JAH said:
Ol' Soap, My ol' tongue isa little sore from my own dang teeth. Is you own pappy stupid? Why did he run Herefords? Were they the emus of the day? The sandhills could of just as easily been filled with Angus"really black cattle" when you were a sprout. Please differciat(sp) this fad from the one your "stupid" Dad followed.
Thanks,
JAH
Fortunes have been made and lost by right or wrong timing of raising certain breeds of livestock probably more than any other factor. Herefords were at the top of the game for a good long period, but admit it or not, there were some problems with the breed. Angus mostly didn't have these problems. People are naturally lazy and want to get the most bang for the buck, with the least amount of work. Angus seem to be the most trouble-free cattle.
My dad was born and raised with Herefords, and stayed with them longer than most. His living was made entirely from cattle sales. When the prices received for his Herefords were no longer keeping up with what others were getting with other breeds, he did sit up and take notice. It was a case of "you snooze you lose." He realized that if he didn't change his ways, he probably would not be able to stay in the cattle business. After seeing how easy it was to raise Angus in comparison, and still top the market, he changed his mindset. He enjoyed raising, living, breathing and studying Herefords when it was a profitable enterprise. It was no longer fun when that was no longer the case.
Other breeds of cattle have had their day. Chianinas were on the top for awhile, but you never even hear that word anymore. They are now just "black" cattle. :wink: Salers rode the top of the tide for awhile, but disposition problems with both Kickaninas and Sail-overs hastened their demise. Buffalo brought a lot of money when Ted Turner was trying to stock his vast empires with them. After he got stocked, the market decreased dramatically. Fortunes were made with ostriches by the front-runners. Fortunes were lost by the late arrivals. Even in farming, Jerusalem Artichokes had their heyday. They were high in protein and easy to grow. Seed was sold for big bucks and a few farmers reaped fortunes. It was thought that surely a use for these artichokes would soon be found. Alas, it was not to be. If I am not mistaken, they are now considered a noxious weed.
Guess there have always been hard feelings between Hereford and Angus people. This excerpt is from "A SANDHILLS CENTURY" a history of Cherry County, Nebraska.
"Jason Haven Cole, one of seven children, was born Nov. 1, 1856 to Laura Scott and Delavan Cole who were married June 12, 1856 in Michigan.
"Jason married Sadie McCauley, Hastings, April 25, 1889. For two months they traveled with a covered wagon and 60 head of Angus cattle trailing to a homestead 30 miles north of Hyannis.
"Two sons were born; Delavan "Jay" Jason, Feb. 24, 1890 and Raymond Wiltsie, Feb. 20, 1892. Their first home was a tent, then a dugout. Later a house and corrals were built from sod.
"The Indians caused apprehension when they stopped to ask for hand-outs and admired Mrs. Cole's long pretty hair.
"Jason took a homestead, a preemption and a timber claim on Gordon Creek in western Cherry County with the Enlows, Chestnuts, Hoyts and Mullers as neighbors. It was said that neighbors objected to the Angus breed and the Cole's received letters advising them to leave the area.
"Johnny Musfeldt had also received a letter and was later found shot down beside his plow. Later a man named Shelton was shot with a .45 bullet while he stood in his yard.
"On August 14 Elmer Cole, H.V. Downing and Pete Roneon were putting up hay. Jason was mowing another meadow about a milr away. Upon hearing a gunshot the men hurried across the hills to find Jason slumped forward onto the doubletrees, dead.
"It was August 14, 1894. Jason was only 29 and left a wife and two sons. Sadie remained to raise her boys and in three years married her hired man, Harry V. Downing. Jason's killer was never found."
Herefords are probably becoming a better breed of cattle than they were when I was a youngster. Goodness knows, there has been plenty of time and opportunity to cull out the bad ones. If the breeders concentrate on having lots of pigment around the eyes and udders, they are a very good doing breed of cattle. If you are raising Herefords and keeping bulls, don't be afraid to use your jack-knife on all but the best.
