Comment/Question: . . . I enjoyed the course [many years ago in Australia] very much because it was such an eye opener. Handling cattle after that became a pleasure, I suppose not only for me but certainly also for the animals, instead of adversaries we became friends. I must thank you so much! Now that I am getting older and consider ‘Retirement’ as an option, I would like to pass on what I have learned from you to a young friend who is just starting a beef cattle herd, he is trying to do everything quite ‘logically’ [his logic] and I can see him making quite some unnecessary mistakes. He would not worry me so much but the welfare of the animals is a concern. And that leads me to two questions, a) are you by any chance holding a training school here in Australia again and if not, b) do you have/sell the Stockmanship School as a DVD. Option a) would be the preferred one as one can ask you questions but if not b) would be better than nothing.

Answer:     It’s great to hear from you. It’s always gratifying to hear that you were able to take things home from our school that has been helpful to you.

I’m afraid that old age has finally caught up with us and we won’t be putting on anymore schools.

We have a Stockmanship DVD set for sale for $125.00 (US funds). This video is about 5 hours long so of course, it doesn’t show as many videos of cattle work as out 16+ hour school. It is still quite complete as far as teaching Bud’s livestock handling methods. We also have a subscription based web site where Bud is available to answer your e-mail questions for $300.00 per year. We feel that people who are serious about learning from Bud can still do so buy using the DVDs and the website.

Question: . . . We are having a open winter so far and are still grazing. I have been just turning the cows out every morning on about 600 acres of stubble and grass and having the dogs gather them up and pen them for night. You will soon sense this is a repeat question. That being that I’m having trouble getting the dogs to get around all the cattle. This is a bit more distance than most other times of the year but all the cows are in sight. Sometimes they will run a mile and almost be around them all then cut right in in front of five or ten cows that are right there and do a fine job of bringing the rest or sometimes its halfway or sometimes the first five cows they come to. I’ve been trying different things like just letting them bring what they get and then tell them how good they are then make them go again but in a short time I could see them getting consistent with just hooking the first few. I’ve tried calling them back if I see them start to cut in and send them again but I can tell that I am getting them more confused all the time. Sometimes trying to get after them when they are starting something wrong is very touchy cause soon they are too worried about me to think about their job. It has been great fun to gather the cows every evening even though I’ve been trying to understand what I ‘m doing wrong. The dogs have been a wonderful help, in fact I would half to build a lot of fence or do a lot of walking every night without them. The job is getting done but I can tell the dogs are getting confused just by some of the weird things they are starting to do. You told me once to stop doing whatever I was doing that was making them do this, and I know it would be best for me to figure it out but I guess I’m going to need a few hints. This also had to do with them dropping off cattle and working up through the herd . I know this is something I’m doing as it seems to show up with all my dogs. I need to learn because I’m planning on starting a new pup next summer.

Answer:     Working a dog is not gathering animals, getting them all, bringing some of them or all of them. Working a dog is working a dog.

The trouble starts when getting the animals – the way we want – is more important than working the dog.  People make lots of mistakes when working animals but they expect a dog to be perfect and will try to make the dog be perfect. When the dog is worked by a person that does make mistakes, then even if the dog is doing what would be right, the person will be trying to get the dog to do different.  This will confuse the dog.  When dogs gets confused they will do most anything and then they will develop the habit of doing the wrong thing.

At this point your dogs are not working the animals they are just trying to find something to do that will maybe keep you from being unhappy with them.

When starting a young dog it is important to push them to where you want them to work without stopping them from working. Pushing the young dog to where you want them to work will give them a chance to learn what they are suppose to do, and will allow you to push them to animals they leave or don’t see or would leave – without confusing the dog.

You never said anything about pushing the dogs, only about trying different things like calling them off then sending or letting them bring some then going to get the rest. This means that you have not been pushing the dogs, only trying to direct them to do what you want. When you want to direct the dogs and tell them what they should do then be sure that you have dogs that like to be directed to do what you want.

Young dogs that are any good don’t want to leave any animals, they have to be taught to leave animals. When I was working dogs and wanted to leave some animals I had to really keep watching the dogs or they would go get those animals even when I was telling the dogs to leave them.

I’ll tell you what I would do at this point even without seeing the dogs work or what you have been doing.  I’d take the dogs with me (this can be done with a horse or walking) and walk out in the pasture until the closest animals to me and the dogs are the animals that the dogs have been leaving.   I’d then send the dogs to get those animals.  I’d stay between the animals the dogs are getting and the other animals.  When the dogs get the animals they are bringing closer to me I’d move out and push the dogs to go get other animals. I’d then move over between these new animals and the other animals.  When the dogs are bringing these animals I’d move out and push the dogs to get some other animals.  I’d keep doing this until all the animals are in one group then I would move up and let the dogs bring the animals to the pen.

