It's Earth Day, where we celebrate our planet and participate in activities to help keep her sustainable and healthy.
I was reading up on Earth Day this morning, and found that in 1970, Earth Day helped Democrats and Republicans form an alignment to get the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Act passed in Congress, which was somewhat of a letdown for me.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about protecting and improving our planet. My lifestyle and job depend fully upon my ability to do so. I also love that those who do not live in an area or have a job that allows them to improve earth daily are willing to help make a difference on this day. That's wonderful, and it's amazing to see what people can accomplish, even in the most urban areas, when they set their minds to making the earth better!
The part that bothers me is that so many people associated with the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and numerous other supposedly helpful acts, laws and causes for the environment hate me, my neighbors, and my lifestyle. They jump on the bandwagon of one day of physically helping earth out, then spend the rest of their year negating everything those in my profession do that is also helping and improving the earth.
This becomes particularly frustrating on months like this one, where everyone I know has spent countless hours dealing with inclement weather, working tirelessly to ensure the health of their livestock, planned ahead and reduced numbers to make sure the land and ecosystems on that land are cared for, even if it's another drought year. When a few blog comments pop up damning me and my profession in the midst of all that, with no justification beyond stating that I am in the wrong because of what I am and how I make my living, my good humor takes a dive.
This is because these less than fun days on America's privately owned lands are the Earth Days that make the most difference, be it good or bad, and we aim to make every single one good. We take our responsibility of being stewards of the land to the extreme, regardless of weather, breakdowns, health or personal sacrifice. We set a standard based on our children and grandparents, rooted in generations of work and personal responsibility, paid for in sweat equity.
And, perhaps most irritating to those who hate us - we do what we know is right for the land without fail, regardless of the monetary, social or personal loss. Even more frustrating to them is that we don't care about that "loss," because to us the permanent gain of improving the environment far outweighs any temporary gain that may be found through their misguided options.
While today's official Earth Day itself is fun, and a wonderful opportunity to help make a difference, it's one of 365 celebrated and practiced by farmers and ranchers every year. We love our big and little pieces of earth beyond measure, and care for them accordingly.
Showing posts with label HSUS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HSUS. Show all posts
Monday, April 22, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Unauthorized Endangered Species Act
That's right folks, at my Wyoming Farm Bureau Legislative Meeting earlier this week, Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis told us some very interesting news - The Endangered Species Act (ESA) expired, as in lapsed, 17 years ago!
To say she had a captive audience at that point in her talk was an understatement.
So, why are we still dealing with it? Because, the Appropriations Committee and leadership in general in Washington D.C. continue to fund it. As long as a program is funded, it continues to operate just as written, despite being expired.
I am not kidding.
So, for 17 years, the ESA has continued, based solely the fact that it had the money to do so. As Rep. Lummis noted, continuing funding for programs that are expired provides no stakeholder incentive to come forward and help reform the program. As a result, we cannot get the ESA eliminated, or at the very least changed to meet its original focus in modern times, as long as it continues to be mindlessly funded without intent of reform.
What can we do? Spread the word, and talk to our senators and representatives! Call, email, attend a local hearing or meeting and let them know how wrong that is.
If I remember correctly, Rep. Lummis stated that $9 billion annually is funded to programs whose authorizations have expired, under the Appropriations committee alone!
To say she had a captive audience at that point in her talk was an understatement.
So, why are we still dealing with it? Because, the Appropriations Committee and leadership in general in Washington D.C. continue to fund it. As long as a program is funded, it continues to operate just as written, despite being expired.
I am not kidding.
So, for 17 years, the ESA has continued, based solely the fact that it had the money to do so. As Rep. Lummis noted, continuing funding for programs that are expired provides no stakeholder incentive to come forward and help reform the program. As a result, we cannot get the ESA eliminated, or at the very least changed to meet its original focus in modern times, as long as it continues to be mindlessly funded without intent of reform.
What can we do? Spread the word, and talk to our senators and representatives! Call, email, attend a local hearing or meeting and let them know how wrong that is.
If I remember correctly, Rep. Lummis stated that $9 billion annually is funded to programs whose authorizations have expired, under the Appropriations committee alone!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Top posts of 2012
I have been in the land of no Internet for a while, but am back a couple days late to share my 2012 blog stats with you, and say a big "thank you!" to everyone who has continued to follow my blog, read my posts and take the time to comment and email me. I really enjoy hearing what you have to say in comments, and appreciate that you take the time to read what I post on here!
People from 10 countries read my blog, with the United States being at the top of the list, followed by Russia, then Canada. Roughly 3,000 page views occurred a month on the Double H blog, compared to just over half that in 2011.
The top posts of the year were as follows:
1. Pulling a Calf
It is great being able to show and explain what we do on the ranch, and this post highlights one such scenario where my dad pulls a calf to help out a first-calf heifer.
2. HSUS Targeting a Wyoming Pig Farm
HSUS put an undercover person at a Wyoming hog farm, and that person intentionally created situations that put workers in difficult positions, then secretly filmed it and added a lot of additional footage to make it look as terrible as possible. I never condone the mistreatment of animals, but I also think it's horrific when a person purposely puts animals and people in positions where one or both may be harmed, with the intent of creating inaccurate publicity for their cause.
3. Did you know: how much milk a dairy cow produces?
This question was posed to me during a classroom visit in 2012, and I was unable to answer it. I did some research, and sent the answer back to the classroom. Looks like I wasn't the only curious one.
Thank you all again, and stay tuned in 2013 for fun, excitement, pictures and stories from my life. Happy New Year!
People from 10 countries read my blog, with the United States being at the top of the list, followed by Russia, then Canada. Roughly 3,000 page views occurred a month on the Double H blog, compared to just over half that in 2011.
The top posts of the year were as follows:
1. Pulling a Calf
It is great being able to show and explain what we do on the ranch, and this post highlights one such scenario where my dad pulls a calf to help out a first-calf heifer.
2. HSUS Targeting a Wyoming Pig Farm
HSUS put an undercover person at a Wyoming hog farm, and that person intentionally created situations that put workers in difficult positions, then secretly filmed it and added a lot of additional footage to make it look as terrible as possible. I never condone the mistreatment of animals, but I also think it's horrific when a person purposely puts animals and people in positions where one or both may be harmed, with the intent of creating inaccurate publicity for their cause.
3. Did you know: how much milk a dairy cow produces?
This question was posed to me during a classroom visit in 2012, and I was unable to answer it. I did some research, and sent the answer back to the classroom. Looks like I wasn't the only curious one.
