British White Cattle in Southeast Texas - JWest Cattle Company

New Offering of British White Cattle

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 23:20:00 +0000

Spring 2022 - Current Availability

Have a look at this very windy March video, it shows most all of the bred cows and pairs now available. Give me a call, 409.837.2338 if you'd like to see more info on a particular cow. Click the page tab above for a complete listing of the breeding, age, birth weights, hip height and price. All cattle unless noted otherwise are registered American Fullblood British White Cattle. All cattle and bulls are registerable with the ABWPA as well. Have a Great Day!

Update July 2022 - I have 6 left. 3 Bred Cow/Bull Calf Pairs and 3 Bred Cows. See TexasBritishWhiteCattle.com for details.

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:42:00 +0000

One of my Fall 2020 newborn heifers! Her Dam is J.West's DeeDee, sire is J.West's Brando. Give us a call if you are interested in moderate to classic small frame cattle for your breeding program. 100 percent grassfed from conception as always. Bulls and Semen Available as well.

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:23:00 +0000

Have a look at what we have available for Fall 2019. All breeding stock has been grassfed for over 15 years. All my breedings over several generations are based on genetic testing for Feed Efficiency of original dams and sires, as well as ultrasounding for superior carcass those same originating dams and sires. Please email Jimmie at jwestcattle@gmail.com with any questions. And visit us on Facebook!

Bred British White Cows & Pairs

Open and Bred British White Heifers

British White Bulls

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 16:38:00 +0000

Check back for 2019 offering of bred heifers and cows . . . should be posted shortly.

Email Jimmie at jwestcattle@gmail.com for additional information.

How to Get the Smell of Something Dead off of your Cow Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 04:48:00 +0000

RECIPE to Get Dead Critter Smell off of your COW DOG:

Cooking/Cleaning Time -- 4 to 5 hours
Outside Temperature - Preferably not below 30 degrees Fahrenheit

Disposable Gloves
2 Twelve Cup Pots of Coffee
ICE
2X Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Old Rag
Water Hose
Old Big Towel

After you are over your initial retching from the smell and swearing he's never setting foot back in your house again, and after a few hours and more have passed to let your beloved dog hopefully roll around on the grass or in the sand and lessen the horribleness of his odor . . . . glove up and get started.

Brew the first pot of Coffee, split it between another container and the pot, put in lots of ice to cool both containers down for about a half hour.

Take a really deep breath, step out the door, carefully grasp in one gloved hand your beloved dogs collar, and slowly slowly pour the coffee directly on the area of his back where it is slick and stinky with the dead stuff.

Gasp for breath and say 'Love You' and walk away rapidly back through the door.

Repeat above 3 times more at least at 30 to 45 minute intervals.

Now, the smell is practically gone, may really be gone, but no way you'd want to take that chance the coffee might wear off or something by morning.

So, back out the door, and squirt a lot of that strong 2X Dawn down your beloved dog's back, hose him down with some water, take that old rag you'll never touch again and scrub the devil out of him, all over. Rinse, and REPEAT.

Let your beloved dog shake off while you go get that big old towel, and then rub him down vigorously. Let him shake off again, hug him, sniff him, and tell him you Love Him!!

Next - Let him back in the house and shake your head at how amazing it is at this age you really don't care if he's tracking wet footprints all over the house while he is doing his Lucky Dog Happy Prance to be back in the house!

The Magical Welsh White Cow - immortalized ancestor of the polled British White Cattle of today

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 01:29:00 +0000

The Magical Welsh White Cow . . . . .

"Llyn Barfog is the scene of the famous elfin cow's descent upon earth, from among the droves of the Gwragedd Annwn. This is the legend of the origin of the Welsh black cattle, as related to me in Carmarthenshire:

In times of old there was a band of elfin ladies who used to haunt the neighborhood of Llyn Barfog, a lake among the hills just back of Aberdovey. It was their habit to make their appearance at dusk clad all in green, accompanied by their milk-white hounds. Besides their hounds, the green ladies of Llyn Barfog were peculiar in the possession of droves of beautiful milk-white kine, called Gwartheg y Llyn, or kine of the lake.

One day an old farmer, who lived near Dyssyrnant, had the good luck to catch one of these mystic cows, which had fallen in love with the cattle of his herd. From that day the farmer's fortune was made. Such calves, such milk, such butter and cheese, as came from the milk-white cow never had been seen in Wales before, nor ever will be seen again. The fame of the Fuwch Gyfeiliorn (which was what they called the cow) spread through the country round.

The farmer, who had been poor, became rich; the owner of vast herds, like the patriarchs of old. But one day he took it into his silly noddle that the elfin cow was getting old, and that he had better fatten her for the market. His nefarious purpose thrived amazingly. Never, since beef steaks were invented, was seen such a fat cow as this cow grew to be!

