Square Hay in a Round Ring - Not Anymore - Check out my New Square Hay Feeder

Take a look at this square hay feeder. I keep wanting to call it a square 'hay ring'! Maybe I'll just keep calling it that instead of trying to call it a square hay feeder. Anyway, it's great. It's built extremely well, great craftsmanship, nice and heavy, but not too heavy. The cows left little waste behind after their first try with eating a nice bale of alfalfa, and I was happy to see that.

If you'd like one of these hay......... feeders, check out the link above for Avery Welding in Pennington, Texas. Brian and Vicky Avery are nice folks and the Avery's have been welding reliable farm and ranch hay rings, gates, and more for a few generations and it shows in the quality products they fabricate.

I'll be posting a photo of the cows feeding at the 'ring' -- can't help it, ring just seems to be the right word -- after I get in a few more of them. Right now, all the cows mob this one, and it's pretty impossible to get a good photo of the cow's feeding. I'm putting some higher grade alfalfa in this ring, and it was a good choice, as it has done it's job of containing waste and resolving the dilemma of putting a square bale in a round ring and providing good access to the hay for a maximum amount of hungry cows.

British White Cattle - Let's Keep "Chasing" Pursuit of Hard Data to Present to the Beef Industry

As British White breeders we daily face lack of acceptance in the mainstream Beef Industry as our cattle are white hided and haven't been the subject of University studies (any breeder or patron out there that might be interested in donating cattle or semen for MARC studies or University studies, please do contact the British White Cattle Association of America at 903-965-7718). We are likely perceived by some in the beef industry as "chasing" a goal that is unwanted or unnecessary as there are some closed-minded industry perceptions about what works and what doesn't when it comes to established beef breeds and beef production, and know-it-alls such as described in the article excerpt below, think they. . . know it all.

As British White breeders we know we have cattle with excellent maternal traits, fertility, hardiness in wide ranging climates, calving life longevity upwards of twenty years, well set udders that withstand the rigors of years of suckling calves without "falling down", excellent carcass quality, genectically gentle dispositions, and more. But, we do need to pursue or "chase" documenting those outstanding qualities through some or all of the following -- Conscientious recording of growth trait data such as weaning weights and yearling weights; establishing Ultrasound Guidelines for the breed and pursuing the capture of yearling bull and heifer carcass ultrasound data by certified technicians; adding to the growing pool of DNA data for the currently identified markers for Marbling and Tenderness; establishing an annual Feedlot test for crossbred and purebred feeder steers and heifers; seeking out Bull Performance tests in our local areas for our bull candidates.

The following is an excerpt from "CAB Cattle Update: The “C” word". Click the Title link above for the text of the whole article.

". . . It’s usually better to lead than chase cattle, but one calorie-counting authority estimates a moderate walk in non-strenuous cattle chasing burns 238 calories per hour for a 150-pound person. At that rate, it would take more than three hours to walk off a Big Mac.

You may be thinking of another idiom: cut to the chase, or get to the point.

Some beef industry pundits proclaim ideal pathways for all logical producers. Dissenters are deluded and must be “chasing” something.

You can sense the judgment and condemnation in the cliché warning, “don’t chase single-trait selection.” It’s such an obvious no-no that the only surprise is that we keep seeing the warning. There is usually an agenda, such as to imply that if you so much as include some popular trait, you are off on a rabbit trail. If you know the phrase at all, you know it’s like saying, “don’t chase your tail.”

Some intense cattlemen lash out with the “c” word. They may include their goals and aspirations, which never include so much as a stray glance at what they own as a senseless pursuit. However, those who see things differently are condescendingly lamented as chasing an illusive and impractical dream.

The most chased-after end seems to be genetic selection that would add value to the beef we sell to consumers. One might as well chase ping-pong balls or a cure for cancer. Critics include the range of those who see any attention to post-weaning traits as silly, to those who see it as a noble, if impossible dream.

When the rhetoric starts flying, a critic may deplore “chasing” something or other. He will usually balance that by pointing out the further errors of “ignoring” and “sacrificing” other things. The implication is that those slighted pursuits are at least as worthy as that being chased after, but the chaser is too blind to see.

It all boils down to bias in the critic. Look at their cattle, their field of study, perhaps their life’s work. They may not realize their bias or the condescending nature of their chase to enlighten others. Or, they could be using loaded words in a calculated manner to sell something. . ."<

Square Bales in a Round Ring - Not Quite a Fit! For People or For Hay..........

