Right now, in Duncan, OK, the Fall Classic is taking place.  This is the dangdest gathering of hog breeders, buyers, lookers, tire kickers, BSers and the largest # of hogs sold in one place.  They will sell breeding age pigs of all breeds, show pigs, auctions in the parking lot, private treaty transactions.  You name it, if it involves a show pig, it is happening at Duncan this weekend.  The motels are sold out months in advance.  The restaurants are full and the quick stops & bars stock up on cold beer to appease all of the hog enthusiasts.  It’s crazy, but cool.  

     I haven’t attended the Fall Classic in several years.  Part of me would like to go.  The rest of me knows that it is best if I stay home.  The thing about the Fall Classic that got me to thinking is how much different goat sales are compared to other species.  

     The driving force behind the price of a bull or boar is the semen sales.  Whether a boar stud or breeder buys the top boars this weekend, they will sell semen on that animal.  Almost all of the top bulls have semen being offered in some form or fashion.  Goats, not so much. Yes, I know that the AI / flush side of the goat industry is just now really getting good.  But if you are interested in using the VERY best wether sires, it has been hard to get your hands on the semen.  The driving force behind a buck purchase is that almost every breeder is trying to find that magical next piece.  So us breeders spend a pile to get a piece of the right genetics.  And then we just keep him to ourselves.  

Heat Wave, Sugar Ray, Monopoly, Full Flush, Who Made Who–all made famous because of their AI use.  LOTS of breeders used these bulls and raised good ones. 

Slam Dunk, Tae Bo, Yakety Yak, 105, Warfare–these boars revolutionized alot of different herds.  All through AI.

900, 191, Festus, Mozart–What would the semen from these bucks be worth on the open market?  How many could actually utilize this semen to improve their herd?  I don’t blame the breeders for not parting with it.  But on the other hand, how many dollars are being left on the table?

Sometimes, an opportunity might be missed to make some cash.  

900–Everybody would want a piece of this legend.  I’d like to have it just to say that I’ve got some 900 in the tank.  Is a straw of 900 worth as much in 2013 as compared to what it would have cost in 2009?  I don’t know, but I do know that if offered, it would bring a pile of jack.

191–Still siring and still very relevant to the industry.  His sons are siring champions, his daughters are producing.  This living legend would bring a wad.

Festus–not as hot a deal as he was a few years ago when he was dominating wether shows.  It would still be cool to put Festus on a bunch of 900 line daughters.

Mozart–He may be more relevant today than he was in his prime.  That’s saying something.  

Freaky–way relevant and might change a herd quicker than any of them.

What would I do with semen from these bucks?  900, Freaky & 191–I’d probably just put it in the tank and tell stories about it.  Then I’d probably forget to fill the tank at some point, then I’d have some high dollar useless straws and I’d have another story.

Festus and Mozart–I’d use it and try to make a set of females.

Now, if I had some Showtime.  Well, I’d be real careful and try to use it ASAP and make as many offspring as I possibly could with that stuff.  

The day is coming when semen will be readily available on all of the top shelf wether bucks.  But, it may not be this day.  

Until then, it’s like the NFL draft and people better grab the BEST available bucks.  

     A common question that I am asked is “How come I don’t keep all of the best goats that I buy/raise for Duke?’  This is a very valid question and I have numerous answers.  

1–I don’t always know “exactly” which one is the “right” one.  

2–Even, when I am extremely confident as to the “right” one, I try to put it in the right showman’s hands, at that time.  

3–Duke doesn’t need to be trying to work a whole fleet of goats.  He’s still only 12.  So, we just keep a couple.  

4–I sell our’s and feed similar genetics.  I’ve bought bucks from Helms, Gallagher, Kelly, Halfman and that is what we have fed–similar genetics.  Duke has shown 191s, Freaky offspring, Rainman kids, wethers out of Rainman mommas, etc.  I’ve watched friends try to sell show animals when their kids were still showing and it is a double-edged sword.  I don’t have the right answer.

5–I don’t have a problem getting beat by my own.  Take Woodward district last year.  Bree Taylor was grand with a goat that I bought from Helms.  She earned it.  Kory Dietz was reserve grand with a goat from me.  He earned it.  Duke had 2 res. divisions behind Taylor and Riley.  He had a killer good day and got beat by great families.  I’m fine with that.  He has earned the right to compete with the best.  Is he the best?  No. Not yet.  

