You Never Know a Good Thing...

It is over, and it was rather successful, I must say. It was also my last ever as a 4-H member. The 2011 edition of the Calgary 4-H Regional show and sale, 4-H on Parade. This year's event had a more nostalgic feel to it for me than previous events have. My ninth in a row, 4-H on Parade has always been the culmination of eight months' hard work, long hours, and new challenges.
Thankfully, this year went off without a hitch. My steer and cow/calf projects were well behaved and performed well in their respective classes. I claimed a Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Female title for the second time, and I placed second in my class with my market steer at one of the most competitive junior market steer shows in the country. To have such successes on both show days of the three day event is very rewarding. The weekend culminated in the form of the beef steer sale, where my monster 1453 pound steer brought $1.75/pound, rounding to approximately $2500 dollars. My hogs did equally as well. Each side of pork was auctioned off individually, and six sides totalled about $1085.
Sunday afternoon brought with it some bittersweet memories of years gone by. The alley where my very first steer was taken to the slaughterhouse remains much unchanged. Though the steer sale has never been as traumatizing for me as that first one eight years ago, seeing the little first year juniors so upset for their newly sold pets can bring a lump to your chest. As this was my last year at 4-H on Parade, it also becomes my last year with my 4-H club, Balzac Beef. I will likely see only a few of these members again in the years to come, though we do all get together at the end of June for our banquet and awards. Some of the people not planning on attending the banquet expressed their gratitude and well wishes as the weekend wound down. Though they said it was a "pleasure to have you here for the last two years," it was even more a pleasure for me to be a part of such a good group of people, who all have a common vested interest in the future of agriculture. I can only hope that I left as positive a mark on the Balzac club and on the Calgary region as those who have gone before me.
They say you never know what you have until it's gone. Being a 4-H member is gone now, done almost completely. That being said, I will continue to support and participate in 4-H for the rest of my life. The things 4-H has taught me are invaluable, and I am so much further ahead because of them. They said I was moving on to bigger and better things, but, while Texas A&M may be bigger, it will need to be one hell of a university and, after that, one hell of a life to be better than the last nine years of 4-H.

The Great White Pig Chase

Ok. So it wasn't that great. But it was a pig chase, and the pig was white...

That’s right, ladies and gents. One of my 4-H pigs went for a leisurely stroll through the yard yesterday afternoon, due to me not doing my due diligence in the department of closing the side door on the trailer. Here is the full story:

Cameron and Donna, two inexperienced hog handlers, decided wisely to put the pigs in the trailer to go to town. This was done in the hopes of not repeating the not so grand, rather noisy, stressful loading experience from the year before. Anyway, the three chosen pigs were skilfully cut from the pen, pushed up the loading area, and there sprayed with some water to remove the worst of the unspeakable from their skin. After they had all been sprayed, Cameron opened the gate and allowed the first hog, a gilt, into the trailer.

This gilt is no slouch. She promptly crossed the floor of the trailer, past a bucket of food, no less, to the front man door, which had been cleverly left open by Cameron. And out she went. She went out to the yard, and had gone several meters before Cameron, who was busy fighting with the not-so-bright barrows, noticed that something was amiss. There was a pig missing from the trailer. So he hollered to Donna, "That gilt is out, stop her from getting too far!" and then he nimbly leaped the fence with nary a hog board or a sorting cane to assist him or Donna in retrieving the Swift Swine.

Fortunately, the hog was fat and lazy, and couldn't run if she had wanted to. With their knees and arms, Donna and Cameron cleverly brought the gilt around to the gate on the other side of the barn, where she was allowed to rejoin her littermates in the stock trailer.

The moral of the story?

When Donna tells Cameron to close the man door on the stock trailer, it is suggested that the task be finished before the pigs escape. Just another day on the Olson farm.

Showmanship

Showmanship is the art of showing cattle. It is a skill that takes development, honing, and a lot of practice to master.

When showing cattle, the goal is to disappear. Not literally, of course, because someone needs to handle the animals, but figuratively speaking. The optimal showperson is the one that is never noticed. Showmanship in the showring is all about displaying the animal to the absolute best of its natural ability. This means that the handler knows where the animal’s feet look the best, what the best speed is for the animal to walk, and how to improve little things with the stroke of a show cane or the pinch of a dewlap.



A typical Showmanship Class is not based on animal
conformation, but is designed to test the showmen. Note the
staggered back feet on the shorthorn heifer.



On the initial profile, cattle usually stand with their back feet staggered. This creates an illusion of length in steers and also displays the udder and testicles, in cows and bulls respectively. The amount of stagger is dependant on the animal, and where they look their best. It is best to allow the animal to walk into their preferred stance, as that is where they tend to appear most comfortable and natural. Sometimes, it is necessary to manually place the animal's feet, which is accomplished with a device called a show cane. Manual placement uses valuable time, and should also never be done when the judge is appraising the animal as it distracts his or her analysis.

