Episode 30: PCOS Round Table

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What started as scattered observations across different herds slowly turned into a much bigger conversation.

In this episode, Patrick Powers sits down with John Atkinson of Cashmere Cattle, Grant Vassberg of Kallion Farms, and Dr. David Rainosek to discuss fertility, hormonal balance, embryo production, and a growing theory surrounding possible PCOS like patterns in cattle, recently updated in human medicine terminology to PMOS.

The discussion explores why some naturally fertile cows consistently show lower egg counts but higher embryo development and pregnancy rates, while some high follicle count donors struggle with long term reproductive consistency.

Along the way, the group discusses selection pressure, weaning weights, embryo transfer economics, observational cattle knowledge, and the growing disconnect between what producers are quietly seeing in the field and what modern systems currently prioritize.

This is not presented as settled science or final conclusion.

It is an open discussion built around real world observations, existing research, and a belief that difficult questions deserve honest conversation.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Ihl4qjCmZ1g

Referenced studies discussed during the episode:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9159068/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4199720/

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode sparked a thought, challenged an assumption, or reminded you of something you’ve quietly observed in your own cattle, share it with someone willing to be part of the discussion.

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Episode 29: Profit Per Acre and Practical Fertility with Johann Zietsman 

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

Bigger cattle. More inputs. Lower fertility. Slower progress.

If that sounds familiar, this conversation challenges what “better” cattle and “good” management have come to mean.

In this episode, Patrick Powers is joined by Johann Zietsman, a world-renowned cattleman, grazing consultant, and author of Man, Cattle and Veld. With decades of experience across Africa, the United States, and South America, his work bridges academic theory and real-world application.

At the center of this conversation is a shift most of the industry has avoided.

Stop selecting for maximum production per animal. Start selecting for maximum sustainable profit per hectare.

From there, we dig into how the industry got here.

Feedlot-driven selection pushed larger framed, later maturing cattle, and over time that shift has worked against grass efficiency, body condition, and practical fertility in real-world conditions.

Zietsman breaks down efficiency through relative intake, hormonal balance, and early maturity, and explains why fertility, when understood correctly, is far more heritable than most have been led to believe.

The conversation also touches on what that loss of fertility actually costs.

Longer generation intervals. Increased reliance on inputs. Slower progress that compounds over time.

From there, the focus shifts to the land.

We walk through ultra high density grazing, the impact of portable electric fencing, and why non selective grazing, when managed correctly, can improve both land and livestock faster than most expect.

We also discuss composites, selecting the right individuals within breeds, and why chasing EPDs can increase the accuracy of the wrong criteria.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/bnwszEXy-Lc

Purchase Man, Cattle and Veld by Johann Zietsman:
English Edition: Available on Amazon
Spanish Edition:  Available on Amazon

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about efficiency, fertility, or what it really takes to build cattle that last, share it with someone who is willing to question the direction we have been headed.

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Episode 28: The Next Steps in Herd Improvement with Hays Boyd 

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What separates cattle that look good from cattle that actually hold up?

In this episode, Patrick Powers sits down with Hays Boyd of Backbone Ranch to walk through his recent trip across Australia, sharing photos, stories, and the cattle behind them.

From ranch to ranch across Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia, one thing kept showing up. Consistency. Cattle that looked alike, performed alike, and held together over time. Fertile, sound cows still raising calves well into years most herds have already culled them out.

But alongside that consistency, there was also variation. Even within the same breed, producers are selecting in different directions. Different environments, different expectations, and different ideas of what “good” looks like continue to shape the cattle.

Hays focused on programs that aligned with his values, but didn’t take anything at face value. Larger cattle, different types, and traits that could add value all came into view, but only if they could hold up under pressure without increasing inputs or sacrificing what already works.

That mindset shows up clearly when evaluating a standout bull from the trip. Not based on how he looked or how he was presented, but in questioning how he would perform if taken out of ideal conditions and made to work. It is a reminder that true evaluation happens under pressure, not in comfort.

From there, the conversation turns practical.

We discuss hard culling, tightening up the bottom end, and building herd consistency without losing the foundation that already works. The balance between older genetics and modern expectations is explored, along with the importance of knowing when to push forward and when to step back before progress turns into regression.

At its core, this episode comes back to consistency, what it takes to build it, and why most herds never quite get there.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/r9dJ9DOtysk

Connect with Hays Boyd and Backbone Ranch:
https://www.facebook.com/backbone.ranch.murray.greys

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about consistency, selection pressure, or what it really means to evaluate cattle, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo.