6–Did I mention that Duke  is only 12?  I only get in a hurry when I’m driving.  We’ll take consistency and just have fun with that.  

7–We’re not in search of purple banners.  Our family is more about the journey to get “there”.  I get a little carried aways with feeding projects.  Which is fine if you are feeding a dozen, but we have 3 on feed for this winter.  1 good one, 1 nice one and 1 project.  Those odds aren’t very good.

8–But Duke likes BOB, knows that Optimus is a good one and he thinks Tommy is cool.  So as long as we have fun, then we are winning. 

9–It is way more fun to travel with a crew that all has a shot to win.  The more, the merrier.  

10–It is more important to Tammy and I that our kids learn how to do things right, than it is to win every time.  The wins will come as the work is invested, the experience begins to pay off and the desire to win builds.  That is what we feel this program is about.  Our expreriences with raising the first kid has shown us that we are right.  

11–There are times that it is hard for me to swallow, but you just have to stop what you are doing and say, “let’s not work goats today.  Let’s play catch, go fishing, shoot cow turds, etc.”

12–Sometimes, maybe more than sometimes, you have to take the edge off so that you can have fun.  Sometimes, just sometimes, too many are expecting to win and you have to step back and  go “WOW, I don’t get paid for this crap.  So, let’s have a large time.”  The next thing you know, you have 1/2 interest in a ’93 chevy van, 4 new stories and a new desire to fight the good fight.

13–Did I mention that Duke is 12? 

No matter your involvement in the livestock industry, fun should be a motivating factor.  Why do it if you can’t have fun?  

Help somebody to learn.  Help them to learn to have fun.  Help them to learn to win.  Heck, help them to make some money while learning and having fun.  

     So, the other day, I was out of iced tea at the dealership.  I haven’t had a mountain dew in over a week, so being out of tea could become a bit of an issue.  On this morning, a customer was at Mandy’s desk as I came back from the kitchen in the shop.  I told Mandy to get me some tea at Chicken Express (they have good tea) when she goes to the bank.  She allowed that Chicken Express wouldn’t be open at 10 AM when she goes to the post office and the bank.  The customer allowed that he was headed to that part of town and would pick some up.  Mandy told him that it won’t be open.

     Anyways, 30 minutes later and the customer walks back in carrying a glass of iced tea and a gallon jug of tea.  I was on the phone so I just made faces and twitched for a minute trying to figure out how he got the tea at 9 am.  He stood there grinning.  I got off the phone and said, “They aren’t open!  How the heck?”  

He said, “The front door was open so I walked in.  They weren’t “open” but since I was already inside, they sold me some tea.”

     Now, here’s the deal.  Brandon Bruce was the customer that delivered the tea.  If you know Brandon, then you already find the humour in this story.  If you don’t know him, well, you should.  He and his family show goats with us.  Good people.  Brandon is not a small guy.  Not fat, just a big, stout guy with big PAWS, solid foundations, and normally has some facial hair working.  

     Now imagine that you dropped out of high school last year and are working at the chicken express and you didn’t lock the front door when you came in to start frying up some chicken, gizzards, okra or livers.  Now, sasquatch jr. walks in at 9 am and orders some tea.  Hell yes they gave him the tea.  He probably didn’t even have to pay for it.  Fearfully, some kid, just hands it over–“Please don’t hurt me.  Take the tea.”  No matter, I am grateful that I had some tea to make it through the next day or two.  Brandon’s the kind of guy that can get things done.  Although, I bet they now lock the door of a morning.

