortality in their calves.  My recommendations are to give a dose of Vira-Shield, 7-way, Stay-bred, and wormer (injectable or pour-on)  Vaccinations should be done at least 2 weeks prior to cows being set up for A.I., or being turned out with bulls.  In the South, wormer for parasites should be applied 2-3 times per year.

On top of the preparation of your cows and heifers for calving, this is the time to start evaluating your herd concerning operational goal, genetic outcomes from your current calf crop, and genetic goals for your future.  By planning ahead, you can save yourself money, and sometimes a lot of headaches trying to get semen on the perfect bull for your cow.

Best of luck with your calving season, and don't forget to contact ZNT when making plans to breed those heifers or cows you just got done calving out.

For The Library

Just got this in the mail. Perfect addition to your children's book collection from Rachel Cutrer. My daughter loved the book, and was able to relate to much of it from her growing up around showing from a very young age. 

You can easily get the book through Amazon or directly from the Ranch House Design website.

http://ranchhousedesigns.mybigcommerce.com/sarah-the-showman-book/

T: My Why

Why do we raise cattle?  I get asked this fairly often.

My answer started with, "because it's what my (then-new) husband loves."  I always joke that I married into this business - even though Zane lived in an apartment in the city when I met him.  But this --- this business, this passion --- it's part of him.  And I married all of him.  Even what I didn't understand...yet.

Early on, I was appalled with the way that money can corrupt this business.  I always thought of farming as something that was family-centered and wholesome.  Some of the things I've seen in this show cattle world are anything but .... and it started making me question a lot of things.

Opinion aside, I saw how the money can drive people to do things that I don't think they'd do otherwise.  Everyone wants to win.  Everyone wants to sell the high-dollar calf.  Everyone wants to be that breeder.  And it seemed at times that cheating, lying, or being deceitful might be the way people truly get there.

And then I started looking deeper.

At the real heroes of this industry.

There are countless people out there doing it right. Doing it truthfully.  Doing it with integrity.   And working their tails off to make it happen.

14 years in this and I can say I know why we do this.  We do this because it's something we enjoy.  We enjoy doing a project as a family where we can teach our now-12-year-old daughter about financial decisions, dedication, transparency, hard work, and dignity.

But more than that, we do it for the kids' faces I see in the ring when they win.  We do it for the kids' whose faces we see when they don't win, but they still get to hold their head high after we talk about what an amazing job they've done working at Chick-Fil-A to earn money to buy feed and still made time to be a great student and work with their calves.

We do it because we believe in the genetics we've raised, we believe in the program we've created .... and we believe in this industry as a whole.

Sure, there are sour apples out there, but there are many, many hard-working families out there sacrificing so much to make this happen --- not just the cattle industry, but the show cattle thing.

And I couldn't be more proud to be part of this family.

~Traci

TMAA Fall Update

Fall is upon us, even here in Texas.  I thought this would be a good time to give some updates and take care of a little TMAA business.

First off, plans are in the works to put on a 2nd Annual Bluebonnets & Buckles Sale in conjunction with the Texas State Jr Maine and Chi Show.  Show and Sale is still planned for April, but an exact location and date has not been set due to construction at the Ft. Worth Stock Show grounds.  Discussions are taking place to include the Southwest Chianina Association to make this an even bigger and better sale.  Start watching your new fall born arrivals for your possible consignments to this sale.  More information to come.

Secondly, the deadline is approaching fast for the TMAA to make their commitment to raffle tickets for the Crazy 8's drawing that will take place at the NAILE in November.  Our association must commit to an amount of tickets we will sell.  Tickets are $100 each, and our association will receive 20% of the proceeds of our sales.  Tickets are non refundable to our association, so we must sell every ticket we commit to.  The goal of the National Association is to sell 888 tickets, and 2 winners will be drawn, with each winner receiving 4 heifers.  Proceeds go to the Reaching Beyond Foundation.  

