Getting Close: We have our end-of-year homeschool basketball tournament the end of this week then the next weekend is the sale. I’m hearing story after story of ape-crazy! A 10 year-old momma cow with brand new baby calf at side sold for $5900 in Kentucky last week. It took TWO people to do that, one who thought she was worth that much…and another with $100 less dollars of crazy!

Cow Weights: I’ve told the story in the past, probably multiple times cuz I’m old, about the Grand Champion Hereford bred heifer we received decades ago as a gift. She calved, came up open 2 years in a row and was sold as a weigh up at 1900 lbs. She had fleshing ability with no fertilability! Anyway, I was reminded of her when I had a customer call and ask about our lot #17 bull. We printed his dam weight as 1995 lbs. Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t aware of the typo and was quite stunned. (She actually weighed 1095 lbs.) That got me to thinking: I want to see our cows weighing 1000-1300 lbs. when they are fully mature (4+ years old). I want their frame score to be 2-4. If they weigh 1300 lbs. they are going to be over-conditioned for optimum performance and efficiency…but they store up calories to burn in the lean season of calves nursing on cornstalks. I prefer to see a cow too fat than too thin…is this a universal sentiment? I also want a cow to be able to do that into her teens, many of ours do. I want her to be gentle but protective of her calf, have an udder that a calf can nurse without assistance on all 4 teats, and I want her to breed back without any supplements or hay or treatments or any other props. I am consistently proud and amazed at what our cows can do each year and breed back. If I’ve described the type of cows you want then you need to buy your bulls out of cows like that…AND…you have to quit saving replacement heifers out of cows that aren’t like that. Is it surprising that when you get rid of your problems you tend to have fewer problems? Stay married to your wife…get rid of your problem cows!

Wisdom For Your World:

6 signs a woman is wife material

1. She loves and honors God above everything else.
2. She honors her father and mother.
3. She’s not hungry for money or material things.
4. She looks great without makeup.
5. She will be against those who are against you (and most certainly won’t join them).
6. She is kind to children and animals.

Intimacy is a team sport.

People won’t notice how hard you work but when you win they will tell you how lucky you are.

If you can wake up at 6 am to build someone else’s dream you can wake up at 5 am to build yours.

No great leader chooses nice over honesty. You do no one a favor by being nice to them and not honest. Be kind…and tactful…and honest.

I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you.