January/February - Pharo Cattle Company

PHARO CATTLE COMPANY
CHEYENNE WELLS, COLORADO
Jan./ Feb. 2003
NEWSLETTER
PHONE 1-800-311-0995
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Buy your bulls from someone who raises cattle the way you ought to.
Developing and Selecting Replacement Heifers
Enough articles and papers have been
written about the proper way to develop and select
replacement heifers to fill a large barn. Guess
what? It’s not really that complicated. I’m not
sure why we are so determined to complicate
simple matters, but we are. Unfortunately, the
more complicated we make things the less
profitable they become.
replacement heifers, I maintain that when properly
done this can become one of your most profitable
enterprises. Think about it. In just one year
you can often double the value of a heifer calf
simply by turning her out with a bull. Besides,
where else are you going to be able to find good
replacement heifers that are adapted to your ranch
and your environment?
Weaned heifer calves that have been
saved for replacement females will not generate
any income for two years. Therefore, ranchers
simply cannot afford to invest much money into
their development. Rather than place them in
a high-input, artificial environment and haul
expensive feed to them, we need to treat them
like the cows we hope they will become. They
need to be out foraging for themselves, with
minimum inputs. If a heifer can’t do this, she
probably won’t make an efficient and profitable
momma cow.
So what about selection? Again, I will
remind you that we are not capable of doing as
good a job of selecting or sorting our heifers as
the environment can do.
Form will follow
function if we stay out of the way. However,
there are still a few things that deserve to be
looked at. Here is my list.
1. Get rid of the outliers, dinks and freaks. This
usually includes some of our biggest heifers.
2. Watch disposition. Cull those with flighty,
nervous dispositions.
3. Look at feet and leg structure. Any problems
we see now will only get worse.
4. Select for those that shed the quickest and
have shiny, slick hair coats. Cull heifers with
dull, dead looking hair. This is an excellent
indicator of adaptability.
5. If I still need to do some culling and selecting,
I will look at body conformation. Based on
my experience, I like heifers that are shorter,
thicker and easier fleshing. I like heifers with
good depth and spring of rib. I try to avoid
heifers that look long, because that usually
means they are gutless. I will also try to
avoid heifers that seem course and masculine
in appearance. They must be feminine.
We suggest you retain a high percentage
of your heifer calves, rough them through the
winter, and expose them to a bull for a very short
period of time. This system will allow only your
most efficient and early maturing heifers to
advance into the cowherd. Why not sit back and
let the environment sort out your best replacement
heifers? Do you really think you have the knack
and the knowledge to do a better job?
The
remaining heifers can be treated as stockers and
sold in the fall — usually for a profit.
If you breed your heifers to calve when
God intended them to calve (late spring and early
summer), you will be amazed at the high number
that will conceive during the first 21 days of the
breeding season. Even heifers that were cheated
during the winter months are able to catch up with
two months of good green grass prior to breeding.
Why do ranchers spend so much time and money
trying to work against nature?
Keep the pressure on. Once our heifers
are confirmed bred, they are thrown in with our
mature cows. They receive no special care. We
even calve our heifers out with the cowherd. This
continues to force the inefficient and unadapted
females out of our program. Every replacement
female should have to earn a place in the herd.
Although many highly respected experts
will say you cannot afford to produce your own
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By The Book...
Dear Kit & Deanna,
I read your newsletter for its
Christian content as much as anything, and I
am inspired by the stand you take.
My wife suffers from depression and
takes medication, which is a big help. It was
difficult and embarrassing for us to admit
she had a problem, but our lives are so much
better now than before.
Christians mistakenly believe they
shouldn’t have some of the same problems
non-believers have. It was a real test of our
faith to admit she needed medication.
James L.
By Chip Hines
Do we really need to provide our cows
with perfect, by-the-book nutrition?
Balanced
nutrition sounds good and probably looks good on
paper, but is it affordable? Do environmentally
adapted cows need to be fed by the book? I don’t
think so. Who wrote the book anyway?
Before and after Pharo Cattle Company’s
fall bull sale, I took several loads of people out to
see Kit’s cows. Considering the drought and the
poor forage conditions, everyone was amazed at
the condition of those cows and their calves. This
is due to more than just cow size. Kit’s cows
have the bred-in ability to survive on what there
is with no added inputs.
Had the nutrient requirements for those
cows been balanced last summer? Hardly. They
had been run under extremely poor conditions but
still looked great. What do you think an over-fed,
nutrient-balanced, university cow would have
done in this situation? She probably would have
run off when she saw what she was suppose to
live on.
Conflicting Statements...
People often ask me, “How do you keep
finding things to write about?” This has never
been a problem. For the most part, I am inspired
by what I hear other people say.