Heifers have been donated by:

Walker Show Cattle         AR

Carlson MA                        MO

Nowatzke Show Cattle    IN

Blind Badger Ranch          CO

Bushy Park                         SD

Buck Cattle Co                  OK

Morton Cattle Co.            OK

Enlow Show Cattle           OK

Either call, text, or email me with how many tickets you would like to purchase for yourself, or sell by Sunday, Sept 29th.  I will let the AMAA know our association's commitment on Sept 30th.

Reminders!!!!

Ft Worth Stock Show entries are due by Nov 15th

MAPP's are due by Dec. 1st

TMAA annual dues for 2013 need to be sent to Melanie Morris if you have not already done so.

Best of luck with y'all's fall calving season

Zane Mai

TMAA President

817-233-9357

zntcattle@gmail.com

Updated Facebook Page

We have recently updated our Facebook Page with additional information on ZNT Cattle Co.  Make sure to "LIKE" our page so you can stay updated on the latest happenings and cattle for sale at ZNT.  Please continue to visit our ZNT Cattle Co. website for the same up-to-date information and informative cattle related blogs.

So You Want To Buy A Show Heifer?

Summer is drawing to an end, and many of the County and State Fairs are coming to a close.  That means it is time for all the fluffy young prospects to be hitting the magazine ads and internet.  Seeing these cute little heifers clipped to the max can make about anyone get the fever to go out and buy one.  For the first time buyers, this can be not only an exciting time, but a scary one too.  So many questions:  What do I need? What do I do? 

Even though whole books could be written on this subject, I am going to try and break it down into one blog. 

Facilities

The very first thing you have to know is where you are going to keep your heifer.   Some basic requirements are; shelter to keep them out of bad weather and provide shade in the heat of the summer,  pens with adequate drainage to allow your heifer to move around and keep them from having to stand in mud all day long,  and clean water.  It is also good to have a place where you can wash your animal.  The point of washing is to get them clean, so washing in a mudhole every day is counter-productive. 

Feed

There are numerous options for feed for you heifer, and they can vary greatly in price and quality.  The two most important requirements when selecting a feed is that it meets all the nutritional needs and that it can be easily obtained so you can keep a fresh batch on hand at all times.  Some great sources for input on which feed to use include your 4-H or FFA leader, your breeder that you are purchasing the heifer from, or your local feed store.  Don’t get wrapped up in all the different feed additives out there.  If you have a good, consistent, complete feed, from my experience, you will not need these additives.  You will also need a source of good quality hay to feed with your grain.  

Halter Breaking

Again, whole books can be written on this topic alone.  The key items you need though are a rope halter, a solid fence with no sharp objects like nails sticking out, and an alley or small pen that you can easily put the halter on the animal.  When halter breaking, staying calm because having patience will be your best tool.

Equipment

The cost of cattle equipment, and especially show equipment can be very eye-opening to a new owner.  Here are the basic musts to owning a heifer.  Owning, or easy access to a truck and trailer.  You never know when you might need to take your animal to the vet.  A squeeze and/or blocking chute for your daily activities with your animal, and the occasional treatment of sickness.  Combs, halter, and show stick for preparing your animal to show.  A livestock fan and livestock blower are not a must, but will be well worth the investment if you plan on washing your heifer regularly and would like to keep some of that fluffy hair that you originally fell in love with.

Breeding

This is the most overlooked part of owning a heifer.  Unless you are planning on showing a market heifer, you will need to have a plan on how you will get your heifer bred.  Producing baby calves is the whole purpose of a breeding heifer.  First you need to decide if you are going to use the natural service of a bull, or you are going to have her artificially inseminated.  Also, no matter how you breed your heifer, you MUST choose a sire that is proven to have safe birth weights for heifers.  

Long Term Plan

The next part of buying a heifer that most new buyers do not consider is what are you going to do with your heifer after you are all done showing her.  Basically the two options are to sell the heifer or keep her for a cow.   Selling a heifer is not nearly as easy as buying a heifer because you have already used up the one use that a lot of buyers are looking for-being able to show it.  Keeping a heifer is not that easy either if you do not have readily available pasture and facilities that can be used if calving difficulties occur. 