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Episode 27: Volatile Markets, Reliable Cattle with Chengetai Mukosera 

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What happens when unstable markets force you to rethink what actually holds value?

In this episode, we sit down with Chengetai Mukosera of Zimbabwe, an accountant turned cattleman who entered the industry with spreadsheets and theory, only to have real world conditions reshape his entire approach. 

Starting with Simbrah in a commercial system, Chengetai quickly began noticing a pattern. Taller, later maturing cattle struggled to hold condition, delayed reproduction, and required more input to maintain. Meanwhile, moderate framed, adapted cattle were quietly outperforming them where it mattered most, fertility, efficiency, and survival under pressure.

From there, the conversation turns practical.

We discuss selection for fertility, visual indicators like sexual dimorphism, and how environmental pressure, from seasonal forage swings to tick load, forces honest decisions. In a system where inputs are limited, cattle either function or they do not.

As Boran cattle began outperforming in his environment, Chengetai redefined what improvement meant. Not more growth, but less work. Not bigger cattle, but better cattle.

We also touch on the loss of local Mashona genetics, the push toward larger carcasses, and the long term consequences of selecting for market signals instead of biological function.

At its core, this episode highlights a simple reality.

Profit is not created at the market. It is built into the cow, and lives in the herd.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/UcZFkN4cLfM

Connect with Chengetai Mukosera:
X: https://x.com/klipranch?s=21&t=T2a19esiA2vgW3u2WTBRBg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057225319905

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about fertility, adaptation, or profitability, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo.

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Episode 26: The Gap Between Function and the Show Ring

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What happens when the traits rewarded in the show ring drift away from the traits that keep cattle productive in the pasture?

In this episode, Patrick Powers is joined by Grant Vassberg and John Atkinson to discuss Grant’s recent trip to Thailand, where he judged cattle and got a firsthand look at how show ring priorities influence breeding decisions.

The experience sparked a broader conversation about how selection pressure shapes cattle populations over time. When breeding decisions begin to prioritize appearance, trends, or marketing, the traits that matter most in the pasture such as fertility, efficiency, structural soundness, and longevity can slowly fall out of focus.

From there, the discussion widens to examples from around the world including the Philippines, Brazil, and Australia, where industry incentives and breeding trends have pushed cattle in very different directions. Again and again, the same pattern appears. When selection pressure moves away from biological function, producers often end up compensating with more inputs, more management, and lower overall fertility, ultimately draining profit from the operation.

At its core, this episode explores the growing gap between what is rewarded in the show ring and what actually works in real production environments.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/1m3iNCWaVMg

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about function, fertility, or how selection pressure shapes cattle, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo.

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Episode 25: Panama’s Fertility Paradox with Roderick Murray

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What happens when a country selects cattle for trophies instead of calves?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Roderick Murray to unpack hard numbers, hard lessons, and a practical path back to fertility and profitability on grass. Drawing from herd-level observations and long-term production data, we discuss why birth rates have remained stuck between 35 and 60 percent, why age at first calving has stretched past 42 months, and why steers often take more than three years to finish, even as nutrition and management improved.

Roderick explains how a 1990s push for larger frames and heavier carcasses, reinforced by show ring culture and a government backed sire program, unintentionally selecting for later maturity, contributed to cattle that struggle outside high input systems. The result has been declining fertility, calving challenges, udder issues, and animals that perform well on paper but fall short under real pasture conditions.

We also talk about what is changing. Research and producer herds in Panama are re evaluating local Creole genetics for early maturity, fertility, and adaptation, then using thoughtful crossbreeding, including Nelore, to improve reproduction and calf vigor without increasing inputs.

The solution is not always imported. Often, it is already adapted to the environment and available right in your backyard.

If you care about cattle that work where they live, this conversation offers data, perspective, and a clear look at how incentives shape outcomes.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/SCPLPJD5t48

Connect with Dr. Roderick Murray:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roderickagm

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about fertility, genetics, or how incentives shape outcomes, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo. These conversations spread one producer at a time.

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Episode 24: Matching Cattle to Country with Matt Robbins 

What if the fastest path to profit is choosing cows that match your weather, then letting grass lead the schedule? We sit down with Matt Robbins to unpack how his family left hay dependence, heavy inputs, and misaligned genetics behind and built a resilient, profitable herd for hot, humid Arkansas.

