An efficient cattleman is one who tries to make a buck at it. Keeps costs low and profits up! Not an easy thing to do sometimes! Can be a fine juggling act at times!
It's like the farmer who pours on the fertilizer, sprays for everything, has the most reliable equipment etc. He grows one hell of a crop and grosses more money than all the neighbors...and loses his shirt after all the bills are paid! His neighbor puts on less fertilizer, sprays the minimum, and uses old junk to farm. He gets less production but he actually has a few bucks in his jeans after paying the bills. He is the most efficient farmer!
I see commercial cattlemen going out and buying high priced bulls at fancy sales. Now this is fun as you are in the spotlight and all the purebred boys think you are just a wonderful fellow! They tell you how progressive you are and what a good cattleman you are! Of course that $4000 bull might be superior or he might not be any better than the $2200 one down the road? I'll never forget what my Grandfather told me about the purebred business..." It's 20% genetics, 30% feeding, and 50% BS!!!" Now that was in the 50's and 60's so today it's changed right? I would suggest the feeding and genetics might have shifted a bit but the BS has stayed about the same? And I'm not out to rip the purebred business, it paid for this farm! But you know for $25 you can get the top genetics in the world, in a straw?
Personally I wouldn't buy some of these fancy stock trailers if I won the lottery! I have a good 20 foot gooseneck that works real good. It's ten years old and the paints a little faded but it sure gets the job done. I have no desire to impress the neighbors! Furthermore if I had all the money in the world I wouldn't buy a BMW or Mercedes or whatever. A good old Ford, Chev, or Dodge works for me. I guess I'm just a peasant at heart!
It's like the farmer who pours on the fertilizer, sprays for everything, has the most reliable equipment etc. He grows one hell of a crop and grosses more money than all the neighbors...and loses his shirt after all the bills are paid! His neighbor puts on less fertilizer, sprays the minimum, and uses old junk to farm. He gets less production but he actually has a few bucks in his jeans after paying the bills. He is the most efficient farmer!
I see commercial cattlemen going out and buying high priced bulls at fancy sales. Now this is fun as you are in the spotlight and all the purebred boys think you are just a wonderful fellow! They tell you how progressive you are and what a good cattleman you are! Of course that $4000 bull might be superior or he might not be any better than the $2200 one down the road? I'll never forget what my Grandfather told me about the purebred business..." It's 20% genetics, 30% feeding, and 50% BS!!!" Now that was in the 50's and 60's so today it's changed right? I would suggest the feeding and genetics might have shifted a bit but the BS has stayed about the same? And I'm not out to rip the purebred business, it paid for this farm! But you know for $25 you can get the top genetics in the world, in a straw?
Personally I wouldn't buy some of these fancy stock trailers if I won the lottery! I have a good 20 foot gooseneck that works real good. It's ten years old and the paints a little faded but it sure gets the job done. I have no desire to impress the neighbors! Furthermore if I had all the money in the world I wouldn't buy a BMW or Mercedes or whatever. A good old Ford, Chev, or Dodge works for me. I guess I'm just a peasant at heart!
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