Proper planning and realistic expectations can make the purchase of a heifer an enjoyable experience.

Great Tags from Cook Show Cattle

Just got in the sale tags for the Bluebonnets & Buckles Sale yesterday from Cook Show Cattle, and we love them!   If you are tired of the same boring tags, give them a call and get you some of the coolest tags on the market.  Contact Linda Cook at 614-288-8275 or info@cookshowcattle.com to make your order.

 

Great Job Purple Banner Design

Thank you Bethany from Purple Banner Design for putting together this stylish sweatshirt for my daughter.  Another excellent piece of work you put together.  She will be sporting it this weekend at the show.

Thank You!!!!

London 2012

The 2012 London Olympics are upon us.  Our family loves watching the Olympics, and this year is even more special.  As a kid, specifically while watching Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton in the 1984 Summer Olympics in L.A., my fire was lit to someday compete in the Olympics.  Though my dream never came true, it brings me even more joy to be a parent and see the same fire being lit in my daughter. 

In honor of this year’s Olympics, its athletes, and all the parents and coaches, here is a little something my wife and I put together.  This is the same philosophy we use as parents with our daughter for not only her sports, but her education, her animals, and her life in general.

 May the spirit of the Olympics run through all of our HEARTS!   

iCow Part 2 Selling on the Internet

(Disclaimer – This blog is just an account of our entry into the internet world, and our opinions.  These are not the keys to guaranteed success, nor is it meant to take away from how others market their livestock.)

The internet is a great way to sell cattle.  We have now been using the internet to sell cattle for over 10 years.  We are a small operation, and cannot afford a large advertising budget, so the internet only made perfect sense.

Our first step to selling cattle on the internet was to set up a website.  Thank you to my wife, Traci! She took the time to learn how to make our initial website, and all the updated versions and formats over the past decade.  She probably saved us thousands of dollars by doing it on our own, versus paying a firm.  If you can not do it yourself, give Ranch House Design or Encore Visions a call, and they will more than happy to assist you with your web design and advertising needs.  Currently we use the blog format from blogger.com.  Do take the time, or even spend the money to make a nice Header for your website.  This is the first thing that the visitor sees when they visit a website.

The next step we took was getting our link to our website out to the public.  10 years ago the options were limited, but today, there are numerous free and paid websites to list your website.  The first link sites we used were www.showsteers.com and www.texasshowcattle.com.  We have also made it a point to put on website address on everything we publish such as magazine ad’s, business cards, and flyers.   We also have our address on our farm sign we use when displaying cattle at stock shows.  Our focus was to push everyone to our website to find out more about us, what we raise, the services we provide, along with the cattle we have for sale.

Since we push all of our customers to our website, it is critical that we keep it updated.  The key is to have a site that people make a habit of visiting.  But the only reason they will make a habit of visiting any site, is because they want to see new information.  We try to keep our “for sale” page fresh with new cattle and new pictures.  There is nothing worse than visiting a website and finding a page full of cattle that the ranch had for sale 2 years ago.  I myself will not visit the website again.

Enough about websites, now it’s time to sell the cattle!  First step is to get good pictures and videos of the cattle.  People do not want to see words, they want pictures to get them to justify paying $4/gal for diesel to look at the cattle in person.  We like to stay transparent to our customers, so we include prices when we put cattle for sale on our website, or in classified ads.  I do not believe in the philosophy of withholding information to get the people to call for the information.  Let the potential customer make the decision if they are interested in an animal with all the information. 

Lastly, we have tried to differentiate ourselves from the rest.  We were one of the first to set a “load and go” price on our cattle in a private treaty sale, we substituted an open house for a sale, and we were one of the front-runners of bloggers in the cattle industry.  Just because all your neighbors are having internet sales, doesn’t mean you have to.  Do it because it is right for you. Even better, do something new and different that will get people’s attention.

We wish everyone the best of luck!  Happy Marketing!

