Kids…not goat kids, but our kids.  That is the actual business that we are in.  Tammy and I only have 2 kids of our own.  

1–Kela, who has now traveled to 6 different contintents and thankfully, is back on U.S. soil….again.  She sent text pics of her visiting a national “shrine”.  Not a religious shrine,  although, I am REAL sure that there has been many prayers, names used in vain, and other phrases used in this “shrine”.  Nonetheless, I am jealous, as I have not yet been to this place.  This kid is chasing her own dream.  As parents, we are just happy to be watching this play unfold.  It is unreal.  She is pursuing the American dream.  And ours.  Every parent wants their kid to be better than themselves. 

2–Duke, who really doesn’t like to leave a 3 or 4 county area, is doing just fine.  Hauling square bales of hay, farming, processing goats, checking heifers, etc. etc.  This one isn’t going to win a heisman trophy or a valedictorian scholarship, but I’m not worried about him.  I watch some news channels and think, “Our country is headed straight to hell.”  Then, I watch a kid like Duke, and think,. “B.S.  We are just fine.  The media and our government is screwed.  Get those dumb bastards out of the way and let the workers take over.”  This kid understands the value of a dollar, an hours work and a job well done.  He won’t be on welfare or food stamps.  He’ll always have a job, pay taxes, vote and he understands the 2nd amendment.  Basically, he upholds the principles that this country was founded upon.  And is, therefore, unlike those ass clowns that take up oxygen in washington d.c.  

I typed a lot.  But then realized that I couldn’t hit submit.  The vocal version is better.  

I like our kids.  I like your kids.  I like them all way better than these skid marks that we have as politicians in D.C.  This is me being nice. I’m done.  

Just a few notes about goats–does and dont’s.

I hate it when it happens, but it does.  New showers need to make sure that halters properly fit their new projects.  The nosepiece needs to be as close to the eyes as possible.  NEVER walk away from a goat that is haltered and tied to a fence.  It doesn’t take long and they can choke themselves down.  

We’ve been fighting some spots on babies eyes.  We tried several medications with no luck.  Then we went to using Quartermaster, which is a mastitis med for cows.  Squirt the creamy liquid into the corner of their eye until it coats the eye.  Very good results. And it doesn’t hurt the kid.

Every doe on the place is getting a vaccination of Calvary 9.  They are also going to get a shot of multi-min, wormed and a copper bolus.  Some hooves will also get trimmed.  I am sure some will be deemed acceptable until a later date.  CIDRs are going in.  

There are a few ready-to-use bucks for sale or lease.  

It is still green here in paradise.  Usually, it is a 100 plus and brown.  Not this year, mid 90s, high humidity and green.  It has rained a bit, every day for the past 6 days.  

We had an election day in Oklahoma.  I enjoy exercising my right to vote.  With all of the great Americans that we have in this country, how did we end up with these numb nuts that will be on the ballot come November?  It is an easy decision for me as to who to vote for.  I want nothing to do with that despicable democratic candidate.  I would rather stab myself in the eyeball with an ice pick than have to vote for hillary.  

Good luck on your upcoming flushes.  

No goats sales for awhile.  Thank goodness.  I didn’t have very many to sell this time around.  Mainly due to a crappy experience with a flush deal back in November.  But, that is fine.  Now, we can work on getting these sets of May & June babies ready to go for Labor Day and later.  

What did we see at the sales?  Smaller crowds, lower averages but still good sales.  Good goats brought really good money.   The tweener goats didn’t bring much and a common goat wasn’t going to bring anything.  I would say that we are starting to see the effects of the downturn in the economy.  Especially, the oildfield industry decline which drives the OK economy.  But as a whole, May through the end of June, good goats brought really good money.  The demand for quality bucks is still at an all-time high.  

Circle of Champions sale went well.  Ralph brought a good set and they sold well.  A doe kid for 7K+, wethers for 4k+.  Seelke’s buck/wether brought $11K.  Tyke sold a wether for $3,250.  Helms, Cramblet and I sold some prospects that got bought for a fair price and went to good homes and have a chance.  Good sale.  

The high at Pfeiffer’s was $7,250 which is lower than normal.  But the sale average was still really good.  

Milligan & Friends sale probably had the biggest crowd.  Milligan sold an Easy Decision wether for 7K and a doe kid for 5K.  Seelke’s sold a Deuce/Rumour doe kid for $4,250.  Pullan sold an All In x double bred Rainman wether/buck prospect for about 7K.  