Sometimes, after the initial calls and the placement of the cattle side by each, the judge decides to switch two animals. When this happens, there is a very specific pattern that must be followed by the competitors. The animal in the lower spot pulls out first, turns in front of his original spot, and keyholes back through his space. The higher placed animal pulls out slightly after the lower, to avoid crowding, and follws the lower placed animal through the lower positioned hole. The new higher placed animal moves into its appropriate spot. Showmanship is half rules, and half presence. While it is important for the conformation judge to not notice you, the showmanship judge(s) are watching your every move. It is important that you appear calm, even in the most trying circumstances, and never look nervous or angry. Some people feel that the smiley, bubble showman is the best, a side I disagree with. While it is important not to look surely and ill-tempered, it looks ridiculous when a showperson is smiling for no real reason. And, furthermore, a show is a competition. It is important to have fun, but game faces are important too.

The last and most important feature of showmanship is dividing your attention up appropriately between the judge, your animal and the situation around you. A 60-30-10 ratio should be used in the showring. ^0% of the time spent should be watching the judge. His whereabouts, actions, and instructions are of the utmost importance. 30% of the time should be devoted to the animal. Ensuring that the feet are properly placed, the hair is looking as it should, and the animal is calm are essential to placing well in the class. Finally, 10% or less time should be spent watching the situations around you. Don't be so bent on watching the judge that you don't notice the animal in front of you has stopped, or so intent on proper feet placement that you miss the judge's call. Communicate what is essential with your ringmen and fellow exhibitors, in order to keep things smooth and safe for the animals and the handlers. Showmanship is 70 parts skill and 20 parts instinct, with 10 parts common sense mixed in.

Reserve Champion Intermediate Female Showman at the Canadian Western Junior Limousin Show. I have the heifer second from the right. A photo of one of the numerous Showmanship competitions I have placed well in, a product of a lot of homework.

The Show, Part Two

Yesterday came bright and early, and I thought I handled 6 AM pretty well considering it was my Graduation Banquet the night before. People call me crazy, but it is what I love. My Achievement Day went well yesterday, for those of you who are interested. My steer placed second, my three year old placed first and I was awarded Reserve Champion Senior Female Showmanship. This introduces our topic today, of the human activities once we enter the showring.

Lining the Cattle up for a final evaluation

Entering the showring is like lining up at the start line of the Indy 500. No one knows who will leave in first place, and who will come in last, but everyone has their favourites. After a class has been marshalled outside the ring, put in their respective order, and instructed on the route they will take in the ring, the gates are open and the animals and their handlers enters. Thus begins the interesting and, perhaps, bewildering process of placing a class, which I will explain to you.

When cattle are allowed into the showring, they usually walk around the perimeter at least once, but usually twice. The lead animal sets the pace, which is then maintained by the rest of the class. Unruly and stubborn animals are assisted by the ringmen, who help the handlers control and move their animals. The lead animal is told to stop along the longest side of the ring so that the right side of the animals are facing the crowd. This allows the crowd to view the animals as the judge moves around. Once the animals have stopped in the profile, the judge moves in to look at them more closely. Each animal gets an individual evaluation, where the judge looks at them from all angles and studies anything that he or she may or may not like about the conformation. The judges are the boss in the ring, and they may touch an animal for whatever reason, move them around, ask the handlers and the ringmen to make animal A and B walk for comparison, etc. After this evaluation, the judge begins to place his class. It is the responsibility of the showperson to watch the judge for the call, because some judges are benevolent and some are not. If the showman wasn't paying attention, it is likely that their entry will be skipped over and lose it’s placing in the class. As animals are pulled out, the ringmen set them up in a line in the middle of the ring, side by each. The goal is to have the animals with all of their front feet on the same line at the same time. This rarely happens, but sometimes the ringpeople are lucky. Once the cattle are lined up on the rear-view, the judge walks around once more to make sure he likes where the animals are, and then gives his reasons

The initial profiling of all the entries, after the parade around
the ring

Reasons start with the first animal and end with the last, and justify the placing the judge made. The reasons are comparative and brief, and designed to make the audience and handlers understand the thoughts behind each and every placing. Once reasons are completed, the animals are allowed to leave the ring. This entire process takes from 15-45 minutes, depending on the number of animals and the difficulty of the class. Sometimes classes are hard to place because none of the cattle deserve first, and sometimes because all of the cattle deserve first. The judge's opinion on that day at that time dictates the placing of the cattle, and on a different day at a different time, those placings would be different.

