Feed Lot Magazine Online, Editor's Desk

" The big get bigger" is true, but it is also true that they got big in the first place by providing better product and service, and doing a good job of marketing it.

The cover photo is a line-up of bulls sold at the Leachman Cattle Co. sale on April 15th through the 20th in Billings, Montana. This is, if not the largest bull sale, one of the largest. It's not only a sale, but an event covering several days.

A total of 2,272 lots were sold --1,449 bulls and 823 replacement heifers. The Red Angus, Angus, South Devon, Gelbvieh, Range Maker Simmental and stabilizer bulls sold for an average of $2,313. The same breeds of heifers plus 34 Red Angus hybrid females and 91 Angus hybrid heifers sold for an average of $1,974. Sales totaled $4,486,454.

Besides a three-day sale, guests and visitors had the opportunity to preview the Leachman program and tour the ranch. Over 900 registered buyers attended the sale from 42 states, six Canadian provinces and nine foreign countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Columbia, Great Britain, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay.

Page 34 features an interview with Lee Leachman covering his insights into today's changing beef industry, as well as how he sees the future.

There are a variety of factors that have established a broad and solid foundation for Leachman Cattle Company.

To be the size they are, it takes good organization from the cowboys who work the cattle all the way to the auctioneers who sell them.

There are families involved in ranching who are Leachman cooperators. The cooperators are hands-on managers of their own cattle, who like the opportunity to keep their operations simple. Leachman Cattle Co. helps them by providing technical support, genetics and marketing. The cooperators provide the land, cattle and ranch management. Together they produce more seedstock than any other operation in the United States.

An annual cooperators meet- ing involves demonstrations and discussions on a variety of sub- jects to improve operations, communications, efficiency and economic profit.

Odds of Drawing Three of a Kind

In cards, getting three of a kind is pretty high, but in cattle, who knows?

Don Sliger of Spearville, Kansas, said they thought their cow was having only one calf, but when two more showed up, the cow claimed them all.

On checking to see how often triplets occurred with cows, we at Feed*Lot Magazine couldn't find much in the way of hard statistics. Opinions were somewhere in the one in a million chance for triplets in cattle.

This particular cow had previously had twins.

The triplets were four months old in mid-June, and according to Sliger, are doing fine.

He said they seem to be about the same size as other calves of the same age.

At Feed*Lot Magazine, we would like to know just how unusual triplets are. Let us know if any of the cows in your herd have produced triplets. Include their breed, age, and (if applicable) birthing of multiples in the past.