Custom Cattle Services

We have just updated our Custom Cattle Services page on our website.  Take a look and see what ZNT has to offer you.  Need some help getting your consignments to the next sale ready, or need a few heifers and cows bred??  Give us a call or email.  817-233-9357 or zntcattle@gmail.com

iCOW – Part 1 Cattle and the Internet

(Disclaimer – This blog is just an account of our entry into the internet world, and our opinions.  These are not the keys to guaranteed success, nor is it meant to take away from how others market their livestock.)

I am writing a two part blog to explain our opinion of the use if the internet to market our cattle and our name.  The world is moving quickly to an electronic world, but many do not know how to use it, when to use it, or what to use it for.  I do not want to take away at all on how others in the cattle industry are using technology, but more to highlight our philosophy at ZNT Cattle Co and how we use it, and also tips/pet peeves in using.

Blogs/Websites

As you can tell by reading our blog, we 100% believe in the value of websites for cattle operations.  Though our website is a blog based website that we setup using Blogger.com, it is still a website.  It is an internet world, and if you want to reach customers, you must have a website, and you must make your link available in as many places as possible: i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Steeplanet, Cattle.com, Showsteers.com, etc.  Just as important as having a website is to keep it current.  This is why we use the blog format.  It is very easy to use and to update.  I can even make changes from my iPhone, or any smart phone for that matter.  Our website is a mix of cattle for sale and useful information that anyone can use as a resource.  You can decide exactly what you what to display about your operation.

Here is an excellent blog by RHD on blogs: http://www.ranchhousedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/blog-saturation.html

Email/Eblasts

Email was the first taste that most of us got to the upcoming internet age.  Email is still one of my favorite uses of the internet.  I can give updates to multiple parties, send information, pictures, videos, and documents that can be viewed immediately.  I love the way it allows each party to send and receive messages at their own convenience, rather than the phone-tag games we played for so many years.  That being said, I have more pet peeves in how people use the internet than any other form of electronic communication.  First off, I check almost all my emails with my iPhone, therefore any of these dozens of eblasts that I receive daily that have some fancy Photoshop ad as the body of the email, I CAN NOT READ!  If you want the fancy ad in your email, also include in text: who is having the sale, what they are selling, when it is, and where it is.  Even better is if most of this information is located in the Subject because I never get past the subject line on 95% of these mass emails.  I am actually turned off by eblasts these days, and would rather have an individual just spend the time to put together an email and send it out to group of people, who they know might have an interest in what they are selling, or have a personal relationship with the seller.  And lastly, my biggest pet peeve of all is mass FWD’s.  This is why Facebook and Twitter exist, so unless you think I will specifically like the email, save it for your Facebook.

Facebook

Facebook has been a form of social media that we have all been trying to figure out how to use effectively.  Since the use is not a science yet, here is how I use it.  Number one use of Facebook for me is to make myself more personable and approachable.  Yes, I have cattle for sale, and I do advertise these cattle on my Facebook, but more I want my potential customers to know that I am just the same as they are.  I like sports, I love my family, I do things that are not cattle related, etc.  Pages vs. Individual Profiles – I am still on the fence about separating these two out.  Part of it is that I do not want to maintain two separate Facebook accounts, but more, as I stated above, I want people to know me, and that I am the face of ZNT.  ZNT is not just an entity that sells cattle, it is a family that puts a lot of time and thought into the operation they run, and it is our family that provides the customer service after a calf is purchased from us.

To the youth!  If you choose to friend your favorite breeders on Facebook, do not post DRAMA on your Facebook page.  It comes across as immature, and irresponsible.  These are the people that you want to sell you their best calves, and they have to trust that they are selling to a young person that will represent their animal the best.  Your maturity both on the internet and in person will most likely get you a better animal for a better price.  Again, you are selling yourself, just like the breeder is selling themselves and their cattle.

Twitter

So far Twitter has not been an effective tool for our cattle operation.  It is just too random, and too impersonal.  I do like to send out tweets containing links to my recent informative blogs.  If anything, it does give an opportunity to reach out to potential readers that I may never be contacted in the more traditional ways.  Randomness can sometimes be good.  I do check my Twitter, so please do not post stupid stuff.  If you are going to send a tweet, make sure it is worth my time to read.  Thank you.