The Show

You'll have to pardon me for the large gap between posts- this has been the week from hell for me. This weekend combines both my High School Graduation and my 4-H club's Achievement Day, one day after the other starting today and ending Sunday night. Needless to say, a lot of preparation has gone into both events.

Speaking of Achievement Day, I thought today I would start a series of blogs revolving around livestock exhibitions. To introduce the topic of cattle shows, watch the following short video: The Beef Cattle Show. In a beef 4-H club, our Achievement Day is really a competition amongst ourselves to see who has done the best job picking, feeding, and fitting their steers, heifers and two and three year old pairs. At a cattle show, there are rules and at least a little organization, combined with a lot of elbow grease and grunt work.


An old time cattle show


Starting very early in the morning on the day of the show, animals are usually washed, dried and fed their breakfast. At Achievement Day, this doesn’t all happen because of a lack of washing facilities, but in general, at larger and more complex shows, this is how it works. After the cattle have been cared for, they are allowed to rest before their long day in and out of the showring. They get tired and cranky too, believe me!



The evaluation of animals is often done by one
Judge



Depending on the start time of the show, the cattle can be allowed to sleep for an hour or until two in the afternoon. A while before their class, they are cleaned off again and fit (a process I will discuss later) in the showring, the cattle are split into classes. Classes are usually composed of animals of the same sex, such as steers and heifers, and they are split by either age (females) or weight (steers). In most Canadian shows, there is a maximum of 15-20 animals in each class, while at major shows in the US there can be as many as 80. Each class is a smaller part of a division. Divisions are made up of many classes, and the top two winners from each class are invited back in to the ring to compete for the divisional title. Some examples of divisions are Heavyweight Steers, Middleweight Steers, Lightweight Steers, Junior Heifers (younger), Senior Heifers (Older), Two or Three Year Old Cow Calf Pairs (sometimes paired into a cow calf division), etc. Each of the divisions in a show are all a part of the 

 , which is always split by sex. At large shows, there is typically a Supreme Female and Reserve Supreme Female, a Supreme Champion Steer and a Reserve, and a Supreme Champion Bull with Reserve. Ultimately, every animal in every class is competing to first win their class, then they want to win the division, and finally they want to win the Supreme Championship. Occasionally, the Supreme Champions from several cattle shows will congregate and compete for a bigger championship. These events are massive and have prizes that are frequently worth anywhere from $10, 000 to $200,000.



The Champion Bull selection at an edition of the National
Western Stock Show in Denver, CO.



In each class, the animals are evaluated and placed according to the opinion of one Judge. Sometimes there is a panel of three or five, which helps to level out any bias one person may have for a certain breed, breeder or style. Typically, however, the one judge runs the show and chooses animals that he or she feels stand out from the rest.  The top two from each class move on to the divisional championship. Usually, the first place winners from two different classes win divisional titles, but occasionally the First and Second places from the same class are chosen as Grand and Reserve respectively. A second place animal cannot be named a reserve champion unless its first place counterpart has been chosen as Champion. The same rules and pattern apply in the Supreme classes, but there is a major bias when young animals are combined with old

The Houston Stock Show and Rodeo boasts the largest beef
cattle attendance of any show in world. Here we see the
Champion drive in the Houston Steer Show

Older animals, such as cow calf pairs, almost always win the Supreme Championship. The logic behind this is simple- these animals are proven. They have a calf, they have a visible, functioning udder, and they are proven to be fertile and productive. Everything like this is uncertain in younger animals, so it is very rare and quite an accomplishment when a Bred Heifer or Heifer calf wins a supreme championship.

This is a general overview of a cattle show, and the first installment on the topic. Hopefully you have taken something productive away! Let me know If you have questions.

More on this later.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...

There are good ones, there are bad ones, and there are some that are just plain ugly. Of course, I am talking about cattle.



A well muscled clean made, correct Polled Hereford Bull



Cattle have been selected over thousands of years to be productive, efficient animals. This is all very fine and good, but what traits are better than others? How does a beef producer tell the good from the bad from the ugly? It's called The Eye, and it allows producers to choose which animals they want in their herd.



A well built, long made, deep sided, correct Maine Anjou



To make things simple, we'll talk about a typical beef steer. When a cattleman looks at a steer, the number one thing he looks for is called finish. Finish is the amount of fat the animal is carrying, and, as we all know, fat is what makes beef tender and flavourful. There is a boundary, however. Too much fat means that the red meat yield will be low, because so much of the animal would need to be trimmed to remove the extra fat. To this end, it takes a lot of practice to properly evaluate finish, and is not something that just anyone can learn to do overnight.



