I’m not sure why, but lately, I have been involved in several conversations about vaccinating goats.  For the past several years, I have used Calvary 9.  It covers C.D. & T as well as several other diseases.  The best part of it, it doesn’t leave that knot.  I give this to every kid at about 2 weeks of age and then again at 6-8 weeks.  Every doe and buck gets a dose of this around the first of July.

We also use a Purina wind & rain mineral with CTC.  Yes, you are supposed to have a script to purchase it.  Some bought enough before these rules came into effect.  We haven’t had many abortion problems since we started using this over a decade ago.  Yes, you could give the bred does a dose of LA200 or LA300 every month or so.  Now I don’t know about you, but the less that I catch a female goat and give her a shot, the better my attitude is.

Speaking of getting a vaccination shot.  Yeah, I’m out on getting the old covid vaccine.  The only thing I did with any of that stuff was buy some Moderna stock and then sold it when it moved up.  I don’t care if you get the vaccine.  That is your business.  I have never had a flu vaccination and I have only had the flu twice in the past couple of decades.  I’ll take my chances.  I mean really, something is eventually going to kill me.  I didn’t plan on making it this long.  If the covid gets me, oh well.  Sure, I would rather pass while being smothered by a bunch of smoking hot strippers.

Well, let’s be real.  Unfortunately, I’ve got a way better chance of the rona getting me.  And if there was a vaccine to prevent being smothered by smoking hot strippers, I wouldn’t take that vaccine either.  I’m not anti-vaccinations.  I just don’t need it nor want it.  I’m real sure that my “proper” diet keeps my immune system ramped up.  Hey, I did eat a salad last night.  Along with one of those melt-in-your-mouth badass croissants at Charleston’s.

I’m looking forward to a full day of clipping does here at THE OK Youth Expo.  Big fun!

Day 2 of THE Oklahoma Youth Expo.  I just spent my first night in this hotel room that will serve as my home until March 20.  Part of me is dreading this week and a half.  The other part is glad that I will actually be able to slow down during this time.

Thank goodness that I don’t have as many animals around the house as the Dragon Lady is in charge of all chores while I am gone.  She has been great help this winter/spring.

A year ago is when this covid shit-storm started.  It was during the judging of the Ag Mechanics when word was received that Houston was shutting down.  OYE made every effort to keep going and actually got all of the females shown.  From then on, the OYE crew showed the rest of the country how to run a stock show.  They ran the California Youth Expo, then they held the EYO when the State Fair of OK punted.  And once Denver canceled, this crew held the Cattleman’s Congress, which turned out to be a hit for exhibitors and the city of Oklahoma City.

I guess a sheep sold for some money?   $240,000 for half interest/NO possession.  Seeing who the players are on this dude, I bet it works.

I’ve already had a cheddar burger at Earl’s and lamb fries at Cattleman’s, so my OYE diet is in full swing.

People, have a good one today and a better one tomorrow.  Here’s to horseshoes and shamrocks for all.

There once was a cool Maine bull called Ice Pick.  I had a good bull sired by him and out of a Pistol Pete cow.  That dude sired breed champion steers & heifers at Woodward and Enid District as well as class winning steers & heifers at OKC and Houston.  Good bull.  We called him Bull Durham.  Great movie.

This weekend, I spent a lot of time helping students prep, primer and paint. I would rather stab myself in the eye with an ice pick then have to paint.  I make a mess.  We don’t have a proper paint space.

And tonight, I am having to use google drive.  I would rather stab myself in the scrotum with an ice pick than have to use this program.  Sure, there are some cool features.  But some simple tasks are more complicated and therefore time consuming.

Was it the movie “Basic Instinct” that involved a murder with an ice pick?  I remember some parts of that movie better than others.

I remember watching the middle brother use an ice pick to stab holes in a Mason jar lid.  He was making air holes for a praying mantis.  He stabbed himself in the hand.  At that age, it was scary but cool.