Killing day came, and the neighbors arrived from all about to witness the taking-off of this monstrously fat beast. The farmer had already counted up the gains from the sale of her, and the butcher had bared his red right arm.

The cow was tethered, regardless of her mournful lowing and her pleading eyes; the butcher raised his bludgeon and struck fair and hard between the eyes; when lo ! a shriek resounded through the air, awakening the echoes of the hills, as the butcher's bludgeon went through the goblin head of the elfin cow, and knocked over nine adjoining men, while the butcher himself went frantically whirling around trying to catch hold of something permanent.

Then the astonished assemblage beheld a green lady standing on a crag high up over the lake, and crying with a loud voice:

Dere di felen Emion,
Cyrn Cyfeiliorn-braith y Llyn,
A'r foci Dodin,
Codwch, dewch adre.

Come yellow Anvil, stray horns,
Speckled one of the lake,
And of the hornless Dodlin,
Arise, come home.

Whereupon not only did the elfin cow arise and go home, but all her progeny to the third and fourth generations went home with her, disappearing in the air over the hill tops and returning nevermore. Only one cow remained of all the farmer's herds, and she had turned from milky white to raven black.

Whereupon the farmer in despair drowned himself in the lake of the green ladies, and the black cow became the progenitor of the existing race of Welsh black cattle." Source: Sacred Texts

NOTE: This ancient story has long been a part of my primary web site. However, Orcsweb has dropped support of frontpage extensions . . . and I have to rebuild the site, worried I'll lose some of the things I like most, and this old story is one of them.

Gotta Love the Texas Rains! Unless you are a Global Warming Goober of Course . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 21:54:00 +0000

The welcome and wet and thunderous rains that have so been welcomed by Texans are simply another angle for climate change/global warming fools. Just like the drought years, now our rainy years, and no, it's not like parts of East Texas did not see wonderful life giving rains last year as well, etc....
But, this Spring, the awesome rains are rather all over our Great State, and it's garnered mainstream media mindless meanderings of monstrous mammals maiming the magnificence of Mother Earth . . .

Go figure . . .

Oops! The very ancient polled British White Cattle must be partly responsible right? They've been
around for thousands of years, shame on them! My herd must have brought the drought years to
upper Southeast Texas and now, thankfully, they've brought all the grand rain!! Sounds like a win win :).

Climate Change May Have Souped Up Record-Breaking Texas Deluge

Deadly downpours flooded Texas and Oklahoma and may have been exacerbated by global warming

By Elizabeth Harball, Scott Detrow and ClimateWire | May 27, 2015

Large swaths of Houston were underwater yesterday after more than 10 inches of rain fell on the city during a 24-hour window.

The bulk of the rain came during intense Monday night thunderstorms, bringing America’s fourth-largest city to a standstill by yesterday morning. Major highways were flooded, schools and mass transit systems were shut down, rivers were swollen above flood stage, and the city’s Emergency Operations Center had declared a Level 1 emergency for the first time since Hurricane Ike struck in 2008. Houston Mayor Annise Parker proclaimed a state of disaster for the city yesterday afternoon.

Austin, San Antonio and several other central Texas communities also faced severe flooding over the weekend after several days of intense rain. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) described flooding along the Blanco River between Wimberley and San Marcos as a “tsunami-style” flood.

“This huge tidal wave of water just completely wiped out neighborhoods,” he said yesterday. Abbott has now declared a state of disaster in 46 counties or, as he put it, “literally from the Red River to the Rio Grande.”

Even before the worst of the Houston flooding, Abbott characterized the flooding as “absolutely massive.”

“This is the biggest flood this area of Texas has ever seen,” he said Monday. At least 17 people are dead in Texas and neighboring Oklahoma, according to the Associated Press, with dozens more still missing.

Speaking at the White House yesterday, President Obama pledged federal support for what he called “devastating, record-breaking floods.” He noted that Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel had already been deployed to Texas.

A state of emergency was declared for 44 Oklahoma counties as of Monday evening, and yesterday Obama made federal disaster aid available in the state. The National Weather Service on Sunday reported a record for total monthly rainfall set at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport at 18.19 inches, shattering the previous record of 14.66 inches set in June of 1989.

‘It looked like a river’
The National Weather Service also reported that multiple daily maximum precipitation records were broken in a number of Texas cities over the long weekend. As of yesterday morning, the agency had recorded over 10 inches of rain in multiple locations in Harris County, where Houston is located, as well as in neighboring Fort Bend County.

