February 2001
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| Publication of the DCCI Newsletter is solely the product of Dickinson Cattle Co., Inc. of Barnesville, OH 740 758-5050. The content is at the discretion of DCCI and is not paid for by taxpayer solicited campaign funds, nor did it originate from any state or federal incarceration facilities sponsored by taxpayer funding. No donations are solicited. Subscription is free to friends. This is not a nonprofit organization, so your contributions are purely on a tax evasion status. The DCCI Newsletter is not printed on recycled paper in support of our national renewable timber industry. The DCCI Newsletter is printed so that you may know about DCCI, the products, the business services, employees, and innovative successes. By reading the DCCI Newsletter we want to earn your patronage and continue to be the leader in our small industry. Any part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from DCCI, as long as credit is given. | |||
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Air Travel to DCCI
For driving, the DCCI location is on Interstate 70 between mile marker 198 & 202. The Ohio ranch entry is just a mile from I70 to the south on Ohio #800. Private planes can land just two miles from headquarters at the Barnesville Bradfield Airport managed by Wittenbrook Flying service 740 425-3298. The location of our airport is FAA designation 6G5 just 1 mile north west of Barnesville. Coordinates are N40-00.14 14 W081-11.50. Elevation is 1309 feet. Call the manager for exact landing details and some one from DCCI will pick you up. Always call and make an appointment for cattle purchasing and a herdsman will be at your service.
 Beef For Diet & Health
Many leading diet and fitness experts promote consumption of lean beef. In 1999 beef sales increased two billion dollars over 1998 and another similar jump came in 2000. Beef consumption is at an American all time high, and for good health based reasons. Here at Dickinson Cattle Co., Inc. 25 steers were fed to a high choice grade on the patented "Tender Lean" formula in 2000. A total of 15 bulls and non productive Longhorn cows were processed for smoked, cooked beef sales. The ranch Longhorn store is "Longhorns Head to Tail, LLC" at 35500 Muskrat Road, Barnesville, Ohio 43713. The web site is www.head2tail.com which shows numerous Longhorn products. We advise every Longhorn producer to develop a lean Longhorn beef production and marketing business. The product is healthy, flavorsome and well received by the public, especially if produced with no growth hormones, antibiotics or steroids. If per chance, DCCI Longhorn beef sounds tasty, you may order a half beef cut and wrapped or special cuts from the Longhorns Head to Tail store. Processed smoked and cooked (ready to eat) beef is available. It´s very practical to ship UPS as it doesn´t require refrigeration during transit. Any volume of smoked Longhorn (all USDA inspected/stamped) is ready to ship. You may order - jerky, Smokey Sticks, Keilbasa, Ring Bologna, Pepper Stick Bologna, Creston Ring Bologna or lunch meat, and Salami. The "Barrel O´ Beef" is a very popular gift. It is a 5 lb. assortment of each smoked meat product in a clear reusable container. Price is only $44.50 ppd. This great gift package can be sent with a personal note from the giver. The "Longhorns Head to Tail" store products also include non edible things like Longhorn hair on chaps, hair on leather place mats, Saco De Torros, Longhorn full head and tail rugs, Longhorn steer head mounts, hoof lamps, cattle hides, bull canes, pizzle putters, polished Longhorn skulls, etc. Most are pictured on the web site. For detailed information or placing orders, write Longhorns Head to Tail. These are products that Walmart is fresh out of.