And it was windy today.  While outside, everything sounded like I had an ice pick shoved through my ear drum.

After the past few days, we are now down to single digit doe #s.  Chores are kind of easy.  Lately, I haven’t wanted to stab a doe with an ice pick.

Got a cool text from a customer that said, “We got our billy tonight.  One of the few animals that we have bought online that look much better than we expected.”  I feel comfortable saying that I won’t get stabbed with an ice pick by that customer.  Thanks.

We’ve all seen the commercials where that dude uses the flex-seal tape and plugs a leaking swimming pool OR uses it to tape a boat back together.

After spending the past several weeks cussing and discussing bucks and buck options with various people, from coast to coast, I have came to the conclusion that MOST do not have a breeding program.

I always try and ask about the genetics in their doe herd and what traits are most important to them.  You don’t have to like me but I have always done my best to match up what they were needing.  To the point, that I have said, “I don’t have one that fits what you are looking for.”  There isn’t many in the industry that will be this honest.  I’ve done this for a lot of years and I take pride in honestly representing what we sell.  And in all actuality, I have left money on the table as I am too harsh on my stock.  But our repeat customer list is like Snoop Dogg—HIGH!

However, when I ask, what are you needing to do in order to improve your doe herd?  And the reply is, “We need to handle better behind the shoulders, make them wider to the ground, make them prettier and put more ass into them, while adding bone and keeping loins wide.”

My next question–What is your budget?

The answer is always, ALWAYS, $2,500.   My answer will always be –I would give $25,000 right now on a buck that that will do all that.

Let’s be real.  Most breeders are just looking for a roll of Flex Seal.  Something that just stops the leaking.  They don’t have a program in mind.  They just want that hole in their roof to stop leaking.

When we got started, Kela and I bought doe kids that we really liked–regardless of genetics.  Then, I realized that she was serious about having more than a couple of goats.  Later, I realized that this goat deal was going to be legit.  So, we focused on quality with similar genetics.  I bought stuff from the Powell-Holman herd, Harbour family stuff and Charles Turner family goats.

Kela had bought a purebred type buck.  Then, Fred Slater and I bought a buck from some dude named Mike Kelly.  He didn’t look like much.  But Mike said, “Keep the daughters.  Figure out what trait that needs improved on the most and move forward.”

He was right and I am right.  That buck was a bottle baby named Harley.  He made great designed females with a good look and lots of maternal characteristics.  I’ve wrote about him before.

In all honesty, a breeder needs to know their market as well as their herds positives and negatives.  If you are trying to win majors, well that requires this.  If your goals are county goats and sellable goats, well this goat will work.

I can sell goats.  I can make really good goats.  I can help you make really good goats that are highly marketable.  But if you give me a cut-off saw and tell me to cut a boat in half–I’m going to make a mess and a roll of Flex Seal isn’t going to fix it.

Why cut the boat in half?  Figure out what a priorities list.  Is it structure, muscle, balance.  Then find something within your budget that fits your priorities.  Then name give that animal that cool name.

I’m not trying to sell bucks.  All that I have left are the mature bucks.  No guesswork with these dudes.

Buck name–yeah, some of you people are already thinking it–Flex Seal.

After last night, I would have to say there is not a recession in the area of the Woodward District Jr. Livestock Show.  Last night’s premium sale was stellar.  The grand steer brought $12K.  Most of the other grands and reserves were over $5k and most of the sale kids were bringing $1,750 to $3,500.  Thank you to all that support these kids.

Speaking of premium sales.  Clayton Washmon had the grand and reserve grand wether lamb as well as the reserve grand ewe.  Since all grands and reserves must sell, he was able to sell 3 animals in the premium sale.  His grand lamb sold real well.  But then, he donated the proceeds from his reserve grand to a little girl that is battling cancer.  Clayton is good friends with the girl’s dad and her grandpa is one of his mentors.  Yes, this lot sold REAL well!!  THIS is the kind of kids that we grow in the stock show industry!