Nicole Buergers, 34, a marketing manager at a Houston Internet marketing company, was on a date with her boyfriend Monday evening when they were temporarily stranded in a coffee shop in the Montrose neighborhood amid the downpour.

“The water really rose very quickly, and [we] were trapped,” Buergers said yesterday morning. “There were people coming in off the street—everyone was huddled in the coffee shop.”

Buergers was eventually driven home by another customer. She and many other Houston residents were homebound yesterday, unable to travel to their offices due to flooded streets and highways.

Houston resident David Musso, 35, shared a photo on Twitter yesterday morning of floodwaters covering the intersection of Waugh Drive and Memorial Drive, which he usually passes on the commute to his marketing job.

Cattle Handling Points

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 15:36:00 +0000

What follows is an excerpt from a great article on cattle handling from Texas Agrilife Extension. You can find the full text of the article HERE and it is certainly well worth the read.

"There are five basic principles of cattle behavior that when used properly can improve the ease and speed of working cattle while reducing stress and increasing efficiency. Those principles are:

1. Cattle want to see you.
Understanding how cattle see is basic to getting cattle to respond to your position. Cattle can see everywhere but directly behind them or a small blind spot in front of them. When working from behind, it is important to keep moving side to side to prevent cattle from turning in an effort to keep you in their line of sight.

2. Cattle want to go around you.
This allows you to position yourself such that, when they do go around you, they are pointed directly at the gate or destination you had in mind. They’ll think it was their idea to go there!

3. Cattle want to be with and will go to other cattle.
A herding instinct is natural among ‘prey’ animals. As stockmen we can take advantage of this natural instinct as we work from the front of cattle. If you start the front the back will follow.

4. Cattle want to return to where they have been.
The natural instinct of a cow is to return to the last safe or comfortable place they were. The simple principle of the return box or “Bud Box” helps capture and use this principle. It also works great in sorting and moving cattle from one corral to another.

5. Cattle can only process one main thought at a time.
If cattle are thinking about anything other than what you are asking them to do you will need to change their mind first before putting pressure on them.

There are three basic means of communicating with livestock. Very simply they are:

􀁸 Sight
􀁸 Sound
􀁸 Touch

Cattle prefer to communicate through line of sight. Sound coming from a human for the most part is stressful and marginally successful in getting the desired result. Sound should be used as a secondary method and only used when sight is not adequate. Sound can often lead to distracting the line of sight away from the desired direction. Touch is really only useful in situations where animals are confined and additional stimulus is needed to get cattle to move or respond. Touch does not refer to use of driving aids such as hotshots or sorting sticks or paddles.

British White Cows & Heifers for Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 20:30:00 +0000

British White Cattle for Sale in Colmesneil, Texas

J.West Cattle Company now has a selection of British White Cattle for sale ranging in age from weanlings to older bred cows that have several more good breeding years to add to add fine stock to your herd. Here are photos of a few of the bred cows available now.

DAR'lin Lil Diamond

J.West's Maude Rae

J.West's Nova

J.West's Olivia

J.West's Birdie

Please visit www.TexasBritishWhiteCattle.com for additional information.........

Cattle and other Animals Slaughtered for Human Consumption Deserve the Benefit of Modern Technology .... just like we Humans do.

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 01:44:00 +0000

This lovely cow is J.West's Nell Opal, sired by J.West's Bounder, an English Woodbastwick Turpin sired bull, and Nell Opal has never missed a calf. Her calf at foot is sired by J.West's El Presidente. I really enjoy this video from a year and half or so ago, gives me a quiet happy feeling. Yes, the calf looks muddy with the August summer sand turning to mud with the fluids of birth . . . but look how very alive and curious he is, how grand and milky and beautiful his dam, my Nell Opal. I've just about finished, only in the last hours, a silly struggle to keep her image from being used for a purpose that I found abhorrent and totally at odds with this breed's history, it's docility -- the joy the breed conveys to it's owners on a regular basis -- yes, they are beef cattle -- but they do feel pain, keenly, they feel the loss of their calves, they sense the injury and distress of their herd mates -- and they do deserve the benefit of modern humane treatment at slaughter, rather than their throats being slit and a painful and unconscionable wait for them to cry and struggle and bleed out and die. We accept the furtherance of technology that benefits humans -- yet some wish to hold the slaughter animal back to Biblical days. Astounding.

Newborn British White Heifer!