Thank you all again, and stay tuned in 2013 for fun, excitement, pictures and stories from my life. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
2012 Winter Feed Program
An incredible amount of time has been spent on the getting cows fed this winter in the part of the country I live in. The summer was hot and dry, and the usual feed suppliers were lucky to produce enough to meet their own needs. There is very little leftover forage for the cows to eat over the winter, and we're basically feeding them every bite they consume this year. It has taken more time, money and planning to get a winter feed supply delivered, and more time than usual on the feeding end as well.
What do I mean when I say, "feed the cows?" This post is on what we're actually doing every single day around here to make sure our cows are not only fed, but provided the right feeds to meet their nutritional needs and energy requirements.
First, we did a lot of research and determined what feeds were the best combination of price and in meeting our needs in terms of nutrients, filler and quality. Since we have a hay hauling business, we ended up deciding on a combination of various types of hay, including (very) low quality grass hay, medium quality grass hay, high quality grass hay and high quality oat hay. We are feeding this in combination with a cake protein supplement (you can learn more about what cattle cake is here).
Before we can feed any of this to our cattle, it has to be delivered to our ranch. The cake comes from the company that produces it, but the hay is all delivered by my dad and brother. Usually they haul each load between 100 and 200 miles. But, this year that has more than doubled, and a load hauled 450 miles is considered a short trip. This has meant a lot of extra time on the road for the haulers, which has consequently limited their ability to haul for other people. So, we're spending more on feed, spending more on fuel to deliver it, and making less with the business as a whole because we aren't hauling for other people. That's a challenge lots of ranchers are facing this year.
Since the guys are so busy, their end of the feeding program has primarily been the delivery end. From there, my mom and take over, and are usually the two in charge of making sure the right amount of each kind of hay, and the right amount of cake, is fed every day.
Feeding is done on a set schedule, regardless of what else may be going on, the weather, how we're feeling or what other tasks we have to accomplish that day. Here is mom filling the cake feeder out of our cake storage bin. Our cake feeder is set on a scales, and each cow gets a specific amount of cake based on her nutritional needs, the protein content of the cake, the temperature, and a few other varying factors. We know how many cows are in each bunch we feed, and if we're in doubt as to whether we have them all or not, we will count them and adjust how much cake we feed accordingly.
Meanwhile, if there are two of us around, the second person (me) is loading two bales of hay from specific piles within one hay corral. If there is just one person, we feed cake first because it is the most palatable to the cows (it tastes the best).
The person feeding cake typically arrives in the pasture with the cows first, since they're going to be feeding first. We use sirens to let our cows know it's time for breakfast, and they start the trek to an area of the pasture that is pickup accessible. Different ranchers use different sirens, and cows know the difference and respond to "their" siren from several miles away in some instances. The reason for sirens is some of our pastures are very big (we measure them by miles long and wide), and the sound of a siren carries over long distances much better than a horn. They also last longer than horns, and are easier to hear in wind.
While the cows make their way to the feeding area, the cake feeder heads down to check the water tank. We have at least two water sources on in each pasture our cows are in, and are sure to check the primary source every other day while feeding. This water tank has the overflow set to drip continuously this year, which prevents ice buildup like in the above photos most of the time. But, water is critical for cattle, so regardless of how reliable a tank is, we check it.
On this day the hay feeder checked the water, and is headed back to where we will feed for the day. Since it's so dry this year, we are being careful not to feed in the same location because the cows are tromping the grass worse than normal, and basically churning it to dust if we feed in a spot twice. It usually isn't snowy here like in the above photo, which was a welcome bit of moisture a couple weeks ago!
Eventually everyone arrives. It's important to wait for everyone so they get equal chance at feed, especially the cake. This can mean sitting for over an hour some days. Only a few pounds of cake per cow meet her nutritional requirements, and the cake is also what makes low quality hay work. A cow can eat cake at approximately 30 mph, and is like a bovine vacuum cleaning house. If you're not there when it hits the ground, you're probably not going to get any. The same is true with hay, but since several more pounds per cow are fed, it does take longer to consume it.
When everyone shows up, the cake feeder begins feeding, watching the scale head located in the cab as they go. The cake feeder has a control that is also wired into the cab that turns it on and off. It's what you would call a "customized" cake feeding system, seeing as how the entire thing was homemade.
Here's an up close view of the cake feeding out onto the ground. Speed is somewhat important here - you don't want to feed it too fast or it's all in a small area and the less aggressive cows won't get very much. But, you also don't need to spread it out over miles of prairie - that would take a long time to eat and waste your time feeding.
Meanwhile, the hay pickup waits, preparing to role out a specific amount of hay following the cake feeders run.
Here's a closer look at the combination of hays we're feeding this year (the red door is another story).
And an even closer look. The one the left is an oat straw bale, and you can see the oats in it. This would be considered a high quality winter forage. On the right is CRP grass hay, which ranges from awful to decent in quality. We've actually been very surprised at how well our cows are doing on the lower quality grass hays we're procured.
There is technique involved in feeding the hay too. The oat straw bale is left for last. This is primarily because, while we did have it tested and it didn't show anything of concern, there is always the potential of Nitrate poisoning in grain hays. To reduce the risk even more, we feed all the grass bales first, which means the cows eat on them for at least a few minutes, before we give them the option of the oat bale. Since it is a higher quality feed, they will all go eat it as soon as you give them the chance, but with additional grass already in their rumen, the chance of toxicity is reduced. Just a management practice we do in an effort to make sure there is never a problem in this area.
This cow would like her oat bale, please.
We do that for two bunches of cows (the mature cows and the young cows/yearling heifers) every other day. This day is known as "The Big Feed Day," and on averages takes from 7:30-10:30, if the cows are close at hand and the weather is reasonable. But, we always plan on all morning, and it can easily turn into that.
Here is the second bunch, which are the yearling heifers and coming three-year-old cows. They are kept separate from the older, mature cows because they have a hard time competing with the older cows for feed, and won't winter as well if they're expected to compete. It's like high school sports, and comparing freshman to seniors. Some will do just fine, but most freshman will struggle when up against a bunch of seniors. It's also worth making sure these cows stick around at this age because they represent our best genetics, and we have a lot of money invested in them at this point, without a lot of return.
We feed this bunch hay every day, and cake every other day. We went to every day on hay because we noticed they weren't doing a great job cleaning the hay up, despite not being fed any extra. My dad wondered if it had something to do with them not having the physical capacity to eat and store such a large volume of hay at once - they're getting more than most years because we're having to feed them everything they eat this year instead of relying on grass for part of their filler. He was right, and since we've switched we've upped these girls' consumption, and they've improved considerably on cleaning up their feed.
This is how we're doing it this year. We make changes and tweaks every year, and sometimes even within a feeding season based on the available grass, condition of our cows, cost of various supplemental feeds and the condition of our cows going into winter. It takes a lot of advance planning, careful watching, and knowing what a cow needs in a variety of situations.