Matt explains why management and genetics have to move together. We dive into a Mashona-led composite built for heat, humidity, and parasites, paired with a 45-day breeding season and Zietsman’s two-three standard that selects for true fertility under pressure. On the ground, ultra-high-density grazing includes about four moves a day at up to a million pounds per acre. This approach drives uniform utilization, deeper rest, stronger stockpiles, and fewer days feeding hay. We talk practical numbers from cow size to supplemental protein costs, and how rotating by recovery, not the calendar, keeps forage quality and animal performance aligned.

This conversation tackles myths head-on. We discuss why EPDs fade across environments, how warm-season forage often labeled “poor” can support excellent production with the right cattle, and where a one-time amendment can ethically and profitably jump-start a tired pasture. The unexpected wins are everywhere. Soils become spongier, native grasses return, drought resilience improves without destocking, and wildlife and water quality benefit as the land breathes again. If you’re curious how to run more cows on the same acres, reduce inputs, and buy back your time with a tight calving window, this is your playbook.

Connect with Matt Robbins:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobbinsRanch1961/

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about cattle, land, or management, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo. These conversations spread one producer at a time.

Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode.

We keep the main feed focused and intentional. For the raw, unfiltered conversations, find Shooting the Bull on Patreon.

Join us here:
https://www.patreon.com/bossirestalk

 Episode 23: Small Acreage, Big Results with Joseph Klotz 

What if a 12-acre ranch could outlast drought, dodge input spikes, and still raise fertile, gentle cattle that pay their way? That is the story Joseph Klotz tells from Seely, Texas, a rancher who proves you do not need a thousand acres or a show banner to build a profitable, resilient herd. We dig into how his family’s weekend Brahman operation shaped a lifelong filter: if a cow cannot calve, rebreed, and stay sound without help, she does not stay.

Joseph breaks down his three F’s: function, fertility, and friendly, and shows why moderate-frame cows can deliver more pounds per acre with less risk than giant frames ever could. He walks us through the pivot to regenerative grazing: tighter rotations, long rest, and three years with no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or wormers. The results are tangible and repeatable: deeper roots, more earthworms, cooler soil, minimal flies, and grass that carries through dry spells while neighbors feed hay.

We also explore the move to Red Brahman for dual-purpose advantages, the reliable tenderness and flavor of calves raised on forage and mama’s milk, and the power of strict culling for soundness and temperament. On the business side, Joseph shares a practical approach to profitability: track cost per exposed cow, leverage direct-to-consumer beef, and use old-school, low-cost tools from pickup stock racks to a modified rotary mower to keep margins wide and debt light. Mentorship, windshield time, and a relentless “what and why” mindset tie it all together.

If you are curious about regenerative ranching, Brahman cattle, small-acreage profitability, or how to build soil while selling beef people love, this conversation delivers field-tested insights without fluff. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a spark, and leave a review to help more producers find smarter, saner ways to ranch.

Connect with Joseph Klotz and Klotz Farms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.klotz.79 

Bos Sires: https://www.bossires.com/klotzfarms

Check out Bos Sires:

Website: https://www.bossires.com/

Bos Sires Catalogs: https://www.bossires.com/sale-catalog-2

Support the Podcast:

If these conversations help you see cattle and land differently, follow or subscribe so you do not miss the next one.

Join us on Patreon for Shooting the Bull — real producers, real talk.
https://www.patreon.com/bossirestalk

What happens when a poet comes home to rebuild a family dairy with grass, genetics, and a bison herd as his calendar? Ben Gotschall invites us inside Holt Creek Jerseys, a ranch dairy in the Nebraska Sandhills that treats milk like a seasonal food and manages cows by the rhythm of the prairie, not the demands of a spreadsheet.

We dig into what true seasonal milking does for flavor, nutrition, and quality of life. Calving is timed to the spring flush. Cows are dried off in winter. Once-a-day milking gives families their evenings back. And suddenly June milk tastes like a different food than January milk. It is the kind of system that forces decisions to be proven in pasture, not on paper, and rewards the stockman who pays attention.

Ben breaks down the genetics that actually matter in a grass-only dairy. His milking herd is entirely A2A2. He selects for Kappa casein BB to boost cheese yield and beta-lactoglobulin BB to raise butter output. Jerseys bring efficiency and butterfat, while beef-on-dairy crosses shorten finishing time and bridge the gap between dairy and grass-fed beef markets. Roles within the herd are clear. Milk cows produce nutrient-dense food and breed back within a tight spring window. Nurse cows raise two calves to weaning and must wean 100 percent of their body weight. It is selection pressure that rewards fertility, calm disposition, graze-full minds, and cows that work with the landscape instead of against it.