Don’t watch the news and you will have a good one and a better tomorrow.

Thank you to all that bought, bid, looked at, inquired or viewed the online buck sale.  I am happy for these bucks.  I am happy for the new owners.  And I will really be happy to be done.

Next up will be a semen sale.

Then there will be a mature buck sale.  Next Friday and UZI will be offered.

Won’t have a doe sale for awhile.

April will bring probably 4 semen sales.

And then we will figure what to do with the equipment.

Online sale DOs and DON’Ts

DO make sure that your phone is charged as 7pm nears.

DO NOT schedule a sale while you are still showing cattle at your district show.

DO get good pics.

DO NOT mis-represent the animals.  Be prepared to explain flaws, positives, negatives, etc.

Do have a good day.  And Do NOT let the negativity in the world get your down.  It’s all good!

We’ve got some things around here that nobody else has.  For starters, Kela and I along with Tommy & Julie Milligan were the FIRST ever to hold an online goat auction.  It warms my heart that so many have driven to take a look at this latest online sale set.

Speaking of online goat auctions, I am REAL sure that I hold the record for the longest write-up.  That would be lot #5 in the Valentine’s Day sale.  I am also REAL sure that I hold the world record for the shortest write-up.  That would be lot #1 in the upcoming March 1 sale.  Now, don’t go to texting me about sales with NO write ups.  That’s a punt and does not constitute a write up.

I should probably have Guinness come to Fargo and validate these world records.  I don’t care for Guinness beer.  I guess that I should have my dad contact them.  He will drink that road tar.

This Saturday was wicked.  I’m wind blown and sunburnt.  Yet, I did not get frost bit.  Lots of travelers from numerous states made the trek to Fargo.  All of them said the same thing, “Worth the trip.  They are better than their pics.”  I know that we pushed too hard to get a bunch photoed, yet if we wouldn’t have pushed hard on that day, we wouldn’t have any pics and it would be April before we finished this dispersal.  I’m tired and ready to be done.

Speaking of firsts.  I’m going to post some crappy video on book face.  I have sent some videos to those that requested.  Those videos were taken when it was -9 and there was snow on the ground.  I shot new videos today.  No snow, just my finger in the way and a lot of wind muffling any sound.

Have a good one and a better tomorrow.

Do NOT read that title and try to decipher any part of it.  I’m probably going to hell for numerous reasons but that one opens up a new express lane for me.  But, yes.  It happened and I was like WTFFFFF!?!?!    If you have never met me, don’t text or call about this.  But yes, our little corgi cross dogs really like new visitors.

Once again, the things that happen in everyday life and I just happened to be present for it.  This is going to get long warning.

Here’s a story, about an online goat sale that I had a sale a couple of weeks ago.  5 bucks.  3 of them sold to 3 different deals in Cali.  1 sold to North Carolina and 1 to Oklahoma.  Guess which one is still here?  Yep, the closest one.  It’s all good.  The buyer has been in contact and I told him it was fine.  However, goats went to either coast and the one that goes 4 hours away…  Still here.  I love it…..so much……that I’m getting out.  But, that’s not why.

I shouldn’t write this either.  Yet, here we go.

A couple of months ago, I wrote about accidentally shooting my baby brother in the liver with a BB gun.  I don’t normally tell family stories, however, I have a lot of them.  My family, OUR family is extremely interesting.  When you meld Tammy’s side with my side and our brothers/in-laws, etc….well, we probably ought to make a movie about it all.  I just wish that I knew somebody in Hollywood.

Granny

My Dad’s mom was known by all in Shattuck as Granny.  She wasn’t 5 foot tall, yet she was larger than life.  HUGE personality.  She passed about 15 years ago.  I think of her often.  I’m so happy that both of my kids have fond memories of her.  As you read this stuff, remember that I have 2 reasons for this blog and your enjoyment is not one that I give a rat’s ass about.