This is also one of those aspects of ranching that will probably be at least a little different, and often a lot different, from ranch to ranch. Year-round management decisions will vary between ranches, and will result in different needs and concerns over the winter months. There are a lot of feed options, weather, water, grass and terrain differences, and numerous other aspects of wintering cattle well that come into play when designing and following through with a feed program. What works best in one location may not work best next door, let alone across the state or country.
What do I mean when I say, "feed the cows?" This post is on what we're actually doing every single day around here to make sure our cows are not only fed, but provided the right feeds to meet their nutritional needs and energy requirements.
Before we can feed any of this to our cattle, it has to be delivered to our ranch. The cake comes from the company that produces it, but the hay is all delivered by my dad and brother. Usually they haul each load between 100 and 200 miles. But, this year that has more than doubled, and a load hauled 450 miles is considered a short trip. This has meant a lot of extra time on the road for the haulers, which has consequently limited their ability to haul for other people. So, we're spending more on feed, spending more on fuel to deliver it, and making less with the business as a whole because we aren't hauling for other people. That's a challenge lots of ranchers are facing this year.
Since the guys are so busy, their end of the feeding program has primarily been the delivery end. From there, my mom and take over, and are usually the two in charge of making sure the right amount of each kind of hay, and the right amount of cake, is fed every day.
Feeding is done on a set schedule, regardless of what else may be going on, the weather, how we're feeling or what other tasks we have to accomplish that day. Here is mom filling the cake feeder out of our cake storage bin. Our cake feeder is set on a scales, and each cow gets a specific amount of cake based on her nutritional needs, the protein content of the cake, the temperature, and a few other varying factors. We know how many cows are in each bunch we feed, and if we're in doubt as to whether we have them all or not, we will count them and adjust how much cake we feed accordingly.
There is technique involved in feeding the hay too. The oat straw bale is left for last. This is primarily because, while we did have it tested and it didn't show anything of concern, there is always the potential of Nitrate poisoning in grain hays. To reduce the risk even more, we feed all the grass bales first, which means the cows eat on them for at least a few minutes, before we give them the option of the oat bale. Since it is a higher quality feed, they will all go eat it as soon as you give them the chance, but with additional grass already in their rumen, the chance of toxicity is reduced. Just a management practice we do in an effort to make sure there is never a problem in this area.
We do that for two bunches of cows (the mature cows and the young cows/yearling heifers) every other day. This day is known as "The Big Feed Day," and on averages takes from 7:30-10:30, if the cows are close at hand and the weather is reasonable. But, we always plan on all morning, and it can easily turn into that.
We feed this bunch hay every day, and cake every other day. We went to every day on hay because we noticed they weren't doing a great job cleaning the hay up, despite not being fed any extra. My dad wondered if it had something to do with them not having the physical capacity to eat and store such a large volume of hay at once - they're getting more than most years because we're having to feed them everything they eat this year instead of relying on grass for part of their filler. He was right, and since we've switched we've upped these girls' consumption, and they've improved considerably on cleaning up their feed.
This is how we're doing it this year. We make changes and tweaks every year, and sometimes even within a feeding season based on the available grass, condition of our cows, cost of various supplemental feeds and the condition of our cows going into winter. It takes a lot of advance planning, careful watching, and knowing what a cow needs in a variety of situations.
This is also one of those aspects of ranching that will probably be at least a little different, and often a lot different, from ranch to ranch. Year-round management decisions will vary between ranches, and will result in different needs and concerns over the winter months. There are a lot of feed options, weather, water, grass and terrain differences, and numerous other aspects of wintering cattle well that come into play when designing and following through with a feed program. What works best in one location may not work best next door, let alone across the state or country.
Monday, December 3, 2012
How About that Election?
Yes, the presidential election. I realize it did happen a while ago, but seeing as how the impacts of it will likely last at least through my lifetime, and quite possible beyond, I feel as though it's worth mentioning...now that I've had time to think about it.
I maintained my puzzlement that has been in place the last four years throughout this election on how someone such as Barack Obama ever got the opportunity to run, much less be elected. Then, bam, he is elected again. Well crap. Not that Romney was a home run Republican candidate in my book, but then again I was one of those people of the opinion that just about any candidate would have been a better bet than our current president.
But, reality check, he is here to stay for the next four years, with his cabinet of cronies, vacation loving wife, lack of business experience, and socialist mindset.
I guess what has given me most pause since the election got over was the sheer impact this particular election had for our country in my opinion. It is the first time the American people have willingly gone with a socialistic candidate. I mean, the first time around they weren't sure how Obama would really pan out, but this time they knew all about his spread the wealth mentality, and they voted him in again. To me, this is a pivotal, conscientious turning point for us away from our roots of working for what is yours to the more socialist ideal of working toward the common good.
Oh goody.
What makes me think even more is the role my generation played in the election, how many of them there are and how long they will be voting. They truly cannot think beyond subjects such as him saying he will pay for their college education. Perhaps if they did they would realize that means they will have to pay for someone elses, with inflation, at some point in the future, and it will cost more than just paying for their own would have. They also do not think of the fact that small businesses foot the majority of America's bill - that's just how it is. And, if they're busy paying for your college education today, they will not be able to pay you a salary for a job tomorrow. I could go on, but you already are either cheering me on or calling me an idiot.
But, as with any time of great challenge and change, there is also great opportunity. I think this is particularly true for agriculture. Sure, there are going to be some big bumps for us, no doubt there. I've already heard speakers talk on the impact of not having a farm bill, the estate tax is a real killer (haha), the rules and regulations are astronomical and ridiculous and not slowing down, and the environmentalists are already gobbling up their insane portion of government money and our time.
But, all people, regardless of how they voted, will still have to eat.
Perhaps we could only send our food to those who voted our way...hm...that would be educational for them.
Anyway, back on track. As rough as it's going to get, and I am one who believes we haven't seen anything yet, I also believe our industry is in a unique position. We have a basket of goods and services that are necessary. We do not produce a want, we produce a need. Plus, we do an exceptional job of producing that need. To me, that is the best form of job security and something to capitalize on in the upcoming months and years.
So, while we are certainly in new and uncharted territory politically, in a negative way, ultimately God is still in control, and that is comforting. I can relate to those who are incredibly upset, and actually think it's a good thing that people have strong opinions about political events. That's much better than not caring in my opinion. I realize some go about it in ways most of us wouldn't, but hey, HSUS also goes about things like we wouldn't, and they get a lot of attention and backing.
The current political situation is certainly not ideal, and definitely a challenge, but I believe it is something we can handle as an industry...so long as it rains, which politicians don't control (thank goodness). I also wonder if perhaps God wanted all the farmers, rancher and small business owners to pray more in the upcoming years.
