So you want to be a cattle farmer

As some of you know we are new to this cattle thing. Kyle grew up in the city and we had cattle growing up but strictly for training the horses. So when we decided to get into this cattle business with Kyle's dad Warren we thought he would lead us through it all. But two weeks after we bought the cattle Warren came to us and said he got a job offer he could not refuse in Dubai. I was thinking how are you going to fit all those cows on the airplane much less your apartment. Kyle did not think that was very funny. OK fine I can deal with some cows. All you have to do is make sure they have food and water right. How wrong was I. No No we are going to show them and breed them. Which means we have to calve them out to.

Summer goes fairly uneventful. We decide to put four of our cows and our bull Rascal into the first Canadian Lowline show at Farm Fair in November. Apparently you need to get all sorts of stuff to show cattle. Whatever! We decide to hire somebody to do all of that. Thank goodness for Murray. Murray says get a farm banner for you stalls OK easy. Well when we got there and set up the banner we looked like the trailer trash of the breed. I guess you are suppose to go all out. Below is our stalls and below that is Brian and Brenda's stall. Lesson learned for next year.

So the day of the show Kyle and I wondered around looking at the other cattle and how they set up their stalls. We both agreed the Simmental stalls were the best. I am not sure what I liked about it the best maybe it was the leather couches or the two 50in plasma TVs or maybe it was the log bar they had set up with the matching stools.
With all the people around the Simmental booth I thought that maybe Brad Pitt was in town again. Nope just lots of people talking about cattle.



After two days we learned lots and came out unharmed. In the end Rascal won grand champion bull and got to go to super Saturday and show with the big boys( I do mean that literaly). First Prize for super Saturday was a truck and trailer. But a lass the powers that be were not going to let a little Rascal beat out the Angus or heaven for bid the Simmental.

I took this picture of Rascal while he was waiting for his champion picture. He is standing next to a two year old charolais bull. ( Rascal is four) Not a great picture but shows you the size difference. I added a link to the Canadian lowline website if you would like to learn more about our little cattle. Stayed turned for what is sure to be fun calving in the spring.