Cattle Health Tips
Let´s think about this non visible group of bandits. Just because you can´t see or perhaps test for the hidden culprit makes it more difficult to diagnose. At this point look at every symptom possible and make your best call. Most non visible problems are revealed by poor livestock performance. Cows don´t milk enough, they get extremely poor in the winter, they breed back late, they are lethargic, they won´t grow, they retain after birth, etc. Some cows who are poor milkers produce daughters that milk great. Obviously there can be internal damage which prevents a cow from performing well, but it doesn´t effect her progeny. Any good vet worth their LA-200 can confirm that the causes of these symptoms can be numerous. When a cow dies at DCCI we have a complete necropsy performed by a well qualified vet. Over the last thirty years these necropsies have provided numerous clues to animal health. Poor doing cattle from the northern part of the USA have often revealed lung damage acquired from pneumonia. Pneumonia is no different in cattle than people. Once there has been an occurrence, a part of the lung is damaged and it never heals back. Each time pneumonia reoccurs an additional part of the lung is destroyed. Eventually it causes a reduced amount of oxygen to reach the blood system. This causes an animal to do poorly and possibly die. A cow who has been exposed to bitter cold weather in the north country for an extended period can have pneumonia. Chances of pneumonia are increased if cattle are poorly fed and receive poor minerals during stressing weather. Ranches with an economical approach are most likely to raise cattle with minimal resistance that are more prone to be pneumonia damaged permanently. To the opposite, cattle that are well cared for, and healthy should have no lung damage. The northern cattle have almost no internal parasites so that is a plus. Under most conditions cattle are grown healthier in colder climates than hot or humid areas. Coastal, low elevation, southern or very humid areas are highly infested by internal parasite problems. The best producers worm cattle twice a year with an excellent parasite control product. If cattle in southern or coastal areas are not vaccinated and regularly treated for parasites, permanent damage will result. A cow who possesses numerous internal parasites must feed those parasites, mostly their own blood. Parasites feed on blood and internal organ tissue. Worms that live in the heart (heart worms) lungs (lung worms) stomach (stomach worms) or liver (liver flukes) feed on those tissues and the blood. This does not happen without damage to the cow. The more worms and the longer they thrive untreated, the more damage is done to the cow´s system. Long term lack of parasite treatment is the reason many southern raised cattle have permanent internal, non visual damage. Liver flukes are one of the most difficult to kill. They penetrate the cow´s liver and literally eat it up. The liver from a healthy cow can be removed and battered severely and it will stay intact. A fluke infested cow´s liver will decompose when handled. It will have the consistency of Jell-O. The flukes destroy the muscle and arteries of the liver and the cow does poorly. She lives in a weakened state for years, then dies. Most poor doing southern cattle have permanent worm damage although it may not be visibly discernible during good grass season. Conclusion ---- before purchasing valuable cattle ask questions about herd health. Producers who don´t nutritionally and medically provide for their stock in a humane and professional manner probably are selling cattle with non visible, serious health problems. Be aware
DCCI - ITLA Championship Show - 2000
Dickinson Cattle Co., Inc. is not "day & night" serious about showing cattle. DCCI supports a few local shows each year. With the 10th Annual show only 400 miles away, this was a chance to compare DCCI genetics to the very top repeat champions of the circuit. Cattle who were major show winners during the year qualified to compete in the Championship Show The judges of the youth, halter & open were; Russell Fairchild, Lorinda Beals & Joe Valentine. They are serious show competitors and obviously capable judges at the highest level. Six weeks prior to the Championship, DCCI had a problem. An all out effort was made to locate professional cattle show and fitting talent with no success. Over 3 dozen Longhorns were being entered and most were not even halter trained and much less show trained. Russell Hooks, Bobby Dube, Allen Hill, Kitty Hold, Dar Geise and numerous professionals from the Hereford and Angus industry were offered the job. No takers. The DCCI crew started working with the show cattle along with their regular early Fall work. Joel, Joe & Dave started the leading, (being drug) process. At the local county fair, contact was made with Ginny Barker, Vocational Agriculture teacher for Buckeye Trail public school. Her students were new to Longhorns, but a few volunteers were ready to work with the calves. They came to DCCI on weekends and after school. Some had little experience with cattle showing, but had a lot of "try." Day by day the kids got more experienced and the cattle begin to look more "show ready." The show team that took the "Michigan Challenge " were; Andy Juzwiak, Michelle Shipe, Nicole Bates, Matt Davis and Andrea McCardle. Andrea is a college student from Moundsville, West Virginia. After six weeks of intense training and three days of serious showing the DCCI team brought home 18 ITLA Championship trophy buckles, 11 Division Champion and All Age Champion trophies, plus 4 Reserve Champion awards.