I maintained my puzzlement that has been in place the last four years throughout this election on how someone such as Barack Obama ever got the opportunity to run, much less be elected. Then, bam, he is elected again. Well crap. Not that Romney was a home run Republican candidate in my book, but then again I was one of those people of the opinion that just about any candidate would have been a better bet than our current president.
But, reality check, he is here to stay for the next four years, with his cabinet of cronies, vacation loving wife, lack of business experience, and socialist mindset.
I guess what has given me most pause since the election got over was the sheer impact this particular election had for our country in my opinion. It is the first time the American people have willingly gone with a socialistic candidate. I mean, the first time around they weren't sure how Obama would really pan out, but this time they knew all about his spread the wealth mentality, and they voted him in again. To me, this is a pivotal, conscientious turning point for us away from our roots of working for what is yours to the more socialist ideal of working toward the common good.
Oh goody.
What makes me think even more is the role my generation played in the election, how many of them there are and how long they will be voting. They truly cannot think beyond subjects such as him saying he will pay for their college education. Perhaps if they did they would realize that means they will have to pay for someone elses, with inflation, at some point in the future, and it will cost more than just paying for their own would have. They also do not think of the fact that small businesses foot the majority of America's bill - that's just how it is. And, if they're busy paying for your college education today, they will not be able to pay you a salary for a job tomorrow. I could go on, but you already are either cheering me on or calling me an idiot.
But, as with any time of great challenge and change, there is also great opportunity. I think this is particularly true for agriculture. Sure, there are going to be some big bumps for us, no doubt there. I've already heard speakers talk on the impact of not having a farm bill, the estate tax is a real killer (haha), the rules and regulations are astronomical and ridiculous and not slowing down, and the environmentalists are already gobbling up their insane portion of government money and our time.
But, all people, regardless of how they voted, will still have to eat.
Perhaps we could only send our food to those who voted our way...hm...that would be educational for them.
Anyway, back on track. As rough as it's going to get, and I am one who believes we haven't seen anything yet, I also believe our industry is in a unique position. We have a basket of goods and services that are necessary. We do not produce a want, we produce a need. Plus, we do an exceptional job of producing that need. To me, that is the best form of job security and something to capitalize on in the upcoming months and years.
So, while we are certainly in new and uncharted territory politically, in a negative way, ultimately God is still in control, and that is comforting. I can relate to those who are incredibly upset, and actually think it's a good thing that people have strong opinions about political events. That's much better than not caring in my opinion. I realize some go about it in ways most of us wouldn't, but hey, HSUS also goes about things like we wouldn't, and they get a lot of attention and backing.
The current political situation is certainly not ideal, and definitely a challenge, but I believe it is something we can handle as an industry...so long as it rains, which politicians don't control (thank goodness). I also wonder if perhaps God wanted all the farmers, rancher and small business owners to pray more in the upcoming years.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Feeding Pigs + a Giveaway!
My boyfriend, who recently said I could put him on my blog, happens to be the largest hog producer in western South Dakota. Now, you may be thinking that it probably doesn't take much to acquire that title in that part of the state, and you would be correct. But, he does markets several hundred hogs a year, and uses them as a means of diversifying his operation. He describes them as an FFA project gone mad.
They are not in a confined, super disinfected building, but are instead housed in an open-faced shed that provide shade and protection from the wind, with pens that run out into the sunshine. When sows get close to farrowing, they are put inside a specially designed building, into a farrowing crate, where they remain until their piglets are weaned. Then they return to the open faced shed pens until they farrow again.
I love them, in a "I do not deal with them on a daily basis, nor am I responsible for their continual care, feeding, or upkeep of their facilities" kind of way. He thought I was crazy for taking such a liking to them, then he met a few of my friends, who REALLY like hogs, and I'm sure he now wonders what is up with these Wyoming girls and their interest in loud, smelly pigs.
One thing about his operation is he has to feed his breeding sows every single day. Pigs mean chores, and lots of them. He, has calculated numerous rations based on what he grows on his farm/ranch, and what is most affordable and available to buy each year. We're talking somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 possible rations he has figured out, stowed in a 3-ring binder one of his tractors.
Every week or so he grinds another batch of feed for the breeding sows, adding various grains, soybean meal, vitamins and minerals to ensure their dietary and health needs are met. He puts the ground mixture into the above grain bins, which are miserable to operate alone (more on that later). Each morning he fills a specific number of buckets for each pen and farrowing crate, and each night he returns to feed the sows in farrowing crates a second time.
Now for the giveaway part! Enter your best caption for the above photo of the pigs and horse for a chance to win a photo cutting board or 11x14 Double H Photography print of your choice! My boyfriend and/or father, neither of whom spend a lot of time on the Internet, will be the judges. I will anonymously read them each entry, and they will select a winner. You must be a follower of my blog, and can enter in the comments section of this post. If you like my Double H Photography Facebook page, you can also enter there for a second chance to win. The contest will close at midnight on Nov. 1, and I'll get a winner selected as soon as possible after that date.
Good luck, can't wait to read what you come up with!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
HSUS Targets Wyoming Pig Farm
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is at it again with another undercover video allegedly shot at a Wheatland, Wyoming pig farm. I just watched it, and there were instances were handling the hogs wasn't done appropriately. I am saying this as a person who just watched an extreme video, not someone who was actually present at the facilities and was involved in the entire situation the video shows quick blurbs of. I'm also not condoning or defending the people and actions shown in the video as they were mistreating the animals in some of the scenes.
I did also notice a few things that I'm guessing are in the animal's best interest. One example is they showed a sow with an iron ring holding her mouth still, and she was naturally squealing. The video then showed her feet being roped, and her being laid on her side while a voice talked about hurrying to pull the piglets (or something like that). It appeared the workers were trying to help that sow deliver her babies, and had her mouth controlled because a sow weighing several hundred pounds knows how to use her head and teeth on humans. Especially when she's in labor, I'm guessing. That wasn't to hurt her, it was to prevent injury to the people who were helping her deliver her litter of piglets, and to keep her piglets alive and her from suffering any health related issues that would arise if she didn't deliver them (like death...)
Furthermore, I noticed several situations that likely occurred despite any management efforts, like a prolapsed sow. Prolapses just happen, and nobody purposely makes them happen, or can do anything in advance to prevent an animal from prolapsing. The video says she was allowed to live like that for several days, but do we really know if that's the case based on a 3 second blip - no.
It also showed a dead baby piglet in the aisle, with the placenta over his head. This means he died at birth because he couldn't get oxygen, not that someone killed him or beat him. Unfortunately that happens within seconds following birth, and can occur even when you're watching things super close.