Southeast Texas just had a few days of temperatures reaching the freezing point, seems unusual for this time of year, but fortunately no pipes burst and the ice in the troughs was minimal, but then lately I've got water leaks on what seems a daily basis, that's surely as effective at preventing pipes from bursting as setting a faucet on drip!

I've been feeding alfalfa as a supplement for my British Whites some years now, but it was only this past winter that had me wishing for square hay feeders. Prior to last winter I fed the alfalfa in flakes on top of their round bales of coastal and that worked fairly well. But last winter saw a shortage of hay and the coastal I had lined up didn't work out. With greed running rampant in the hay business, the price of good coastal hay per bale plus delivery to my place was equal to and sometimes more than the cost of shipping in cow grade alfalfa from Nebraska. Thus I chose to ship in nothing but alfalfa last winter, and my cattle thrived like no other winter.

Shipping costs ran higher this year, but the total out of pocket cost per ton for Dairy Quality alfalfa was still equal to or less than buying a decent quality 20% protein grain by the ton in 50 lb bags. So this year I'm feeding coastal baled from my pastures as well as crabgrass hay out of Louisiana, and providing alfalfa as their supplemental protein, but feeding it by the bale rather than topping round bales of regular hay forage with the alfalfa.

As you can see from the photo, the big alfalfa squares barely fit into my rings and I have to bust up that middle once they've eaten down enough of it to make it doable (also, these girls are getting alfalfa from last summer that went through a 20 plus inch flood, thus the dark bottom side that you see!) -- to make the hay accessible all around the feeding area of the ring. I'm hoping a welding shop in Pennington will be able to make some square feeders for me. I've looked around online and most of what I find is very very heavy square hay feeders from up North that look more functional as stationary objects in a feedlot, which will not work here. I try to move the haying area all around my pastures to avoid excessive manure build up, and follow up with busting up the manure with a drag harrow. In the second photo you can see the adjoining pasture where my big herd is being fed and that it's time to move their hay rings to fresh ground. I try not to feed more than twice without moving the rings to clean ground, and so really heavy feeders aren't practical.

Lost Civilizations - Apocalypto - Lost Cattle Breeds

The past days have been busy and filled with much of the typical demands of a cattle ranch, with some llama (the one in front in the pic) and cat crisis added in. I lost a cat to a snake bite yesterday, and it was the second snake bite suffered by a cat in the past couple of weeks, the first one, Leopold, did survive -- it's got me wondering if some odd, insidious, northern snake that kind of likes moving around in the fall weather may have made the trip from up North with a load of alfalfa. One of my llamas is just acting puny, I can't see any obvious wound, but then she's covered in several inches of hair over the majority of her body. She waits for me to bring her food and water a few times each day, and seems to be getting a bit better. I haven't ruled out snake bite for the cause of her decline, it's a good possibility under the circumstances.

Tonight, I got around to watching Primetime from a few days back, the main story was on Mel Gibson's newest movie, Apocalypto. It looks to be a very good movie, and the premise I find fascinating, the rise and fall of a powerful culture perhaps via their own inadvertent self-destruction due to greed and wish to control, to have, to be, more and more. Ultimately, this led to a quite lost and destitute Mayan culture in the modern day. Of course, the point was made that perhaps the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq is reflective of the waste of human life and other natural resources that led to the apocalyptic end of the Mayan culture.

While to some extent I can understand Gibson's wish to correlate current USA events and attitudes with the historical rise and fall of powerful cultures and nations, there's ample bloody fingerprints from prior administrations throughout US history that have had less basis and more loss of life than current events -- what struck me as most important from this Primetime coverage of the movie Apocalypto was the footage of Mayan descendants in Mexico and Guatemala today who live in poverty. An ancient and mighty people who when covered by Primetime reporters find their best stories in a young Mayan boy who sniffs glue and lives in a garbage dump; and a 'single' Mom who prepares meals over a fire and weeps and tells them her life is striving to somehow make a better future for her children.

How will those children ever have a shot at a better future? Education is the key to better futures in the USA, and certainly a lot of hard work is vital as well. But the modern Mayan culture presented as the norm during the filming of this movie was distinctly lacking in any indication of options such as education or industry that would provide a way out, a way up, for one person, much less the modern day Mayan culture as a whole.