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 00:38:00 +0000

Have a look . . . a rather long look, at J.West's Doc's Gal with her newborn heifer sired by J.West's Milo. The heifer is still wet from birth, and her dam is trying her best to lick her dry in the chilling wind. My dog, Lucky, is creeping around in the yaupon grove and that puts her on high alert, then you see a nice little bull calf coming to check out what's up, and he happens to be her maternal brother, my J.West's MsRae's latest calf. Doc's Gal is out of MsRae and Mazarati, both sired by my first herd bull, DFTX 'Doc' Watson, chosen by the late Bob Stanley as the bull to start his herd with. Doc was my first British White to hit the pastures some 14 years back. J.West's Doc's Gal was flushed for embryos that were exported to Australia for use at Shrublands Estate cattle farm. I do hope they have heifers from Doc's Gal bred to calve later on this year . . . and even more hope they express the incredibly milky and beautiful udder of Doc's Gal.

British White Cattle are an Excellent Fit for Commercial Production

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:35:00 +0000

Four Top Commercial Producers Talk About Beef Production

Burt Rutherford

The following are excerpts from an interesting Beef Cattle Magazine article. Click the link above for the full text of the article:

“Our breeding program is really focused around a maternal composite,” says John Maddux with Maddux Cattle Company of Wauneta, NE, this year’s BIF Commercial Producer of the Year Award winner. “We stress maternal traits and making sure we’re focused on fitness and convenience traits as opposed to the traditional production traits that are represented by EPDs.”

“ . . . For most breeds out there, we have more-than-optimum levels of production,” he says. That means having a high-growth calf is relatively unimportant to them, he says, because it’s relatively easy with moderate growth to make a nine-weight steer at 16 or 17 months of age. . . "

" . . . So, while the most efficient cow size will differ depending on the environmental constraints you run in, all four say a moderate cow size is something to shoot for. “It may not be for everybody, but for our program, we want moderate size, a 1,200-lb. cow max,” Maddux says."

J.West's Vincenzia & Heifer Calf

Rare 3/4 British White - 1/4 Nelore Heifer Born in the USA to J.West Cattle Company

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 01:59:00 +0000

My stunning half Nelore and half British White heifer, HBW Daisy, calved yesterday evening a pretty little heifer!! Daisy has proven to be very easy-keeping. She grew that magnificent frame while on the same hay and alfalfa as the BW heifer herds she has run with since I brought her home. Daisy has shown clear tolerance, or perhaps lack of desirability to biting flies and lice, excellent heat tolerance. Basically, this gal never misses a beat.

My goal . . . a gentler version of my beautiful Miss Daisy. Tomorrow I'll be dashing out to get a birth weight on her new heifer calf, and will cross my fingers I can get a tag in her ear before Daisy pounds the earth to get to me!!! While she's let me touch her, comes readily to me offering alfalfa, she clearly has extreme protective maternal instincts and does not trust me as my BW girls do. Her heifer calf was very laid back about me having a look at her, popping up her tail to confirm she was a heifer. She didn't startle at all, I was thankful for that as we were close to the state highway fence. That said, I wasn't going to pop her up on her feet and take a chest measure so close to the highway; if she dashed thru the old highway fence I've no doubt Miss Daisy would have simply taken down all the barbed wire and headed after her newborn heifer on US Highway 69. . . .

HBW Daisy and her newborn 3/4 British White and 1/4 Nelore Heifer Calf

J.West's British White Cattle.

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 05:00:00 +0000

American British White Females in Texas Available for Lease for Embryo Flushing . . .

The topic of embryo flushing has come in to conversation this past week, and I thought of this fine photo of Colombian BON calves the product of embryo transfer. If you are interested in embryos of the British White breed, or using one of my females for flushing to the BON or another breed, please let me know. I will certainly make available my superior females for flushing and export on a lease basis as I've done in the past. It's an excellent approach to introducing desirable genetics around the world. I think the combination of the beefiness of the American British White and the BON's documented excellent tolerance to heat and biting insects would be a great joining for tropical areas in pursuit of greater beef production in tropical environments. One day it will happen!!!

Blanco Orejinegro calves in Colombia

"Nice set of embryo calves of the Blanco Orejinegro breed in Colombia. A road to more rapid improvement and expansion of any small breed is the use of embryo flushing of the superior females."Embriones Agropecuaria Pacaraima -- Pacaraima livestock embryos (Translated by Bing)

Embriones Agropecuaria Pacaraima

Tis the Season of Peace and Good Will -- let Americans be at Peace in their Continued Role in this Great World in Furtherance of the Good

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 08:16:00 +0000

Excerpts below are from the 1896 publication "A Man's Value to Society", preface to Chapter 8 "The Enthusiasm of Friendship".