Then there was the mother pig eating the dead piglet, which is a perfect example of why sows who are about to farrow (have their piglets) are put in small pens (farrowing crates) where they cannot move around a lot. Some sows will kill their young intentionally, and others will accidentally lay on and accidentally suffocate them. As can also be seen in the video, when a sow is in farrowing crate, there are bars on the back and at least one side that are spaced so the piglets can walk under them. They are a certain length so the piglets are born out the back of the pen, and therefore as the sow continues to deliver her young and move about, she doesn't squish those who have already arrived. Through the bars on one side will be a heatlamp and some straw to keep the piglets warm and safe. Then they can move back under the bars to drink their mother's milk. Farrowing crates are carefully designed for the comfort and safety of both mother sow and baby piglets, and are a temporary pen for the sows during late pregnancy and labor.
One blaring question continues to burn in my mind whenever I watch one of these undercover videos: If the person shooting the video truly cares about animals, how can they simply allow mismanagement or neglect to continue while they film? The HSUS folks are all about attacking animal agriculture, not actually helping the few animals and situations they are able to find where everything is not taken care of in a top notch fashion. To me there is no better example of this than the videos they shoot, edit extensively, add music too, then release in dramatic fashion days, weeks, months (does anyone know the turnaround time?) while the same animals may be in need of help. That puts them at the same level as the person doing the actual abuse.
Here is what the attacked farm had to say in response to the video, and the undercover spy:
I take these allegations seriously. I am disappointed I did not hear them directly from Whitney Warrington while she was working on our farm so we could have addressed any concerns immediately. We take the pork industry’s We Care initiative seriously and are committed to the well-being of all our animals and to the safety of our workers.
Hopefully Mr. DeRouchey takes care of the problems present in his operation immediately and the final result of this is improved handling and management of the hogs, and hopefully HSUS's delight in releasing a shocking video instead of taking immediate action didn't result in any more hogs being mistreated during the interim.
I did also notice a few things that I'm guessing are in the animal's best interest. One example is they showed a sow with an iron ring holding her mouth still, and she was naturally squealing. The video then showed her feet being roped, and her being laid on her side while a voice talked about hurrying to pull the piglets (or something like that). It appeared the workers were trying to help that sow deliver her babies, and had her mouth controlled because a sow weighing several hundred pounds knows how to use her head and teeth on humans. Especially when she's in labor, I'm guessing. That wasn't to hurt her, it was to prevent injury to the people who were helping her deliver her litter of piglets, and to keep her piglets alive and her from suffering any health related issues that would arise if she didn't deliver them (like death...)
Furthermore, I noticed several situations that likely occurred despite any management efforts, like a prolapsed sow. Prolapses just happen, and nobody purposely makes them happen, or can do anything in advance to prevent an animal from prolapsing. The video says she was allowed to live like that for several days, but do we really know if that's the case based on a 3 second blip - no.
It also showed a dead baby piglet in the aisle, with the placenta over his head. This means he died at birth because he couldn't get oxygen, not that someone killed him or beat him. Unfortunately that happens within seconds following birth, and can occur even when you're watching things super close.
Then there was the mother pig eating the dead piglet, which is a perfect example of why sows who are about to farrow (have their piglets) are put in small pens (farrowing crates) where they cannot move around a lot. Some sows will kill their young intentionally, and others will accidentally lay on and accidentally suffocate them. As can also be seen in the video, when a sow is in farrowing crate, there are bars on the back and at least one side that are spaced so the piglets can walk under them. They are a certain length so the piglets are born out the back of the pen, and therefore as the sow continues to deliver her young and move about, she doesn't squish those who have already arrived. Through the bars on one side will be a heatlamp and some straw to keep the piglets warm and safe. Then they can move back under the bars to drink their mother's milk. Farrowing crates are carefully designed for the comfort and safety of both mother sow and baby piglets, and are a temporary pen for the sows during late pregnancy and labor.
One blaring question continues to burn in my mind whenever I watch one of these undercover videos: If the person shooting the video truly cares about animals, how can they simply allow mismanagement or neglect to continue while they film? The HSUS folks are all about attacking animal agriculture, not actually helping the few animals and situations they are able to find where everything is not taken care of in a top notch fashion. To me there is no better example of this than the videos they shoot, edit extensively, add music too, then release in dramatic fashion days, weeks, months (does anyone know the turnaround time?) while the same animals may be in need of help. That puts them at the same level as the person doing the actual abuse.
Here is what the attacked farm had to say in response to the video, and the undercover spy:
The video of a Wyoming Premium Farms sow barn posted online this morning by HSUS shows some practices that are not and will not be tolerated. The owners and managers of the farm are investigating the incidents shown in the video and wish to assure everyone we will take action to correct all problems and to deal appropriately with any employees that were involved.
I was first made aware of the situation when I was contacted on Friday by the Wyoming Livestock Board regarding a video the board had received. On Monday, I drove to Cheyenne to meet with the board and to view a video from the HSUS. Evidently, HSUS had placed an undercover spy in our workforce.
I was told that the undercover spy had pointed out certain items that she had noticed while working there to different people at the farm. However, never once did she express any concerns to me, the general manager and the person responsible for hiring her.
The video I saw at the Wyoming Livestock Board yesterday was troubling, but it did not contain some of the disturbing scenes shown in the video HSUS put online this morning. While still sitting at the Livestock Board’s conference table on Monday, I called the farm manager and asked him if he was made aware of comments from the employee we knew as Whitney Warrington. He said because she was new she always seemed to have new-person type of questions. He said he could not recall everything she said, but added he definitely would have remembered if anything about animal abuse had come out of her mouth.
After my meeting in Cheyenne, I contacted the farm managers and instructed them to conduct a meeting immediately to once again stress with our workers the importance of animal welfare. I then contacted our consulting veterinarian and asked him to join me for an unannounced herd visit. That visit occurred this morning. Our veterinarian also suggested we retain an independent 3rd party to review everything we do on our farm to give us comments and recommendations. We are doing that.
I take these allegations seriously. I am disappointed I did not hear them directly from Whitney Warrington while she was working on our farm so we could have addressed any concerns immediately. We take the pork industry’s We Care initiative seriously and are committed to the well-being of all our animals and to the safety of our workers.
Once again, we will swiftly address any problems that are identified.
Doug DeRouchey
Here is a link where the video can be watched, and additional statements found.
For those not familiar with HSUS, you can read about how they spend the dollars raised from videos like this one and through other extreme fundraising efforts here
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Issues in Agriculture
As everyone gets ready to start the work week, I would like to highlight a couple ag-related issues. I don't have time to cover everything I would like on here, and always find it refreshing when I find a great source of information on relevant topics written by others.
