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Messages - Professor Plum
1
« on: July 11, 2014, 10:03:44 AM »
It was started by the horned junior association before the merger, way back when AI was a new technology. You choose sires from a list, receive two straws of semen and a certificate (but usually pay the shipping yourself), and a resulting calf can be shown in the special class. Some years they will have only two or three entries, some years a dozen or more. Winners usually get the same type of award as the champion owned or bred and owned heifer.
The list of available sires has grown shorter in recent years, although some top breeders listed their entire AI sire offereing. Some folks pick a bull they are using anyway, and then the best calf they get ends up in the Junior AI class. They announced this year that they are ending the program, and that next year will be the last to have those classes at the junior national. It was a good idea back in the day to encourage AI, but doesn't make as much sense today.
2
« on: November 07, 2012, 11:28:03 PM »
Traded for one a couple of years ago. Love it. Didn't get the remote switch, so it was the same price as an Air Express, but I like the aluminum housing, it will look nicer longer than a painted steel housing.
Prof
3
« on: October 18, 2012, 04:01:59 AM »
Dec. 15, 2012- Lancaster Event Center, Lincoln, NE
Same weekend as Kansas Beef Expo.
4
« on: September 25, 2012, 01:52:57 PM »
Is it the switch that broke? I've replaced the switch on my AGC (round body) 2-speeds twice, easy fix, part is about $11, I keep a spare handy. Not sure on the AGP's. Might as well open 'em up and see if you can diagnose the problem.
5
« on: September 19, 2012, 03:53:12 PM »
Just for comparison, I saw this in a recent sale catalog:
Show Expenses:
<Ranch name deleted> does not make any money showing, however, we would
like to cover our expenses. If <Ranch name deleted> cares for and shows your animal
it will cost $8/day for calves and $12/day for yearlings. In addition <Ranch name deleted>
will charge a flat show amount for the following shows:
Western Nugget (Reno).......................... $1,800
National Western Stock Show.................... $1,500
Fort Worth Stock Show............................ $1,500
This cost is figured with fuel under $4/gal. If fuel prices climb above this
amount we will charge an additional fuel charge.
Honestly, I thought this was more than fair. I couldn't do it myself for that, and these guys do an awesome job, among the best in the business. They're located in Nebraska, to give you an idea on the freight.
Hope this helps.
Prof
6
« on: August 31, 2012, 01:42:05 PM »
The Golden Ox is still there. It gets busy during the Royal, but you should eat there once just to say you did. My favorite used to be the Hereford House, but unfortunately, the original downtown location burned down a few years ago. They have several other locations around town, good food but not the historic building.
7
« on: August 30, 2012, 02:32:43 PM »
Lots of great BBQ in KC, my personal favorite is Jack Stack: http://www.jackstackbbq.com/, their Freight House location isn't far from the Royal, near Union Station. If you're a College Basketball fan (who isn't?), check out the College Basketball Experience next to the Sprint Center, http://www.collegebasketballexperience.com/.Also have to put in a plug for my buddies at Nigro's Western Store, http://www.nigroswesternstore.com/, it's the real deal with tack and everything. David Jr. showed steers a few years back. It's one of those places where you can deal on stuff, the price tag is the starting point, don't be afraid to try to make a better deal. They carry Rios of Mercedes, Anderson Bean, lots of exotic boots, quality hats, etc.
8
« on: August 23, 2012, 12:08:04 PM »
Quirks had an Angus bull called Mister T back in the 80's Here's his pedigree: http://bit.ly/PEVfFqI doubt that's the Mr. T you're referring to. His maternal grandsire, Warrant, carried a genetic defect called white-eye. TNT Mr. T was a Simmental bull, the paternal grandsire of Meyer 734. http://bit.ly/Q4k1lP
9
« on: August 21, 2012, 11:52:05 PM »
Regardless of breed, start working with the calf as early as possible.
Not everyone can do this, but for all three of our kids, their first year they showed September, October or November heifer calves that we raised. Our show season is April to September. We would get the chosen heifer calves and their dams up to the show barn over Christmas break, and started socializing the baby heifers while they were still nursing. In March we "day-weaned" the calves, nursing them on a rope halter twice a day, but keeping them separate from their dams the rest of the time. It helps them get started on feed, and they get regular human contact, plus the actual weaning is less stressful because it's done gradually. Plus the kids are around them when they are a manageable size, so the kids' fear is much less. By the time the calf is big, they're already buddies.
Was it a lot of work? Yes. Did it work? Every time. Did we always pick the best (as in winning potential) heifer calf at two months of age? No, but that wasn't the point. Honestly, if you could find an old show heifer in a sale with a good, well-bred baby heifer calf at side, that would be the ultimate starter package for a beginner, because you'd have the calf to start working with, and the halter-broke cow that's easy to work with to breed back for next year. And I've seen sweet ones and waspy ones in every breed, but we chose Herefords largely because of disposition. We've turned a few good home-raised ones out that weren't worth fighting, and sent one back that we bought because the seller guaranteed her to be docile, but your odds are better with Herefords than any other breed.
10
« on: December 05, 2011, 04:10:58 PM »
Heard this second hand, but it was too good not to post.
A prominent judge most of us know, back in his younger days, was judging a county fair market lamb show. Feed must have been cheap because the lambs were hog fat, all of them. Before he picked his champion, our judge said "If I was a kid in this county, next year I'd go out and find just an average lamb, one that wouldn't cost too much. Then I'd talk to some folks that know, and learn how to feed one right. Then I'd come back here and win the show."
11
« on: November 16, 2011, 04:40:51 PM »
Since you are located in Nebraska, a good person to answer your questions would be Dr. Matt Spangler at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Spangler is an extension specialist with expertise in beef cattle genetics. His contact information can be found here: http://animalscience.unl.edu/anscmattspangler
12
« on: November 16, 2011, 04:37:20 PM »
EPDs are obtained from your breed association. You should have received a report (Interim EPDs) when you submitted weaning weights. Most breeds update their EPDs in December, so new numbers will be available in January. You can look up the heifers' EPDs on most breed associations' websites.
Hope this helps,
Prof
13
« on: November 16, 2011, 01:54:25 PM »
If you want to better understand how EPDs are calculated, and how to use them in genetic improvement, this book would probably be more helpful. It's an excellent reference, and quite readable. It takes an advanced statistician to get through Mrode. [float=left]  [/float]
14
« on: October 17, 2011, 02:08:04 PM »
Don't know if MARC publishes the sires they use, you may have to call and ask. AMAA should know. However, the adjustments account for the sires' EPDs in their breed evaluation. So if a "bad" bull gets used at MARC (high BW, low marb, etc.), that doesn't hurt the breed unless his EPDs (in his breed evaluation) aren't appropriately bad. I don't follow Maines, so I don't know how the bull you mentioned ranks within his breed.
PM me if you want to discuss this.
Prof
15
« on: September 27, 2011, 04:58:55 PM »
How tall (inside)?
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