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise" Solomon

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." Emerson

"A talent is perfected in solitude; a character in the stream of the world." Goethe

"It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught as men take diseases, one of another; therefore let men take heed of their company." Shakespeare

"Beyond all wealth, honor or oven health, is the attachment we form to noble souls, because to become one with the good, generous and true, is to become, in a measure, good generous and true ourselves." Thomas Arnold

"Cicero said: 'Friendship can make riches splendid.' Friendship can plan many things for its wealth to execute. It can plan a good winter evening for a group, and it can plan an afternoon for a hundred children. It can roll in a Christmas log for a large hearth. It can spread happiness to the right and left. It can spend money most beautifully and make gold to shine. Civilization itself is of the heart." Shelby

My niece, Taylor, with her sweet young one, Lexie, that she babysits on her days off from her Target job that is restricted to a mere 20 hours because of current laws. Let the both of them always be as happy in the years to come as they were today..............

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 04:28:00 +0000

This excerpt struck me as pertinent tonight from "A Man's Value to Society", Copyright 1896:

"Disobedience is slavery. Obedience is liberty. . . . disobedience to the law of morals gives waste and want and wretchedness. That individual or nation is hastening toward poverty that does not love the right and hate the wrong. So certain is the penalty of wrongdoing that sins seems infinitely stupid. Every transgression is is like an iron plate thrown into the air: gravity will pull it back upon the wrongdoer's head to wound him."

Let their be peace . . . and faith in our civil system, for each of us. Obama says: "Understandable reaction?" Hardly. Gun shots, rocks and bottles thrown, police cars attacked, fires and .... whatever else. Absurd. Shameful. Hardly Understandable. Burden falls on the baiters and the mainstream media and the rabid liberals who regularly lay waste to the the old Christian laws of morals that has lead to waste and want and wretchedness" . . . among some other rather significant others of influence.

Newborn British White Calves Caterwauling

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 23:57:00 +0000

Fussy newborns! They are a bit indignant and confused as their dams abandoned them for fresh hay. It went from a peaceful easy morning of measuring and tagging them all (don't think I've ever tagged that many at once) to chaos as soon as Mike put out the first bale.

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 16:23:00 +0000

An excellent article from the Lampasas Dispatch Record examining the cost and value of raising your own replacement heifers vs buying them in today's market environment.

Ranchers weigh replacement heifer options

By BLAIR FANNIN

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

When it comes to replacement heifers in beef cattle operations, producers are faced with a dilemma: Raise them, buy them or sell them and “take the money and run,” said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.

It’s becoming an all too familiar situation among Texas ranchers, said Stan Bevers, an AgriLife Extension economist at Vernon who recently presented a study at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.

Where's the story?2 Points Mentioned

“We looked at what the market is right now for replacement heifers,” he said. “We were targeting heavy bred heifers, and they were anywhere from $1,650 to $2,300 a head. The second number was what it was costing the rancher to raise them themselves.

“One operation we tracked were heifers weaned in 2010 and 2011, what those heifers were and what their accumulated expenses were over the two years to the point where they were heavy bred. Their expenses totaled $1,100 to $1,400 a head. That ranch was pretty efficient and did a good job of reducing their expenses.”

Bevers said since this ranch was located in Oklahoma, one would need to add $300-$400 a head to that for Texasranchers and regional market prices to develop replacement heifers.

“That comes out to $1,400 to $1,800 to develop replacement heifers in Texas,” Bevers said.

He said if you look at the current market price, it shows it’s cheaper to “raise them yourself if you are a pretty efficient, cost-reducing type operator.”

“The final number we looked at is if I have to pay much over market cost for them or if I choose to raise a heifer on my own, what is she going to return me over her life?” he said. “We started with a twoyear old heifer that’s going to be having her first calf and added eight years to that. That means we’ve gone out 10 years into the future, so now she is 10 years old, and we came up with what I can pay for her, which was $2,301 a head.”

Bevers said that leaves three numbers to consider.

“We know the market is $1,650 to $2,300, and it takes $1,400 to $1,500 to raise her, and now she is worth $2,300 in my herd economically.

“What do you do with those numbers? Well, if nothing else, it illustrates how complex this decision is right now,” he said. “It’s not right or wrong. It’s based on what type of operation you have and your costs. You finally have to decide to pull the trigger and say this is what we are going to have to do.”

Bevers threw in a fourth number – what feedlots are paying for commercial heifers destined for the beef market. Right now, it’s about $1.93 to $2.03 a pound, he said.

“You are talking about a heifer in the 750-pound range that’s worth $1,500 on the market, and that’s for beef,” he said. “So, if you don’t keep her as a replacement heifer, you now have a floor price of about $1,500 a head. If you don’t want to take her and put her back in your operation, the feedlot is going to take her for $1,500 and turn her into beef later down the road.”