While doing this I’d try to keep as quiet as possible and only push the dogs out of places that I didn’t want them.  This will let the dogs learn to bring animals to the group then leave them and go get other animals. The dogs can then relax and start to think like a normal working dog instead of being confused about what they should do. Let the dogs learn to move all the animals into one group then bring all the animals. Do this even if you have to keep pushing the dog around the group of animals several times until the dog learns we get them all or we just keep going around.

Most people just have to make things harder for the dog then try to make the dog work by directing him. Position yourself so the dog can learn what it should do instead of trying to make the dog do what you want.

Very few dogs will work like people want when they are a long ways away. The reason for this is that far away the dog can see what should be done and the people do not see the same things. Trying to direct or control what the dog does from a long distance will usually just confuse the dog and create some bad habits. Help the dog learn what it should do then leave it alone. If you must direct the dog then go out where it can be done with your position instead of commands. It is nice that a dog will go a long distance to get animals but they may take too long or not do it to suit the person. That’s when the problems start as the person doesn’t know exactly what the dog faces and the dog doesn’t understand what the person wants.

While the dogs are going out to get animals that are a long ways away walk out part way then position yourself in such a way it will help the dogs, not just expect them to know what you want at first. When animals are out in the field it is sometime good for the person to be in the middle of the field where it is easy to move out and push the dogs also it is easy to see what the dogs see.

When working larger groups with a dog I will often spend lots of time in the center of the group as it is then easier to see what should be done and easy to move out to push the dogs.

Question: . . . . I am writing to you as I wish to learn more about Bud’s Low stress stock handling. I have done a LSS course here in Australia with Jim Lindsay a few years ago when I was working on a company station in the Northern Territory (NT). I’m now running my own station here in the NT which is very much undeveloped, by this I mean there is some 75,000 ac that is unfenced and even of the fenced country here, has very little infrastructure, not even a set of yards. After doing the LSS school with Jim we started setting up portable yards using the Bud Box design with great success, but am hungry for more information. I am wonder does Bud have any information on different designs for yards and watering points that may be of some value to me. I would love to also come over and do a school with Bud, how often does he run schools. I did work in Texas mainly in the Panhandle back in 2004-2005. A well worth experience, it was great to see how a job can be done so differently to achieve the same results.

Answer:      I’m sorry Jay, but I’m a firm believer that people should design their own corrals. If you have been to a school or have purchased our DVD set so that you have a background understanding of my concepts I’ll be happy to look over your design and make comments. Eunice has attached some material on the Bud Box that you might find helpful.

“it was great to see how a job can be done so differently to achieve the same results.” I’ll argue a little with this statement. If you are only judging by being able to “sort cows from calves,” or “getting a group of cattle through the processing chute quickly,” etc., I might agree. If by “same results” you mean that after the cattle have gone back to pasture or pens they are in a frame of mind that contributes to gaining well and staying in good health, then I don’t agree at all. Not that “my way is the only way,” but I firmly believe that the welfare of the animals is always #1. Surprisingly enough, I’ve found that by always keeping this in mind I’ve found that the jobs will be completed more quickly.

I’m afraid that old age has caught up with Eunice and I (79/74) and we won’t be putting on anymore schools. We have a Stockmanship DVD set for sale for $125.00 and a Marketing DVD set for sale for $200.00.  We also have a subscription based web site where I’m available to answer your e-mail questions for $300.00 per year.  We feel that people who are serious about learning from me can still do so by using the DVDs and the website.

Kim Komando had this as her video pick of the day. It is nearly 20 minutes long but well worth watching the whole thing.

http://www.tvkim.com/watch/1062/kims-picks-celebrating-dirty-jobs?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=csotd&utm_content=2011-06-18-fifl&utm_campaign=o

There must be a neater way to send you the address, but this will work.

Lately it has been brought to my attention that Ann has shut down her commodity futures business because of the M-F Global bankruptcy.  This posting isn’t about Ann it is about what is happening and how we should react to things that happen in the business world.

Bankruptcies happen in every industry from time to time and it doesn’t mean the end of that particular industry, only the end of that business. There have been many ranch bankruptcies over the years and yet ranching has survived.  What this should cause us to do is not quit but just understand what should be done before we invest money or time in something we know little about.

There is risk in any business and the amount of money put in any high risk business should equal the knowledge that we have about that business. Any money that is put in high risk situations should be money the person can afford to lose.  People put money in high risk situations they know very little about and then complain if they lose money.

In a perfect world there would be no risk, but in the real world there is some risk in everything. Every industry has some people who do things that should not be done, legal or otherwise, this doesn’t mean that the rest of the industry should or will cease to exist.  Actually the M-F Global bankruptcy may be a good thing as now it will get rid of M-F Global and bring people’s attention to some of the thing that were happening and allow or cause some firms to watch things closer.  Out of every bad thing that happens there are good things that come from it.

I say these things even though Eunice and I had money in M-F Global and may or may not get all of it back. This was the risk we took and was money we could afford to lose or it would not have been there.  We will keep trading as the industry is as sound as any industry and will last longer than the people who are complaining about it.

