Changing gears and changing direction

[aj]

bump

 

[Okotoks]

Do you have any Ready Go x semen?

Yes, I still have about 60-70 vials of Ready Go semen. I will have to check and see if any of it is exportable to the US. Ready Go is the only bull I have owned that I have sold semen on every year since he was purchased in 1973. We have sold semen from him for 42 years now and some people still claim he is the best bull they have ever used on heifers.

I have seen a lot of very good Ready Go daughters and granddaughters over the years and they are usually exceptional producers. I have a attached a photo of a six year old granddaughter . This cow consistently weans a top calf. She is sired by the Ready Go son, Matlock Red Sniper 1U.

 

[justintime]

Here is a present picture of Sparkle Delight 2X taken yesterday. 2017 for our area is now being called the driest year in recorded history and we have had less rainfall than any desert averages in the world. 2X is shown here in a low spot in the pasture than is usually filled with water ( guess that is why it is still green). She has a heifer calf born August 4th that sells at her side. There are few cattle of any breed that are as easy fleshing as this cow and the others we are offering from the Sparkle cow family. We are selling 100% of Sparkle 2X and her heifer calf at side, but we are retaining the right to flush her once. She will be ready to go to the ET center immediately after the sale. We will pay all the costs of the flush. If the buyer wishes, we will pay for 2 flushes and give the buyer 1/2 of the grade 1 embryos produced in both flushes. She was flushed several times in 2016 and came home late in the summer and immediately settled to produce her August heifer calf. Her embryos have sold to 8 countries and were selected as part of the first North American Shorthorn genetics to go to Costa Rica.
Also pictured is a daughter of 2X- HC Sparkle Delight 20B who is also selling. She is a flushmate sister to HC Bluebook 22B who topped our 2015 sale at $32,000. Another flushmate sister, Diamond Clarina Sparkle 36C also sells. Both are pictured here as well as Bluebook who is pictured here as a yearling.
Somebody is going to be able to purchase a major money making machine.

 

[justintime]

Here is a link to our sale catalog.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horseshoecreekfarms.com%2Fsales.html&h=ATOUhGXl1FKnO-nGr2oLzqERuRWov7_eH123fV3w6tcNp-Ps2ZT0oiCa1axHasfMeJPSP3JT4nKaGdZplDVyEf5UEUvY88ee7SW5ohziJVmzA56PfcjO1ls8J9hnezUyenFlVvfMj55FJbXOTt0qv3buDeYgaMyT_dmytBA1z7_ch1_ceeq-m9fSjI-H0L3_QjouV5NueKLNOWVNNRPCVj7ZTd473JP40GX9SZ5heO1EVYcHZFUVq90VxZb7VnuvAW4C_whjErms8Wod0AlgfeDiYpQAFwY

Hit your refresh button if it does not come up

 

[Doc]

Grant, the cattle look really good. I wish you the best in the sale !!

 

[justintime]

Our sale catalogs are being mailed. The US catalogs were put into the mail yesterday and the Canadian, Australian, NA and UK catalogs will be mailed on Monday. If you would like to receive a catalog, please let me know as there is still time to get it to you.
The sale will be held on October 18th and will be broadcast live at www.dvauction.com. The sale catalog can be viewed using the link posted on this thread. 

 

[aj]

bump

 

[justintime]