     We have to have safety meetings at work, once a month.  I put together a committee and put them in charge.  This is good that I know these 3 employees will get it done.  But, they also always schedule it around a meal.  Sometimes, it’s just juice and donuts.  Sometimes, I have to buy pizza for everybody.  Today, they wanted Thanksgiving dinner.  And I got nominated to smoke a turkey and a ham.  Which I did.  All of the employees brought sides and dessert.  Spouses attended.  It was a really good dinner.  I’m thankful to have a good set of employees and we all get along.  A job is always better when you get along with the people that you work with.  The only problem with this dinner was that I smoked the meat at home.  Then I put it in the cab of the pickup and headed to the store for lunch.  The boneless ham road on a plate 18 miles, wrapped in foil.  As I turned into the drive of the dealership, I hit a bump as I turned left and the ham rolled right.  It rolled perfectly so as to land where the one end of the foil worked as a funnel and dumped the smoked ham juices right into the carpet on the passenger side.  So, if you get in my pickup and suddenly have a craving for a ham sandwich, that’s why.  I’m sure the smell will linger. 

     On a goat note, I’ve had a bit of a kidding barn project going.  Concrete, barn, pens, etc.  We are now nearing the electrical phase.  I called my Mom to ask about a diagram that I had seen of where all the electrical lines on this property run.  And sewer, plumbing, etc.  She sent me the book.  It is a journal of EVERYTHING my Grandpa Duke spent money on from 1942-1956.  It just also happens to have all of the updated schematics.  Reading through this old ledger is fun.  Land bought, land sold, feed, fuel, seed, livestock, crop production, cream & eggs, dr. clothes, labor, buildings, repairs, donations, watch repairs, stamps, film developed for .53 cents, &  misc.  I MEAN everything.  I have come to realize that Grandpa was way more organized than I am and he has legible penmanship.  This deal is awesome.  Oh and the schematics are exact.

    I know that I haven’t posted much the past week or two and now I’m doing two in one day.  It’s okay. I’ve been busy at work–kind of.  Been busy at home–new kidding barn.  Been busy this afternoon with Duke–played catch and shot guns–priceless.  Been on the phone–Kela called–that means nothing gets done for awhile–priceless.  Right now, I’m currently downloading some J. Geils Band songs to the phone–costs me $1.29 per download. Can’t download Gun’s N’ Roses–not so priceless.  

     On Monday, Nov. 18th is an online benefit auction for Lane Barber.  This young lady is facing some serious medical issues.  We all are aware of the costs of insurance and the costs of medical care regardless of insurance.  Now, pretend you are about 20 years old and facing some serious shit.  

     (But if you want the best insurance, get online and get yourself some of that obamacare crap–it’s so good that people aren’t signing up for it)  This political message is brought to you by the part of the general public with a job and a functional  brain.  

      Back to the point, whether you know Lane or not doesn’t matter; it is time to take care of our own.  Money helps, but more money might make it better.  The goat community needs to take of our own.  Jodi called and asked if it was okay to sell a straw of Rumour Has It semen on a benefit for Lane.  My reply, “Sell two.”  If a goat can help raise money to help a person, well then it becomes a nike ad–Just Do It.  And on that note, the straws of Rumour Has It semen will cost at least $1,500 for the 2 straws.  Why?  The Dragon Lady and I are flooring/bidding/writing a check for $1,500.  Whatever you bid above that, you owe and you get the 2 straws.  If you bid $1,600, then you write a check for $1,600 and get 2 straws of Rumour Has It and Tammy and I write a check for $1,500.  That would mean $3,100 for the cause.  Who knows?  If the bid gets high enough, Bob, Jodi, Tammy and I might just donate more straws to the winning bidder.  If somebody wants to get stupid, well, we can play along.  

     Have fun.  Raise money.  This is an online auction that we need people talking about.  

“In less need for charity and more of it when needed.”     Remember that line.  Here’s your chance to act.  

“I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.”

    And you always wondered what that 5th paragraph of the FFA creed actually meant.  It means that American farmers and ranchers help each others–across this great nation, have an opportunity to partake in this helping cause because it is the right thing to do which in turn will inspire others.  It is a tradition that American agriculturists help each other.  Bid, write a check, stand solid knowing that you helped a fellow person.

     It doesn’t happen very often, maybe 6-8 times a year, but I will make time to eat some cereal.  Not just any cereal, but Cocoa Puffs.  I don’t use a bowl to eat cocoa puffs.  I use a cooking pan.  Yeah, one with a handle on it.  It has to be big enough to hold a 1/2 box of cocoa puffs.  I then soak it in milk.  Then it sits and soaks for up to 20 minutes.  This soaking softens the puffs plus it turns the milk into pure chocolate milk.  I will stir the cereal several times before it is ready.  This makes sure that the puffs on top get dunked and soaked in milk.  A simple taste test will verify when it is ready to eat.  