A not so nice looking cow
http://yellowallpaper.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/skinny-cow
-emaciation-is-in-ladies-so-grab-an-ice-cream-bar/



The next thing the producer looks for in a market steer is general conformation. Beef cattle conformation is fairly straightforward. The animal with the most length, most muscle definition, widest, flattest and straightest topline, cleanest shoulder, and general balance is the best one.



A pen of reserve champion steers displaying good muscle,
and excellent, uniform toplines.
http://www.showsteers.com/Tonkin/winners.htm



Ok, now let’s break that all down. Length of body is the overall distance from the top of the shoulder to the end of the tailhead. Animals that have lots of length will have a larger number of steaks than shorter made animals. More steaks equal more money in the plant, so packers look for a purchase the longest animals they can find. Muscle definition is another vague term that takes time to recognize. Too much isn't good, because it means that the animal isn't finished, while too little can mean either a poor finish or general lack of musculature. Since muscle is what we eat, animals that have too little are severely discounted.



Topline is a very important part of a beef animal, as the ribeye is represented in the topline. Topline is the back, or top, of an animal. The ribeye muscle, or Longissimus Dorsi, is the most sought after cut on a beef animal. It is also the muscle that Canada's meat grading system is based on. It runs along either side of the spine, from directly behind the shoulder blade to the top of the hip. These muscles need to be well defined by a grove that lies along the spine of the animal. To this, however, there is also a limit. The ribeye area cannot be too big, or consumers won't want to eat it because there is too much meat. It also can't be too small, because the slaughterhouse won't see the value. In North America, the largest fault in our cattle is the sheer size and irregularity of the Longissimus Dorsi muscle. As a result of our multitude of breeds, each with its own growth and muscle patterns, we have huge differences in the size of the ribeye. This makes things more difficult for the consumer, who wants two of the same size but can't find them at the supermarket. As a result, when evaluating beef steers, a topline that is neither too wide nor too narrow is ideal. Anywhere from twelve to sixteen inches is an ideal width for a carcass animal.



A European Steer showing too much coarseness through his muscle

structure and head and neck

http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/livestock-and-sales-blog/201

0/05/limousin-takes-newark-show-bee.html



Cleanliness through parts of the animal that are not edible is essential to maintain efficiency. The head, neck and much of the shoulder is not very useful for anything, so producers want to keep those areas as small as possible. This is pure economics, because animals with too much wasteful bone, skin and other tissue will also be discounted. Cleanliness is really how refined the steer is throughout his body. If he has massive, bull-like shoulders, a pendulous dewlap, an oversized head or massive, roughly made bones, he is considered wasteful and is discounted.



A steer displaying too much forward balance-his shoulders and
middle are larger than his rump



Balance in beef cattle is really only for eye appeal. Balance is seen when an animal, cut into equal, imaginary thirds, appears to weigh the same amount in each third. There isn't a part of him, like the ribs, or the rump, that looks like it far outweighs the other two thirds. Again, it is really only a visual appearance thing, but one that is considered important nonetheless.

My suggestion to anyone who wants to learn more about livestock conformation? Spend the day at the local or regional stock show. Most rural areas have at least one every year, so spend the day and listen to the person adjudicating the animals. You'll learn a lot.

 Until Later

The Truth About Organics

The truth about organics is... there is no such thing! At least, not in the sense of the word. Indeed, there are many "Certified Organic" farmers in Canada, and the organic food industry brought in $1.7 billion in 2005. The question remains, however: What is the definition of organic?

The most general definition, in this context, would be "grown without the use or influence of artificial chemicals." Right off the bat, I know this is not possible. The air, the gases in our atmosphere, contains not insignificant amounts of chemicals we created ourselves. This means that every plant in the world is "growing under the influence" of some kind of artificial chemical. Agreed, the amount of chemical absorbed by a plant through the air is very small and probably has no effect on anything, but it is there.

The next thing is the fact that there are more than just organic farmers out there. There are also farmers who do things in the traditional way, using chemicals and fertilizers to aid the growth of their crops. The organic farmers, more often than not, border one or more conventional farmers. The wind blows, too. It blows the pesticides and chemicals that the conventional farmer was using right over the crops that the organic farmer was growing. Well, I guess that means that field is not so organic anymore. In fact, it is pretty darn conventional.

The Independent Organic Inspectors Association is the body, in North America, responsible for insuring that organic is as organic as it can be. Their findings? Organics are nor always organic. Farmers sometimes look at the organic premiums and say, "well, those guys get all the money, so I'll give that a try!" After that, they grow one or two seasons as organic as they can, and then say, "Well, my yields are down! A little fertilizer can't harm, right?" So they fertilize that year and then the next year, they use pesticides. All the while, they are getting organic premiums for non-organic food. And, folks, here is the kicker. The Independent Organic Inspectors Association can't enforce anything. They can admonish a farmer for having pesticides on the farm, but they can't afford to fine him or test his product. They also can't remove the farmer from the "Organic Producer' List. Crazy.

