Chewing the Cud with the Mik

In Episode 5 of Chewing the Cud, with the Mik, host Mik travels to Schulenburg Veterinary Clinic to sit down with a local legend, Dr. Jim Sladek, who has been practicing veterinary medicine for 55 years.
Doc Sladek shares how a change in major at Texas A&M led to five decades in veterinary medicine, how rural Fayette County's cattle and dairy industry has shifted over the years, and the art behind palpating over 20,000 cows a year. He also opens up about his battle with leukemia, surviving against a 1-in-1,000 chance, sneaked visits out of the hospital to palpate cows, and how his faith, family, and work ethic kept him going.
Be sure to like, comment and subscribe for more Chewing the Cud and future sale barn content!
📍 Flatonia Livestock Commission Co.
Location: Flatonia, Texas (Right off I-10 on historic US-90)
Regular Cattle Sale: Every Monday at 11:00 AM
🌐 Website & Full Market Reports: www.flatonialivestock.com
📲 Follow Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/flatonialivestock
Chapters:
00:00 Sneaking Out of the Hospital to Work Cows
00:41 Welcome to Schulenburg Veterinary Clinic with Doc Jim
01:58 55 Years as a Veterinarian & No Plans to Retire
02:38 How an "Accident" at Texas A&M Started a 55-Year Career
05:08 From 300 Dairies to One: How Fayette County Ranching Changed
06:12 Horses, Landlines, and Growing Up Old-School
08:37 First Jobs, Welding, and Earning 60 Cents an Hour
09:26 The Art of Palpating Cows: Landmarks, Aging & Mummified Fetuses
16:25 Working on $750k Breeding Fees & The First Triple Crown Quarter Horse
18:28 Beating Leukemia: A 1-in-1,000 Survival Story & Stem Cells
21:18 The Power of Prayer, Hope, and Staying Drive-Driven
24:48 Work Ethic, Tough Love, and Raising Kids the Right Way
29:29 Wrap Up, Monday Market Recap & Connecting with Flatonia Livestock

In Episode 4 of Chewing the Cud, with the Mik, host Mik welcomes back his good friend and cousin, Saxon Beck, for an authentic look into the life of a real Texas cowboy. Moving beyond the "Yellowstone" Hollywood image, Saxon shares what it actually takes to work cattle early in the morning, train working cow dogs, build fences that last, and handle unpredictable outlaw bulls.
They dive into the reality of ranch expenses, teaching life lessons and respect to the next generation, and the camaraderie of winding down after a hard day's work on the range. Plus, Mik gives an opening congratulations to Joe Mikulik and the Texas Tailgaters on their Banana Ball championship win!
📍 Flatonia Livestock Commission Co.
Location: Flatonia, Texas (Just off I-10, on historic Highway 90)
Regular Cattle Sale: Every Monday at 11:00 AM
🌐 Website & Market Reports: www.flatonialivestock.com
📲 Follow Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/flatonialivestock
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Congrats to Joe & The Texas Tailgaters
01:13 Welcoming Back Saxon Beck & Market Update Recap
02:12 What It Really Takes to Be a Real Cowboy
03:37 50 Years of Working Cattle: How It Started
05:28 Reading the Pasture: Assessing New Working Environments
07:38 Dog Power: How Trained Cow Dogs Make the Impossible Work
11:13 Passing Down the Cowboy Way & Family Work Ethic
13:03 Life Lessons in Building Fence: "The Fence That Me and Shorty Built"
15:37 Cowboy Camaraderie: Winding Down After the Work Is Done
17:53 Caring for Horses: The Work Before and After the Job
20:28 Catching the Outlaw Black Bull: A 3-Day Pursuit
24:48 What Keeps the Fire Burning?
28:28 Yellowstone vs. Real Ranching & Final Thoughts
30:02 Sports Recap, Wrap Up, & How to Connect

What really goes through an auctioneer’s head when cattle step into the ring? In Episode 3 of Chewing the Cud, with the Mik, host Mik sits down with Flatonia Livestock’s auctioneer, Bradley Jemelka. They dive deep into how an auctioneer reads buyers, handles packer cows vs. replacement stock, maintains market consistency, and uses hand gestures to keep the bidding moving.
They also discuss local market reactions following recent South-Central Texas rain, head counts, feeder calf trends, and Brad's journey behind B Rad Cattle Company. Plus, Mik gives a shoutout to his brother managing the Texas Tailgaters in the Banana Ball championship!
📍 Flatonia Livestock Commission Co. Location: Flatonia, Texas (Right off I-10) Regular Cattle Sale: Every Monday at 11:00 AM
🌐 Website & Full Market Reports: flatonialivestock.com
📲 Follow Us on Facebook: facebook.com/flatonialivestock
🐂 Check Out Bradley’s page: facebook.com/bradley.jemelka
And his sales website: https://b-radscattle.com/
 
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Shoutout to the Texas Tailgaters
01:05 Meeting Brad & 5 Years at Flatonia Livestock
01:26 South-Central Texas Rain & Weekly Market Trends
03:38 Family Ties, Raising Kids & Teamwork
05:16 What Goes Through an Auctioneer’s Mind in the Ring?
06:00 Working for the Seller First & Market Consistency
07:20 Reading the Ring: Packer Cows vs. Replacements
08:26 How Professional Order Buyers Analyze Cattle in Seconds
13:53 Why Auctioneers Talk with Their Hands
16:11 Channeling ADHD on the Auction Block
18:14 20 Years of Sacrifice & Building a Career
23:23 Discipline Over Feelings in Business
24:08 The Launch of B Red Cattle Company
28:38 Closing Thoughts & How Sellers Can Connect with Brad

Mik is flying solo this week but he's still excited to bring you the latest from Flatonia Livestock!
In this short episode, hear more about why Mik wants to bring this production to you and how we can all grow together. He explores his start at Flatonia Livestock and gives an update on Monday's sale.
We appreciate you tuning in!
Your Feedback is important to us.
Please leave a comment, review, or send us an email. We hope to always make our product better.
Be sure to follow, subscribe and check us out on Facebook.
Recorded at Flatonia Livestock Commission Company in Flatonia, Texas. 
Produced by Entre Media in Schulenburg, Texas.
Music provided by Uppbeat 

Welcome to our very first episode of Chewing the Cud with the MIK! We're excited to present this new weekly podcast, giving you the latest livestock market updates and insights.
Join Mik and his guest Saxon as they break down the sales numbers from this week's sale, introduce you to the history of Flatonia Livestock, and share what they hope this podcast can do for you, the listener. We appreciate you tuning in!
Your Feedback is important to us.
Please leave a comment, review, or send us an email. We hope to always make our product better.
Be sure to follow, subscribe and check us out on Facebook.
Recorded at Flatonia Livestock Commission Company in Flatonia, Texas. 
 
Music provided by Uppbeat