Dickinson Cattle Co. Tours
Over 1200 registered cattle, an historical stone house stage coach stop, the nearby birthplace of "Hanging Judge Isaac C. Parker", and Hopalog Cassidy (William Boyd) will be part of the tours. Belmont County is amazingly rich in history from the home of Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman 1774-1845) to Governor Wilson Shannon. Only two men in history have served as governors of two states. They were Sam Houston and Wilson Shannon. Houston was governor of Tennesses and Texas. Shannon was governor of Ohio and Kansas. These educational tours will be conducted from 10AM to 5PM June 1st to Sept 2nd. Not only famous cattle breeds will be viewed up close but numerous species of wild life including white tail deer, wild turkey, fish, and numerous pheasant species. Longhorn beef products are available by the pound or a half beef cut and wrapped. Send for detailed information on Dickinson Cattle Co. Tours or see website for up to date info at http://www.head2tail.com/public_tours/index.cfm
The Dutch Belt Heritage
The BueLingo Cattle Society, formed in 1989, is the official registry for this eye catching critter. Although few are aware of this relatively young composite breed, it´s sketchily recorded history is truly ancient in origin. Dutch Belted cattle originated in Holland prior to the 17th century. Historic documentation indicates Dutch nobility pursued development of these special cattle for hundreds of years. Select breed guidelines of performance, conformation, milk quality, minimal grain consumption, and the striking full circle belt were all essential. Generations of royalty worked for hundreds of years to produce belted cattle, rabbits, goats, poultry and swine. As a result of these genetic challenges there were creations of Dutch Belted Rabbits, Dutch Belted Goats, Dutch Belted Dairy Cattle, Lakenvelder poultry of England and America, Lanche Swine of Holland, and Hampshire hogs of America. (Hampshire swine are said to have originated in Hampshire, England, but the earlier historic connection easily traces beyond England to a Netherlands birth.) Dutch Swine, fowl and rabbits came early to America but the first recorded importation of Dutch Belted cattle was made in 1838 by the U.S. consul of Holland, D.H. Haight. In 1840, master showman P.T. Barnum imported a specimen breeding group to the United States. They were selected from a premier herd developed by one of the Dutch royal families. Barnum agreed that the cattle would be used exclusively for his world-famous circus exhibitions. Barnum billed the belted cattle as "a rare and aristocratic breed." So fascinated was he by his acquisition that Barnum continued to raise belted import cattle on his farm in Orange County, New York the rest of his life. Thanks to Barnum´s enthusiasm for these cattle, their progeny were sold and exported to Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, England and the Hawaiian Islands. Due to the cost of importing, only a few ever set foot on U.S. shores again. During World War II, the unique appearance of the original Dutch herds took a back seat to hunger. Nearly all were butchered during German invasions. Hundreds of years of breeding were lost and only a few pure Dutch Belts survived the war. Only the earlier U.S. importation preserved the purest family of cattle. This military tragedy lost for posterity hundreds of years of selective Dutch genetics.
North Dakota rancher, Russell Bueling and a handful of other adventurous ranchers began experimenting with crossing the Dutch Belted dairy genetics with prominent Angus blood lines. In the mid 1970´s Russ Danielson, a North Dakota State University animal scientist, began performance testing the results. The additional milk provided by the Dutch blood brought calf-to-cow weaning weights an impressive step forward. The beautiful belt and enhanced performance sandwiched together adds substance to the exciting genetic project. At this point, the BueLingo breed was born. The word "BueLingo" was derived from the Bueling name and he became the first president of the BueLingo Cattle Society (BCS). Today the BCS has over 100 members and has registered over 3000 animals as breeding stock. In the foundation days of BueLingo, Dickinson Cattle Co. Inc. (DCCI) near Barnesville, Ohio, became a major producer. The BueLingo is an open breed, meaning offspring from other breeds can be interbred for specific superior attributes as long as the belt is perpetuated. DCCI utilized the foundation BueLingo bloodlines and selectively blended them with proven superior performance genetics. Prominent bloodlines of Limousin, Angus and Salers were commingled resulting in a huge forward leap. Today Dickinson Cattle Co. may be the leading preserver of the old Barnum lineage harkening back a full 160 years. Darol Dickinson, general manager of DCCI, proudly claims a bit of Dutch ancestry himself. The BCS policy of allowing outside blood in the BueLingo breed, he said, means "we can introduce the greatest performance blood in the world to make sure BueLingo are superior in every quality. We can utilize the very best of any great breed, a tremendous advantage". Many of the prominent BueLingo herd sires have been developed at DCCI. Numerous 4-H and Future Farmers of America exhibitors have selected BueLingo for future show prospects. At birth, BueLingo calves average under 75 pounds. Adult cows are moderate in size, 1100 to 1200 pounds, and the adult sires are 1900 - 2100 pounds. Watch for the striking BueLingo not only in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio, but the show ring and professional ranches across North America. How to figure herd size? Dickinson, never at a loss for quips, advised, "When inventorying BueLingo, either count the white spots or else count the dark sections and divide by two. If the numbers don´t come out the same, do a recount."
