I can tell you that without a doubt, the best part of returning to ag teaching is not having to buy many goats to fill orders. First, the order buying only enabled me to buy numbers which helped get the average price down. I didn’t make money filling orders. I have been accused of using a fish net method of buying. Buy them all, get the right ones in the right homes and move the rest. Yep, I’ve done it and it has worked well for all parties. <\/p>\n
Next, there are a lot of orders that should have just ended with me saying, “Save your money. Go to the lake, movies, whatever, as you and I both know that you aren’t going to get this one fed or shown right.” For whatever reason, some people just have too many irons in the fire (athletics, music, too many show animals, different priorities, whatever the case may be), there are just some who can’t get it done. <\/p>\n
And then there are times that you wish that they buy just one more. Sometimes, it is more important to have numbers on feed instead of having two animals that fit the budget. There are a lot of times that the third cheaper one is the right one. I respect that, but most that are consistently winning\/making sales will always take that extra skinny cheap one. <\/p>\n
That and the fact that every purchaser, no matter the price tag, wanted to get the full treatment–hoof trimming, coaching, feeding\/showmanship instructions. I apoligize, but I cannot take care of every $300 animal without something in return. <\/p>\n
I’m in a really good mood on this fine evening, but… dang, I’m glad that it is Saturday evening and I don’t have to worry about a couple hundred head of show goats. Plus, it is way more fun to sell bucks and then help them sell the offspring. <\/p>\n
I hope that nobody takes this blog as a complaining night. It isn’t. It is more a realization of what I would do if I was starting over. I wouldn’t be raising goats. I would pay more for the wethers that I really wanted. And I would pay somebody to take a look to make sure that we were on the right track. What do they call it? Consulting? Whatever. And I still wouldn’t play any Dirty Pool. I would still let others have that game. There are still opportunities in the livestock showing industry to teach kids about proper selection, feeding, health, showmanship and dang it, you can’t always win. I’m the right age to still remember the ABC Wide World of Sports. You know, the “agony of defeat” video. I’ve kind of wondered if that ski jumper wasn’t some old fart trying to make an Olympic team after one too many Moscow Mules. I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes, stuff don’t go right. That’s part of dealing with livestock or life. But then, there is always that fear of dirty pool. Even though it isn’t always a level felt table, I still enjoy seeing a good lineup of good animals in a grand drive, regardless of species or state. Good ones are good ones. No matter who bought them, raised them, showed them, fed them, photoed them, whatever the case. I like good ones. <\/p>\n
Here’s to you showing a great one, no matter who\/what\/where\/when\/wherever it came from. Keep it clean, level and let’s have fun. Like it is supposed to be. Then, the winner can buy supper for all. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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