Several of you had sent messages to me the past few days about this "adventure". El Paso and back in 48 hours is a B*TCH, to say the least. But, I got a load of very good stock. 70 of the 100 were cattle owned by my contact in Chihuahua. He guaranteed them open and I 100% have faith in it. 17 are black ( got them sold at $800 each bred to our black bulls, which was happening yesterday as we were driving them to a different pasture). About 25 heifers in the bunch, some barely yearlings. But this helped in the transporting, them being 400-500 lbs. 30 came from 2 neighboring ranches, both also in Chihuahua,20 from one and 10 from another. George said these were supposed to be open but don't hold my breath
He said if any of the 20 are bred, they will be bred to a Charbray bull. One of those is also black. I called the client and told him the deal, and he said he'd take her too even if she was already bred. So that's another $800 sale. The other 10 would be bred to a Satilla..the black, Mexican fighting bulls. That's ok too, their horn shape is PERFECT for roping. There is a black heifer in that bunch, but not going to try to sel her to my client. if any of these Corrs are bred to that fighting bull, they will be the same height as a Corr, with perfect horns, just a lot heavier.
So, I gave $13k for the Chianina bulls I traded, plus sold sold 18 now for $14,400. So I was at 82 free cows and $1400 to the good. Expenses ran higher than I though. That F550 Robert pulled is 40' 8'wide tri axel stock trailer, though aluminum, sucked the hell out of diesel fuel. And it was loaded both ways...10 bulls going and 45 cows coming back. Scott hauled 32 and I carried 23. Mine is 32 foot with a 4' tack..dressing room, so only 28 feet of cargo space. So instead of $5k in expense it was closer to $6k. No mechanical problems, flats etc., on any of the tricks and trailers. I got paid $3k for hauling the horses, So I have $3k in expense, minus the $1400 made on the trade. I have $1600 in the remaining 82 cows. $19.50 per head. They will wean a $700-$750 calf each year,.. about $61,500 each year.
We sorted off the heifers..20 something I forgot exactly because I was a dead man walking when we were doing it, and turned them backout in the Kudzu pasture with our Corr bull. Had to get grandson and Scott to haze them to the back of the 200 acres on our gaited horses we had there, before we could let the rest of them, the 5 bulls, and our 4 Corr heifers about to calve out, to herd over to Scott's 450 acres of row crop land ( all cotton this past year) and our 50 acre dove field ) . All 5 bulls were chasing and trying to mount cows the whole mile or so down the road, so that was a good sign. Me, Bo, and Clay did this, and I am so glad they came to help. I needed real cowboys for this...these Mexican cattle ain't like broke rodeo stock, and they were pissed after riding in a truck for 1500 miles for 24 hours. The bulls were full of piss and vinegar too. and horny. I had to rope one and drag him the last quarter mile. which is nothing for my rope horse. SO proud of Frank. Without him we would have had half the cows over in the next county 10 miles down the road! and Clay;s horse is one of the best all-around cow horses I have seen. If I was younger I would just buy Frank myself. But he needs someone who knows horses to give him a job for the next 15 or so years, and I most likely won't be here for half that long.
I an still on the fence about Robert's bulls we are using. His half Brahma half ChiAngus are awesome, as are his half brahma half black simmental. The f2s, ... the 1/4 Brah/1/4 Chiangus/1/2 Simm and 1/4 Br 1/4Simm/ 1/2 Chiangus are probably the best eared black cattle taht there is. I have never seen any better, lasst ways. I think they have achieved the maximum herteratosis with thaatf2 cross. But his crossing the 2 f1s ? I don't see that it has accomplished a thing...certainly no cross bred heteratosis. Probab;y lost some, but I don;t know. I haven't done any ciphering on it yet. I don't think there is anything wrong with them just unnecessary and non-beneficial. I guess we will see in October.
We won't be 100% zero inout this year. the place across the road was allin cotton last year, so not a lot of forage left. There are some still stnading corn, millet, and peanuts in the dove field, as well as some sun-flower stalks.so Scott is gonna put out some 2021 peanut hay rolls he has until we move them back to the Kudzu fields. We hope to wait til the end of February...end of quail and rabbit season to move them back. We will have to before planting time this spring. we didn't notice any of the cows obviously close to calving, but we'd rather they don't over there..450 acres with the smallest crossed fenced area being the 50 acre dove field. The other 4 are about 100 acres each. and no corrals on itl. but we can tag em and band them over there if we have to. We sure got the horse power to handle it, don't we Clay-boy?!!
