A belated cows entry

Just before the 4th of July, our family set out for the sale barn in the hopes of finding the first heifers (female cows that have yet to calf) for our herd. As many of you know, we have been looking for these ladies for some time, trying to make the right decision that will not result in some swollen cow floating in the pond three weeks from now. Before we visited the sale barn, we tried to run down multiple private sellers, seeking 6-10 Angus/Brangus Heifer Yearlings, but perhaps because of the season (and the availability of grass to fatten the heifers through the summer), we could not find any commercial stock within our age and price parameters. So, at 7:00 AM on a Saturday morning, we arrived for a country breakfast followed by the cattle auction. Let me treat you to the highlights before proudly introducing you to our lovely ladies:

Pep Talk: Before we left for the auction, we were very excited. I mean, we were “jumping around in the driveway” excited. Dad tried to temper our excitement, giving us a classic pep talk. He warned us that when we purchased our first heifers at the auction, we should “Act like you’ve been to the endzone before.” No dancing, no celebrations, no squealing. Apparently, legitimate cattlemen do not squeal when they successfully bid on an animal at auction.

Friends with Bovine: Our family is so blessed to have a wonderful friend named Odell who helped us through the entire heifer selection and delivery. He warned us not to get first heifers too small (300-400 lbs) or bloated with water (to make them look heavier for auction). He recommended that we purchase black heifers (Angus, Brangus) and consider what he called “Black Baldies,” black angus bred with Hereford which shows as a black-bodied heifer with a white face. The “Black Baldies” offer what Joshua described as “Hybrid Vigor,” meaning that mixed breed heifer possesses the ideal traits of both Angus and Hereford. After we purchased our lovely ladies, Odell delivered the ladies to the Farm and told the boys he was proud of them for making nice selections. Both of the boys seemed particularly pleased that Odell approved of the purchases!

Heifers, Bulls, & Steers: Mom and I decided that we could easily identify a heifer from a bull from a steer simply upon entry into the auction arena without needing to peer awkwardly between the animal’s back legs: A heifer strolls in casually with her girlfriends almost as if she is glancing through the sale rack at White House-Black Market on a Saturday when she has nothing better to do. A bull charges in, puffed up, maybe a little sweaty, with a wild look in his eye, head-butting the auction employee and trying to avoid the paddle and find the heifers at the same time. Lastly, a steer enters the arena like a man who just got off at the wrong bus stop-He is confused, lost, and minus a pair of essentials.

Auction Highlights: When you attend the auction every Saturday, the rules regarding registration no longer apply to you. This good old boy in the row behind us purchased cattle all morning long, and every time the auctioneer would ask for his number, the man would confirm he, in fact, had not registered and been assigned a number. The auctioneer would look exasperated and merely reply: “Lot 74, Sold to Pappy.” Perhaps one day our family will be identified by such an affectionate nickname….no number required! Lastly, as we were loading up to bring our girls home to the Farm, we passed a cattle trailer literally covered in shit. I realize this is a family blog, and my grandmother likely will not approve of my language. Frankly, there is simply no other term that can quite so accurately describe the amount of animal feces on this trailer. It looked like a mobile cow poop dirt-dobber’s nest. I could not tell you the color of the trailer….well, that’s not true. It was brown.

Without further adieu, please welcome six lovely ladies to our herd…


This is Gertie, standing in the weeds....

My favorite, our Black Baldie, named Sophie. She is very tame and enjoys getting a pet from her people.

Little Cecilia stepping off the trailer...

Miss Sophie making her grand entrance....

The boys getting ready to unload the girls..