Up first is South Dakota being ranked the least humane state in the country by HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). I am firmly opposed to the HSUS, because they are not the same group as your local humane society. There primary goal is to end animal agriculture, and they conveniently use the assumption that they are similar in nature to your local humane society to garner funds to support their objectives, which really don't include helping pets. I live about 25 miles from the South Dakota border, and know several great farmers and ranchers that take exceptional care of their livestock every day by a standard that is self-created and unprecedented. Stories of a First Generation Farm Wife lives right in South Dakota, and has an excellent post on this topic. She also includes the link to an article printed in the Rapid City paper on this subject, which quotes another ag producer.
Second is the topic of using false information advertising, especially when that false information makes the agriculture producers in our country look bad. We deal with this a lot right now in agriculture, and it's very frustrating to have to combat and rectify false statements that are stated as fact. Crystal Cattle tackles this topic on her latest post, which highlights several of the misleading angles used in Chipotles Grammy winning commercial.
Just a couple of the important issues currently faced by farmers and ranchers. Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!
Up first is South Dakota being ranked the least humane state in the country by HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). I am firmly opposed to the HSUS, because they are not the same group as your local humane society. There primary goal is to end animal agriculture, and they conveniently use the assumption that they are similar in nature to your local humane society to garner funds to support their objectives, which really don't include helping pets. I live about 25 miles from the South Dakota border, and know several great farmers and ranchers that take exceptional care of their livestock every day by a standard that is self-created and unprecedented. Stories of a First Generation Farm Wife lives right in South Dakota, and has an excellent post on this topic. She also includes the link to an article printed in the Rapid City paper on this subject, which quotes another ag producer.
Second is the topic of using false information advertising, especially when that false information makes the agriculture producers in our country look bad. We deal with this a lot right now in agriculture, and it's very frustrating to have to combat and rectify false statements that are stated as fact. Crystal Cattle tackles this topic on her latest post, which highlights several of the misleading angles used in Chipotles Grammy winning commercial.
Just a couple of the important issues currently faced by farmers and ranchers. Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday Photos
Today I checked the water for our yearling heifers and two-year old cows, who are wintering together. Here are a few photos from my "trip." It's about three miles to their water, and it takes over 30 minutes one way to drive the two-track, very rough road, if you can call it a road. In the winter, our primary responsibility is feeding and checking water for the livestock, and I enjoy the job a lot! Hope you have a great weekend.
Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't yet!
Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't yet!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
It must be so...
If you're a person who doesn't know about animal agriculture, you may search the Internet for information. That search may lead to places like the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, or other "pro-animal" (I use the term very loosely), a.k.a. anti-agriculture sites.
One of their most effective promotional tools are videos they post that show the alleged mistreatment of animals by farmers and ranchers. Well, I'm here to tell you those videos hit so far away from reality, you can't even see reality from them.
I've seen them. I couldn't finish a couple of them.
Let me put this in perspective for you.
Thinking that all farmers and ranchers treat their animals the way some videos portray things is like me searching for videos of dog owners, and coming across a vicious video of dog fighting, then assuming all dog owners must treat their "pets" in such a fashion. I mean, I saw the video, and this website told me that's what all dog owners in such and such location do. It must be true, right?
Wrong!
Does that make sense?
Those videos, and other information presented by those sites, is way off base, and represents such a small percentage of people with animals it would never show up statistically. If anyone in agriculture that I know saw treatment similar to that seen in those videos, they would put a stop to it on the spot.
I've also noticed in the ones I've watched that they're usually very old, and I have no idea where they got the footage, but it wasn't in America any time in recent history.
Whats more, those of us in production agriculture are possibly even more angered, upset, and hurt by those videos than people who don't own animals. We have animals ourselves, and we work hard every single day to prevent them from suffering any harm. The acts portrayed in those pieces of footage make us out to be something we're not, and that's a big concern to us.
Most dog owners are caring, compassionate people toward their pets. The same is true for people in agriculture. We also have to make a living off our animals, and that combined with our genuine care for them results in treatment that would never purposely cause harm or discomfort. Instead, we care for them in a way designed to make them happy, because happy animals perform better, and happy, high performing animals make for happy producers.
If you want to know more about animal agriculture, feel free to comment or email me at doublehphoto@live.com.
You can also check out a few accurate websites, including:
Real Ranchers
National Institute for Animal Agriculture
Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch
Agriculture Proud
Extension Services
One of their most effective promotional tools are videos they post that show the alleged mistreatment of animals by farmers and ranchers. Well, I'm here to tell you those videos hit so far away from reality, you can't even see reality from them.
I've seen them. I couldn't finish a couple of them.
Let me put this in perspective for you.
Thinking that all farmers and ranchers treat their animals the way some videos portray things is like me searching for videos of dog owners, and coming across a vicious video of dog fighting, then assuming all dog owners must treat their "pets" in such a fashion. I mean, I saw the video, and this website told me that's what all dog owners in such and such location do. It must be true, right?
Wrong!
Does that make sense?
Those videos, and other information presented by those sites, is way off base, and represents such a small percentage of people with animals it would never show up statistically. If anyone in agriculture that I know saw treatment similar to that seen in those videos, they would put a stop to it on the spot.
I've also noticed in the ones I've watched that they're usually very old, and I have no idea where they got the footage, but it wasn't in America any time in recent history.
Whats more, those of us in production agriculture are possibly even more angered, upset, and hurt by those videos than people who don't own animals. We have animals ourselves, and we work hard every single day to prevent them from suffering any harm. The acts portrayed in those pieces of footage make us out to be something we're not, and that's a big concern to us.
Most dog owners are caring, compassionate people toward their pets. The same is true for people in agriculture. We also have to make a living off our animals, and that combined with our genuine care for them results in treatment that would never purposely cause harm or discomfort. Instead, we care for them in a way designed to make them happy, because happy animals perform better, and happy, high performing animals make for happy producers.
If you want to know more about animal agriculture, feel free to comment or email me at doublehphoto@live.com.
You can also check out a few accurate websites, including:
Real Ranchers
National Institute for Animal Agriculture
Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch
Agriculture Proud
Extension Services
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Digestive preparations
I just mentioned in a recent post that we adjust our feeding schedule based things like bad weather. Today I was busy preparing for what is forecasted to be a nasty winter blizzard starting around midnight tonight.
The radio was saying they expect 30+ mph winds, 6-10 inches of snow, temperatures ranging from zero to 30 below zero...it doesn't sound fun.
The first thing I did was gather these 26 cows out of the pasture neighboring where they are supposed to be. After preg checking we just turned the cows into this pasture, and they typically make their way to the next one out of habit. If they don't, most come when you start feeding. The gates between the two pastures are left open, because when we're feeding usually the cows come every day and it isn't an issue.
But the nice weather this year...and the questionable intelligence level of these individuals...resulted in them never coming to feed. This wasn't a big deal with the very nice temperatures we've had so far this winter. The abundant left over grass was more than enough for these cows to thrive on so far.
