Featured in Magazines!

The past couple of months, we have been featured in a couple of magazines.  It's a little interesting to be in the spotlight for doing the things we do for our everyday life here on the ranch.  The first article came out in the Simmental Association's monthly magazine, the Register.  You can see it featured on the Simmental Association's home page for the Current issue, April 2015 and titled, Partners in Performance.  It highlights our unique partnership of 3 families involved in Barker Cattle Company.

The second article is not yet out, but will be featured in the Ruralite magazine, the monthly publication by our local Electric co-op, Raft River Electric.  Dianna Troyer came and interviewed our family, along with Ruel, Tyler, & Jed Hutchison concerning our DNA testing on the cows and bulls that we do. Thanks to   Dianna for sharing some of her pictures with us after spending the afternoon with Tom & the kids feeding & tagging.  Sometimes we may forget that the things we take for granted that we do every day, may be a curious sight to someone looking in.

Team meeting before tagging.

Getting the medicines ready.

I'll pose if you make me!

Tom & Kamri

Angus cow & calf

Captured! 

All in a day's work. 

Branding Time is here again

Hard to believe it's that time of year again to get the branding irons out and calves worked.  

Full corral to brand

Kamri Trying to get a little nap in.

The one that got away!

Ruel & Kamri working on the tattoo guns. 

A good crew to get the job done.

And Cidrs in the cows when we were done branding.  A long day. 

April Drifts & Synchronizing

More snow than we've had all winter decided to come the last 2 days.  Brrr!!  It feels colder in the springtime when it snows.  Maybe it's because we're out in it trying to get the Spring work done. 

Most of the snow that fell didn't stay on the ground, but blew everywhere! 

Synchronization supplies...Check!

Bowdrie getting some time in for his Senior Project hours.  

Put Cidrs in 145 head this afternoon.  Going to be busy next week. 

Satisfied customers!

It's always nice to hear some feedback from customers and know that what we're producing is performing for our customers.  Thanks for sharing!

Can you do this with your heifer in the barnyard?  Just purchased by K.Wells, Oakley, Idaho at the March 3, 2015.  Getting ready for breeding time.

Likes to get some scratching time in. 

Feedback  From Josh Nelson, Utah: As always I'm super impressed with the calves that we've gotten from the Boss Prowler Bull. The best I've ever seen.

Spring Time Vaccinating

Time to get rolling with those spring time vaccinations again.  Wish it would rain and give us a little relief from the dust.  Starting to get out the AI books and look through herd bull prospects.   Grass is greening up and cows are wanting to get back off "welfare" and into the pastures.

Trailing 1st calf heifers to the corral. 

First Calf heifers have really been milking well this year. 

Girl Power!  Aubrey & Kamri gettin' it done! 

Newlyweds surveying the calf crop. 

Bull Sale 2015

Despite the snowy weather that tried to move in on us, we felt Bull Sale Day was a success!   The snow stopped coming about 10:00 am and shortly after customers started arriving to preview the bulls and heifers at the Burley Livestock Auction in Burley, Idaho.  Reports came in that conditions were not good in Ogden and some had to turn around and go back home.  We really appreciated those who were able to join in with us as we felt this offering was strong from top to bottom.  It was a great sale and we are happy to be getting animals delivered to their new homes.

A Big thank you to those who supported the auction of the donation heifer to the Lucas Ward Memorial Fund. It was truly an honor to pay tribute to this special family.   And as always, we couldn't do this without the help of our many friends and family who help behind the scenes to pull this off.  It's a big venture and we couldn't do it without you.

Here are a few pictures from our day:

Calving along

We are getting closer to bull sale time, but still have to take care of the important projects at home too.  Calving this year has been almost a breeze due to the unseasonably nice weather.  Tom still makes the night drive around  2:00 am,  with Bowdrie getting up before school to do the first check in the morning and last check before bed at night.

Feels like spring in February. 

Man Among Boys Heifer (of course!  Couldn't be a bull calf)

Next group to calve.  150 down...170 to go. 

So nice to drive through the calves and they're feeling good and lovin' life.