Every time I open the mailbox there is a new cattle sale flyer inside.  It is that time of year that there is either a cattle auction or online sale just about every day.  

Spring calves are being weaned and are ready to leave the farm.  Buying and selling is at its peak.  

If you have ever bought a cow from a long distance, one of the most difficult things is figuring out the logistics of getting that new cow to your farm.  

If you are close enough or are able to, picking up the cattle yourself is always the best option.  However, when you are purchasing across the country, it is not always feasible to have the time or resources to haul the cattle yourself.  It is also very expensive to pay for fuel to travel that far to pick up one or two cows.  

Professional cattle haulers are very good at coordinating cross country trips to maximize the number of cattle in transit while minimizing the cost for each individual.  

In the past several years we have bought cattle from Colorado and Washington.  We have used haulers every time.  It is just not in the cards to have Daniel drive over 24 hours to pick up a cow, only to turn right back around and drive another 24 hours home.  

We have had some good experiences and some not so good experiences.  Over the years, we have learned (mostly the hard way) some ways to make the experience better for you, the seller, and most importantly, the cow.

Just when you think you have everything under control...something always happens to remind you that you really have no control.  

This has been one of those weeks that everything has been a battle.  

On October 10th, I headed outside with every intention of taking some pictures of the cows and things around the farm.  

When I downloaded my pictures, I quickly realized that I had captured more faces of our family than of our cows.  

I captured the expressions, emotions and personalities of a typical evening around the farm.  

More than anything...this is what I want to remember.  

A typical evening at 4 Wiley Farm..  ​

It's that time of year again.

The spring calves are being weaned and it is time to start getting them ready for the next show season.

Show season is just over a month away, so we have our work cut out for us.  

The first step in getting new calves ready for show season?

Halter breaking..