We also learn via this Primetime coverage that Mel Gibson's last movie has made over a BILLION dollars -- that's pretty awesome. The Apocalypto may well make more, they certainly made use of lots of native 'actors' and so there isn't a big budget for greedy USA actors. So, given the horrid conditions Mel Gibson described very well himself, and Primetime covered so colorfully -- why wouldn't Mr. Gibson himself already have a University being built in either Guatemala or Mexico for the modern day Mayan descendants? A BILLION dollars from his last movie and more to come ----- I think that would build a University (I doubt they'd object to cinder block walls or lack of 'really cool' stuff necessary in the USA) and pay some profs for a couple of years, and truly change some lives in this lost, but once mighty, culture. A failing of Hollywood Democrats is their own lack of example. They make more money than any average American can ever conceive, even some governmental bodies, use their popularity as a political tool, but be assured they don't put themselves at risk financially, they most assuredly have the best of CPA's or Financial Planners to assist them in using every conceivable avenue of tax savings.

So what's the point of this on a Cattle Blog? :) Well, the British White cattle breed is somewhat of a lost culture if you will. It is up to the breeders of this special bovine to continue to fight to bring it back to the revered status it held in ancient days. We will never know what events occurred that brought this special breed from immortalization in ancient oral tales to the small population to be found in the 19th century, any more than we can really know what caused the destruction of the Mayan culture. But we can work hard to educate those around us about the British White breed. And we can make better efforts to record their growth traits, their ultrasound carcass data, their DNA, and their many other desirable traits that aren't perhaps as easily quantifiable.

British White Breeders Looking to Cut Down on Tradional Meds & Wormers - Read Dr. Buddy's Blog - TAMU

September 08, 2006 Dr. Buddy's Blog

When is the right time to deworm cattle in 2006? (Click on the outlined boxes for the photos....sorry, don't know why they aren't showing in thumbnail!) (Update 12-09-06, Photo of day after arrival home at the ranch is posted below in the body of this blog, note the bull, JWest's McCluskey, opposite the fence that is right at one month older than all 5 ET calves, and obviously raised very well by his dam DFTX Snowflake. Always ensure that Recipient Dams are Healthy and will be fed well by your ET program provider.)

"Short grass is commonly thought of causing wormy cattle by the cattle grazing down where the worms are, but that thought is a misunderstanding. The reason that producers think that way is because the cows look wormy, when actually the cows' poor body and hair coat conditions are related to malnutrition from low intake of roughages on short grass pastures. When short grass is caused from dry conditions due to lack of rain and from overgrazing the slow growth of grass, the worms are not down there in the soil; the larvae have died from the dryness, and also from the heat in the summer.

When stomach worm eggs are passed in cattle manure, the eggs hatch in the manure. The larvae must be washed from the manure by rains. The larvae can only crawl (swim) up the grass blades while the grass is wet from rain or dew. As the grass dries, the larvae go back down to find moisture. As cattle graze dry grass, they don't ingest larvae. After weeks of dry weather, larvae die, and without grass mats for cover, all the larvae die, and the pastures become free of contamination. . ."

The images you see above (may have to click on a little box, they're not wanting to load properly, but if you click on the outlined box they will load!) are of extremely dirty, barren, over grazed conditions at an ET Facility in Athens, Texas in early fall last year, one can only imagine the level of filth that continued to accumulate around them, it's a pretty good guess that no one there understands, or wishes to work at, the concept of dragging a pasture after rotation. These calves came home underweight, sickly, and have yet to thrive and grow like their peers, and one heifer is permanently blinded by pinkeye in one eye. This would be an example of conditions that Require worming and medication, quite regularly. A well run cattle operation, whether Grass or Grain based, should never reach this level of living conditions for any Seedstock cattle, much less Embryo Transfer calves. Actually, I wish to never see these conditions in any cattle operation.

" . .While pastures are contaminated with larvae, it may be cost effective to worm if the cattle have become exposed to enough larvae during 3 6 weeks of continuous rains with soil temperatures of 55 85 degrees when the larvae are active. If these conditions occur in the spring on some pastures; the timing to worm the cattle is following 3 6 weeks of continuous rain. If the rains come on contaminated pastures, that would make deworming cattle in May but not all pastures are contaminated because of the drought and good management practices. With rains in a cold April,..........." Follow the link above to read the rest of this blog!

Grassfed Beef Protocol - Results of Jimmie's Initial Research Into Why Grassfed?