        I have noticed that this cereal tastes better when there is nobody else at home and there is an episode of Law & Order on the tube.  Once the cereal is eaten, I drink the milk.  Then, I put the spoon and the pan in the sink.  All done.  The only problem is that I deal with a little bit of a lactose intolerance problem.  So, that much milk can lead to some gastric discomforts.  But dang, I like eating a pan of cocoa puffs and milk.  

     Speaking of gastric problems.  I think every goat feeder should have sulfa boluses, liquid Albon, oxy-tet calf scour pills and maybe some spectam scour-halt on hand in order to put a quick stop to any case of the runs.  It is best to get the runs stopped immediately.  It is amazing at how quick a goat can change for the worse when the get the shits and how long it takes to get them looking good again once healed.  It is an inverse ratio.  Gets the shits and crashes overnight–takes two weeks to get them looking good again.  1 day crash/14 day rebound.  

     It is a beautiful Sunday.  Saturday was absolutely miserable.  The wind blew 35-50 miles per hour all day long.  We already needed a rain, but this miserable wind has dried us way out.  The best thing about saturday was the Pokes beat the longhorns in Austin.  I didn’t think OSU would win 9 games this year.  I guess that’s why I’m not on ESPN prognasticating football scores.

     One of the interesting things about my little breeding operation is the decision of what gets bred to what.  Joe Dirt, Rumour Has It or Rainman–does it matter?  All are way good.  I’ve got 40 breeding age does standing here at the Kelln Kompound south of Fargo.  22 are already bred to Rumour.  10 are synced for Rainman.  That only leaves 8 for the best proven wether sire in OK?   Don’t feel sorry for Dirt just yet.  I might only have 40 here, but between Tyke’s modest herd and my other little deals here & there, Dirt has been getting down and dirty on a regular basis and has seen way more action than Tyke or myself.  

     I looked at the message board tonight and saw the slick shear does post.  Beings how I almost always have an opinion on most topics–here you go.

How will slick shearing does change the OK goat industry?

1–It will improve the structure and true muscle shape in goats.  Why?  Because those counterfeit rips that didn’t have enough true muscle shape and/or structure problems will get sifted because they aren’t hiding behind hair, fat, good clip jobs, etc., which won’t make them near as enticing to “put back into the herd”.  

Look at the Texas slick shear cattle industry.  Reds, yellows and smoke became popular.  Why?  Color didn’t matter anymore and you better have a killer hip, deep twist and good rear wheels.  As a result, the Shorthorn and Hereford champions have also drastically improved.  If there isn’t a curtain to hide behind, then you make things better.  

2–Purebreds will still be competitive in a doe show.  Especially the ones that are truly good–have structure, balance and shape.  Anytime a purebred breeder (regardless of species) breeds for quality and NOT for the papers, they can make good animals.  This will enhance that aspect.  It might also eventually make purebred wethers decent.  

3–It will NOT change the winners.  Winners win, complainers whine, and the rest either quit or half ass it.  

4–Do I care if they slick shear does or not?  Not really.  I’m not a doe shower but I have raised and/or showed more div. champs at OYE, Tulsa, etc. than most true doe showers combined.  (Not to be arrogant, but I might add CONSISTENTLY to that).  I’m like Quigley from “Quigley Down Under”.  He preferred to use a rifle.  Didn’t mean that he couldn’t use a pistol.  He just had a preference.  Just because I don’t like to show does, doesn’t mean that I can’t do it.  I’ve got a bunch of doe showing experts in my county/district; but somehow, I don’t recall ever getting beat by them.  I’ve got a buddy east of me that sashayed into the doe show one year and beat everybody’s ass. Good ones always get it done, no matter what. 