Horn
In Psalms 101:25 and 26, it says ... "the earth shall wax old like a garment." The topsoil on the earth has been harvested and farmed. Minerals and vitamins have been removed from those thin layers of topsoil for thousands of years. It is obvious the volume of nutrients and minerals of even ten years ago are no longer there. Truly our earth is "growing old and wearing out" just like the knee on an old comfortable pair of pants. To solve this problem we can´t put all the nutrients back into the soil in the volume they once were. Our only efficient way is to feed livestock condensed portions of corrective minerals to give them a full balanced diet. In my opinion, after growing Texas Longhorns for 33 years, I believe a balanced mineral program that fits the land is the key to growing large Texas Longhorn horn. It is the key to growing healthy bodies, and having cows and bulls perform in a functioning fertile way. Everything hinges upon a correct, balanced diet. I am not saying that a mineral balance is everything required to grow horn. There are also some genetic things. A balance of correct minerals won´t make a Jersey cow grow horn, but it may help her give a lot of milk. Texas Longhorns are browsers. They will find minerals in what appears to be the low quality fiber of tree bark, weeds and brush. I have seen cattle on the gulf coast of Texas, in areas with very poor, low quality grass that were growing record horn spreads. I have seen cattle with very little horn growth on highly nutritious soil full of minerals and vitamins. Obviously there are numerous factors involved. If horn genetics were so strong that cattle could grow horn no matter how lousy the nutrition, you cheat the cattle. Just think what the same Longhorns could do if they had good nutrition, good minerals and a perfect balance. I have known some very bright people in the Texas Longhorn business, even with doctors degrees, who have really studied nutrition and tried to develop a mineral that would grow big horn. People in the Watusi business studied and researched minerals that would grow big horn. Most everyone agrees that the major component in horn itself is protein. Most people think a real high protein diet will increase horn growth. A number of theories have been tested for horn growth. Some very bright people have spent a lot of money researching it. Regardless of the experiments, cattle that have poor genetics for horn growth cannot be fed enough minerals and vitamins to grow record horn spreads. Here is my recommendation. Contact the most professional nutritionist knowledgeable of minerals in your local area. Have soil analysis done to identify what the weaknesses are in the soil. Identify the minerals that will create a balance. I truly believe that a balance of minerals that fit your own particular soil will assist more than any one thing in growing excellent horn. I could name a dozen minerals that intelligent people believe increase horn growth, and yet I believe that a combination of all the minerals "in balance" is the final conclusion of the matter.
How To Produce Great Bulls
Since before Buffalo Bill wore diapers, those who produced superior stock have enjoyed monetary rewards for their successes. The ability to produce great cattle has it´s joys and rewards. How is it done? Let´s look at the basic proven methods that have been keys to prominence for nearly every great cattleman.
1. Objective Selection - The word objective in the dictionary means, "treating or dealing with facts without distortion by personal feelings or prejudices." Selection of prominent breeding stock can not be crippled by personal feelings of friendship or dislike toward other producers. The objective producer stares directly at the determined goal without blinking. The successful producer of great bulls considers the joy of success and allocates the plan, the time, and the cost to make it happen. 2. Basic Cow Sense - The gut feeling needed to organize the management, genetics and qualities to make it happen in a simple and prompt way. Cow sense is often the shortest direction to a destination which would appear to many as far, far away --- or even impossible to locate. 3 Pedigree Stacking of Consistent Reproducing Families - will cause the final results to be strong producers. Only stacked pedigrees of great individuals of similar quality and type will consistently produce great cattle. A percentage of line breeding will make the genetic qualities fixed for posterity. To the opposite, an outcross is consistently inconsistent in almost every case. 4. Artificial Insemination - Is the short cut to great results for producers in a hurry. With A.I. each cow in the herd can be carefully mated to achieve maximum results. The cost of semen from leading sires is generally only $15 - $25 per semen unit. This is often more economical than owning a bull. A.I. will allow a producer to use 20 different bulls on 20 different cows if needed. Any leading producer who doesn´t use A.I. and enjoys great success would have had more success if A.I. had been used --- more success and faster results. Note: A.I. or embryo transfer are not magic. Just because a mating is planned by A.I. does not make the result any better. The result can only be better if the correct sires are used on the right cows. 5. Selection Pressure With Numbers - Is the final jury. Hard culling and large numbers allow the producer to make very rapid progress. A correctly mated cow herd containing five cows will have less chance of producing a great sire than a 500 cow herd under the same conditions. Selection pressure is implemented by ruthless judgment, exact weights, and careful measurements. The more numbers and the more ruthless the evaluation, the greater the end result. These five factors are the basis of the DCCI bull development program. Each year eight or ten BueLingo bulls are retained and 40 to 45 Longhorns. From these few, DCCI selects three or four for in herd use and the rest are for sale. These carefully planned and evaluated young bulls are more exciting every year. The type and gain just keep getting better. Breeding of superior cattle is a most rewarding profession. It is also an extended joy to see DCCI sires perform for leading producers all over the nation. Call DCCI for your next prepotent young sire. We look forward to your call.
