the importance of anatomy

I got off the phone with Chasen about 5 minutes ago and my ears are still ringing.  Let's just say he was excited and screaming like a 4 year old on Christmas morning.  Although my ears are in pain, I too have a beaming smile on my face.  What can I say, I guess his enthusiasm for raising cattle is contagious!  

So here is my story about the importance of anatomy.  JF Ebonys Joy 9154X is a purebred Simmental heifer Chasen bought this fall at Janssen Farms female sale.  I was at the auction with Chasen and didn't even realize he was bidding on her until he made the final bid.  I was quite shocked when the auctioneer shouted sold to buyer number something-something-something and pointed his gavel at Chasen.  My brain started swimming as I began to wonder how we would get a 1100 pound heifer home with my impala!  After the hot flash and light headedness dismissed, I was able to gain excitement on Chasen's big purchase!  JF Ebonys Joy 9154X (pictured above) is a first calf heifer safe-in bred to JF American Pride (a purebred Simmental bull) thus resulting in a purebred calf.  Because of this reason, Chasen and I have been hoping for a heifer out of JF Ebonys Joy.

Well, yesterday morning, JF Ebonys Joy calved.  After making sure the calf was breathing and cleaned off, Chasen walked out to check the sex of the calf.  By just "looking" at the calf Chasen determined it was a bull calf.  He called me on my way to campus and was quite depressed.  I tried to cheer him up, telling him we could keep him around for a herd bull, or take him to a sale next spring to gain some exposure for Stevenson Farms.  Regardless of these two outstanding ideas, I was not able to improve his mood.  So I left it at that.

Approximately 30 minutes ago, Chasen was tagging the "bull" calf and administering a Vitamin B shot.  While holding the calf Chasen began to brush off its sides and more importantly the area underneath the tail.  In this process he discovered the calf he determined as a bull was actually a HEIFER!!! Thus the reason he called me screaming like a 4 year old :)

After this little anatomy scandal, I know now Chasen will never just look to assume the sex of a calf.  In light of this whole ordeal, I think I remember Chasen saying if JF Ebonys Joy 9154X had a heifer calf he was going to buy a keg and have a party.....guess I will have to remind him of this recollection.  But then again, I don't want to ruin his good mood!!