Remember, high risk things have the potential of large profits or large losses.

We run a family ranch (cow/calf operation) in northeastern New Mexico.  My whole family and I have attended Bud’s Stockmanship workshops (actually, my parents have been twice).  We have learned so much, and appreciate you and Bud more than you know.  When my grandfather (who had run the ranch all his life) died in 2002, we were left with an overstocked ranch full of wild and spoiled cattle.  Disposition was our #1 culling criteria.  Bud’s low-stress cattle handling was one of our main tools in transitioning to a gentle and workable cow herd.  Today, I am proud to say, that we have achieved that goal!  The difference from when we started is incredible.  Working cattle is now minimally stressful on the cows, as well as the crew!  We thank you all so much for your help in this achievement.

I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciated your help adjusting my set out pen for my sheepdog trial. (I had sent you the drawing and you returned it with the gates and pens in the right places.) We couldn’t get it exactly but were able to set it up close enough to make the gates and pens work the way you suggested.

We are very fortunate in that the sheep arrive 2 days before the trial and can graze the field while we are busy setting up. They get their scent on the field and get used to all the commotion. Usually they sleep in the penning and shedding area, not normally an area associated with relaxation. Anyway, we were able to train the sheep through the set out pens two days before the trial, with no time deadline and no spectators. We then ran them through one more time the day before with the set out crew on their horses. We were able to train 3 new people to your methods and the response was fantastic (in both the helpers and the sheep!). Set-out during the trial went smooth as silk and this year our sheep were probably the best we’d ever run.

But the highlight of the weekend was when I was all by myself, clearing the sheep off the field to put them away for the night. No one was around, the sky was absolutely spectacular with clouds and the sun’s rays lighting up the sheep. I sent my dog (who isn’t a very good trial dog -she really doesn’t like it) and she did the most beautiful outrun around the whole field, started her sheep at the top and brought all 280 in a perfect line to me without saying a word, no whirling, no worrying, no nothing but a nice steady walk in. There is no better reward for all the work than to see your dog do a perfect job all by herself.

So, thank you for answering an email from a perfect stranger. I am sure it helped make the days a little less stressful for the sheep and the crew!

Thanks for the Stockmanship class.

The other day I had a 1260# steer just walk into a stock trailer out in the pasture.

Hope everything is going good, we have started getting some needed rain.  Sold three loads out of grow yard adv days 50 there.  The cost of gain up there is in the low $80′s, so far it is working out good.  Did make a trip up there this weekend and the two of funnest things that were said about my cattle.  They did not have to doctor any and that they could gather them and move them around with one horse.  They are not use to cattle that handle.

I can see what drives you nuts, so many problems with several other pens that could be strightened out in a couple of hours.  Yet no one knows they have a problem.

Following are excerpts from a letter that we just received from Grahame Rees.  Grahame is the “R” in KLR Marketing.  He, Rod “K”night and Jim “L”indsay are teaching Bud’s Marketing principals in Australia.  Many of you folks met Grahame when he was visiting us last year.

. . . . I am finally home for a little bit after travelling running schools. It has been an interesting time seeing many come along to learn everything they can, whilst others want a silver bullet and almost want you to tell them they are doing it right already. They will never change. . . . There are more breeders coming along and so we have developed more breeder examples. In many business’s the basic herd management is quite poor with low calving % and too high a costs.   I am going to Write an article titled “ Why high prices can send you broke !” not sure it will go down too well but that is ok.  It seems as soon as prices go up people spend more money, much of it long term commitments and then when prices fall those costs remain.  Queensland has been devalued by the banks by 32% (where it should be) which means many will be challenged.

After each school we run a mastermind day where about 10 – 20 members of our mastermind group will attend.  These days show how well some people are doing and who is still struggling.
Know and Understand yourself is always the biggest challenge, but if they get through that one, the sky is the limit.  Here are a couple stories from those days :

. . . . John shared how he stopped doing things that were not making money like spraying weeds or fixing fences and focused more of his time on marketing.  One guy stood up, angry saying “no weed gets out of place on his farm and no fence is going to be neglected.”  I was considering how I was going to pacify him when John said “Well, since using KLR I make enough money to pay a contractor to do those things so I can focus on the most important parts of my business”

There were 3 guys who traded the same sheep and made a profit.
1st guy bought dry ewes and joined them to the Ram
He sold them scanned in lamb to the 2nd guy
Who then sold them a short while later to the 3rd guy to lamb out.
It was only after the event did they all know they passed through 3 KLR guys but they all made a profit on the way through.

. . . . I host a discussion call every Wednesday night and I get everyone on the call to share their results challenges and questions.  She shared 1 night how she had sold some heifers for $2.40/ kg and managed to replace them with same weight hfrs for $.192.  The agent called on the way home and said he needed more so she let him have those before they came off the truck for $2.40.  Someone said to her “That doesn’t happen every day – she came back with no you are right but I am there every day and when it does they are mine”