These sales take a lot of planning and hands on work from lots of people to get them done.  Thanks to all that help set up, tear down, push goats, set up goats and those that bid and buy.  In the end, it is good people that make this stock show industry go round.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.  

      The wethers are sheared and loaded.  We aren’t taking many–just five wethers.  But this is a really nice set.  Taking a little guy that is just about 9 weeks old.  He is a Dirty Rain x Rumour Has It.  Super complete kid–cocky, shapely, round ribbed and excellent on feet and legs.  I haven’t banded him and I almost would like to keep the nuts in him.  But, we need to take a good one.  Taking an old school Joe Dirt x Harley wether that will just get every day of his life.  That is the trend with those genetics.  Also taking a Skippy Red Leg kid that is wicked big backed and tight hided.  If you want to pet on one, then you need to get your hands on this dude.  Also taking a 3 Amigo x 445 wether from Tyke that is dang good.  He got an infected bag and is not 100%, but this guy will feed.  

We’ll see you at the sales.  

I’ve been a lot of miles and seen a lot of goats, all over Texas.  I’ve also seen a lot of Okie goats.  In all honesty, there isn’t any need for any Okies buy outside of OK.  There is going to be a wicked set of goats selling this weekend.  One day, 3 sales and all loaded with good goats.  

The Circle of Champions sale is a known producer for excellent goats.  All of these breeders are proven and will once again bring a top end offering.  Wethers, doe kids and potentially a buck prospect or two.  Once again, this is a can’t miss sale.  

The Small Town Saturday night sale is shaping up to be real good.  There is going to be a set of wethers there that will play and a couple of big time doe kids.  I wouldn’t be in a big panic to spend all my money during the day as there is some really good stock being offered at 8 pm. Sat. night.  Milligan is offering some of the best that he has raised to date.  Pullan has a very nice set.  Schovanec is bring some Nasty Habit goats that have some serious shape.  Seelke will offer a doe kid that is the twin to the prospect that we put on facebook.  Kester’s will have a couple of nice prospects.  Plus, I bet that Ring will have the smoker going

I haven’t got all my goats bought yet, as I have held off waiting for several that are selling this weekend.  I’ll have to try to get some bought, right here at home.  

I could go on and on about the BIG time breeders.  Some of them are like Wal-Mart. I don’t mean this in a negative way, as Wal-Mart is one of the most successful companies of all time.  These breeders are going to have banner pictures year in and year out, just by shear numbers.  They can try new matings while still using the tried and true that pays the bills.

Then there are those few that consistently raise goats that are in the hunt, every year.  But, they have limited numbers.  I had the privilege of attending some sales this weekend that were hosted by a couple of these under-rated breeders.  

First off, was the Allen-Faris-Lumpkins sale.  All of these guys are excellent stockmen in their own right.  I kind of hate even writing about this sale, but those that know me, know that I like to feed goats from this sale.  So do a couple of other HEAVY hitters.  Everybody in the know, in the industry, is aware of Bob Allen goats.  He doesn’t offer many, they will NOT be little goats, they will not be over-fitted and they will feed.  And every year, somewhere, they hang banners.  His goats and his sales will be the same–no fluff, no BS.  Just good goats.  I like it.

Next up was Roy Sanders.  Another old school kind of breeder.  Sanders goats always find a way towards the backdrop.  You can bet that they will be jack fronted, tight hided, good boned and lots of shape.  He knows his genetics and how to feed them.  Just look at his daughter’s success. 

And on that note.  While at their sale, Brittany Sanders gave the prayer before the auction.  She said “Amen”.  I turned to Braden and Duke and said, that girl has a killer speaking voice.   I would rather talk public speakers than goats.  I love it when kids can get in front of a group and BRING IT!  Just after mentioning her quality delivery, auctioneer Mark Tillman anounced, “Thank you to Brittany Sanders.  It isn’t everday that a Texas State FFA Creed Champion gives the invocation.”  Point Proven.  Think about how good she had to be to win the Texas State FFA Creed Championship.  Tammy and I have a wall of Kela’s wins, but the family favorite is a State FFA Agribusiness speech winning plaque.  I love it!  

The common ingredient of both sales was another goat breeder/buyer–Mark Morriss.  This dude sees more goats than most anybody in the industry.  He knows goats.  You know you are going to have a successful sale when Mark walks in.  If he doesn’t get anything bought, then they sold well.  Real well.    This cat has a good eye.  