I was the oldest grandchild.  Which did not work out in my favor at Christmas time, although I have the best memories.   The thoughts of her that stick out–

1–You would walk into her house looking for her.  Yell, “Granny” and she would call out from the back.  Which meant, that there was a strong chance that she was sitting on the throne, door WIDE open,  smoking a cigarette and working on a crossword puzzle.  Things that you can’t unsee.

2–In the spring and summer, Granny would be in the garden or flower beds working.  She would get hot and take her shirt off.  All 4′ 10″ of her, working in the garden, wearing a bra.  A granny bra.  While smoking.

3–The last time that I saw her alive.  She was hooked to an oxygen tube.  Pumping pure O2 through her nostrils.  Yet, she was sitting there, smoking a cigarette.  I said, “Granny, really?”

She grinned, shook her head and said, “Doesn’t matter at this point.”  We talked, hugged and a day later…….Truly one of my favorite human beings.

Which brings me to this story.

I have 2 brothers.  I am the oldest.  I took after the Schneider side.  Short, kind of stocky and not as smart as I think that I might should be.  Daniel–the youngest, kind of the same, yet some more of the Kelln stuff.  The middle one, Jake—oh hell, Kelln through and through.  6′ plus.  Physically fit.  Mid 40s and he can still play some ball.  Blonde haired and blue eyed.  Loud.  Loud. Loud.  You put the three of us side by side.  NO DOUBT that we are all litter mates.

Back in the early 80s, Granny got all of the grandkids, except for me,  blue fuzzy house shoes for Christmas.  They had cookie monster fur on these shoes.  Daniel was still in diapers.  I was just the right age to be a human remote control.

Dad–“Turn the channel.  Turn it again.  See if that Marty Stouffer Wild America is on OETA.  Well crap.  I don’t need to watch Lou Dobbs.  Turn it back to the news.”

As I was playing remote control, Jake came streaking though the living room.  Buck-ass naked except for the blue fuzzy house shoes and the grape Hubba Bubba bubble gum that he was blowing bubbles out of his mouth.  He stopped right in front of the tv, shook his moneymaker, blew a bubble, mooned us, then Dad yelled at him and then he ran.  He did this twice.  Then disappeared.   People, I was roughly 10 and Jake was 5.

A bit later, he was screaming for help.  Mom went to investigate.  When she yelled for me to bring mineral oil and peanut butter, I knew that I needed to see what the heck.  I looked through the doorway.  Somehow, he had smeared that grape Hubba Bubba bubble gum all over his nut bag.  I mean, he had sack stuck to either thigh.   He had that scrotum stretched so thin that it looked like a bat wing.  How the?   Is that the?  Hunh?   Dude, that’s a lot of purple bubble gum.

Being the true Saint that our mother was and still is, she worked to rid him of the bubble gum that he smeared all over his nut bag.  If it would have been my decision, I would have left him covered.

And the rest of the story….there was a Q tip left in Daniel’s crib.  Later that night, Daniel shoved that Q tip through his own ear drum.  And for a couple of years, Big D had a bit of a speech impediment because he couldn’t hear out of that ear.  All because of blue fuzzy house shoes and Hubba Bubba bubble gum.

And to this day, Jake has a cool family and a loving wife.  Yet, my visual image of that purple gum and nut sack……..well, she must really love him.

HAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Mom & Dad.  Please pray for me.  I need all of the help that I can get.

As I type this, I am watching Winston the cavapoo run laps around the furniture.  Tammy is gone for work and I am left here tending to a 8# dog.  I can’t complain as she was wicked good help during the frozen weeks. So, here I am tending to this beast.  Even!

I had to put him on a leash and go out to the big machine shed.  That’s where he likes to crap at 9 or 10 at night.  As he stopped and dropped not 1 or 3 turds, but more like 8 different tootsie rolls.  I thought of a buck that I saw last summer…..Walk It Out.   This lil dog would drop a tootsie roll,  walk it out, then drop another.  8 times he crapped and then walked it out.  But there was no doubt when the last Walk It Out was the right one.