I look for
statements that are either profoundly clever or
profoundly ridiculous.
The following statements came from the
promotional material that a fellow seedstock
producer is using to promote his program and
his bulls.
If four out of five people suffer from
diarrhea, does that mean one enjoys it?
“Our cattle are raised in an unpampered
commercial cattleman’s environment to ensure
they will work for you.”
THE
PHARO CATTLE COMPANY
“In caring for your bull, remember to
feed him well. Hay and grain plus protein
supplement will be adequate. You should feed
5 to 10 pounds of grain and 1 to 2 pounds of
protein supplement in addition to a full feed of
good quality hay until the start of the breeding
season. Supplemental feeding during breeding
season is also highly recommended. After the
breeding season, you should continue to feed
liberally so the bull will grow to his full
potential.
NEWSLETTER
Published bimonthly by:
Pharo Cattle Company
44017 County Road Z
Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810
Editor: Kit Pharo
Phone: 1-800-311-0995
Email:
kit@pharocattle.com
Website: www.pharocattle.com
Our Mission: To help ranchers put more
fun and profit into their business.
Call or Email for a Free Subscription
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Here is a seedstock producer who knows
what to say to get you to his bull sale, but then he
is afraid you might actually expose one of his
bulls to an unpampered, commercial cattleman’s
environment. What do you think? Is that clever
or ridiculous — or both?
~ Kit
No More Cows…
Send Me An Email — PLEASE
We are moving into our fourth year of
extreme drought in eastern Colorado. We have
essentially grown no grass for two years. Thus,
we have spent the past three years selling and
relocating cows. There are no more cows on our
ranch. I must admit that this does bother me, but
what can I do about it?
In a way this has been good for me. I
have been humbled and reminded that there are
many things I have no control over. All I can do
is decide what needs to be done to make the best
of this situation.
Since I don’t have all the
answers, I have been forced to turn to someone
who does have all the answers — God.
Although we are adding twenty to fifty
new email addresses to our E-Group every week,
I know there are many more out there. If you
have an email address and have not yet sent it to
us, what are you waiting for? What’s it gonna
take to get you to send me an email?
Those in our E-Group are receiving
regular updates full of information and thoughtprovoking comments and commentaries. This
has proven to be a very cost effective way to
share ideas and information.
All you need to do to join our E-Group
is send an email to kit@pharocattle.com with
your name and address. Don’t worry, we will
not share your email address with others, and
we will continue to mail you a hard copy of our
newsletter for as long as you want.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to go on the heights.
LOW COST COW/CALF PROGRAM
qÜÉ=pÅÜççä=
The Three Keys
Changing BCS
Time of Calving
Precise Nutrition
Dick Diven 800.575.0864
www.lowcostcowcalf.com
Habakkuk 3:17-19
God has never promised that we would
not experience tough times. However, he did
promise that he would always be there for us.
Agri-Concepts, Inc.
12850 N. Bandanna Way
Tucson, AZ 85737-8906
GRASS FARMERS
Call Brad Young at
PRAIRIE STATES SEED
866-373-2514 (toll free)
Are you tired of farming
with equipment that rusts,
rots and depreciates?
Do you have cropland that
you would like to convert
to pasture?
Turnips? Irrigated Pasture?
e-mail: prairie@bloomnet.com
3
Good Apple / Bad Apple Survey
Several months ago, some in our email
discussion group began discussing the frustrations
they had experienced with a few seedstock
producers. They referred to them as the “bad
apples”. This turned into such a good discussion
that we decided to take an email survey to find
out what the 100 individuals in this group were
really looking for in a seedstock producer. We
asked the following question and gave them 12
items to rank in order of importance.
Question: In selecting a seedstock producer, what
do you consider to be most important?
Survey Results:
1. Personal character and integrity.
2. Has a herd of momma cows like the ones I
want to produce.
3. Similar philosophies and ranching practices.
4. Willingness to take time to visit and help.
5. Availability of calving-ease bulls.
6. Service and communication after the sale.
7. Helps provide a market for my calves.
8. Carcass information and data.
9. Private treaty sales.
10. Has high performance cattle with top EPDs
and performance records.
11. Free delivery.
12. Name recognition within the industry.
The top three items had a tremendous lead
over all the others, while the bottom three stood
out just as much on the other end. There was
very little difference between items 4 and 5
The comments (see below) that came back
with the surveys let me know that Pharo Cattle
Company was doing very well in the first five or
six categories. However, we realize that there is
always room for improvement.
A Few Survey Comments…
I had a tough time separating the top four, as each one has it's own reason for being the top
pick, with "honesty and integrity" casting a long shadow over everything else on the list. Your
willingness to visit with me on the phone probably sold those two bulls I bought. It was a great help
in sorting out what I wanted and what you thought would work.