I could go on about under-rated breeders.  As you read this, remember that I am an OSU grad. I trend towards the under-rated.  And as I typed this, I just realized that most of the goat world is going to tie to A&M, Tech, Nebraska, KState, ISU,GA or the other OSU.  They ALL think that that they are under-rated.  It’s just an aggie kind of thing.  I will agree, all except for the state university of Ohio.  And that osu is over-rated 19 out of 20 years in football.  But their, 1 in 20 is better than Okie State’s football history. 

I put a bounty on some problem critters around here in paradise (not AMMO the dog).  I don’t know if we will see Duke indoors until he collects all of the bounty goals.  One thing about that kid, he understands the value of a dollar.  Especially, if he isn’t siting at a desk.  

No matter the breeder, the state, the show, whatever, the common question is “Where can we find new, qualified judges?”  I just spent the past 7 weeks traveling the show goat capital of the world–also known as Texas.  Braden Schovanec and Duke Kelln were my co-pilots.  I will gladly let these two clowns pick goats for me.  Duke is the more discriminating judge. He either likes one or he doesn’t.  If you are on a budget, send Duke.  If you want THE ONE!  Send Braden.  My point–grow em.  We need to be growing our next judges.  

I goat a call from the favorite daughter on this Father’s Day.  It is kind of scary/really cool when you have to ask “What continent are you calling from?”  No matter, I loved the call.  One more big weekend and then I am done goating for a bit.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.  

Oh crap,  there are like 27 online auctions tomorrow.  June is harvest month in the wheat world.  So it is as well in the online goat world.  Good luck earning those commissions this week, my friends.  Once again, that is underrated work.  Thus the reason my daughter is traveling the world instead of tied to a computer and phone this week.  The Milligan crew will earn their p-check this week.  Taking care of posting, re-posting, answering questions, phone calls, fixing mis-bids, sending invoices, collecting payments, making payments, etc, etc.  Dealing with buyers and sellers.  Online sales aren’t easy.  Just ask the successful sellers.  They will all tell you, pay for the help.  It is money well spent.  Good luck to all!

The critters are fed, hayed and watered.  The babies eyes are doctored.  The truck is running and ready to roll…again.  Hopefully, this sale weekend is the best so far.  

It doesn’t matter what business that you are in, you better understand marketing and/or be ready to be able to pay somebody to help market said product.  I can tell you that I am still learning. 

And the other thing about marketing, you better always be learning and willing to learn more.  Because somebody else is already working on a new way to sell you something.  How many of you have bought some flex-seal?  I haven’t…yet.  But I think about it every time that I see one of those commercials.  

Every year, I watch some goat breeders as they spend money, and I think “They could have save themselves a pile to just ask for help.”  Just because you spent it, does not mean that people will come.  You have to build it.  In order to build it, it takes money, it takes time and it takes patience.  And most importantly, it takes knowledge.  I could write a book about my thoughts on this topic.    

I have learned that $70 worth of chickens is cheap entertainment for the Dragon Lady.  I about fell in the grass the other night when one of her precious hens snuck up and pecked her on the back of the ankle. The only reason that I didn’t hit the ground…was the fear of landing in some chicken $h!t>  I don’t know what a dozen eggs cost, but with feed, nesting boxes, time, etc.  these are turning into some chickens…….that are money REALLY well spent.

I have learned that rabbits like the taste of okra leaves.  A reckoning is coming!

I have learned that Duke wants to own cows.  He has voiced this for several years.  He agreed to purchase a set today.  This deal will look like a box of crayons with all of the colors that is in this box.  Believe it or not, I know what I am doing with cows.  But, we have a couple of neighbors that will be a great asset to Duke in the cow game.  And, for those of you that have been to our piece of paradise and seen Dad’s heifers, it’s obvious that he has top shelf kind of cattle.  i would argue that the best set of commercial cows in this part of the world belongs to John Q. Kelln.  I had to learn this goat deal on the fly.  And I’m still learning.  I learned a long time ago, that if a kid wants to do something, and shows the work ethic, give them some rope and see where they take you.  This is how I ended  up in the goat business.  Now, I have these dang goats and Kela is on a different continent.  Good Trade….for her.  And that my friends, is the name of this game.  Building kids.  

I learned a long time ago that I wasn’t going to make it in the NFL, MLB  or any other pro sport, so I better learn something else.  Odds are, neither will you or your kids, so you better prepare them for what happens after high school graduation.  I have also learned that it doesn’t hurt to prepare before they graduate.  