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 01:50:00 +0000

Jimmie's Observations on the 2nd Annual MN British White Cattle Sale

I spent some time the past few days watching online auctions of registered cattle, reading through the trade magazines for the results of commercial sales as well as registered, as I'm getting ready to put a group of females and some bulls up for sale. So, I much appreciated Kim Hilty's reporting of sales results at the latest British White auction in MN a few days ago.

B&B British White Heifers at the MN 2nd Annual Sale

As with most items, live bovines, or goods, the price ultimately reflects the quality of the product, the visual, and of course the demand, and not to be discounted is the sales platform, whether it be the individual or an auction -- presentation and attitude and information are paramount.

You can see in the sales results the buyer's desire for bred heifers or cows vs open ones. I would also say the prices for Fall bred cows are disappointing, perhaps more would have been realized at a sale barn, but as Kim says here, you have to remember that those that were Clean, Good Quality, and halter broke (not my thing, I prefer tail breaking ) brought the highest dollar and it is just the 2nd annual auction, so the buyers could pick and choose - not so different from a Lowline sale I watched this weekend online. Had there been more buyers, I've no doubt the results would have been greater at that Lowline sale in Athens, Texas.

That said, Kim's reporting of fall bred cows, coupled with what the 8 young bull calves sold for, some of which were weaned upon sale -- not so bad at all. Combine the top fall bred cow with the top bull calf, you've got $3300 in value for the pair, combine the bottom fall bred cow at $1300 with the bottom bull calf at $900 for $2200, again not bad, presumably it was quality and conformation that made the difference.

Compare these results with the Bohaty sale this last spring, where the base price was I think $2500 for bred heifers But then the Bohaty's have spent years supporting their buyers after the sale, provide 100% of the information a buyer needs to make a decision. . . Visit them on Facebook here:https://www.facebook.com/BohatysBritishWhites .

Briarstone bull calves at the 2014 2nd Annual MN British White Cattle auction

See www.whitecattle.org for additional information on the ABWPA that has for many many years provided registry and primary focus on the British White bovine, and gives their full support to the new Minnesota British White Cattle organization.

My best to all British White breeders here in the USA and across the world..........

Foggy Morning Pastures & British White Cattle

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 19:10:00 +0000

My apologies for being out of pocket for some months now. Here's a look at my British White cattle early morning a few days back in a heavy fog, rather peaceful I think. I hope you enjoy it as well. . . .

British White Cattle on Display for Australia's Beef Week at Shrublands Estate in Thornton, Victoria

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 17:33:00 +0000

This Texas gal went down under to the beautiful southern state of Victoria in Australia. Besides the utterly beautiful scenery, excellent coffee available every where one looked, bird life that was captivating, and so much more . . . I also saw some very grand British White cows!

It was the occasion of Australia's annual Beef Week, and for the first time ever the British White breed was showcased on beautiful Shrublands Estate which is primarily a Black Angus stud, but with a keen interest in developing a top herd of British White cattle.

ET Heifer Calves at Shrublands

Shrublands had a couple dozen British White calves on the ground for visitors to delight in. Much of the folk dropping by were there for the unusual opportunity to learn more about the British White, as for most, it was their first introduction to the breed.

ET Bull Calf at Shrublands, Sired by J.West's Elvis from J.West's Doc's Gal

The British White calves are all the product of Embryo Transfer and the embryos were collected from several females from the herd of J.West Cattle Company, and variously sired by J.West's Elvis and J.West's El Presidente. Shrublands has a particularly promising young 5 month old bull calf sired by J.West's Elvis that draws everyone's eye and leaves one saying "Wow!"

Shrublands Estate is located alongside the beautiful Goulburn River in Thornton, Victoria. Being located in close proximity to Lake Eildon upstream, the Goulburn waters are incredibly pristine and icy cold. The Eildon Wier (dam) releases waters from the vastly deep man-made Lake Eildon this time of year, Australia's summer, for use in agricultural croplands that rely on the waters of the Goulburn for irrigation.

Goulburn River at Shrublands Estate

The Goulburn is fully at its banks this time of year, but in the winter the water level of the Goulburn can be so low in this same area that cattle oftentimes stroll across to adjoining pastures on the other side for a visit!

This slideshow of my visit is a nice overall look at the Shrublands Estate in Thornton, Victoria.

What will 2014 bring to American Cattlemen?

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 14:36:00 +0000

The article below is provided in its entirety. Somehow I was not even shocked to see the Mother Jones headline . . .

Should We Fight Climate Change By Taxing Meat?

Decreasing the global cattle population would reduce emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

—By Adam Vaughan

| Sat Dec. 21, 2013 3:00 AM GMT

ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

This story originally appeared in the Guardian, and has been reproduced here as part of theClimate Desk collaboration.