Steve Oswald — Colorado
Honesty is always number one. Your commitment to the same message and your conviction to
your ranching philosophies are what brought me to you. It took my wife a little longer to warm up to
you because she thought you sounded egotistical.
Your cows sold me next. After I saw what you were producing I wanted some of those
genetics. Your genetics are what I'm keeping for my replacements.
I really appreciate having a seedstock producer visit my operation and give me his opinion of
my genetics and of what I need to do to move in the right direction. Thanks for the visit.
Your constant contact with everyone is also a big plus. Your newsletter and emails keep us
thinking about you and your bulls, as well as helps us get to know you better.
David Clawson — Kansas
Similar philosophies and comparable mother cows...
These are areas where we’ve failed
miserably during the last ten years. Fortunately, we have finally awakened and can hopefully maintain
the size of our mature cows, while increasing the yield and adaptability of our calves.
Integrity... For me, this has to be at the top of the list. It doesn't matter how good your cattle
are, if I don't trust you I won't do business with you.
Darrin Drake — Tennessee
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A.I. — Help or Hindrance
Many progressive cow/calf producers
have been using artificial insemination (A.I.) in
an attempt to improve the profitability and genetic
base of their cowherd. Unfortunately, A.I. has
taken most commercial ranchers in the opposite
direction. The more they A.I., the less profitable
they become. Does this mean that A.I. has no
value and won’t work?
Absolutely not, but A.I. is only as good
as the bulls you are using. There are bulls that
can help you meet your breeding objectives and
there are bulls that will actually hinder your
breeding program. It’s up to you to select the
right bulls. A word of caution, though. Don’t
be misled by pretty pictures and big numbers.
Although most of the bulls available
through the major A.I. companies take pretty
side-view pictures and have impressive EPDs,
they don’t all have what the commercial rancher
needs. For the most part, they are tall, slab-sided
bulls with too much birth weight, too much
growth, too much milk, and not near enough
guts, muscle and fleshing ability. A bull with a
frame score under 6 is a rarity. So, unless you
want to produce high-maintenance, hard-keeping
cows that weigh 1250 to 1600 pounds, these bulls
simply won’t work.
If you plan to
An Alternate Source.
do some A.I. breeding this year, I hope you will
take a look at the bulls we have to offer before
placing your semen order. Our bulls may not be
for everyone. However, if you are serious about
reducing frame and cow size, and if you are
serious about increasing thickness and fleshing
ability, and if you are serious about calving ease
and cow efficiency, then our bulls are exactly
what you have been looking for.
You won’t
find a set of bulls like this anywhere else.
We have an excellent selection of Angus,
Red Angus, Composite and Tarentaise bulls to
choose from. In fact, we have over thirty bulls
in this lineup. These are the same bulls we are
using in our own breeding program. Most of our
semen is priced at $10 to $15 per unit, with
quantity discounts available.
Call us toll free at 1-800-311-0995 or
send an email to kit@pharocattle.com for a
complete listing of our bulls. Many of our bulls
can be viewed on the “Semen Source” page of
our website — www.pharocattle.com.
The Simple Life...
How would you describe your lifestyle? Is
it simple and enjoyable, or is it hectic and full of
stress? Are there things that you would like to
change?
I just finished reading a very good little
book called Henry and the Great Society by H. L.
Roush. It describes how Henry (you & I) went
from the "good old days" to the "rat race" most
of us are living in. God intended for our lives
to be relatively simple and enjoyable. I, for one,
long for that type of life.
You can receive this book absolutely FREE
by calling 724-658-5180.
Buy Your Bulls From
Someone Who Raises Cattle
The Way You Ought To
March 29 — Harrison, Neb.
April 12 — Burlington, Colo.
A Reputation Built on Pride and Quality
Kit and Deanna Pharo’s new home and office
You can design your own custom-built home.
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1-888-927-3272 (toll free)
www.wardcraft.com
Bull Longevity — What’s It Really Worth?
our bulls to gain weight during their first breeding
season. How often do you see that happen with
yearling bulls?
Our forage-tested bulls are developed
strictly on a grass-based diet. They are coming
two-year olds that have never been shut up in a
corral and have never been fed any grain. Their
condition was earned the hard way.
A high
percentage of the bulls that start this program
won’t make it to the sale. The ones that do make
it are extremely tough and are expected to last for
many, many years without problems.
Because of the way our bulls have been
developed, we believe they can service more
cows than bulls purchased at other sales. We
also believe their useful life will be much, much
longer.
What’s a bull worth that doesn’t make it
through his first breeding season? At forty or
fifty cents per pound he is seldom worth more
than $500. What’s a bull worth that develops feet
or leg problems and can only be used for a season
or two? Not much more.