But the impending blizzard, and the fact that we want these cows to come to feed along with everyone else, meant I gathered and trailed them through this gate to the proper pasture. Then I closed the gate, trailed them down to water, and fed everyone a double ration to get their energy levels up before the cold weather hits.
As I also mentioned the linked post, we feed our cows every other day. I just fed these cows yesterday, but gave them more hay today so they'll be ready for the wind, snow and cold.
Here they are trailing into feed.
I also briefly mentioned that a cow has a ruminant stomach, which allows them to utilize forages, or feedstuffs, over 24, or 48, hour periods.
This ruminant stomach is separated into four compartments.
When the cow swallows a mouth full of hay, it has two choices. Heavy, or big, pieces of hay will drop into the Reticulum. From this compartment the cow can regurgitate the feed and chew on it again. This is called chewing her cud, and is something cows do regularly, and is typically done when they're calm and relaxed. This unique ability allows a cow to eat a whole bunch in one sitting, like when I'm feeding a bale of hay, then regurgitate it later and chew it more thoroughly before digesting it. It's like a built in storage/recycling system for food, and is one reason you can feed them a couple days apart.
Smaller, and lighter, pieces of feed go into the Omasum. While the picture doesn't really show it, the cow's stomach will sort the bigger and heavier pieces of feed from the lighter, smaller pieces at the junction of Omasum and Reticulum.
From that point the feed goes on through the Abomasum, to the Rumen, then into the intestines.
Another key aspect of ruminant digestion are the microbes, which are just microscopic bugs, present in a ruminant's stomach. Most of these microbes are in the Rumen compartment. These microbes are what allow the animal to digest feedstuffs. For example, one group of microbes found in the Rumen are called Cellulolytics, and they break down Cellulose, which is the primary component in forages.
Humans and other single-stomached creatures lack the efficiency, and often the ability, to break down roughage's, specifically Cellulose, into a usable energy source. This is why cattle, sheep, and other ruminants are so vital to society. They take the forages found all over the country, and world, that we cannot utilize as humans, and they eat it, and because of their unique stomachs, they are able to convert it to energy to grow and produce a usable food for humans - meat.
Here's what it looks like from the outside. The other thing all this digesting creates is heat. The coarser the forage they're eating, the longer it takes the microbes, or bugs, to eat and process it. The longer it takes the microbes to break it down, the more heat they generate during the process.
So for those reasons I fed the cows a couple older, coarser bales. This means it was forage with bigger stems. While not the highest quality hay we feed, it has a definite place when we want to keep our cows warm.
Grass hay is an example coarser hay, that takes longer to digest. Alfalfa hay, is finer, and microbes can attack and process it faster. So Alfalfa creates energy faster, but it is much shorter lived, while grass is a slower starting, longer lasting form of energy.
We also feed hay that is a combination of the two, to maximize to the benefits of both.
The radio was saying they expect 30+ mph winds, 6-10 inches of snow, temperatures ranging from zero to 30 below zero...it doesn't sound fun.
The first thing I did was gather these 26 cows out of the pasture neighboring where they are supposed to be. After preg checking we just turned the cows into this pasture, and they typically make their way to the next one out of habit. If they don't, most come when you start feeding. The gates between the two pastures are left open, because when we're feeding usually the cows come every day and it isn't an issue.But the nice weather this year...and the questionable intelligence level of these individuals...resulted in them never coming to feed. This wasn't a big deal with the very nice temperatures we've had so far this winter. The abundant left over grass was more than enough for these cows to thrive on so far.
But the impending blizzard, and the fact that we want these cows to come to feed along with everyone else, meant I gathered and trailed them through this gate to the proper pasture. Then I closed the gate, trailed them down to water, and fed everyone a double ration to get their energy levels up before the cold weather hits.As I also mentioned the linked post, we feed our cows every other day. I just fed these cows yesterday, but gave them more hay today so they'll be ready for the wind, snow and cold.
Here they are trailing into feed.
I also briefly mentioned that a cow has a ruminant stomach, which allows them to utilize forages, or feedstuffs, over 24, or 48, hour periods.
This ruminant stomach is separated into four compartments.
When the cow swallows a mouth full of hay, it has two choices. Heavy, or big, pieces of hay will drop into the Reticulum. From this compartment the cow can regurgitate the feed and chew on it again. This is called chewing her cud, and is something cows do regularly, and is typically done when they're calm and relaxed. This unique ability allows a cow to eat a whole bunch in one sitting, like when I'm feeding a bale of hay, then regurgitate it later and chew it more thoroughly before digesting it. It's like a built in storage/recycling system for food, and is one reason you can feed them a couple days apart.Smaller, and lighter, pieces of feed go into the Omasum. While the picture doesn't really show it, the cow's stomach will sort the bigger and heavier pieces of feed from the lighter, smaller pieces at the junction of Omasum and Reticulum.
From that point the feed goes on through the Abomasum, to the Rumen, then into the intestines.
Another key aspect of ruminant digestion are the microbes, which are just microscopic bugs, present in a ruminant's stomach. Most of these microbes are in the Rumen compartment. These microbes are what allow the animal to digest feedstuffs. For example, one group of microbes found in the Rumen are called Cellulolytics, and they break down Cellulose, which is the primary component in forages.
Humans and other single-stomached creatures lack the efficiency, and often the ability, to break down roughage's, specifically Cellulose, into a usable energy source. This is why cattle, sheep, and other ruminants are so vital to society. They take the forages found all over the country, and world, that we cannot utilize as humans, and they eat it, and because of their unique stomachs, they are able to convert it to energy to grow and produce a usable food for humans - meat.
Here's what it looks like from the outside. The other thing all this digesting creates is heat. The coarser the forage they're eating, the longer it takes the microbes, or bugs, to eat and process it. The longer it takes the microbes to break it down, the more heat they generate during the process.
So for those reasons I fed the cows a couple older, coarser bales. This means it was forage with bigger stems. While not the highest quality hay we feed, it has a definite place when we want to keep our cows warm.
Grass hay is an example coarser hay, that takes longer to digest. Alfalfa hay, is finer, and microbes can attack and process it faster. So Alfalfa creates energy faster, but it is much shorter lived, while grass is a slower starting, longer lasting form of energy.
We also feed hay that is a combination of the two, to maximize to the benefits of both.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Calves...and Buffalo
Here are some more photos for you to browse through.
Feeding calves is one of my favorite activities. It's incredible to watch them grow and change, and yearlings are just fun to be around.
It's rewarding to get them all eating, and to see them start to really gain and grow.
It's fun choosing favorites, which we all do, then comparing our favorites and teasing each other about why they could possibly like "that one," or why it took the other so long to notice number so and so.
On a completely different note, one of our neighbors raises buffalo.
And they were all in the middle of the road one evening when I was on my way home.