5–Will it make the good wether feeders show does?   It will NOT entice the wether showers to go show does.  Why?  The top end wether feeders are in it for the hunt, not the win.  They want to find the best one(s) that they can gather.  They want to flip rocks and find one that somebody else left behind.  They want to find the best one, then buy it.  Period.  And they DAMN sure don’t want to BORROW it.(Because they can’t).  I’m just speaking for Oklahoma, but the TRUE wether dudes in OK, want to find him, raise him and/or buy him, put him in a helluva good home and win with him then take a banner picture, feed him, maybe cry with your kid, then put him on the trailer to OSU. Then go do it again.  All while knowing that we probably aren’t going to make money on the deal.  

6–Should the does look like wethers?  NO!!  They should be judged as females.  Correct structure, balance, eye appeal and “true”muscle shape need to be taken into consideration.  A buck can always add the muscle mass and heaviness of structure.  A good judge will know the differene.  However, finding a good judge seems to be like finding a cheap, GOOD wether;  increasingly hard to find.  

     On that note:  I personally don’t think the grand doe at the Lone Star Elite would have been in the top 3 of a market class.  But she dang sure rightfully earned a banner in the doe class.  But, there were doe kids that placed in the top 2 or 3 of the market class.  Explain?  Well, there is a difference.   Same judge, different purposes of the animal, therefore, different placings.  Your mind has to be right.  

7–Am I against showing does?  On the contrary.  YES, I am all for showing does!! Hell YES!!  I am all for any project that a kid can learn from and develop a social network as a result of their involvement with that project.  Rabbits, chickens, pigs, horses, cattle, even a dang sheep, I’m a fan if a kid wants to do it.   But, if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right.

Thought for the day on this subject.  And this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this reply.

Kelln–“Hey, Kelli.  So now that you have shown a slick sheared goat and braced it and won a title, are you ready to show wethers?”  

Kelli Sweet-after winning the Lone Star Elite Doe Show– emphatically, “NO!”  

Kelln–“Why?”

Kelli Sweet–“It’s harder.”  

My point exactly.  

       I’m fine if the doe showers all want to hide behind the hair, rhymes with hair, fat, feed additives, etc.   It doesn’t make a rat’s donkey to me if you show does with hair or without.  My borrowed does come home and breed.  Our crew will show them however the rules see fit. And we’ll win some and get beat in some.  No matter what, we will have a good time, sleep well at night and a few won’t want to order strawberry crepes again from IHOP.  

I don’t care if you slick ’em or clip ’em, but like the Lone Star Elite–Test ’em.

Here’s to hoping that all of you have a good day and a better tomorrow.  

     We made it to the Lone Star Elite Jackpot in San Angelo this weekend.  This is a really good show with really good goats and a really good payoff.  The quality-top to bottom-is very deep.  There are some really good goats that get sifted.  I have no complaints with the judge as he was pretty consistent and didn’t waste a lot of time.  Sure, there was a place here or there that I would have swapped, but all in all, a job well done.  

      We took a pretty large crew and had a large time.  There might have been a dad or two that got pushed down the slope in the hotel parking lot while riding some sort of platform with wheels and a chair on it.  I don’t know where it came from but Duke and Carson were the inventors.  The Olive Garden did a great job of taking care of this whole crew.  We got our own section of the restaurant.  

     So, how did we do in the show?  Friday night was the showmanship contest.  Braden Schovanec won the sr. division.  Lexi Vanderwork won the intermediate division with Bree Taylor, Dalton Dunkin and Darcy Peach also in the top 5.

    Saturday morning brought the first ever doe show.  Kelly Sweet showed the Grand doe.  The wether show followed.  Braden had the ch. light weight division winner and the res. ch. middle weight div. champ.  His lightweight was reserve grand overall.  We had a pile of wethers in the top 5 of their classes with Braden, Duke, Darcy, Bree, & Lexi all in the top 2 of their classes.  Keep in mind that a class winner pays $1,000 and a 2nd pays $750.  That’s worth the drive down there.  

     There were a lot more Okies there this year and they got along real well.  There were exhibitors from Arkansas, New Mexico and even Ohio, not to mention a lot of Okies and Texans.  Thanks to the breeders that sponsor this show.  It is an extremely tough jackpot show that is worth the effort.  

Next show, Champions Choice jackpot on Dec. 7.  If you have a goat from an eligible breeder, I highly suggest that you attend this show

     Friday is here and we are loaded up and ready to head south.  We’ll get to drive right into the wind as we start our journey to San Angelo and the Lone Star Elite Jackpot.  Don’t know how the show will turn out, but our crew will have a fun time.  