In contrast, what’s a bull worth that is
able to continue servicing cows for five to ten
years? Probably a whole lot more than you paid
for him. From an economic point of view, bull
longevity is extremely important to cow/calf
producers, but few take the time to consider the
factors that affect bull longevity when they make
their purchases.
I have visited with several ranchers who
actually expect to lose 30 to 50 percent of their
newly purchased bulls during their first breeding
season. I think that is absolutely ridiculous. It
doesn't have to be that way.
Are you serious about bull longevity? If
so, make plans to attend one or both of our spring
bull sales. We will be selling a total of 200 bulls
in two spring sales.
Our sale in Harrison, Nebraska will be on
Saturday, March 29th, and our sale in Burlington,
Colorado will be on Saturday, April 12th. Call
us at 1-800-311-0995 for a sale catalog.
Many of the factors that
Genetics.
affect bull longevity are genetic in nature. Here
at Pharo Cattle Company, longevity is a highly
sought after trait. We are very diligent about
selecting and breeding for structural correctness,
doability and fertility. We won’t allow problem
cattle to stay in our breeding program.
In addition to a breeding soundness exam,
we require every bull to pass a very thorough
visual inspection before he can be sold in one
of our sales. We continue to be amazed by the
number of problems other seedstock producers
are willing to overlook and ignore.
Development. The way a bull has been
developed can also have a tremendous effect on
his longevity. Most bulls are developed on a
relatively hot feedlot ration that negatively affects
their reproductive system, their digestive system
and their liver function, as well as the soundness
of their feet and legs.
The only animals that
should be treated this way are those that are
intended for slaughter.
Pharo Cattle Company takes a different
approach to bull development. Our yearling bulls
are fed a high-roughage ration designed to
produce gains of only 2 pounds per day. We
also believe its important to provide plenty of
room for exercise and play. Our bulls won’t be
as big or as fat as other bulls, but they will be
healthier and should last much longer. We expect
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PLEASE
Send Us Your Email
Address
Earl…
If you have ever done any cowboyin’ or ranchin’, you
will be able to relate to Earl and his problems. We are going
to start featuring a few Earl cartoons in our newsletters.
These cartoons are produced by Wally Badgett, a
buddy of mine in Montana. We both rodeoed back in the
1970’s. Wally was one of the best bull riders of that time.
Wally sells books full of gut-bustin’ Earl cartoons for
only $12.00 each. They make great gifts, but be sure to read
them yourself before giving them away. Call 406-232-1179.
Guaranteed Calving Ease…
To our knowledge, Pharo Cattle Company is the only
seedstock producer willing to put their money where their
mouth is when it comes to calving ease. Our 5-star calving
ease bulls will all be guaranteed for calving ease.
Teamwork…
When I visit with commercial ranchers, I often get
the feeling that there is some friction between them and their
seedstock producer. There isn’t much trust. It’s almost as
though they are playing on opposing teams.
Do you feel like you and your seedstock producer are
on the same team? You should. Your seedstock producer
plays a critical role in the future of your business because he
is producing the genetics that will affect your cowherd and
your profit for many years to come.
Selecting a seedstock producer
is serious business. Take time to find
one you can trust and work with.
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PHARO CATTLE CO.
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 9
Cheyenne Wells, CO
44017 County Road Z
CHEYENNE WELLS, CO. 80810
1-800-311-0995
kit@pharocattle.com
deanna@pharocattle.com
WEBSITE www.pharocattle.com
PHONE
E-MAIL
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Cowboy Logic: “If you want to stay single, look for a perfect woman.”
How Ranch Traditions Get Started
Next, remove another of the original five
monkeys and replace it with a new one.
The
newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked, and
the previous newcomer takes part in the punishment
with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original
monkey, then a fourth, and then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the
stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are
beating him have no idea why they were not
permitted to climb the stairs or why they are
participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys,
none of the remaining monkeys have ever been
sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey
ever again approaches the stairs to try for the
banana. Why not?
Because as far as they know, that's the way
it's always been done around here. And that, my
dear friends, is how company policies and ranch
traditions are born.
Ever wonder how company policies and
ranch traditions get started? Here is a cute story
that may provide some insight.
Start with a cage containing five monkeys.
Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place
a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will
go to the stairs and start to climb towards the
banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all
of the other monkeys with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an
attempt with the same result — all the other monkeys
are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon, when
another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other
monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put away the cold water. Remove one
monkey from the cage and replace it with a new
one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants
to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all the
other monkeys attack him.
After another attempt
and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the
stairs he will be assaulted.
Why do you do the things you do?
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