Longhorn Videos
These films are used to select purchases, learn price range values and often research Longhorn bloodlines and conformation. Each video sells for an economical $4.00 pp. DCCI also has over a dozen training videos on Cattle Handling, Pedigrees, Mating, Marketing, Sire Selection, etc. All DCCI videos are from $4 to $15 each. DCCI does not sell at auction. All cattle purchases are made privately with ample time for buyers to make choices. You may select cattle sight unseen or come to the Ohio ranch and chose. Delivery is available all over the nation with the DCCI livestock limo. For a complete video list Click Here. DCCI provides arm chair purchasing at the buyer´s convenience.
Major Farm Accident
Profiling
David and wife Stephany live in Berrien Springs, Michigan. He is Associate Institute Director at the Horn Archaeological Museum. If you want to tour the inside of an Egyptian pyramid or hike to the Dead Sea scroll caves, then Dr. Merling would be the world´s best side kick. And, he loves his Texas Longhorn herd. "When you purchase DCCI Longhorns it´s not so many horns, so much leather and a pile of steak.... you buy into a whole new western system of life." Never has this been more true than with David and Stephany. We welcome you to the Texas Longhorn family.
Salida Slick To Texas
Salida Slick is a son of well respected "Gunman" owned by Dr. Ron Jones. Salida was Grand Champion at his first and only show. He was used seriously at DCCI in 2000, 1999 and a little in 1998. The first heifer shown by Salida was "Salida Sentiment" who won a class International Championship silver buckle at the ITLA 2000 Championship Show in Michigan. Salida shows all the ear marks of having the stuff that produces the great ones. He was sold by DCCI in order to make a place for his promising sons and daughters in the 2001 breeding program. His progeny are consistently dark colored and often have a zillion small white speckles. A few fancy sons have been retained by DCCI. Semen was also collected by DCCI and will be used on cows who mated wonderfully well with Salida. His semen was collected under CSS procedures and is approved for several foreign countries. Cows will be bred to Salida in New Zealand and Brazil. Semen may be purchased from the new owners or DCCI at $25 per unit. Salida is nearing 60", and just a snap away. DCCI wishes Zech and Craige the very best with this brilliant young sire.
Salting Birds and Cattle
Last week I went into a large farm supply store, and there were tons of salt blocks ready to be carried away and fed. Some were white, some were bright yellow and some were kind of a rusty brown. The white ones were called salt. The yellow ones were called sulfur and the brown ones were called trace mineral. I asked the salesman how much trace mineral was in this block and he said he didn´t know. Once I read the label it was obvious. When I first started raising cattle I would go to the feed store and buy a white block of salt, a brown block and a yellow one. I thought I was allowing my cattle to have all the minerals and nutrition necessary for their system. Somehow I didn´t realize that when you buy a block of this material for around $3 it really couldn´t have that much nutrition in it. Once you place the salt blocks out for cattle to lick they immediately start licking and acting like they thoroughly enjoy it. As my education ever so slowly increased about salt and minerals, somewhere along the line I decided that I would never buy a white salt block. I would go ahead and buy the yellow and brown mineral blocks for my cows, and while they were eating the salt they would get mineral. That major decision increased the intake of mineral for my cows about ½ of 1%. As I write this article, I am looking at the label from a major salt block producing company concerning the guaranteed analysis of what they call a "trace mineral salt block". This is a brown looking square block that is marketed as "trace mineral". The ingredients in this block include Cobalt, Iodine, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Sodium Chloride, which is salt. Iodine is a very important mineral, and this particular product contains 7/1000 of 1% iodine. Copper is one of the most essential minerals to cattle production. This product contains 35/1000 of 1% copper. Iron is a real cheap mineral so this product is 175/1000 of 1% iron. When I add up all the minerals that are in what is sold as a "trace mineral salt block," it comes to a total of 854 thousands of 1% mineral and the rest is some type of salt. In other words, a brown block of trace mineral salt has less than 1% mineral in it. Many people buy it to feed to their cows believing that their cows are getting adequate mineral supplements. Salt is a natural earth product that encourages cattle to eat other minerals. It can be mixed with some minerals that are not so tasty, yet completely essential. Salt (Sodium Chloride) is a necessary mineral in livestock nutrition. Salt has value in body balance and gastric hydrocholric acid production. Animals consume mineral for the salty taste. It is one of the cheapest ingredients next to calcium carbonate and dirt. The easy way to decide if the mineral you are feeding your cows has substance, is determined by how much salt is in the mix of trace minerals. If you have