Meat should be taxed to encourage people to eat less of it, so reducing the production of global warming gases from sheep, cattle and goats, according to a group of scientists.

Several high-profile figures, from the chief of the UN's climate science panel to the economist Lord Stern, have previously advocated eating less meat to tackle global warming.

The scientists' analysis, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, takes the contentious step of suggesting methane emissions be cut by pushing up the price of meat through a tax or emissions trading scheme.

"Influencing human behaviour is one of the most challenging aspects of any large-scale policy, and it is unlikely that a large-scale dietary change will happen voluntarily without incentives," they say. "Implementing a tax or emission trading scheme on livestock's greenhouse gas emissions could be an economically sound policy that would modify consumer prices and affect consumption patterns."

There are now 3.6 billion ruminants on the planet–mostly sheep, cattle and goats and, in much smaller numbers, buffalo – 50% more than half a century ago. Methane from their digestive systems is the single biggest human-related source of the greenhouse gas, which is more short-lived but around 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the planet.

Emissions from livestock account for 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gases, according to the UN. It estimates that this could be cut by nearly a third through better farming practices.

Pete Smith, a professor of soils and global change at the University of Aberdeen, and one of the authors of the report, said: "Our study showed that one of the most effective ways to cut methane is to reduce global populations of ruminant livestock, especially cattle."

He said methane from livestock could only be reduced by addressing demand for meat at the same time.

The scientists say not enough attention has been paid to tackling greenhouse gases other than CO2, especially in the ongoing UN climate talks, which last convened in Warsaw in November.

The only way the world could avoid dangerous tipping points as temperatures rise would be by cutting methane emissions as well as CO2 emissions from sources such as energy and transport, they argue. Reducing livestock numbers, they point out, would also avoid CO2 emissions released when forests are cleared for cattle farms.

William Ripple, a professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, and another of the authors, said: "We clearly need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels to cut CO2 emissions. But that addresses only part of the problem. We also need to reduce non-CO2 greenhouse gases to lessen the likelihood of us crossing this climatic threshold."

The farming industry said the tax proposal was too simplistic. Nick Allen, sector director for Eblex, the organisation for beef and lamb producers in England, said: "To suggest a tax is a better way to cut emissions seems a simplistic and blunt suggestion that will inevitably see a rise in consumer prices.

"It is a very complex area. Simply reducing numbers of livestock–as a move like this would inevitably do–does not improve efficiency of the rumen process, which takes naturally growing grass that we cannot eat and turns it into a protein to feed a growing human population."

Allen said reducing emissions was an important goal for the industry. He added: "Grazing livestock have helped shape and manage the countryside for hundreds of years. They bring significant environmental benefits that can significantly mitigate the negative effect of emissions. It is unfortunate that in recent years they have become an easy scapegoat for emissions, despite the fact that the livestock population is generally falling."

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 23:47:00 +0000

My belated Happy Thanksgiving wishes to everyone and my best wishes for a very Merry Christmas!!

Climate Change Command and Control Progressing Nicely in the USA

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 17:21:00 +0000

A grouping of articles regarding climate change, a plethora of them have popped up this past week . . . Of course, not much mention of the fact that the 'freak' snowstorm in South Dakota took them officially out of a drought - at great loss of cattle, which is beyond sad, but on the other hand, Mother Nature also corrected the region's water table with this snowstorm. Actually, no mention at all of the great Atlas snowstorm of South Dakota in October . . . switching from the term 'global warming' to the now politically correct 'climate change' is intended to encompass all weather events of a perceived unusual nature . . . undoubtedly some UN/IPCC scientist is furiously trying to come up with scientific data to blame the snowstorm on the COWs.

'The claims are exaggerated': John Howard rejects predictions of global warming catastrophe

"Former (Australian) prime minister John Howard has poured scorn on the "alarmist" scientific consensus on global warming in a speech to a gathering of British climate sceptics, comparing those calling for action on climate change to religious zealots."

"The ground is thick with rent-seekers. There are plenty of people around who want access to public money in the name of saving the planet. Politicians who bemoan the loss of respect for their calling should remember that every time they allow themselves to be browbeaten by the alleged views of experts they contribute further to that lack of respect. . . . Economic growth in developing countries was much more important than countering global warming, Mr Howard said, and the West had no right to deny economic development to the rest of the world in the name of climate change. . . He accused the IPCC of including "nakedly political agendas" in its advice." (The Sydney Morning Herald, Nick Miller, November 6, 2013)

Researcher helps sow climate-change doubt

Willie Soon,

“Those people are so out of their minds!’’ exclaimed Soon, a solar researcher at the prestigious Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, in Cambridge. He assailed former vice president Al Gore, among others, for his views on climate change, calling predictions of catastrophic ocean tides “crazy’’ and scornfully concluding: “And they call this science.’’