When I first became involved in the cattle business, which has only been since 2000, I ran across articles and comments about the higher nutritional plane of grass fed beef and grass fed dairy products. Since that beginning which piqued my interest, the Omega Plus eggs have come to market, organizations like US Wellness Meats cut their ribbon and began a successful growing and marketing plan for grass fed animal products. More and more small ranchers have paid attention and are focusing their breeding efforts on producing a steer that will fatten well and eat well on a diet solely based on grass and legumes. There is no question that grain fed beef has unnaturally high Omega 6 Fatty Acids, and very low levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLA's), Beta Carotene, and Vitamin E - several of the more important components contributing to the optimal function and maintenance of the human body. The Omega 3 Fatty Acids and the CLA's are of particular importance as beef and bovine dairy products are (or once were) major sources of these nutrients in the human diet.

As I've finally decided to actually harvest one of my steers, I want to fatten him up in such a way as to optimize the nutrition of the beef that I'll be putting in the freezer. (I'm a seedstock producer of British White cattle, and it's taken me since 2000 to get over the idea that these beautiful, gentle cattle couldn't find a place on my plate.) For all that I've read here and there about the benefits of grass fed beef, I found I was still uncertain as to what protocol was really required to produce grass fed meat with optimum nutrition.

Most of the really in-depth, reader friendly articles and narratives (of which there are many extremely well done and informative works) are written by those who have a grass fed product to sell and naturally they would be expected to promote their protocol as the 'the one' that is best. Pretty much across the board, all producers of grass fed beef indicate that the beef must be 100% grass fed. As my steer received grain last winter, I had to wonder if it was possible to overcome that effect by grass 'finishing'. I should mention that early this past summer of 2004 I began feeding dairy quality alfalfa hay to all my cattle, and intend to continue on this regimen as long as I'm raising cattle and can get the hay. I'm most definitely a convert to grass based production.

Based on the research data I've explored, I'm of the opinion that supplementing a growing steers diet with a grain product for a short period of time doesn't severely impact the nutritional quality of the meat. What is most important is that the final period of finishing be 100% grass and legumes. The final period of finishing would likely need to be a minimum of 60 days (though obviously the longer the better) to clear out the high Omega 6 levels in the fat of the animal and replace them with Omega 3's and CLA's, get the beta carotene levels (Vitamin A) in the fat of the animal up and raise the Vitamin E level in the muscle of the animal. No doubt I will be disagreed with vociferously by purists of grass fed beef production. I welcome that, as well as direction to the research that will prove otherwise.

When we humans eat, the vitamins and minerals are broken down in our gut and make it to our blood stream where they go where they're supposed to go - some are water soluble, like Vitamin C, and our bodies use what we need and excrete the rest. Other's are fat soluble, like beta carotene, and the amounts we consume in excess are stored in our fat and used by our body as needed. Apparently, the same is true for Omega 6's - no doubt most of us have entirely too much stored in our body fat due to the grain fed meat and milk we consume, but Omega 6 isn't stored in our body fat forever; it's there to be used by our bodies, like the beta carotene that is stored in our fat, and we use it up. If we know that consuming high Omega 3 foods, like grass fed beef, works to restore the recommended optimal balance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 in our own bodies, then surely we can get the Omega 6 levels reduced and Omega 3's raised in a beef steer. Same goes for beta carotene, vitamin E, and CLA's.

Now obviously I'm not a scientist, and my opinion is just that, an opinion, or rather an educated guess based on simple logic and review of some of the various research articles cited on this web site which explore the opposite side of this argument, i.e. the change in the nutritional plane of a grass fed animal once it is placed on grain feed.

I'm going to finish my steer on spring grass and alfalfa, and hopefully harvest him around May of 2005. Once I have a look at the beef, I'm guessing he will have nicely yellowed fat (beta carotene), bright red color (Vitamin E), sweet gamey taste (my crimson clover and coastal bermuda and the CLA's), 1/4 inch backfat (trait of the British White breed), and the steaks will be lean and finely marbled (trait of the British White breed). (Note: Will update here shortly, the exellent results upon final harvest of "Dinner", the name my little sister gave him one Thanksgiving when we were working the herd!)

I should also add a highly interesting bit of information regarding the very final phase of preparing a grass fed animal for slaughter. It seems that beef animals, like we humans, store glycogen from the carbohydrates in their diet. A grass based diet is naturally low in carbohydrates; a grain based diet is high in carbohydrates. As the grass fed beef animal has low stores of glycogen, it's seems to be fairly easy to deplete those glycogen stores in a matter of hours under stress or exercise. Depletion of glycogen causes dark-cutting meat; thus it is very important that the grass fed animal be handled as humanely as possible in the hours leading up to kill. Harvesting the animal in sync with lush seasonal grasses will give you the highest glycogen level at harvest as well as providing optimal nutrition in the end product.