Have a good day and a fabulous weekend.  

     I’ve been watching several online pig sales the last couple of nights.  It looks to me like that the dang sure good ones sell real well, while the nice ones and not good enough ones are lucky to get a bid.  Unless you are selling good berks and that sale looked pretty stout.  One or two of the website bidding platforms are enough to make me not want to bid.  There is one site that is miserable to look at the pics, read the info & it gives me a stigmatism just to look at the bidding screen.  It’s enough to drive me to a different website.

     I do think the goat online sales normally have better pics (except for mine) and the reading for each animal is much more in depth and way more entertaining.  

I think that soup is an under-rated food.  

I also think that the time change (twice per year) is an under-rated pain in the ass.  

      Here’s some more stuff to think about.  I was looking at a list of the top 25 weathiest people and #s 12,11,10 & 9 were all Waltons of the Wal Mart empire.  Think about that the next time you spend a pile in there.  I didn’t see any goat breeders on the list but I think that Pfeiffer was 26 and Helms was about 29.  Or the other way around.

Have a wonderful day.

      Stay flexible but not limp.

      The National FFA Convention just recently completed its latest edition.  As a teacher, I always viewed the national FFA convention as a pain in the ass that came at a bad time of year and cost a pile of money to attend.  But, I liked going.  I really liked it when it was in Kansas City. I was usually pissed while in Louisville.  But I loved it in Indy.  No matter where it was, the kids and I had a good time.  We picked up a lot of hardware over the years, but it was other memories that I best remember. 

     There was some really good wins by the Okie goat contingent.  Tanner Miller won a national proficiency award (that would make him a 2 time national champion).  How many national proficiency finalists/winners has Allen Miller helped?  A PILE!  

     Tyler Sanders won the national goat production category. Congrats to the Sanders family. 

     How about Alva FFA with coach Randy Nation ending up 4th overall in the livestock evaluation division?  Kory Dietz was also 4th high individual.  Congrats to that crew representing Alva, Woods County and Oklahoma.  Nation has always been tough with livestock judging teams.  Dietz has compiled quite the resume.  I hope he has a good wether to finish out his senior year. 

     Tyler Schnaithman won the national prepared speaking division.  No, Tyler isn’t goat related, but he does come from a long ling of FFA success.  Plus, that is 5 YEARS in a row that an Okie has won the national prepared speaking contest.  I’ve always bragged on OK FFA public speaking.  This is why.  If you can be competitive in an OK FFA speech contest, well, you are pretty good.  Have I mentioned that I love a good public speaking event?

     On Saturday night, Tammy, Duke and I listened on the blue-tooth in my pickup as TravASS Bradshaw replayed his Burlington FFA judging teams success, disappointment, and then ultimately successes.  Yes, he had two teams competing.  His crops CDE team did well.  He was pleased.  His food science team did very well and ended up 6th in the nation.  Tammy and I love to listen to ag teachers talk with passion about their students ups, downs, wins, losses, tears, group hugs, etc.   

     It is not the banners or trophies that are remembered.  It is the journey to get to a goal that people remember.  Why does everybody remember the PO pig that wins a banner?  The cheap, no-name steer that hits a lick (that doesn’t happen very often) or the goat that has a story behind him:  It’s the journey that makes it worthwhile and no amount of cash can buy you a ride on that turnpike.  Sometimes, it is nothing but horseshoes,shamrocks, lottery tickets, a bucket of luck and an ass load of hard work that makes things happen.  

     I hope a pile of kids had fun in Lousiville.  I absolutely love Churchill Downs.  Shout out to Adair and Kingfisher for their wins.  

Congrats to all the winners this past week.  

     By the way, my Dad tends to know top shelf steakhouses and he constantly rates Jeff Ruby’s in Louisville as one of the top two.  The other being St. Emo’s in Indy.  I’ve been to St. Elmo’s numerous times and it ranks as my all time #1 steakhouse.  I mean, if St. Elmo’s was a goat, it’s address would either be 900 or 191.  So, if the old man says Jeff Ruby’s is good, well, I’m just going to have to find out for myself.  But, he is probably right.