Organics are way more expensive, and they are completely unguaranteed. They are also not quite possible. Consumers, when you go to the store, is it really worth the premium for some carrots or a loaf of bread that may have been accidentally or even purposefully sprayed? If it is, great, if not, don't bother. Save yourself some money and grow your own, or buy from a local greenhouse that promotes limited chemical use. You'll be further ahead and living within your hundred mile radius.

For more information, do some reseach. To start, look here!  The Truth About 'Organic' Food
Until Later

Having the Vet Out

Summer is just around the corner. Difficult and depressing to think that this is the last stretch, a month and a bit, and then the sun will slowly but surely make it's way farther south. Also depressing to note that Calgary had it's first days of 20+ weather this last week, the first this year and the first in well over six months. Crazy.

We had the vet out today, to have a look at some things we had going on. It is definitely Friday the Thirteenth, though, because, as it turns out, our bull has a corkscrew penis. No, that’s not some kinky thing he was talked into by that weird old cow standing in the corner by herself, but an actual defect in the structure. This means that his conception rates are way down, seeing as it is difficult to knock a cow up when your pecker takes an abrupt 90 degree turn when you try. This is bad news for the bull. It is a condition that cannot be remedied, so he will need to be shipped.

Shipped is a nice way of saying made into bologna. When a bull or old cow has served out their purpose or, as in this case, develops a problem, they are taken to market. This does two things. It alleviates financial sinkholes, as animals that need treatment all the time, and special care all the time, cost a lot of money. This extra money is in the form of time, labour, and, sometimes, drugs or antibiotics to keep them healthy. This is a bad thing for an already small margin, so it is cheapest to sell the problem animal. The second thing this does is prevent the animal from passing on any more genetics. This is especially useful when things that are genetic, (like screwclaw, poor milkers, and calving issues) are present and need to be eradicated. Animals that have these abnormal genes are processed, preventing them from having offspring with the same problem. 



Ah,  pigs.



It is all fine a good that we now know why our cows haven't been catching to the bull, but it leaves us in a bit of a pickle. We have roughly 60 percent of our herd not pregnant, which is particularly rough on the calf crop for next year. To solve this we need a new bull. Again, this is not such an easy thing to find. The bull sales are all over, and only the dregs of the crop are left. Our best bet will be to find one we can rent for this year, and then look for a new one this coming spring. This will at least assure us a calf crop, though now they will be spread out for well over a month. Ay caramba. 



On a positive note, the lump that was in the ear of one of my pigs is just that, a mere lump. I was concerned for a while that one of my barrows (a hog with no testicles) may have picked up an infection in his ear, which would have the potential of rendering the pork unusable if it spread. But, it is good news, because it turns out that the lump is just a pooling of blood. While that may not sound appealing or like a cause for celebration, it is nothing to worry about, and is apparently common in pigs to have this happen. Apparently, while he was fooling around with another pig, he pinched or damaged the cartilage in the ear, breaking a large vessel. The subsequent floppy ear and bubble of liquid under the skin is sterile blood from the incident. Nothing to worry about! His pork will just be a little drier, from bloodloss, you understand...



Always give a grave prognosis, my boy! If they die, you're

accurate, if they live, you're skilled!!



Just kidding. The lump will have no affect on pork quality. 



It is important to have the vet out when concerns like these arise. He or she is trained extensively in animal health, and will be able to give a more accurate diagnosis of a problem than your neighbour saying, "Well, we had one like that back in '78, I think. Damn thing up and died six years later, anyway." As producers, it is our responsibility to maintain the best care for our animals, and if something is wrong, we know right away and get it dealt with as soon as possible.  

Some Food for Thought

Dare I say it, but here is some food for thought. When these statistics are anylized, I am pretty darn proud to say that I contribute. Keep in mind that this is an American video, but the information is comprable to Canada.

Attention Vegetarians

I go to a fairly urban high school. With a population of around 730 kids, from grades 10-12, there are a lot of people I don't get along with. That being said, I am a pretty easy-going kid, so I do get along with the majority, but today I want to talk about a group who are trying to make me out as the devil. They are the bane of livestock growers around the world, and, unfortunately, a lot of them have very confused ideas about animal production.

The group I am speaking of is the vegetarians. Most, not all, are vegetarian by choice, but all too often it is a choice that has a distorted background. As livestock production has become larger scale to deal with increased demand, it has become easier for groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to find and magnify small, frequently isolated incidences.