Electronic Carcass Grading in Our Slaughter Plants - EID Next? They'll Be Able to Track where that Carcass came from? Breed, Owner, Etc...

Now that the USDA has approved the use of these new grading instruments, there will be much less error in sorting carcasses to standard, select, choice, or prime. What may surely follow this new grading approach is the ability for these same electronic grading devices to capture the EID of the carcass. Once that happens, the carcass quality of your feeder calves that result from your farm or ranch operation will be identified..........and the Feedlot buyers will hear it from the packing houses, and those Feedlot Buyers will begin targeting calves from cattle operations that are bringing home the Choice and Prime for the Packing house....cause that's what brings home the money in this business!

We need to seriously consider establishing Ultrasound Guidelines for our yearling bulls that are potential herd prospects, as well as our yearling heifers. Wouldn't it be a nice if when the day comes that carcasses can be identified straight to the source those Packing houses find that British White carcasses are grading a very high percentage choice and prime!

Increased demand for British White bulls in commercial operations will only come with recognition of the value of their carcass traits. Ultrasound measurements are an invaluable tool in selecting/breeding our seedstock to produce desirable and heritable carcass traits. Always remember that a 'fat calf' in no way means it's a calf that will produce a choice or prime carcass. Underneath all those layers of fat, a very standard grade ribeye could easily be lurking!

USDA Approves Two Instrument Systems For Beef Carcass Marbling Scores

The Cattle Network, November 20, 2006

EXCERPTS:

"They overlooked one of the most ground breaking advances in the long and checkered history of beef grading. For the first time, the beef industry has a reliable system capable of consistently determining marbling scores without the uncertainty of fallible human eyes."

"Consistent grading, however, has been a problem from its earliest days; a USDA inspector eyeballed every ribeye and made a decision about each carcass in a scant few seconds. It’s a fatigue inducing job that requires a changeover of personnel every 30 minutes. Blink and you miss seeing something critical. Rub your eye and two rib eyes could speed by unseen. Had a rough night? Those bleary eyes probably aren’t going to see things the same way they did a few days ago. And, of course, a purely visual grade assignment is hardly a way to insure consistency."

"Grading errors are costly. Judge a carcass too low and the plant loses money. Judge it too high and a consumer will be disappointed with the eating “experience” and might be lost as a customer."

"RMS personnel spent three days and captured data on over 4,000 animals at each plant. With thousands of observations, they met the agreed upon standard of consistency exceeding 95%."

". .“It’s a computer vision system,” said Goldberg. “A cable connects a color camera to a computer. The operator takes a picture of each rib eye and the picture is digitized and sent to the computer. The operator has data on the rib eye area, meat and fat color, fine and coarse marbling and other measures before he can take the camera away. It takes about one second to analyze the image and display the results.” . . "

British White Cattle - They REALLY are more GENTLE than Other Breeds!

Too often some visitors to my ranch comment that their calm character is surely due to the "time I must spend with them".

As Breeders of this very special, uniquely beautiful, ancient breed we all know different. Their gentleness begins before birth, it's inherent in their genetic makep-up. Wanda Mae, the curious cow checking out what Mike's up to, isn't the norm in any cow herd, and she's been human-friendly since the day she arrived, as are her calves. It's a very HERITABLE trait.

Every scientific research report that one comes upon points to the fact that the calmer the feeder calf the better the carcass. One day it will be realized that when a commerical cattleman puts a British White Bull on his herd his calves are calmer, their growth is superior, and their carcass brings to them a premium over Black Angus, a highly volatile breed.

The DNA testing accomplished to date indicates the British White breed tests as well as as the much more aggressive and temperamental black Angus breed in terms of marbling and tenderness.

As DNA testing via GeneStar and/or Igenity progresses and is reported to and compiled by the BWCAA and members, I fully expect the results to continue to be superior and to further establish British White cattle as THE Beef Breed of the Future for genetic Tenderness combined with genetic Docility -- a combination no other breed can match -- and a combination that the Commercial Feedlot operator will not ignore and will demand from commerical cattlemen. Numerous articles are to be found on the positive impact on carcass quality from docile feeder calves in the chute and the feedlot.