Cattle Forums

All I have to say is Steerplanet.com.  Jason has a very well-run site that is full of great information, and a great way to meet other people in the cattle business, especially the show cattle business.  Use the classifieds!  It is free to list, and they are loaded with great cattle from all over the United States.  The traffic that Steerplanet receives daily makes the advertising cost very affordable.  The best dollars we have spent on advertising came from a banner on Steerplanet.  Cattle forums are a great way to get your name out to a very specific market with like interests.  Post, and post often, but only if you have good information or good things to say.  Every post you make is an advertisement of yourself and a representation of you as a person.  Being political correct is not you being fake; it is you being empathetic to other people’s feelings, thoughts, and choices.  And always; use proper English and spelling when you post.  I myself, have to make a pointed effort to double and triple check my spelling in my posts.  Such simple mistakes can take away from the whole point you were trying to make in the post.

Cattle Websites

Two of my favorite cattle websites are Cattle.com and Showsteers.com.  They have lots of great links and information on them, and are sites that provide great returns for your advertising dollars. 

Text Messaging

I am all for text messaging.  Just like many of you out there, I am a busy person, and do not always have time to have a long conversation to answer a 2 second question.  If you send a text, make sure you identify yourself in the message, and be specific.  Again, text is meant to save time, so don't be offended if the person you are texting does not engage in a long texting session.

Conscious Effort

Genetic defects are not a new subject, and there have been hundreds of commentaries out there discussing it. Now it's my turn to talk.

Since our cattle operation is concentrated mainly around Maine Anjou and Chianina genetics, we have great exposure to the risks of the genetic defects PHA and TH within our herd. ZNT Cattle has made a conscious effort to not have carrier cows in our herd, and to not breed to carrier bulls. That being said, we are not immune to the fact that these defects are out there, and some cattle may be mis-represented, either by mistake or on purpose, as to be free of defects. Thank goodness for testing!

There is a bigger issue to this than just having 1 or 2 show heifers that need to be tested to see if they are carriers or not. Just because some of these carrier cattle go on to be shown, and enter into registered herds where they can be tested and bred accordingly, doesn't mean this is where all the carrier cattle go. Hundreds, or even thousands of these "reject" cattle are making it into the commercial herds every year, either through the sale barn, or maybe through a neighbor selling to a neighbor. The typical commercial man does not have the time to keep track of every genetic defect out there, nor do they have the money to test their entire herd for every defect that comes along. And they should NOT have to!

It is the moral responsibility of seedstock producer and multiplier herd to reduce, or even better, eliminate genetic defects from their breed. I understand that it may not be financially feasible to just eliminate these cattle from their herd, but they do have the choice to make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of carrier cattle their herd produces.

Simple Genetic Lesson: Same applies to TH
PHA Free Bull x PHA Free Cow =
100% PHA Free Calves (Normal calf with no recessive genetic defect gene)

PHA Carrier Bull x PHA Free Cow =
50% PHA Carrier Calves (Normal calf but has recessive genetic defect gene)
50% PHA Free Calves (Normal calf with no recessive genetic defect gene)

PHA Free Bull x PHA Carrier Cow =
50% PHA Carrier Calves (Normal calf but has recessive genetic defect gene)
50% PHA Free Calves (Normal calf with no recessive genetic defect gene)

PHA Carrier Bull x PHA Carrier Cow =
25% Dead Calf and possible dead cow (lethal combo of 2 recessive genetic defect genes)
50% PHA Carrier Calves (Normal calf but has recessive genetic defect gene)
25% PHA Free Calves (Normal calf with no recessive genetic defect gene)

Top Cattle Videos By ZNT

Thank you to everyone that has taken time to watch my videos. Here are the top 3 videos produced by ZNT.