When a vegetarian confronts me with, "How could you eat an animal?” the answer is fairly simple. I say, "With my teeth, but, more importantly, why don't you eat animals?” To this, they invariably reply, "Because they were tortured, they have shortened lives, they never got to run around, they were killed while conscious," or, my favourite, "Because they have feelings too!” These arguments do, unfortunately, have some basis in truth. Animals used for meat or other products do frequently live shorter lives than if they had been allowed to run free. Alas, it is also true that some animals, in rare and horrible circumstances, are tortured or killed while conscious. It is also very true and clearly evident that animals have feelings, emotions, and personalities. And yet there are billions of people all around the world who eat beef, pork, and chicken, drink milk, eat eggs, and wear leather. Why? I am not sure. All I do know is that humans have used domestic animals for our own benefit for thousands of years, and that is not about to change.

Let’s have a look at why people believe that animals are put through such hard lives, only to be killed at the end in "cruel and unusual" ways. For this, there is one simple explanation. There are bad people in the world. Indeed, there are bad people in every community, sadistic people who run around and get pleasure from pain. These people occasionally find their way into agriculture, and do bad things. There are horses locked up with no food, cattle beaten literally senseless in feedlots, chickens and pigs killed mercilessly in back alleys on farms across the globe. That does not mean that every farmer does that. It is a common misconception among vegetarians that these horrible things are normal, and happen everywhere all the time. This is simply not true, and here are two reasons why:

1)  Farmers raise animals to make money. Speaking from a strictly economic viewpoint, dead animals, animals that do not gain or grow, animals that are sick with malnourishment and stress do not make a farmer any money. In order to make money, a farmer must have animals that are healthy, eating, growing, and stress free. Regardless of whether or not a farmer loves animals, he must care for them in order to be economically successful. Animals that are sick or malnourished cannot, by law, be used for meat. Animals who are sick, stressed, starved, beaten, yelled at, stomped on, hurt, tortured or killed improperly do not produce. That is an important reason why most farmers are still in business, because they take care of their animals.

2)  Human empathy, however, is the largest reason why we care for them. It really hurts when a vegetarian says, "all farmers hurt their animals, and all farmers torture their livestock." It cuts really deep. I do not know the feeling and cannot imagine beating on my animals. As a human, I know that these animals depend on me, not only for food, but for compassion and love as well. As I said before, there are bad people in agriculture, but they are few and far between. Vegetarians, do not make the mistake of labeling farmers as monsters. We depend on these animals for our livelihoods, to feed our children and clothe our backs. We love them for that, and we provide them with the best care we know how to give them. Look at both sides of the argument before you chase the horrid videos of PETA and other vegan sites, do your research. In a heartbeat, any producer will talk to you, answer your questions, and quickly dispel your fears. Have faith in the compassion of normal people to care for the animals in their protection. Don't be a vegetarian because you love animals, because I guarantee that I love my animals more then you love yours.

Until later 

It is Difficult to Explain Cattle to Nerds...

So, today in my Chemistry 30 class (which explains the "Nerd" in the title), one of my classmates approached me and started asking me about my cattle. This event, in itself, is fairly common. The uncommon thing about this time around was that this young man, who shall remain nameless, couldn't seem to figure out why I didn't eat ALL the animals I raised. Try as I might to explain things to him, he just couldn't comprehend having cows that were not for eating. Now, for both my own sanity and the comprehension of everyone else who may not grasp fully the concept of "cows for eating" and "cows that are not for eating" I will explain to you.

Cattle today are split immediately into two subgroups- Commercial and Purebred. It will first be prudent to explain the nature of these subgroups-


Purebred cattle have traceable genetic histories, and they

have easily recognizable traits that define them from other

breeds.

http://www.sixmileredangus.com/images/shows-Sakic-832.jpg



Purebreds (also called Fullbloods to further complicate things), are animals whose lineage is carefully traced and monitored by a Breed Association. Purebreds are the basis of all commercial cattle, and are typically worth considerably more than commercials.



Commercial Cattle are defined as any animal whose lineage is NOT monitored. Commercial animals are typically crossbreds, or animals whose background genetics come from two or more breeds. However, it is possible for a purebred animal to be considered a commercial. This occurs when the breeder does not register the animal with the respective breed association. Commercial Cattle are the main component of the Canadian cowherd,



Commercial cattle do not have a traceable genetic past,
and can have any number of a combination of traits from
various breeds.
http://www.pahl-livestock.com/images/commerical-cattle-lg.jpg



Now that that has been explained, back to my story. This classmate of mine first asked how much my cattle were worth. When I tried to explain to him that my cows are worth a little more than others, he asked, 'Why? Don't you eat them all anyway?' At this point I knew I had a long way to go with this young grasshopper. With limited time left in class, I tried to tell him that not all cattle are meant to be eaten. Some animals are special, in the sense that they are worth more alive and reproducing than they are dead in a hamburger. As his eyes became more and more glazed over, he said, 'Why are some cows worth more than others?' With my time to explain now running quite short, I quickly explained to him that some cattle have better conformation than others, and that makes them more valuable. This was a bad idea. Now he wanted to know what separates a good cow from a bad cow, a topic I truly did not have the time to explain fully. So, I decided to sum things up for him the best I could. 