It is really bittersweet getting ready for our sale. Yesterday, we clipped all the sale cattle. It was a long day but is was a good job to get done. As per usual, our crew worked hard and we had lots of laughs which made the work go easier and faster. All day long, as each of my favorite cows went into the chute, I had the feeling that I did not want to see her leave the farm. At the same time, I had feelings of looking forward to having more free time to do many of the things I had always wanted to do. There will always be some cows here, as long as I am drawing breath, but I am going to enjoy them more and the life style they have provided me and our family. In many ways, I feel like I have been one of the luckiest people I know as I have spent my entire life doing the only thing I have ever wanted to do, that being raising breeding stock and good Shorthorn cattle in particular. I have been involved in many breeds over the years as well as running our feedlot for many years, so I think I have been able to see the cattle industry from many sides. I am oftentimes asked why I have continued to raise Shorthorn cattle, when I have had the opportunity to raise most anything I wanted to raise. My answer is always, that in my opinion the Shorthorn breed is one of the best kept secrets in the beef industry. It is not just a show breed and anyone who says they cannot sell Shorthorn bulls has really never tried real hard. It takes commitment and doesn't happen over night. A few days ago, I had a phone conversation with a Shorthorn breeder from Washington state. He said that he lived beside an Angus outfit that has over 1000 cows. He also said that in order to sell Shorthorn bulls in his area, you don't have to have bulls as good as are being offered in other breeds, they have to be better than the other bulls being offered in his area. I agreed with him 100 %.
When our sale is over, I hope the Good Lord will allow me to continue doing the only job I have ever wanted to do. I will probably be doing it a bit differently than in the past, but I still have a bunch of things I want to try to accomplish.

 

[caledon101]

I think you need to write a book Grant. Rodney James did....it is excellent. You need to document your life story and the people, places and events along the way.

 

[justintime]

We have been very pleased to hear that a daughter of HC Free Spirit 6Y has just been named Grand Champion female at the 2017 Australian Junior National show. This heifer was bred in the herd of Gerald and Lynden Spry, who own the Australian rights in Free Spirit. We also heard that another Free Spirit heifer has won a major show in Ireland.
Free Spirit sells in our Herd Reduction sale on October 18th along with the US and Canadian semen rights and 300 straws of semen. Also selling will be a very special group of bred heifers sired by him and many cows bred to him.

 

[justintime]

Our herd reduction sale is now just one week away on October 18th. If anyone has any questions please contact me anytime. The sale will be broadcast live at www.dvauction.com. We will also have updates on the pregnancy test results and sale order and other general information regarding the sale cattle on our website www.horseshoecreekfarms.com and our FB page Horseshoe Creek Shorthorns.

 

[justintime]

We are now 5 days from our sale date. Still lots to do but the biggest job will be loading and hauling the cattle to the sale site 110 miles from our farm. I have said many times over the years, that anyone  who has never had a cattle sale of their own, really has no idea how much work is involved. I have lost track as to how many sales we have had now, but it is either 32 or 33 now. The pregnancy test sheet has been posted on our website www.horseshoecreekfarms.com and will be posted on www.dvauction.com. We will also have the sale order posted within a few days.
I am pleased that the cattle have come through this drought in excellent conditions. 2017 was the driest year here in recorded history. The little grass we had must have been very high quality stuff. I think the cows look great!  The pregnancy testing went good with the only issues being in the later calving cows. I guess the drought conditions took a toll there as well. I guess I should be thankful as it could have been much worse.
If you haven't checked out our sale offering and are interested in Shorthorn genetics, our sale catalog is on our website and on dvauction.com as well. Contact me anytime if you have any questions.

 

[kiblercattle]

Sale reports? Was wondering what free spirit brought and where he went?

 

[beebe]

Sale reports? Was wondering what free spirit brought and where he went?

I do not know where he went but I think he brought 6100.

 

[justintime]

Free Spirit sold for $6100 to Maple Lake Stock Farm, Hartney, Manitoba.

We had a solid sale with the bred females selling to 6 Canadian provinces , 5 states as well as to England, Ireland and Australia. We had a packed house sale day and also had 220 who watched the sale online with 56 of them having bidder numbers. I really never dreamt we would have people around the world bidding on the live cattle.
The sale grossed $314,500 and the bred females averaged $5740. Thanks to beebe from Steerplanet for purchasing two lots, lot 9 at $7000 and lot 10 at $6750.

Watch for our Horseshoe Creek's 11th " Frozen in Time" online sale on Feb 1-2,2018 at www.edjeauctions.com.

 

[764wdchev]

I was harvesting and missed it! Whom got the Four Point Major semen?

 

[justintime]

I was harvesting and missed it! Whom got the Four Point Major semen?

The Four Point Major semen sold to Richard Moellenbeck, Bell M Shorthorns, Englefeld, SK at $50/ vial

 

[MDitmars]

Glad to hear the sale was successful!!!