more than 20% to 30% salt mixed in with your minerals, your cows are getting cheated, and perhaps their owner is too. There should be at least 11% calcium and at least 10% phosphorus. Phosphorus is very important when it comes to reproduction. In most areas of the United States there should be at least 1800 parts per million copper and around 5000 parts per million, minimum, of zinc. When we first moved to Ohio it was obvious that we were hauling a lot of cattle into the area, so every mineral dealer wanted to get our business. We had to sit and chat about the weather with mineral dealers about twice a week. Everyone would explain exactly what kind of mineral was needed to fit our particular area. Many of these guys would bring some nutritional expert with some kind of impressive degree in nutrition. It always seemed like these fellows knew what they were talking about, and they would use a bunch of big words that shot way over my head. Every mineral dealer has some kind of education, can pronounce some big words and normally has a briefcase full of computer printouts. Some minerals are dirt cheap and others are really expensive. As you determine the cost of each mineral and find that certain companies are putting high amounts of the cheap minerals in the ration and low amounts of expensive minerals, you have a clue. As I said before, salt is cheap to add. There are a lot of studies about copper and how important it is on herd health. If you see a herd of Black Angus cows that have a rusty brown color in their flanks, or under their neck, I can almost guarantee you that they are low in copper. Copper effects the color of cattle. When cattle have an adequate amount of copper, black/white belted cattle appear as bold black/white. Red/white cattle will be bold red/white. All the colors will be brighter. If there is a copper deficiency in the soil, your cattle will have pale, drab colors. The outward color of the hair gives some indication of the inward condition of the cow. Once again, I am no nutritionist. I am just stating a few simple observations. Now lets cut to the chase. How can you tell a good nutritionist from a garden variety mineral salesperson? Here is how you tell: If the fellow that walks onto your place doesn´t pretend to have all the answers, then that is a good sign. If he says he will have to do some tests of the soil, the fiber, the hay and the water on your ranch, then you know he´s on the right track. If he knows the basic requirements for the kind of cattle you raise, hug him around the neck ----- he is your man. If he offers to do all sorts of testing and wants you to pay for the test, that is a little bit spooky. If he offers to do a lot of testing and pick up the tab on the tests, hug him around the neck again. If he offers to take hair clippings for testing to determine the absorption minerals, that would also be a sign that he really knows what he is doing. Hair follicle testing tells a lot about the health of an animal. But there is quite a bit of expense to it, so it might be all right to pay for those tests. Today, when I drive down the road and see a block of salt in a cow pasture, it immediately tells me that the owner of those cows is either trying to save money or does not understand nutrition or minerals. Stillborn calves, weak calves, small birth weight calves and cows that fail to breed promptly, are all dead sure signs of a mineral program that is not balanced. Something is not good enough. A high percentage of the cows that have just given birth to a stillborn calf and did not clean out properly, are most likely licking a white salt block.
Shadowizm
Shadowizm has been a popular semen sales bull since before he was collected. His semen is CSS certified and passes all requirements for export even to all European countries. Shadowizm is a son of "The Shadow" and out of Zither by Zhivago. Zither´s dam is by Bail Jumper and goes back to Classic and Don Quixote in depth. Shadowizm is owned by Joe and Vicky Pylant of Kirkland, Washington. They purchased his dam three years before he was born. He has serviced the Pylant cows plus a large contingent of DCCI hand selected females. An estimated 130 calves are expected to be born by him in 2001. These will be in the USA, Brazil, and New Zealand. Shadowizm was the star of a horn measurement party after the evening session of the championship show. Over 150 people measured him tip to tip. More people have measured him than any bull in the nation. His measurements are certainly no secret. Today he isn´t 62". He is blowing past 64" and closing in on 65". He will be three years old on April 15, 2001. For semen orders in any country contact DCCI. For a limited time the introductory price is just $20. His alley cat stripe brindle, black and rust color is awesome in the bright Appalachian sun.
SIX - FAIR, FAST AND EASY STEPS TO HERD IMPROVEMENT#1. Determine you will purchase from the largest performance tested herd in the USA. #2. Call 740-758-5050 and describe what you need. #3. Select from pictures, videos and data the DCCI bull that will lead your genetics in the correct direction. #4. Call Martee with you decision. #5. The bull delivery can be arranged right to your ranch. (Don´t forget to send a check.) #6. Enjoy the excitement when those beautiful calves start filling the pasture.