British White Breeders - Better Growth Trait Recording is Needed

The following article mentions the significant growth the Angus breed has seen this past year in the reporting of birth weight, weaning weight, and yearling weight by their members -- also of great significance is the 18.5% increase in members reporting yearling ultrasound results to their Association. This increase in ultrasound measurements highlights the growing recognition of it's value to individual breeding programs. If you would like to see the BWCAA establish Ultrasound Guidelines for your benefit and direction, be sure and contact the association and voice your opinion.

Many British White breeders have weaning and yearling weights that we never get around to sending to the Association, including myself! But those weights are very important information that can help you in your breeding decsions as well as in the marketing of your animals. Ultrasound Measurements will do likewise. If you decide to do it on your own, be sure and use a Certified Ultrasound Technician and have the images sent to CUP Labs in Iowa, the Lab that is considered the premier lab for accurate image analysis. If you'd like to know how to find a technician or other details about yearling ultrasound measures, send me an email.


Nov 1, 2006 12:00 PM

Beef Magazine

The American Angus Association (AAA) recorded 347,572 registrations in FY 2006 (ended Sept. 30), growing by more than 7% from the previous year. Transfers — the sales of cattle to new owners — also increased 7% to 206,121. Of registrations processed, more than 10% were embryo transfer calves and nearly 49% of all animals registered were A.I. sired. In addition, AAA repor

• 14% more Angus bulls sold via auction sales attended by AAA regional managers, and averaged more than $135/head over a year ago. Female sales also increased, averaging $243 more per lot than FY 2005.

• A 6% growth in breeder participation in its Beef Improvement Records (BIR) program. Nearly 9,700 herds submitted more than 882,000 birth, weaning and yearling weights. Additionally more than 150,000 ultrasound measurements were submitted — an 18.5% increase.

• AngusSource^®, which earned USDA Process Verified Program status the past year, posted a 4% enrollment increase.

• A record 13.1 million cattle were ID'd for the Certified Angus Beef Program, which sold more than 543 million lbs. of branded product this year, the highest since 2003.

Buddy the Dog Has a Comfy Spot on a Cold November Morning

I've not been spending enough time relaxing with a good book out on the porch for some time now......so my dogs have been making good use of the chaise lounges lately. This is Buddy pictured here. Before the past few months, he would have jumped and run if I'd found him lounging on the chaise! But I haven't been staying on top of that lately, haven't been taking that leisure time myself so have begun to enjoy watching them through the window having a nice time on the porch enjoying the view. This was probably the frostiest morning we've had this fall, the pond in the picture has that eery, misty look that comes with the new cold weather. You can't quite see the mist, but you can get the idea.

British White Calves in the Summer of 2006

I really like this shot of my curious and gentle British White calves from this past summer, we were very fortunate here in deep East Texas to get ample rainfall until about September. In my memory, September is supposed to always be a month for rains in East Texas, but I think it's just significant events I recall in many Septembers that had rain in the background. Maybe I'll get a good shot of these same calves this morning, it's a crisp and clear day.

A Halliburton Farms Bull With Red Ears

This bull calf was born at Halliburton Farms on March 27, 2006. His sire is Halliburton Rito and out of a dam by the name of Queen Bean Two. He has four generations of Purebred Ancestors on both sides of his pedigree and as such will be qualified to sire American Fullblood British Whites if bred to the right female. Of course that is assuming he makes it to Herd Sire capacity.

The first picture was taken when he was just a few days old and was used as my Picture of The Week. See http://www.britishwhite.com/powarchive12.htm and again as a near weaning age calf with his dam, http://www.britishwhite.com/powarchive14.htm



The second picture was taken about the same time as the first one, notice how nice and clean he is in both pictures. You might also take a look at that grass cover. We usually expect it to be a pretty green, nice and lush this time of year. OhWell! Maybe next year. I've been through a few droughts in my life and best I remember each one ended with a good rain and this one may do the same.

The third picture was taken on September 17, 2006 after a long dry summer and it really shows in all the dirt gathered in his hair. He is growing into a very adequate size but won't be an extremely large bull, I hope. I'll be keeping my eye on him for a while.

I recently had him DNA GeneStar tested by Bovigen to see if he carried any of the favorable genes for Tenderness and Quality Grade. I am happy to say he has three stars for Tenderness, one star for Quality Grade and a -1.0 GPD.