Maybe I'll get through to him tomorrow! It's also a good thing this kid is
a friend of mine, or I could be in trouble for portraying him as monkey...
http://www.formation-de-traducteurs.net/wp-content/
\uploads/2011/02/Singe+Incomprehension.jpg



"In people," I said, "we have 'ideal forms', right?" He nodded agreement. "We have people that are too skinny, we have people that are to fat, we have people that have too much muscle and people that have too little. Some women look like men, some men look like women, some people have duck feet and others are pigeon toed. Cattle are the same way. In people, someone who is considered good looking has a good combination of lots of "attractive" traits, with few poor ones. Ideal cattle are the same way, so when a cow has more good traits than another cow, she is said to have better conformation. The cows with the best conformation are worth the most money." 

When I finished my speech I looked at him hopefully, wanting to see some sort of comprehension. Nothing. He asked, "But in the end, you eat them all, right?" 





Ahh, boy. Maybe he'll get it tomorrow.   

My Breeds

Hopefully everyone is having a good Saturday, today being the day before Mother's Day. Make sure you all thank your mothers for being your mothers.

Down to business. Today, my topic of discussion is my breeds. Breeds of cattle are like breeds of dogs, or horses. All are of the same species, but look different and have different attributes. The two breeds I have are (1) Limousin and (2) Beefmaster.

Limousin Cattle
Limousin Cattle are a French breed that was first imported in 1968. They are golden red in colour and are historically noted for length and extraordinary muscling. In France, the cattle were used as both meat and draught animals, but they were never used for milk production. They originated in the rocky regions of Limousin and Marche, both areas well known for being harsh environments. There was little grain available in the regions, so beef cattle raised there were required to be resourceful and hardy, niches that the Limousin breed filled very well.


A typical European Limousin Bull. Note the heavy, round
 muscle pattern and the extra angle to the hind legs.
http://www.crawfordbrothers.co.uk/limousin/bulls/
(hutch)crawfordS.jpg



Since importing the first animals, Canadian breeders have worked hard to control the docility of their animals. While not overly aggressive, Limousin cattle were known to be rather flighty, and several farmers and ranchers were put off by their ability to jump fences and evade capture. All of that, however, has changed. As one of the only breeds in Canada to have a Docility EPD marker, Limousin have made leaps and bounds (figuratively, of course) toward an increase in docility. While the stereotype still exists, Limousin are much quieter now than they were even ten years ago. It is a testament to this fact that I showed my first Limousin heifer when I was 12, and I have never had a problem with a wild or crazy animal.



An "Americanized" Limousin Bull. Note the different
muscle patterns and the angle of the hind legs.
http://enrightfarms.com/images/2009/jan29/WulfsKlint.jpg



Apart from docility, the Canadian strains of Limousin are well known for being easy keeping, well muscled, moderate sized cattle. Since their importation, they have slowly been "Americanized". Their ribcage is deeper and wider, their head is more attractive and more commonly polled, and their milk production and overall structure is much better than their European cousins. European Limousin are typically, well, European. They tend to be longer made, though shallow through the ribcage, with what we Canadians would refer to as "Hill Hocks"-That is, their hocks have more angle to them than ours do. With their Americanization, Limousin became more adept at marbling, though still boast some of the leanest and most tender meat in the industry. Their overall appearance became more refined, with cows becoming more feminine and the development of polled strains. Polled, or hornless, is the dominating feature in most North American cattle, though it sometimes comes at a price.



Limousin Cattle found out what the price was when the leap was made from predominantly horned to predominantly polled. Some muscling, especially on the bulls, went away with the horns. The switch was made, however, and just in the last 10 years the breed has rebuilt the amount of muscling on the animals. It has also been discovered, in the last few years, that Limousin are one of few breeds to carry the F94L gene, a gene which codes for double muscling. Double muscling is an attribute that increases muscle mass, and more mass means more meat. The advantage that Limousin have over other holders of the gene, such as the Belgian Blue breed, is calving ease. Calving ease always has and always will be a major part of Limousin cattle, because when calving comes easily with no complications, the cow, the calf and the farmer are all a little happier. A more detailed history of Limousin Cattle be found at www.limousin.com

My Other Breed

My other breed is very special. I know that when I say special, a lot of you are going, "oh ya, they're special alright," and they are. I also have Beefmaster Cattle. Beefmaster is not a well known breed in Canada, mostly because there are only two of them in the entire country. I own both of them.