Wasted Bulls & Wasted Cows
The consistent success (high dollar cattle) comes when a great sire is connected to a great cow herd. A few years ago I found a beautiful bull weighing over a ton with horn well up into the 60" range. My heart almost stopped when I first saw him. It was a genuine excitement. The bull was middle aged with several years of service time in his history. He was immediately purchased, semen was collected and his next job was to breed 75 head of carefully selected cows. This great bull had been serviced on his dam, his sister and two or three cows per year. That was a true waste of great sire talent. Each year cattle are not mated correctly to the genetic waste of potentially thousands of wonderful cattle. Wasted genetics are everywhere. How about the really great herd sire who dies and no semen is ever collected? A great group of cows are bred to an average quality sire? The waste goes on and on. How about an average cow herd with a few great cows getting bred to an average sire? One year is wasted, lost, and gone forever. Many agree their personal goals are to have a great bull with a small herd of truly great cows. I hear this over and over. How many great bulls are in existence? If there are 20 truly great bulls, that means 3000 to 5000 producers will be using bulls of lesser quality. There just aren´t enough great bulls out there. The ranches that use the most great sires will obviously have the most breed improvement quicker. The breed is changing. There was a day when a 40" bull was a real treasure. Today he is probably a cull if that is all he has. There was a day when some major producers used bulls that weighed 1200 to 1400 lb. in top condition. Today we all have opportunities to own ton plus bulls with over 60" horn, great conformation, and all the other qualities. If we can´t own the bull, semen is available. The breed is improving. The year 2001 is believed by many to be the biggest artificial insemination year since 1984. More really great bulls (there´s only about a dozen in that league) are available in frozen semen. Ask us about genetics that produce beautiful conformation, color and 56 5/8" horn at 22 months of age. When there is a chance to breed those best cows to an even better bull that could produce real breed leaders, don´t miss the opportunity. This new level of performance is very exciting. Check the DCCI web site for new improved semen sires and order semen promptly. This is the year.
Wedding Bells at DCCI
Joel, a native of Colorado, graduated from Colorado State University in 1992 with a Bachelors degree in Agribusiness. He currently manages the family registered cattle business in Ohio. Misty, also a Colorado native, graduated from Adams State College in 1994, later earned her nursing license, and now practices as an LPN in Ohio. The couple exchanged vows on one of the many brilliant green hilltops on the ranch. The area was surrounded by trees. In the background were colorful flowers, a tranquil pond, and of course Texas Longhorn cattle. The groom arrived at the scene on his trusty steed "Roanie" followed by his devoted dog "Cinco" close at their heels making sure they didn´t lose their way to the ceremony. He looked extremely dashing in his formal western attire. The bride arrived from the other side of the hill in a horse drawn carriage driven by the family´s good friend Bill Farson. Misty wore a long elegant dress along with Black Hills Gold jewelry, a wedding gift from her father. The couple´s pastor, Steve Leathley from Bible Baptist Church in Cambridge, Ohio did the honors of uniting them. Attending the wedding were Misty´s four year old son, Marshall Stagner-Sinclair who was the ring bearer, her parents Donald and Shirley Stagner, Joel´s parents Darol and Linda Dickinson, and his brother Kirk. They also had a last minute welcome surprise visit from Joel´s brother Chad and sister Dela, who drove from Colorado for the special occasion. The couple was blessed with a beautiful sunny and warm September afternoon. Later in the evening a reception was held at Bible Baptist Church where the newlyweds were greeted and congratulated by close friends. The following day the couple left for Colorado to attend Clarence and Rella Correll´s (Joel´s grandparents) 60th wedding anniversary party and to celebrate Joel and Misty´s marriage with the rest of their family. The newlyweds happily share their wedding date with the Corrells. The Dickinsons left shortly thereafter to attend the International Texas Longhorn Championship Show in Lansing, Michigan. The Newlyweds took a belated Caribbean honeymoon in November and are living happily at DCCI in Barnesville, Ohio.
What is DCCI?
DCCI is a three generation family ranch located near Barnesville, Ohio. DCCI is the largest BueLingo/Texas Longhorn ranch in the nation running up to 1500 head at any given time on just under 4100 acres of Appalachian foothills grassland. The main cow herd and store are located halfway between Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All cattle are located at the Ohio Division. A prompt reply to your questions will come by calling 740-758-5050. For cattle purchases, review our pricelist online. Click Here. All products and cattle depart from Ohio. For a personal hands on buyer´s ranch tour, please call 740/758-5050 or email to set up an appointment. If this is your first issue of the DCCI newsletter, we hope to earn your future business and perhaps provide information to assist in your own cattle program. DCCI is a leading producer of the highest quality registered Longhorn & BueLingo cattle. Frozen semen on the very top sires is economically available. For complete color graphics and herd data, rope on to the web site www.texaslonghorn.com. Allow some time, this is one of the largest purebred cattle web sites in the nation.
Who Should Raise Steers??