#1 - Cattle Torching (5,394 views)

#2 - Heat Detection Video (2,640 views)

#3 - A.I. Gun Preparation (2,416 views )

It is getting to be time for use to put out another video. What would you like to see us do next? You can comment on this blog, or post your suggestion to my Facebook page.

"It`s Not About Winning, It`s About Deserving To Win" By Larissa Lupul

Below was taken from a post on Steerplanet.com.  It is a very well written essay that really puts winning in perspective.  Congratulations to Larissa for your prize winning essay and your maturity at such a young age.

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?topic=35058.0

This is an essay I wrote for the 2011 Canadian Junior Hereford Bonanza Essay Competition. It won first place in the intermediate category and was published in the summer issue of Hereford's Today. I was asked by a Steer Planet member to post it on here. Hope you enjoy & feel free to give me your thoughts on it. - Larissa Lupul

"It`s Not About Winning, It`s About Deserving To Win"
By: Larissa Lupul

“It’s not about winning” These are four words that most people hear hundreds of times throughout their childhood. When someone would say that phrase to me I used to nod my head politely and pretend to agree with them. But I always felt that these were words designed to make the loser feel good even though in the eyes of everyone watching the competition ultimately, they were still the loser. My perspective on these words has changed as a direct result of four important events in my nine year career showing Polled Hereford cattle.

     The first event goes back to Agribition 2008. This was my second year at the show and I had brought my heifer Tango as a yearling. She had placed at the top of her class two weeks earlier at FarmFair and with my lack of knowledge about showring politics I thought she could easily do it again in Regina. After placing at the bottom of both her open Hereford and junior classes, I was quite upset. As I was standing near the hitching ring with Tango, not wanting to go back to the stall and admit to placing last again, a man I had never met walked up to me with his hand out. I stared at it for a few seconds before I realized he wanted me to shake his hand. When he said the word “Congratulations” I had to try my best not to get angry. I was the loser, why would he say congratulations to me? Finally I composed myself and replied “Thank you but why? I didn’t win” He got a smile on his face and didn’t ask, but stated “The show program says your heifer was bred and owned by you”. I was still puzzled that was no reason to congratulate me. “And did you know that you were the only junior in your class whose animal was bred and owned?” He questioned. I shook my head. He then went on to explain to me that in the eyes of the judge my heifer was not a winner, but in the eyes of many I still was because I had put so much thought and work into Tango; everything from breeding her dam to getting her ready to show. No one bought or picked her out for me. She truly was, and always had been my heifer and for that reason, I was a winner.

      I still have no idea who the man was, where he was from, or if he is even a Hereford breeder; but ever since that conversation with him, I have huge respect for juniors who show bred and owned cattle. I myself make a conscious effort to breed, instead of just buy the best, because I agree with what he said, even if my animals aren’t class winners; when I put that much work into them, I am still winning.

      The second event takes place at my 4-H Heifer Club Show. A young boy in my club who had won champion steer for the past two years was refusing to set up his heifer’s feet in the showring. I knew he was fairly skilled at showmanship so I asked him why he wouldn’t set up his heifer. He answered “I only try when I’m going to win and I’m not going to win so why should I try?” This answer completely shocked me. Whenever I was in a situation where I was sure my animal wouldn’t win, I would use it as motivation to try harder, not to give up. Since that day, I always compare myself to that boy. Even if he is the one winning grand champion steer, I feel that I am winning in the long run because I am putting in the time and effort and I know that when I do win it is because I deserve it.

      The third event that changed my perspective on the phrase “It’s not about wining” happened at the Vermillion Fair during the summer of 2010. I had just gotten back from Bonanza in Quebec when I got an invite in the mail for the show. I really wanted to attend it so I packed up my tack and heifer Whiplash and headed to Vermillion.  Because I only brought one animal, my day was finished early so I ended up helping a friend with his Red Angus animals. He had three head in the championship class and the beautiful little heifer calf that I lead won Reserve Champion Female. But as the crowd clapped -assuming I was the owner- I felt nothing. I was happy for my friend and it was nice to lead the champion, but I didn’t deserve the applause. The fact that I had lead a winner, that didn’t make me one. This was the moment it finally clicked in my head, winning isn’t everything.