Feel free to call ahead and stop by Halliburton Farms if you would like to see him with your own eyes.

GrassFed British White Beef - Superior Genetics

Consider this.....with the price of beef skyrocketing at the market these days, and the healthful quality of that beef very questionable.....isn't it time to consider seeking out healthy natural grassfed beef straight from the producer? Buying a whole beef is maybe too much too handle, but you can find a friend to take a side of beef and you the other, about 300 or so pounds of beef you'd need to find space in the freezer for.

If you buy straight from a Grassfed producer you would pay from $1 to $1.50 a pound live weight of the steer, you'd then pay the processor about .40 cents a pound to cut and wrap it the way you want them to. Average cost per pound of beef for your family just dropped tremendously, and you're providing yourself and your children with the best of nutrition..........you won't worry so much if their diet is nothing but hamburgers.....it will be hamburgers providing optimal Fatty Acids, CLA's, Vitamin E, Vitamin A......and more.

Put fresh beef in the freezer and you'll never shop for grocery store beef again. Guaranteed. Put Grassfed beef in the freezer and you won't have to worry so much about the fat in that delicious ribeye, it will be heart healthy fat you can enjoy.

A Pretty November Morning with Gazing Grassfed British White Beef Cows

We've had some very nice cool days here in Southeast Texas, a lot earlier than last year, or at least as best I can recall. This morning the sky is clear and the sun is very bright. The trees began changing their leaves a couple of weeks back. The hickory trees change first around here and they seem to be a much stronger orange than ever before - you can see one in the tree line sort of shouting out it's color!

The Magical Milk White Milk Cow - Mother of all Cows

Here's a quite wonderful old reference to British White cattle (a matter of opinion, but what other breed was milk white then or is now?) to start off this blog:

'The milk-white milch cow gave enough of milk to every one who desired it; and however frequently milked, or by whatever number of persons, she was never found deficient. All persons who drank of her milk were healed of every illness ; from fools they became wise ; and from being wicked, became happy. This cow went round the world; and wherever she appeared, she filled with milk all the vessels that could be found, leaving calves behind her for all the wise and happy. It was from her that all the milch cows in the world were obtained. After traversing through the island of Britain, for the benefit and blessing of country and kindred, she reached the Vale of Towy; where, tempted by her fine appearance and superior condition, the natives sought to kill and eat her; but just as they were proceeding to effect their purpose, she vanished from between their hands, and was never seen again. A house still remains in the locality, called Y Fuwch Laethwen Lefrith (The Milk-white Milch Cow.)' " http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/wfl/wfl03.htm

Put British White Beef on Your Table for Dinner Tonight!

British White Cattle - Ask for Royally Good '"White Beef'" - Ask for British White Beef

Inviting everyone to take a look at the British White breed of cattle and see what's happening here at this Texas ranch. Beef is what's for dinner.....and for too long it's been the domain of that black breed.....If you're a commercial rancher, look to the British White breed for gentle crossbred calves, proven to result in more tender carcasses. For the seedstock producer, the British White breed gives all you can ask in fertility, milkiness, calving ease, hardiness, and more. Contact J. West Cattle Company for superior Grassfed Genetics.

British White Cattle - The Polled Ancient Park Cattle of Britain

British White cattle are the polled white park cattle of old Britain. The Park Cattle Society of the UK split in the 1940's and the British White Cattle Society of the United Kingdom was formed to pursue and focus on the superior milk and beef qualities of the polled white park cattle and the breed name British White was chosen. In the USA the British White Cattle Association of America provides the registry and guidance for the future of the polled British White breed.

British White cattle are uniquely marked with black points and occasionally red points occur today as they did in days of old. For additional information on the British White breed's long history and to locate a British White breeder near you see the Link box.

British White Cattle - Gentle, Grassfed Cattle Genetics in Southeast Texas

The British White Cattle Breed has much to offer the cattle producer in terms of both economics and genuine pleasure in the care-taking of this gentle, beautiful, ancient and immortalized breed. British White cattle embody all traits of economic importance to cattle producers -- excellent fertility, milkiness, hardiness to disease, calving ease, maternal instincts, and a long-lived calving life. Their white hides give them superior heat tolerance and their black hooves are sound and sturdy.

