Show Preparations...

Have you ever attended a livestock show? Whether you've walked through the barns or have exhibited at the county, state or national level you realize that each event has it's own unique experience. Two and a half weeks ago I traveled home to get ready for the upcoming livestock show that we'd be attending, the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). If you've ever shown livestock you realize the time and effort you have to put in to get your cattle ready. Although we didn't have to be on the fairgrounds in Louisville, Kentucky until Wednesday November 10th, preparation for this event started clear back in early August. A few things we had to do early was put the four cows we were going to take on a special feed ration so they would be in the right 'condition' for the show. We also had to do a few hair care things, one of our young heifers, 'Sunset' had all of her hair shaved off so that she would grow back a nice healthy coat of hair. Our bred heifer, 'Lady', had to go on a diet and just eat grass for almost two months with a few pasture buddies of hers'.

In mid-October we started working with our 'show team' more, by bringing them into the barn and giving them a bath every day. This helps manage their hair coat and gives them a chance to get some extra 'loving' from my family members. They really like being in the barn getting ready for a show. They get their own feed pan, instead of having to share with their friends, their poop is cleaned up after them and they have a fan on them all day to keep them cool. Some days I wish I was a show cow! :)

Over the weekend before the show I had to go home to give them all a hair cut. With some of the cold weather we've been having some of them had three to four inches of hair in some places! So after getting a bath and drying their hair I got my clippers out and started giving them each their own personal haircut. The first picture is of 'Secret', who is only eleven months old in this picture and weighs about 980 lbs, respectively, is before she got her hair cut. The other picture is of her with her hair cut, talk about a difference! This took about three hours of clipping to get her to look like she does now.

On Wednesday November 10th my Dad took our four cows, 'Lady', 'Sunset', 'Secret' and 'Arsenal' to Louisville, Kentucky for the NAILE. Be watching for my next blog post to see photos and results from the NAILE!

Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board

Wow, it's been a long time since I've had time to post! :) I just wanted to share with everyone something that I found through Amanda Radke's Beef Daily blog that really hit home. She shared a link that quickly touched on some of the Ohio Livestock Care Standard's board job, as they continue to improve Ohio's livestock care practices. As stated on the website, this is a very hard task because animal rights activist groups such as HSUS and PETA only have the animal mind and not the farmer.

As a beef producer myself I'm upset when these groups come into an area and tell livestock producers the best way to raise our animals. Now I'm not saying that there aren't people out there that don't care for their livestock by the given standards of say a veterinarian or USDA, but the large majority of those involved in agriculture do care for their livestock properly. As being a beef producer myself, I realize the importance of animal care, because why would I want to be surrounded by livestock that is ill? I strive to have a healthy herd of cattle because if one of my cows get ill then the rest of my livestock will also eventually become ill. Just like a class of elementary students. Once one student catches the flu, many students in the same class also catch the flu. As more livestock becomes ill then that's more medication and veterinary expense, and who wants a $100.00 veterinary bill multiplied by five or fifteen?? As my Dad has shared with me, the livestock here must be profitable enough to pay their expenses. If I have more expenses then what they're worth when I sell them to 4-H youth for their fair project or other ways that I can sell my livestock, how am I going to be able to continue and afford what I love doing the most, spending time with my family and beef cattle?

So to now bring all of these thoughts full circle; why is the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board important to me? This board is not only taking the ideas from animal rights groups, which in truth does keep the Ag industry on its toes to keep improving livestock care standards (but usually suggests extreme animal care measures that are unhealthy for our livestock), but also is keeping the farmer and rancher in mind. Producers of the livestock industry must have guidelines on how to care for our livestock properly, but also keep in mind that our operation has to be affordable and profitable. For those who complain about the food prices now, if we would even consider most of HSUS or PETA's animal care practices then the cost of meat or other livestock produce at the grocery would be through the roof! It'd be soo expensive that you may not be able to afford to eat products from livestock as frequently as you do now; suggesting you to turn to a vegetarian lifestyle, which is HSUS, PETA and other alike groups' goal.... to end animal agriculture and promote a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

My favorite quote about the online article is this: 'Where would we be without agriculture??? = naked and hungry!'

Have a great agriculture day!
~Emily