A Beefmaster Bull

http://www.kidscowsandmore.org/wp-content/uploads
/2010/10/Beef-Beefmaster_EMS-Smooth-Cavalier.jpg



As you may have guessed, the history of Beefmaster Cattle in Canada is very short, only about a year long. Their history and origins, however, are much longer. Beefmasters were developed by Tom Lasater in the early 1930's. Lasater was looking for an animal that could survive and flourish in the harsh environment of the Texas brush country. To this end, he began to cross his Hereford females with Shorthorns, and the resulting animals he crossed again with Brahman cattle. The result was a Beefmaster, 1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Shorthorn and approximately 1/2 Brahman, a mixture that proved itself hardy and dependable as well as profitable. 

As the years progressed, Lasater's animals began to garner interest from other producers, and the breed was registered with the USDA as Beefmaster in 1954. Beefmaster Breeder's United was founded in 1961, and is the fifth largest breed registry in the United States today. 



Beefmasters are bred for and were designed based on what are called the Six Essentials. These are traits that Lasater deemed economically vital to any animal, and they are- Weight, Milking Ability, Hardiness, Conformation, Fertility and Disposition. I hope you agree that these traits, combined into one breed, make for a powerful economic force.



A typical Beefmaster Cow
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/beefmaster
/images/beefmaster-web-3.jpg



Although designed in hotter, more demanding climates, my Beefmasters have survived their first Canadian winter with all of their limbs and appendages. This is testament to their hardiness and adaptability, because this past winter was a particularly tough one. Beefmasters are noted throughout the US for combining the carcass merits of the Bos Taurus (European) strain of cattle with the sheer ruggedness of Bos Indicus(Zebu, or tropical styled cattle). This combination produced an animal that, unlike straight Brahman, would marble and grade easily within North American standards while be able to perform in the harshest of conditions. All around, Beefmasters have proven themselves as far South as South Africa and as far North as Canada, and flourish everywhere in between. For more information on Beefmaster cattle, visit www.beefmasters.org

Well, there you have it. A not-so-brief blog about the not-so-brief history of my two breeds. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to ask me! If you have nothing to ask, tell me what breed of cattle you have or which breed you find most interesting.





Until Later.

Some Terminology

It has come to my attention that I have used and plan to use some terminology that some people may not be familier with. While these words come naturally to me, they are not words that everybody hears everyday.

To start with the basics, cattle are divided into the following catagories.

Cows- females that are over two years of age and have had at least one calf. How do you tell a cow? She will have an udder (below)



A cow, displaying a topline and an udder



Bulls-Males that are intact (are in possession of their own testicles). How do you tell a bull? He's the one chasing the cow with the nicest legs and the biggest boobs- I mean, udder.



Steer- A male that is not intact, i.e, he has been casterated (below). Since he is no longer in possession of his manliness, you can tell which are steers by the ones carrying man-purses and mooing with a lisp. In reality, though, steers are the main source of all the meat you eat.



A bull, easily identified by his... You get the picture



Heifers- Young females, under two years of age, who have not had a calf. How do you tell a heifer? She has a very small, almost non-visible udder, and the tend to be very cliquey. One heifer is frequently ostracised for no good reason, and then another, and another. Those ostracised are always allowed to rejoin their prefered clique.

Calves- Bull and heifer calves are small and young, typically under a year old, and sometimes still nursing.

Parts
Udder-Mammary glands. Ah, who am I kidding, udders are just cow boobs.
Topline- The top line of an animal. i.e, the horizontal edge created by the spine when an animal is viewed from the side.
Hooves-Cow feet. Made of kreatine, they are cloven.

A calf.

Processes

Casteration- Removal of a bull's testicles. Around here we use the banding method, which removes circulation to the testicles, which slowly die and fall of. Do not make me mad, you gentlemen out there, If you do, sleep with one eye open.

Dehorning-Not a common occurance with our mostly polled cattle, but on the off chance we have some hornd we typically put a very caustic paste on the buds when the calf is born, which effectively removes the growth cells required to grow horns.

Vaccinating- Giving cattle shots of killed or live virus material to boost immunity against things like pneumonia and Bovine Respiratory Disease.

Calving- Coming soon to My Cattle World. Keep checking to read about it.

That about sums up today's lessons. If anyone has any questions, please ask me!

Until later, then.