"Before the Heritage Foundation audience of 100 people, Soon won appreciative applause before launching into a fresh set of attacks: “IPCC is a pure bully,’’ he said, accusing the body of “blatant manipulations of fact’’ and engaging in a “charade.’’ “Stop politicizing science!’’ he said. “Just stop!’’ (The Boston Globe, Christopher Rowland, November 5, 2013)

Is It Too Late to Prepare for Climate Change?

" . . . As it happens, the very same day the I.P.C.C. report was leaked, President Obama issued an executive order titled “Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change.” Among other things, it established a new Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, to be co-chaired by the head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and—suggestively enough—the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. " (The New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert , November 5, 2013)

USDA seeks input on agricultural coexistence

" . . . as a result of recommendations from the department’s Advisory Committee on Biotechnology & 21st Century. According to a notice posted in the Federal Register, agricultural coexistence refers to the concurrent cultivation of crops produced through diverse agricultural systems, including traditionally produced, organic, identity-preserved and genetically engineered crops. . . .USDA is seeking public input, particularly in the area of education and outreach to foster communication and collaboration among those involved in diverse agricultural systems on the topic of coexistence as well as how USDA can best communicate and collaborate with those entities." (John Maday, Managing Editor, Drovers CattleNetwork, 11/04/2013)

USDA says climate change task force will help ag communities

"USDA says a task force established by President Obama Friday will assist agricultural communities facing the impacts of climate change. The Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience will advise the Federal Government on strategies to help American agriculture mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. . . USDA expects the task force to help America’s farmers and ranchers adapt to changing climate conditions. . . As part of the broader Climate Action Plan, the USDA announced steps in June to create modern solutions against climate adversity. In addition to regional sources on climate information and forecasts, the USDA created the "Carbon Management and Evaluation Tool" (COMET-FARM), showing farmers how much carbon their land removes from the atmosphere." (11/1/2013)

Climate change regulation: Scarier than climate change?

"We now know the plan, implemented almost entirely by executive order, might also be called, “choke the life of whatever feeble economic recovery we’ve managed so far.” I’m ready to say I don’t like much about it at all. There’s a lot of code in there for unleashing enthusiastic federal regulators on job creators and workers. . . Farmers might well support reducing carbon pollution – if the methods are incentive and market-based.. . . I’m not a “denier,” but I am a “skeptic” on the whole global warming thing. From where I sit, climate change regulation is much more terrifying than climate change itself." (Gene Hall, Texas Farm Bureau, 07/09/2013)

British White Cattle Sale in Hutchinson, MN - 2013 First Annual Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Jimmie) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 16:25:00 +0000

BRITISH WHITE CATTLE ASSOCIATION OF MINNESOTA - FIRST ANNUAL SALE VIDEO

Minnesota British White Cattle Association - First Annual Sale
October 19, 2013 - Hutchinson, Minnesota (Photo by Jodi Olson)

The sale was a great success, this first annual auction was a lot of fun and had some really fine animals from both the ABWPA and the BWCAA. The sale was attended by folks from all across the USA, including Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska,and South Dakota - and perhaps more. Lots of folks pitched in, even non- members whose help was invaluable to making this a very successful first sale. I had a wonderful time, visited with old friends I haven't seen in ages, made new friends, and am so glad I made the journey. Even though the BWCAA sadly made extreme last minute efforts to harm the outcome of the sale - it went very well, one can only imagine how much better it may have been.

As well as representation from so many States in the USA, also present were 6 Board alumni of the British White Cattle Association of America giving the new Minnesota BWCA our wholehearted support. There were over 30 lots that sold, here are some pricing highlights from the sale.

B&B Karen

BRED HEIFERS: B&B Nellie $2800; B&B Karen $2700; Coyote Ridge Lucy $2500; Briar Stone Blue Belle $2200; Coyote Ridge Lucky $2200; Briar Stone Marea $2100; RLC Farms Willow $2000; RAI Little Rose $1950.

Briar Stone Abigail and Briar Stone Allison

OPEN WEANLING HEIFERS: RAI Bud $1800; Briar Stone Abigail $1550; Briar Stone Allison $1550; RAI Blossum (donated by RAI British Whites) $1350

Briar Stone Adonis & Pat Olsen

WEANLING BULL PROSPECTS: Briar Stone Adonis $1600; RLC Farms Renegade $1500

Dale McDonald, Rambling Creek Cattle Company

Robert Isaacson, RAI British Whites

Walter and Nancy Bohaty, B&B Bohaty's British Whites