      The fourth and final event takes us back to the Agribition Canadian Junior Beef Extreme 2010.  I had been woken up an hour earlier than planned, so it was 2:45 am when we got to the barns. It was a little earlier than I liked to be awake, but I wanted my heifer to look good. And let me tell you, she did. When we finally stepped into the ring, we were unstoppable. Whiplash behaved better than she ever had in her whole show career and the judge noticed. Every heifer in the Hereford yearling heifer class was great, but I honestly believed that mine was better. The whole time I was in the ring -which was quite a while because it was a big class- I kept thinking ‘I deserve this. Whiplash deserves this. Everyone who has helped me during my years of showing cattle deserves this’. Although I wanted to win, even if the judge didn’t place my animal first, I would be a winner. Whiplash was bred and owned, the only one in her class too, I had put my blood, sweat and even a few tears into her. I had worked on her for months, even though I knew I would be competing against big name breeders who had been doing this since before I was born, deep down, I knew I deserved to win. And the judge thought so to. Whiplash won her yearling class and then won the Hereford division to be named the 2010 Canadian Junior Beef Extreme Champion Hereford!

      On the drive home from Agribition, I was quieter than usual. I was thinking about my win with Whiplash and the lessons I had learned during my past few years showing cattle. These are the most important ones I came up with.

People take note when you breed instead of buy the good ones; it really is worth it to show bred and owned cattle. Just because you probably won’t win does not mean you cannot try; there’s always someone watching to see how much effort you put in. It’s no fun to win if you didn’t work for it; even if no one else notices, deep down you won’t really be satisfied. And from these showring lessons I have learned one huge life lesson: It’s not about winning; it’s about deserving to win

Maine Education

As many of you know, I was elected to as the Vice President of the Texas Maine Anjou Association earlier this year, but you may not know that I was also made head of the Education Committee for the Association. As a result, MAINE EDUCATION was created.

Maine Education was inspired by my good friend, Chad Hull of Hull Show Cattle, and was created for 3 reasons. First of all, it was designed to provide an educational experience not only to the junior exhibitors of Maine Anjou cattle here in Texas, but for all cattle exhibitors both young and old of all breeds. Second, it serves as a forum to bring together the junior exhibitors and the breeders of Maine Anjou cattle in the State of Texas in one location. Lastly, it proves an event with a large gathering to raise money for the TMAA to fulfill their obligation to support the National Jr. Maine Anjou Show and provide scholarships to the youth.

MAINE EDUCATION OVERVIEW

What:   The event will include:

• Grooming/Fitting demo provided by Sullivan Supply's “Stock Show U”
• Showmanship demo by the Allgood family
• Speakers from the National Maine Anjou Office
• Free t-shirts 
• Free BBQ dinner provided by Martindale Feed Mill
• Great prizes to be raffled off, INCLUDING a heifer that is donated by Jerry Gibson of 4J Family Partnership
• Several booths will be set up by our sponsors, and cattle will be on display from several of our members of the TMAA.

When: September 24th, 2011. Registration will take place from noon to 1pm, with clinics to follow. Dinner around 5-6pm, along with social and a live fundraiser auction afterward, with proceeds going toward the National Jr. Maine Anjou Show and scholarships provided by the TMAA.

Where: Salt Creek Arena in Boyd, TX. Arena is located just South of the intersection of HWY 114 and FM 51 approximately 10 miles South of Decatur, TX, 25 miles North of Weatherford, TX, and 25 miles Northwest of Ft. Worth. Plenty of affordable lodging is available in Decatur, Rhome, and Weatherford.

Cost: FREE, and all youth that attend will receive a raffle ticket for great prizes and the possibility of winning a heifer. Must be present to win! Additional raffle tickets can be purchased by youth, adults, or clubs.

Who: Open to all youth and adults involved in the cattle industry. FFA chapters and 4-H clubs encouraged to attend.

For the latest updates, check out the Maine Education Website or follow Maine Education on Facebook.