Does everyone who buys a fancy dog automatically plan on building a kennel and starting a puppy factory? Absolutely not! Some buy dogs and cattle as a hobby and expect some cost for the enjoyment. I would venture to say a large amount of the small ranchers/farmers operate as a hobby and lie to their wife insisting it is a business. As an old dog slowly learns, I have decided it is O.K. to own a dog, or cat, or Longhorn steer that doesn´t make any measurable profit, but just provides enjoyment. As I recently went down the grocery store isle I noticed a can of Alpo dog food for $1.49. If the average dog eats one small can of Alpo per day, that is $44.70 per month. Most people can rent pasture for a Longhorn steer for $.50 per day. That´s two steers for the cost of one fancy dog! Who should raise steers? Each year DCCI sells over 150 steers for roping, team penning, freezer beef and just for lawn ornaments. The lawn ornament is a fast growing business. At DCCI the new improved genetics almost assure a six foot horn spread at four or five years of age. Here´s one of the DCCI guidelines for huge horned exhibition steer development. Keep young steers with parents (two parents) who´s combined horn spread is 120". This is a bull with 64" and a cow with 56". Add it up, and you have 120". This stacks some serious horn blood, and really increases the odds of an early 6´ spread. What do you get when a steer has a 40" sire and 35" dam? Don´t take a chance. Purchase a DCCI young exhibition steer prospect. It could be cheaper than buying a pedigreed dog. Not everyone wants to mess with a bull, a cow with a new calf, or do artificial insemination. That means you could become a real steer person for all the right reasons.
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ickinson Cattle Company, Inc. is located in eastern, or southeastern Ohio. Major commercial airlines service Columbus, OH to the west, and Pittsburgh, PA to the East. Both major ports are about 1-1/2 hours drive by rental car.
ll cattle heath problems fall into two categories. One has visible symptoms of disease and one has non visible symptoms. Most any new breeder can spot a broken leg, bloat, snotty noses or open injuries. The bigger problems are permanent, non visible, non treatable and chronic conditions. 
he 10th Anniversary ITLA Convention and Championship Show is the highlight of the 2000 Longhorn Industry. The Great Lakes Texas Longhorn Association sponsored the show and selected the Michigan State University Livestock Pavilion to hold this extravaganza. Bruce Curtis, the Great Lakes President, with his entire membership helping, sponsored the major event of the year. A big thank you to all the hard workers and planners. GREAT JOB! 
tarting June 1st and continuing through until September 2nd, public tours will be available on Dickinson Cattle Co. The bus tours will originate from the Longhorns Head to Tail store on BueLingo and Muskrat Rd. just off Interstate 70 at Ohio exit 202. These educational tours show and describe the Famous Texas Longhorn, BueLingo and Watusi cattle herds at DCCI. Visitors may purchase Longhorn decor and authentic memorabilia at the ranch store. Facilities only allow 100 guests at a time, so large tour groups should make reservations.
and the polka dotted pattern of an Appaloosa horse create a unique calling card. Even more extreme but less known is the big white belt encircling the midsection of every BueLingo cow. This Dutch beef breed can have black, red, gray or gold coats, yet each one has a complete full circle white belt that wraps totally around the mid section. Normally no other white markings are visible. 
A few U.S. dairies specialized in Dutch Belted herds. A second tragedy struck the breed when the three major American herds were destroyed in the infamous Dairy buy out of the 1980´s. By 1985 only a few pure Dutch Belt cattle remained in the North America. 
ast hunting season this photo was taken right in the heat of the pursuit. We are not sure how this fellow got stuck in the hay bale, but some believe he was pursuing a deer, hot on the trail, not paying attention to where he was going and just ran smack into this bale of hay. It is not unusual for hunters to completely loose track of reality. No one could even guess how fast he was going when he hit the bale. (We expect to hear from his attorney any day.)
rofiling is a hotly contested political topic of creating an image or picture of what an airplane highjacker looks like, or a drug dealer or some kind of habitual law breaker. If we were to profile what a Longhorn producer looks like it would be as variegated as a Cuban cock fight promoter. Our recent sales include a major scrap metal dealer in Baltimore, Maryland, a professional dog trainer, the largest commercial cattle producer in the northeast and David Merling, Ph.D., a museum curator.
n a cold snowy Ohio December day the great young sire Salida Slick loaded on a trailer for his new Texas home. His new owners are Zech Dameron III MD and Craige Bottorff. Both are serious as a snake bite about raising the very top Longhorns money can buy. Zech has high hopes of seeing the first cloned Longhorns born April of 2001 from his famous 75 ½" horned cow Star Light. So far so good on the preg checks.
reat bulls are the key to a successful breeding program. The number of producers in the Longhorn business who are successful, (make land payments with cattle money) have without a single exception benefited from one or more truly great sires. They can own the sire or buy semen - it doesn´t make a difference. But, it can´t be done without great sires. The same can be said for a great cow herd.
oel Dickinson and Misty Stagner were married on Wednesday, September 27th at Dickinson Cattle Company near Barnesville, Ohio.