We also take an honest look at genomic numbers. Ben uses testing when it serves a purpose but warns against chasing indexes that inflate production at the cost of fertility and longevity. He leans on linebreeding to anchor functional traits and raises bulls out of his best cows to prove them on grass. Along the way he explains why dairy grazing is the master class for beef graziers, why low-stress design is worth every minute of planning, and why the milk itself becomes a reflection of the land.

If you care about nutrient-dense food, resilient cattle, and building a life with more margin and fewer inputs, this conversation offers a grounded blueprint for doing dairy differently.

If this episode resonated, share it with someone who is ready to rethink how milk, meat, and grass can work together. The principles matter anywhere. The land responds to those who listen.

Connect with Ben Gotschall and Holt Creek Jerseys:

Website: https://holtcreekjerseys.com/

Clover Cove Ranch: https://clovercoveranch.com/

Bos Sires Page: https://www.bossires.com/bengotschall

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship: https://www.dga-national.org/

Midwest Graziers Instructional Course: https://www.mgic-professional.org/

Check out Bos Sires:

Website: https://www.bossires.com/

Bos Sires Catalog: International New Bos Sires Catalog (English)

Support the Podcast:

If these conversations help you see cattle and land differently, follow or subscribe so you do not miss the next one.

Join us on Patreon for Shooting the Bull — real producers, real talk.
 https://www.patreon.com/bossirestalk

Episode 21: Grazing School with Charlie Totton, Courtney Tyrrell & Bart Carmichael 

Think you know what your cattle will eat? Watch that certainty crumble when ten heifers meet a “weedy” paddock and turn it into beef and soil armor.

We sit down with Charlie Totton and Courtney Tyrrell, along with educator and rancher Bart Carmichael, to unpack the South Dakota Grassland Coalition 2025 Grazing School, a producer-led, hands-on training where students measure forage, set residue goals, build 24-hour paddocks, and come back later to see if the math holds.

Day one challenges assumptions and teaches grazing math to calculate forage consumption.  Day two explores alternatives across calving, nutrition, and herd health. Day three ties it all together into a written action plan you can take home and actually use.

The conversation gets specific: how to size paddocks based on measured forage, why leaving 1,000 to 2,500 pounds of residue builds soil structure, and how palatability shifts with growth stage and density. Then we test water. Using rainfall simulators and ring infiltration tests, the difference between living polycultures and compacted monocultures shows up in clean infiltration versus muddy runoff. With roughly 27,000 gallons per acre per inch of rain at stake, building organic matter becomes a practical water strategy, not a buzzword.

“Recovery” replaces “rest.” “Forbs” replace “weeds.” And “armor” replaces “litter,” reshaping the language that shapes the land.

We also get real about labor, genetics, and drought. Cattle are the tool, trampling, salivating, cycling nutrients, when directed with clear goals and daily moves. Trigger dates help you de-stock before the feed bill owns you, and the right cows—deep, thick, mobile, calm—perform on stockpiled forage without expensive inputs. The Tottons share how intensifying on 10 percent of their ranch during peak growth lets the other 90 percent recover, stretching grazing into winter and reducing both labor and input expenses.

Add mentorship, networking, and producer-led instruction, and you get a system that works in South Dakota, Arizona, or the Northeast, because principles scale even when practices change.

If this one hit home, share it with someone who’s ready to look a little closer at their own country. The real work starts when you slow down, measure, and listen. The land’s not broken. It’s just waiting on better stockmen.

Connect with Courtney Tyrrell and Charlie Totton:

Website: https://www.tottonangus.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tottonangus/

Bos Sires: https://www.bossires.com/tottonangusranch

Connect with Bart Carmichael and Principled Land Managers:

Website: https://www.wedgetentranch.com/

Bos Sires: https://www.bossires.com/wedge-tent-ranch

Website: https://www.principledlandmanagers.com/

Check out Bos Sires:

Website: https://www.bossires.com/

Bos Sires Catalog: International New Bos Sires Catalog (English)

Support the Podcast

If these conversations help you see cattle and land differently, follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

Join us on Patreon for Shooting the Bull — real producers, real talk.
https://www.patreon.com/bossirestalk