I have recently learned, that the worst job in the U.S. today is…. the job of promoting the City of Orlando.   What a crappy week?  A shooting, followed by THE shooting and then a gator attack at a Disney resort.  Speaking of marketing…that is going to take some work.  I do feel for all of the families involved in these nightmares.  

We did break the MAMMOTH single buck kid curse that plagued us this weekend.  Twins–alive.  I have learned that this is way more fun.  Twins–alive.  Sounds like a bad movie title.  You can interpret that title how you want it. I’ve learned to walk away and leave this alone.  

GOD bless all of us!  Have a good day and a better tomorrow.  

p.s.   Pete Rose is still the Hit King.  Just sayin!

Tammy told me last night that her phone said that it was going to rain.  Mine didn’t.  The tv weather gave us a 10% chance of rain in far NW OK.  Well, that 10% chance hit at 5 AM.  Hard.  I went out in it to shut the kidding barn up, close the chicken barn and make sure babies that had just been moved outside were under the shed with their mothers.  The rain hurt as it hit.  We got an inch in about an hour.  I got to clean out a feeder or two.  One big tree is down.  I’m not in a hurry to move it.  I’m going to let the yearling does eat all of the leaves off of it.  They like leaves.  It saves on feed bill and it will make that tree lighter to move. 

It could be worse.  The wind blew this storm to Vici.  I just talked to James and he said that they had 3.7 inches this morning.  Plus, my cousin had alfalfa down and was going to bale this morning.  I guess I don’t have to haul any small squares this afternoon.  

Okie State is back in the college world series.  That is their rightful place.  This used to an every year kind of deal.  Glad they are back.

Bad deal with that isis dipshit in Orlando.  Trump will have plenty to say.  I can’t wait for all of your president and vice president lame ass excuses about it not being a muslim thing.  Jeeminy.  The FBI has even investigated this dude–twice.  

The past three days have not been fun in this part of paradise.  Duke and I changed travel plans on Thursday.  We found out that one of our traveling companion’s mother was being admitted to the hospital.  Hopefully, this was the only scare for that family.  

We were running late to the TX sales, so we didn’t get to make our planned farm stops.  We did make it to FNF in time.  Huge crowd combined with big prices means that we didn’t do any damage.  I did get to check out some goats from breeders that I hadn’t had the opportunity to see before.  BW Livestock had a doe kid that was scary big backed.  I mean HULK HUGE rack and loin.  I hate female goats, but I did bid  once or twice on this one.  

Might have kept going, but the Dragon Lady was having hell at home with doe goats.  She had to get Tyler Gaisford here to pull a monster–single buck kid syndrome.  Out of a 5 year old proven doe (she might have raised the bronze wether at OYE 15).  Then another doe that was nursing twins decided that she had thiamine defeciency (1st time for us with a nursing doe).  Then, this doe somehow pushed a goat open and disappeared. (More firsts–the gate deal and disappearing doe).  The neighbors have helped look for her.  Tammy used up all of the gas in the gator and still no doe.  I’ve got nothing.  Duke and I have kept quiet about this debacle.  Especially since Tammy transplanted the twins from the B1 deficient doe to the doe that lost the monster kid.  

Duke and I also made it to Eldorado for the Texas Trophy Select sale.  Once again, didn’t get anything bought. So, we decided to head back into town to Rosa’s Casita.  But NOOO!!.  Rosa’s is now closed.  Duke and I went hit-less this weekend.  And it got worse, once we got home.  I lost a doe and kid.  

Proven does with 4 different bucks.  These does have been dry lotted on low percent grain and oat hay for the past month.  This is the problems of a small breeder.  If I ran several hundred head of does….who cares what happens to a few.  But when you run 50 dang good ones….well, it doesn’t take but a couple of trainwrecks to feel it.  There was actually more to the story this weekend.  These are just the highlights.  Trust me when I say that it got worse.  

Duke looks forward to Cooper’s, Bob Allen’s, Gallagher’s  and Roy Sander’s stuff next weekend.  However, when asked if he was coming back to TX next weekend, he replied, “I’m scared to.  Home may fall apart if I leave again.”  I fully understand.   

When people wonder why it costs so much for a good goat, they need to see how much it takes to raise a good one.  Trust me, it is easier and cheaper to buy a good one than it is to raise one.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.