Make sure you mark you calendars for September 24th! I really look forward to seeing y’all there.

With any questions, feel free to reach me on my cell 817-233-9357 or by email: zntcattle@gmail.com

Gestation Table for Cattle

I know there are several different places you can find Gestation Tables, but I just thought I would share the link I use regularly to determine calving dates when I am making my breeding plans. Thank you Becky at Showsteers.com for providing such a good resource.

http://www.showsteers.com/NAV/gestation.htm

Heat Detection in Cattle (Video)

I have put together a short video demonstrating the 3 stages of estrus in cattle.  Many may think this is very basic information, but I remember years ago when we synchronized our first set of cow, and I didn't have a clue what exactly I was looking for when I was sent out to "heat check."

Ideally, a heifer or cow should be inseminated 10 hrs after standing heat ends.  Sounds simple??? Not really.  Cows do not tell us when they start, they don't tell us when they end, and they definitely don't wait for daylight hours to show us.  I typically like to inseminate 12-24 hrs after I observe an animal in "heat."

Here's my rule of thumb:
Heat observed between sunrise and 9am - breed between 6pm-8pm
Heat observed after 9am - breed between 6am-8am of next day

Feel free to email or call me if you have any questions.

Thanks for watching!

Mark Your Calendar for Sept. 24th

Everyone needs to mark their calendar for Sept. 24th. This event will be put on by the Texas Maine Anjou Association and hosted at the Decatur Ranch of 4J Family Cattle. Plenty of activities will be available for your young showman. Also there will be opportunities to meet many of the Maine Anjou breeders from the state of Texas, win a heifer and other great prizes in a raffle, and help support the National Jr. Maine Anjou Show. Check out the Maine Education webpage, and the Maine Education Facebook page to keep up with the latest announcements and updates.

Letter from AMAA Breeder

Below is a letter that Dennis Garwood included in his recent sale catalog. I respect the successes Dennis has made as cattle producer , and his morals as a person. He is a valuable member of the Association that will fight to keep the Maine Anjou breed moving in the right direction.

If I could, I would like to bring up a subject that I personally feel needs to be addressed. It is not my intention to “get on a soap box" or to “make a big deal” which is why I have asked Craig, our sale manager, to include this discussion later in the catalog. I want to remain positive and upbeat about this great breed of cattle and the people that represent it.



I would like to encourage my fellow Maine-Anjou breeders and producers to provide accurate, honest and dependable information when submitting cattle for registration and to genuinely and honestly represent the cattle you have worked so hard to produce.



In order for our associations (AAA & AMAA) to generate accurate and dependable EPD’s (which can be a valuable tool when making mating and breeding decisions), accurate, dependable, and complete information must be submitted. If we want to have faith in our EPD’s we must be faithful in what we report. Birth dates, birthweights, weaning weights, weaning dates, etc. “pulled out of a hat" so to speak if not changed or manipulated equally on the whole herd provide inaccurate progeny ratios which in the long run negatively impact individuals and the breed as a whole. On another note, as we all know, one of the major strengths of the Maine-Anjou breed is phenotypic excellence. Many are involved in this breed because of a desire to compete and excel in the show ring and that's a good thing. But I would like to encourage us especially to report accurate birth dates and birth weights out of respect for fellow breeders and a desire to exhibit personal integrity and character that others (especially family members) would be proud of and want to model. Controlling and manipulating information for personal immediate gain will eventually run its course and take its toll on us as individuals and corporately as a breed.



The Scriptures say in Titus chapter 1 and verse 2 that “it is impossible for God to lie". What a different world this would be if we chose for it to be “impossible for us to lie ” as we strive to follow His example. IDEALISTIC? Maybe so, but from a “Big Picture ” perspective I believe that there is much more to this life than just the “here and now”. I am especially looking forward to the “there and then. ” (I John 5:11-12-13) I am so thankful to have the privilege of being a part of such a great group of people that represent Maine-Anjou cattle.



Respectfully,
Dennis Garwood