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Hosts interview Dr. Jenna Stockler, an Auburn University food-animal internist and “pet livestock” veterinarian, about her path from West Virginia to Mississippi State, California dairies, and Auburn faculty. She explains how Auburn’s teaching hospital differs from private practice, the four-year DVM curriculum, student rotations, and annual class size (~130 with state allocations). Discussion covers the large-animal veterinarian shortage, including heavy student debt, lifestyle considerations, and rural loan-forgiveness and USDA support programs. Stockler describes Auburn as both primary care and referral hospital with 24/7 access, boarding, MRI/CT, and an Aqua-Cow flotation tank for down cows. They discuss unusual cases (kangaroos, giraffes, wildebeest), common cattle problems seen (feet issues like hairy heel warts, toe abscesses, screw claw; stifle injuries), emerging diseases like Theileria, screw worm prevention, and practical herd-health priorities such as vaccination, targeted parasite control, fecal testing, good nutrition, and early necropsy/diagnostics.

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The hosts discuss busy seasonal ranch work, shipping and weaning cattle, and using haying as a pasture-management tool while debating the high cost and labor of hay equipment, small-square vs round bales, irrigation issues, and rain-damaged hay. They share personal stories about cutting and tedding hay, mower conditioners, and vacation downtime. They then introduce their first non-board-guest, Kyle Gillooly of Wadley, Georgia, an Indiana native who manages CES Herefords and Angus, co-owns Predestined Cattle, and sells females through the Partners in Progress sale. Kyle and the hosts compare today’s show industry to earlier eras, noting shifts from open-show marketing and production focus toward junior “project” cattle, IVF-driven donor use, and more extreme, fitted “beauty contest” types. They emphasize balance, longevity traits, judging integrity, clear accurate reasons, and discuss pressures from social media, judge variability, and the value of judging programs and youth shows.

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The main discussion, in this episode, covers evaluating cattle across stages: calves can change dramatically, with Vince focusing evaluation around weaning and later, while others also like pre-weaning and 12–15 months for bulls; hair shedding is noted as useful. Success is framed functionally as fertility, calving on time, breeding back, and weaning a big calf, with integrity-driven culling for feet, udders, and open cows, and decisions influenced by resources and herd management.

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Three podcast hosts recap a Tennessee trip centered on Vince’s Shady Brook sale, mixing travel stories with ranch and cattle discussions. They describe friends and listeners helping at the farm, tour stops including Ingram Angus, Josh King’s place, Buck Snort (with virtual fencing dog collars), and later visits to Yakley, Windbush, and ZWT. Highlights include getting trucks stuck and damaging a bumper while sorting cows, encountering coon hunters, a late-night Waffle House debate, Dollar General mishaps, BBQ and brisket, and a bull fight at Buck Snort that tore up a fence. They reflect on the sale’s heat, community atmosphere, and Vince’s integrity in honestly describing cattle, thank buyers and supporters, and preview a future episode about creating opportunities for young producers.

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The hosts discuss a listener question about what drives value in a seedstock operation versus what customers value, using AI sire selection and customer demands as examples. They emphasize prioritizing phenotype (especially feet), maternal function, usable pedigrees, and avoiding EPD “train wrecks,” while arguing value should come from matching cows to environment and market, especially under widespread U.S. drought and input shortages. They critique how online discourse and association tools like EPDs and genomics can create value swings, accelerate churn, and penalize alternative programs, and they stress longevity and fertility as core value drivers even though they slow “genetic progress.” They also touch on strategic, limited flushing of younger and older proven cows, and briefly promote Vince’s upcoming Shady Brook Angus sale in Tennessee.

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The hosts recap Joe’s trip to producer sales and visits with listeners, plus Korbin’s bull sale where “Stonewall” went viral with millions of views. They discuss what consistency means in cattle, arguing it comes from disciplined culling, tighter calving windows, fewer sires, and focusing on long-term cow performance, while marketing and high-dollar donors can discourage needed culling. They also answer a listener question on becoming proficient at artificial insemination by breeding more cows, practicing on commercial females first, involving additional trained help, and learning from preg-check results.

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The hosts recap a previous episode featuring their wives, share farm stories including Amy rescuing a groundhog and a phone surviving a fall into a dry ice/methanol cooler during freeze branding, and then discuss the American Angus Pathfinder program and its criteria. They debate the value of Pathfinder designations, noting how small contemporary groups, herd management differences, and ET calves can cause strong cows to miss recognition, and they emphasize the need for context and reputable data submission. The conversation shifts to bull sale season and a lengthy debate about paper catalogs versus online catalogs, marketing waste, and the importance of maintaining accurate customer mailing lists, before closing with mentions of Korbin’s upcoming sale, CCi.live streaming, and ear tag branding ideas.

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In this heartfelt episode of 'Around the Chute,' Vince, Corbin, and Joe are joined by their wives, Amy, Abby, and Lucy, for a special Valentine's discussion. They share the challenges and joys of balancing ranch life with family, highlighting the crucial support and involvement of their spouses. The episode delves into personal anecdotes, from managing cattle and overcoming obstacles to appreciating each partner's contributions and deep emotional commitment to the family's happiness and prosperity.

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The script covers discussions on handling prosperity in the cattle business, emphasizing the importance of making thoughtful investments and maintaining customer relations. They discuss guarantees on cattle, including breeding guarantees, and the challenges of ensuring animal well-being across different environments. Additionally, the conversation touches on the experiences of insuring high-value cattle and ensuring mutual success for both breeders and buyers.

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In this episode, the hosts discuss managing and developing heifers, focusing on feeding practices, structural assessments, and breeding strategies. They explore various challenges and approaches, including utilizing resources like creep feeders, managing young and mature heifers differently, and balancing nutritional needs. Additionally, they touch on the complexities of preparing heifers for sale and ensuring their long-term productivity within the herd.