I couldn't pass that opportunity up. Apparently our neighbor feeds them in a Dodge, because I had all of them gathered by the time I was done taking pictures. It was an ideal photo op!
The view from the same road at sunset. Sometimes it takes me a long time to get from point A to point B, due to all the stopping in the road to take pictures.
Feeding calves is one of my favorite activities. It's incredible to watch them grow and change, and yearlings are just fun to be around.
It's rewarding to get them all eating, and to see them start to really gain and grow. 
It's fun choosing favorites, which we all do, then comparing our favorites and teasing each other about why they could possibly like "that one," or why it took the other so long to notice number so and so.
On a completely different note, one of our neighbors raises buffalo.
And they were all in the middle of the road one evening when I was on my way home.
I couldn't pass that opportunity up. Apparently our neighbor feeds them in a Dodge, because I had all of them gathered by the time I was done taking pictures. It was an ideal photo op!
The view from the same road at sunset. Sometimes it takes me a long time to get from point A to point B, due to all the stopping in the road to take pictures.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Surprised!
This ad ran in USA Today on 4-1-10. As I have said before the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not what it seems.Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mary Kay
Mary Kay has quickly responded to claims stating the company was supporting an HSUS fundraiser. The following is their response to the concerns being expressed.
I personally think the public handled it well. I read several well-written letters expressing concern over the alleged partnership and these obviously brought the problem to Mary Kays attention, which they fixed.
I am thrilled the find out Mary Kay is working with a local humane shelter. Hopefully more companies become aware of the deceptive nature of HSUS as a result of this.
Some fans of Mary Kay® products and independent beauty consultants have expressed concerns over a recent sponsorship of a Dallas-area event. Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We have heard you and want to clarify any confusion.Some are claiming that people should back off a little before making claims against companies such as Mary Kay and encourage people to do more research. Seeing the HSUS logo on the side of Mary Kay bag didn't require a lot of connecting the dots for me, and in my opinion it is the responsibility of a company to watch their image. What is portrayed to the public is what the public will believe, as we in agriculture know all too well. Is it always correct, no, but this is a good lesson regarding perception as reality.
First and foremost, Mary Kay is not a sponsor of this event. Mary Kay’s owner’s wife was approached to make a personal contribution towards a local event here in Dallas sponsored by the Dallas chapter of the Humane Society. This event specifically supports efforts to stop puppy mills and the organization’s stop puppy mills campaign. Out of caring and compassion for addressing puppy mills, our owner’s wife agreed to make a personal contribution. Mary Kay has contacted the Humane Society to clarify that we are not sponsors of this event and the company logo is being removed from the website.
As a company, we sincerely apologize for any confusion or causing any offense to members of the Mary Kay community.
I personally think the public handled it well. I read several well-written letters expressing concern over the alleged partnership and these obviously brought the problem to Mary Kays attention, which they fixed.
I am thrilled the find out Mary Kay is working with a local humane shelter. Hopefully more companies become aware of the deceptive nature of HSUS as a result of this.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Recap
This past weekend was another fun one, with the exception that almost everyone I work with was getting sick and the dreaded stuff has officially captured me today after teasing me with mild headaches and a sore throat for days.
Friday night was the Matched Bronc Riding. Don't ever go. It was dumb. Enough said.
The only highlight was that my date brought some Crown in a flask (happy sigh) which enabled me to endure the entire "show."
Saturday night was Baxter Black. He more than made up for the disappointing Friday. I was reduced to laughing so hard I cried a couple times. Do go. It was great!
This was followed by an appearance at the Beacon because it was two people's birthday. Met up with my Friday night date again and stayed out too late dancing and visiting (Perhaps this is why I am sick).
He seems nice, we'll see.
Now it is Tuesday. I have already forgot my mortgage payment, left my coffee maker on "steam" for 24 hours and delt with an overly annoying bank employee from NM who repeatedly told me I needed to just "stop in." Not going to happen. My "check engine" light keeps coming on in my truck and while I am almost certain I have a sensor going out, I would love to know for sure. The guy I asked about it offered to check it out in his shop and change my oil too, but it hasn't happened yet. He is the one and same Friday night date, so I don't want to be pushy but it really is bothering me.
I'm planning a rebound for the second half of the week filled with wonderful things. These will include but aren't limited to; lunch with my parents, a trip to Thermopolis for meetings Thursday and my first bull picture session Sunday. We also have another big paper with a "B" section this week that will keep us on our toes.
I will also clean my house, change my own oil if it hasn't happened by the weekend, and finish my taxes (the most dreaded event of my year).
On the more useful side of things, Belle of the Blog does a great job of explaining the problem people in agriculture have with Mary Kay's partnership with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on her blog. Check it out!
HSUS simply hides behind a face of caring. In all actuality less than half of 1% of their budget goes toward helping animals. Please don't confuse them with your local humane society, they are completely different. HSUS spends the majority of their budget on salaries and their primary goal is to end animal agriculture. Learn more about the real face of HSUS here.
Friday night was the Matched Bronc Riding. Don't ever go. It was dumb. Enough said.
The only highlight was that my date brought some Crown in a flask (happy sigh) which enabled me to endure the entire "show."
Saturday night was Baxter Black. He more than made up for the disappointing Friday. I was reduced to laughing so hard I cried a couple times. Do go. It was great!
This was followed by an appearance at the Beacon because it was two people's birthday. Met up with my Friday night date again and stayed out too late dancing and visiting (Perhaps this is why I am sick).
He seems nice, we'll see.
Now it is Tuesday. I have already forgot my mortgage payment, left my coffee maker on "steam" for 24 hours and delt with an overly annoying bank employee from NM who repeatedly told me I needed to just "stop in." Not going to happen. My "check engine" light keeps coming on in my truck and while I am almost certain I have a sensor going out, I would love to know for sure. The guy I asked about it offered to check it out in his shop and change my oil too, but it hasn't happened yet. He is the one and same Friday night date, so I don't want to be pushy but it really is bothering me.
I'm planning a rebound for the second half of the week filled with wonderful things. These will include but aren't limited to; lunch with my parents, a trip to Thermopolis for meetings Thursday and my first bull picture session Sunday. We also have another big paper with a "B" section this week that will keep us on our toes.
I will also clean my house, change my own oil if it hasn't happened by the weekend, and finish my taxes (the most dreaded event of my year).
On the more useful side of things, Belle of the Blog does a great job of explaining the problem people in agriculture have with Mary Kay's partnership with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on her blog. Check it out!
HSUS simply hides behind a face of caring. In all actuality less than half of 1% of their budget goes toward helping animals. Please don't confuse them with your local humane society, they are completely different. HSUS spends the majority of their budget on salaries and their primary goal is to end animal agriculture. Learn more about the real face of HSUS here.
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