I started out my Monday morning feeding some cattle when I noticed a 200-pound calf still nursing his mother was sick. I had strung out some cake and was counting them walking down the line when I noticed another calf that was even more sick.
Luckily I had a portable corral there and was able to get them in it and doctor them. Neither of these calves had previously had any shots. It is simply the time of year when that can happen. I asked around several customers what shots they thought a calf needed running on a cow to help with weaning.
Most said at branding IBR, BVD, BRSV, P13 Modified live virus. Plus pasteurella pneumonia and blackleg. At weaning, the same shots. There are several varieties from this but for those giving only blackleg—that only helps a little but does not do a lot to keep them from getting sick.
A lot of customers are wanting calves and yearlings weaned at least 60 days. Some are comfortable on calves at 45 days. And I see a few buyers wanting more than 60 days in this muddy period.
A lady had just turned 50 years old. She looked in the mirror and thought, “Oh my gosh I need a face lift.” She walked down to the quick shop and asked the young gal working there—“How old do you think I am?” The young gal said, “Probably about 30.” Well that made her perk up a bit but she said, “No, I am 50.” So she walked on down to the lumberyard and asked the guy there, “How old do you think I am?” He said, “About 32.” She said, “No, I’m 50.”
So she went down the street to the café and asked the waitress the same question. She answered, “Probably 29.” Well, feeling quite a bit better she walked on down the street and saw a man sitting on the bench that looked about 80. She said, “Sir, how old do you think I am?” He said, “I can tell you exactly how old you are.” She said, “Then tell me.”
He said, “Well, that is if you will let me put my hand on your chest and I can promise I can tell you exactly.” She thought a minute and looked down the street and couldn’t see anyone so she said, “All right, go ahead.”
So he put his hand on her chest for a few seconds then said, “Ma’am you are 50 years old.” She said, “That is amazing. How did you know exactly?” He said, “Well I was standing behind you when you asked the young gal at the quick shop.”
An old cowboy and his wife were in church. The wife said to her husband, “Did you hear what the preacher said about gambling and drinking?” The old cowboy said, “Well if he knew how much I gambled on a that string of steers—he would be drinking too.”
Editor’s note: Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