Perhaps the most distinguishing economic trait of the British White cattle breed is their unusually curious and docile nature, well represented by the girls pictured just below who had to have a look at what I was doing sitting on the ground in their space. Visitors to British White herds often comment that their calm demeanor is surely due to the "time we must spend with them". Senorita Lisa, Lucy Rae, and Donna DarlingBut, breeders of this very special, uniquely beautiful, ancient breed know different. Their gentleness begins before birth -- it is inherent in their genetic make-up. From almost the day of a calf's birth, breeders of British White cattle can many times judge the likely temperament of their calves, and the range is generally from at a minimum no flight zone to the maximum temperament of one so gentle and curious they come to you in the pasture.

How does a gentle nature translate into one of economic importance to a cattle producer? Every scientific research report that one comes upon studying the relationship between docile calves in the feedlot to carcass tenderness, results in the conclusion that the calmer the feeder calf the more tender the carcass as in the report found at this TAMU link . One day it will be realized that when a commercial cattleman puts a British White Bull on his herd his calves are calmer, their growth is superior, and their carcass brings to them a premium over Black Angus, a highly volatile breed by comparison. J. West's Polly, a registered Halfblood British White heiferPictured to the left is a half blood female who was sired by a British White bull and whose dam is a commercial black cow who won't let you approach at all. This heifer on the other hand, is much calmer with a flight zone of a foot or less, and will sometimes let you pat her on the head. An important point to be made here is that in contrast to their generally docile nature with humans, they will both singly and as a group make swift and effective attack on predators such as coyotes and buzzards that threaten their calves; or even your blind, geriatric dog if he picks his way across a cattle guard in search of you and instead walks straight into a calf newly born to a heifer. They seem to have the ability to better judge what is a threat to them and their youngsters above that of other breeds; and humans are pretty much not perceived as threatening. British White herds don't scatter on the approach of strange humans, most will even remain lying down and disinterested.

Of great economic importance to cattle producers is the actual carcass quality coming out of the Feedlot. Besides the established correlation between docility and carcass tenderness mentioned above -- today there is DNA testing readily available to help identify animals that will most likely produce calves with superior carcass traits for tenderness and marbling. The DNA testing accomplished to date on approximately 80% of the herd of J. West Cattle Co. reflects the following:
bullet 100% are carriers of the T1/Calpistatin gene for Carcass Tenderness, and of those . . .
*** 64% are Homozygous for T1 (have two copies of the T1 gene, and thus will always pass on at a minimum ONE copy of the gene to their calves)
*** 9% are Heterozygous for the T2 Tenderness gene.
*** 80% are carriers of the T3/Calpain gene for Carcass Tenderness, and of those . . .
*** 27% are Homozygous for the T3/Calpain Tenderness gene.
*** 45% of this British White herd carries at a minimum one copy of the Carcass Marbling gene identified as QG1 with GeneStar, and of those . . .
*** 8% are Homozygous for the QG1 Carcass Marbling gene,
*** 11% are Heterozygous for the QG3 Carcass Marbling gene,
*** 49% are carriers of the QG4 Carcass Marbling gene, and of those . . .
*** 41% are Heterozygous for the QG4, and 8% are Homozygous for the QG4 Marbling gene.

As DNA testing and planned breeding progresses over the next few years to intensify these genetic traits, the results are expected to continue to be superior and to further establish British White cattle as THE Beef Breed of the Future for genetic Tenderness combined with genetic Docility -- a combination no other breed can match -- and a combination that the Commercial Feedlot operator will not ignore and will demand from commercial cattleman.

Besides the important economic traits of the British White breed, there is another trait that is unmatched by any other breed -- their extraordinarily striking beauty, and of course I realize that is a matter of personal opinion. British White Cattle are predominantly white with black points. Often, there are scattered spots of black along their sides, and typically this is accompanied by very strong color points about the nose, eyes, ears, teats, and lower front legs, which are the basic black color points expected in the breed. Their unique beauty is always a source of comment by visitors, as is their calm demeanor -- both traits that most likely inspired and perpetuated ancient Celtic lore and legend that immortalized the British White 'milk white cow' and predate the written word. Much of the ancient lore and legend makes reference to the occurrence of the red-pointed calf that is born in otherwise black-pointed herds; this occurs in British White herds today as in ancient days and is always one of surprise and remark. As well, a small percentage of calves are born with a line-backed pattern, and this has occurred throughout both the horned and polled white park cattle's documented history. See Breed History for additional information on their ancient history in the British Isles.



The British White cattle breed has much to offer the cattle producer in terms of both economics and genuine pleasure in the care-taking of this gentle, beautiful, ancient and immortalized breed.