Nilson Dornellas will be conducting a Halter Breaking Clinic within the near future in Hungerford, Texas. He can teach you how to take the “breaking” out of halter breaking. You will be able to learn how to have your animals work with you and for you in a timely manner with less hassle and headache. Nilson is a cattle handling expert from Brazil who has developed his own effective methods over many years of experience. He has demonstrated his technique for the ABCZ during many of the Brazilian Association’s conferences. Whether you need to have animals broke for a show or simply gentled, Nilson can show you how to take them from nervous and unsettled to tranquil and cooperative in a matter of a few days. He will be in the United States through June 18th. Contact John Coleman Locke at johnclocke@hotmail.com for more information and to reserve your spot in this once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from the best and participate in the Nilson Dornellas Halter Breaking Clinic.
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Breaking News!!!
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Brahman Cows Get in Your Heart
Skipper and I purchased our first Brahman cow in 1985. We had crossbred cows that were three-quarters Brahman and decided we wanted to buy a purebred Brahman. Well, needless to say, Skipper’s daddy was not happy about this, and since we were living on his place and using his pasture, what can I say? You do what daddy wants.
Skipper had taken off work to take care of “Pops” (that is what we called his dad). He was diagnosed with lung cancer and given only six weeks to live. Every week he and Skipper went to the local sale barns to buy heifers. One Saturday Pops did not feel like going so Skipper and I went.
At the sale that day, we purchased out first Brahman. She was in a pen with several other Brahman heifers. She had the largest ears I had ever seen on a cow; they were huge! We decided to buy the heifer, knowing we were going to be in trouble when we got home. I think we paid $386 for a two year old heifer that weighed 1,200 lbs already.
As we got closer to the house, Skipper was getting more nervous, and he kept saying, “You know he is going to have one of his cussing fits.” So I was volunteered to go in and tell him while Skipper sank down in the truck seat. Cussing never hurt anything but your ears anyway.
I told Pops, “Come on I have something to show you.”
He stepped out of the house, walked around the trailer, gave her a close inspection, then looked at me and said, “Best dang money you have ever spent. Good job.”
Well, talk about somebody being proud of herself! I was strutting around the yard like I had won the lottery.
Pops died in 1989, making it almost five years instead of the six weeks they gave him.
As for that Brahman cow, she was 24 years old when she died and had her 22nd calf in her. She never missed a year calving. That December day she died seemed like someone in the family had passed. She had arthritis and was having a hard time getting up in the morning. We were supposed to have a 15 degree night so we put her in the barn, thinking we were doing the best for her. She never got up, and yes, she is buried on our place.
By: Sheri Barner of Bearden, Arkansas
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Bigger is not always Better – Brahman Cattle
Bigger is Better?
Bigger is not always better, but try telling that to ranchers who get paid for their cattle by weight. Add to that equation, order buyers that have been trained for years to buy the largest framed animals that can put on the most weight for feedlots and packers alike, and you have an industry that is stuck in a rut of paying for quantity not quality. This mindset led to the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) being developed as a basis for cattle producers and animal scientists to compare management techniques and genetics industry wide. The check off funded study that focuses on the end product has been conducted four times in 1991, 1995, 2000, and 2005. During this time, yield grades 4 & 5 as well as heavy weight discounts have increased, and the overall percentage of choice and prime animals has decreased. This trend is the exact opposite of what the market wants, which is smaller lean cuts of beef that fits the consumer’s preferences. Read More
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Earth Day is Everyday for Ranchers and Brahman Breeders
“No greater purpose has any man than to tend the herd and till the sod, and leave behind him greater still, those acres leased to him by God.” – Unknown
Last week the world celebrated Earth day, and many people took up the mantle of being more environmentally friendly as a result. Over the last couple of years, the national media has focused its attention and has even attacked America’s farmers and ranchers for contributing to global warming and the general decline of the earth’s environment. It seems that today’s agriculture, especially the beef industry has become a convenient whipping boy for those who campaign for a return to nature and more sustainable agriculture, for the good of the planet. However, what many people don’t realize is that ranchers are active environmentalists, not environmental activists. Read More
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Expo Londrina 2010
The Brahman breed was one of the big highlights of the 50ª Exposição Agropecuária e Industrial in Londrina. The fair was held April 1-11 in the northern part of the Brazilian state of Paraná. Read More
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Florida Brahman Association Field Day and “Sweet 16 Heifer Sale”
WOW! What an overwhelmingly successful event at Florida Brahman Association Field Day and “Sweet 16 Heifer Sale” held at the Gray shadow Ranch in Fort White, Florida. Over 250 people were in the attendance from 9 states, Australia, Nicaragua, and Mexico. The grass was beautiful green and the weather was warm and pretty, just right for Brahman cattle! The enthusiastic crowd was treated to a great program and was able to participate in a judging contest along with weight guessing. The juniors participated in a showmanship contest that was like no other. Read More
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Brahmans in the News – Brahman History
Brahman cattle have always been a part of the Beef industry in the United States. The Brahman breed has been referenced or focused on in articles nationwide for over a century. Since we are big history buffs here at The Brahman Journal we thought we would share some of these really great articles from years past. So check out these articles from the past to see where the breed has been and where they came from.
Brahmans in the News – Articles from 1825-1898
Brahmans in the News – Articles from 1900-1949
Brahmans in the News – Articles from 1950-1979
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Fenceline Weaning – Brahman Style
Remember your first day of school? Chances are you waited at the end of your driveway until the bus pulled up and then reluctantly, you said goodbye to your mom or dad and took your first step into the real world. Leaving everything you’ve ever known, you find other children that are just as scared as you on that bus. Now think about the calves you’ll be weaning in the next couple of months, they’re going through the same roller coaster emotions as the kids on that bus. Once they are separated from their mothers, they’re put into a pen with other calves, and it seems that with all the bawling and carrying on, you would think they were dying. But this is the most stressful time in a calf’s life. The stress occurs because of the social separation from the cow, moving into a new environment where they have to learn how to eat and drink, adjust to their new surroundings, and learn a new social structure. If you can minimize the stress the calves will develop an improved immune system and as a result gain more per day. It would be great if you could eliminate this stress, but that is virtually impossible. Read More
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Brahman Cattle – Smarter Than Most
“Nothing in human nature is so God-like as the disposition to do good to our fellow-creatures.” Samuel Richardson
This is easier said than done when working with cattle. Like all animals, cows can be stubborn, hard headed, and aggressive at times. Many people would have the world believe this is certainly true of all Brahmans, but I beg to differ. While working at veterinarian clinics and ranches growing up, I had several run-ins with many different breeds. From being chased down an alley by a large Charolais bull, and clearing a six foot fence in the process, to almost having a hole where my wrangler patch was due to a shorthorn cow (thankfully her horns were tipped), I have come to realize that cattle disposition is more about familiarity and good handling than a breed’s reputation. Read More
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RELOAD – Your Brahman Cattle
Spring is upon us and now is the time to consider adding to your herd inventory. The USDA recently released the semi-annual cattle inventory report for January 2010. This report showed the continuation of the herd reduction which began during 2007 when drought conditions, combined with higher operating costs and feed prices resulted in the need for many herd reductions. Read More
