Hello Spring...

Spring might actually be here. I hestitate to say that too loudly since we are bound to get one more snow storm, but we are enjoying the warmer weather while we can. We've been playing outside patiently waiting for the mud to dry up so we can venture out a little further around the farm. The girls really want to see the baby calves and right now they are still content with just driving by the pens when we come home.

Calving has been pretty normal this year with those few freak deaths that just come out of nowhere. There are about 60 calves on the ground right now and Wes is keeping very busy. We love to see those little calves bucking around the pens and nursing their moms.

The twins have learned what the difference is between mommy cows and daddy cows. They know where the bulls are and like to explain that daddy cows are bulls and mommy cows are cows. Any thoughts on when I should start the talk about where steers come from?

This year is the first year we have purebred bulls in the lot. These bulls are pampered a bit more than your normal steer or heifer in the lot. They have been run through the chute to be trimmed (a professional haircut) so they look pretty for the sale. They also give a semen sample to be analyze to make sure they will do their "job" when they are turned out with the ladies. And they will be ultrasounded to look at the size of their ribeyes to help determine what carcass characteristics can be expected from their offspring.

And although all of these things add a little something extra to this pen of cattle, Wes has been dedicating even more time to these bulls because the owner died two weeks ago.

At the age of 62 he has no children and his wife is plugging right along trying to get these bulls ready for their sale on April 20th. Tammy has an incredible amount of strength to continure the legacy that she and her husband built. Tammy stopped out to see the bulls two days ago and just stood there and cried because "they look so pretty."

Tammy has asked Wes to say a few words about the bulls from the auction block before the sale which he is more than happy to do.

The bull market is really good this year, but I have a feeling that this Luhman Angus sale is going to be the top of the market. God bless you, Dale!