DCC Ranch e-News #336 - 11-28-23

by Darol Dickinson et all

Toss The Jam was a textbook correct early Jamakizm daughter. She was mated carefully every year and results were consistently good. During her time of production she raised calves by Clear Win, Annex, Clear Point, Hunts Command Respect, The Beast, Point Mark and Drop Box.

On July 14, 2019 she was AI bred to Cowboy Tuff Chex. The Tuff semen was $300 per straw, the most expensive in the industry. About 30 DCC cows were bred AI to Tuff in 2019 with excellent results. Tuff worked wonderfully on Jamakizm and Drag Iron daughters often siring taller and pretty-colored results. Producers who did not use Tuff in their herd-plan missed some wonderful opportunities.

AI is not without risks. It is important to keep cows quiet, no hauling, vigorous handling or general stress right after breeding. The ideal thing is to allow a cow a pleasant nice environment to casually enjoy good grass and a cool shade tree in the days after insemination. Just let the natural events take their time.  That is the best.

Stupid, stupid me! The ranch had entered Toss The Jam in the annual ITLA Ohio River Valley Texas Longhorn Show only 3 days after the $300 insemination. It was a scorching hot Ohio day, mid nineties, and everyone was uncomfortable including the cattle. To cap it off some accident happened and Toss The Jam, who probably would have wished not to be there, accidentally got down and scrapped her hind foot. She came in the arena with a slight limp. The scrap was clearly visible to the judge. Even with the limp, she was judged Grand Champion cow. Some other cow had rudely-disrespected Toss The Jam, obviously not realizing her greatness.

Upon returning to DCC, Toss The Jam went back to the AI observation pasture assuming she would not conceive or else abort an early term pregnancy due to the stress of the event. She did not cycle again. Although that is not always a sure thing.

On April 18, 2020 a Tuff heifer was born. As usual she did a good job raising her eight calf and raised four more before she was purchased by Debbie Barkley. I did not expect that good event to happen. There were a lot of reasons it would not come to pass.

Tipsy Toss now roams the same Ohio pastures as her mother did. She is three years old and clearly shows the banding style of Tuff and Jamakizm. She has a fancy son in the "up-and-coming" DCC herd sire pen sired by Ice Pick with a Clear Point AI calf on the way for 2024.

That is just a short-bad and good story. That is the stuff that makes the Texas Longhorn business depressing and exciting. It is obviously more satisfying than raising racing pigeons ---- when all the neighbor kids have shotguns.