As I came back inside and unleashed the beast, I then realized that the chicken door wasn’t shut.  Damn!!!!   I had already taken off my shoes.   It hurts to bend over and tie shoes.  So, I thought about the great American Hoss Manske.  Duke and I once witnessed Hoss sit down, bend over, grab a boot and pull it on.   And then, he sat up straight, took a deep breath of fresh air and let the oxygen flow into his system.   He then gained his composure and looked at Duke and said, “Duke, every time that I bend over and pull a boot on, I truly wish that I could breathe out of my A-hole.”   I understand.

Woodward District Livestock Show only has the cattle show left.  This district show has the best premium sale in Oklahoma, other than OYE.  This district show has wicked good stock.  The bottom end is well fed and well cared for.  The top end can play anywhere.  Yet, the best part of this show, it is still old-school.  We truly want it to be for the kids and of the kids.  There are still enough old-school ag teachers that it gets policed.  Jocks are fine as long as no rules are broken.  Judges are major show caliber.  Speaking of which, the sheep/goat judge is an up and comer that needs to judge more.  This cat reads livestock structure and understands real muscle and the relative value of livestock fat content.

I’m not saying that our district show is better than yours.  I’m just saying that we have the best district stock show.  Stories to come.  The wolves have us surrounded but there is an old guard(s) that are working to keep this deal old-school for-real.

I realize that I need to step away, hands up and don’t touch the keyboard.

People, have a good one today and a better one tomorrow.

Not really, but a good day indeed.

We started the Woodward District Livestock Show on Saturday with the Ag Mechanics contest.  It went well.  I will touch on this more, at a later time.  Today, we showed barrows.  Shattuck’s hog #s are down.  And the ones we have are not as good as we wanted them to be.  Well fed and well presented but just not good enough.  I’m not known as a hog guy but my pig showing resume is better than most not as good as some.  It just didn’t all come together this year.

In saying all of that, I watched the barrow show as a completely unbiased spectator.  I’ve known the judge since he got out of college but we aren’t close.  Before today, I hadn’t seen him judge anything more than a jackpot show.  After watching today’s show, he needs to keep judging big shows.  Timely, non-political, consistent, reasons matched the animals and going into the grand drive, I said, “He will go cross then hamp.”  I was wrong.  He went hamp then cross.  Guess what?  It turns out the grand and reserve were littermates!  I’m not afraid to bash a shitty judge and I will praise a good one.  I enjoyed watching this show.  And I told him that he did a good job sorting stock.

I’ve actually had to make appointments to show this next set of bucks.  I am proud that people have driven from numerous states to lay their eyes and hands on these goats.  And without exception, everybody has said that the photos don’t do them justice.  I know but ….but….but ….I can give you excuses that involves the lack of time and bad weather.   But…..I would still just be making excuses.

Tonight, the Dragon Lady knew that I needed to eat an actual meal.  She cooked up a mini-herf roast beef dinner with baby taters and carrots.  I wasn’t hungry but I ate.  So, so good.  Speaking of a herf.  After we unloaded pigs at the ag farm, we then loaded a pig to go to a different show.  Herfy the Hereford is on the trailer and will be unloaded at the Gage Locker on Monday morning.  I can’t wait to eat this tasty looking porcine specimen.

And then, after the roast beef dinner, I had a couple of speeches to look at for kids NOT from Shattuck.  One has an absolute great, unique topic but the speech needs help.  The other was a very busy speech but I loved the ideas that it presented.  And knowing the kid that will be delivering the speech, well….let’s just say that I like her chances.

Oh, and it was 50 degrees and a lot of stuff got thawed out.   Not perfect, but almost.

People, I truly hope that losses were at a minimal for all of you during this nut-kick that the past winter storm delivered.  We are one day closer to going on a fishing trip with Ron Simonson.  As Tammy and I disperse these goats and all of the responsibilities that go with livestock ownership, we are going to start looking to catch a fish and have fun.

Have a good one and a better tomorrow.