“Remember your why.”
These three words resonate with Danna Goss, the matriarch of the Goss family. She shares the sentiment with young people who she visits with, mentors and when she judges shows.
For the Goss family of Leedey, Oklahoma, they work hard every day with their “why” in focus. According to Danna, their goal is to produce high quality livestock that excel in the show ring for their young customers. They want to give back to young people, teach them hard work and responsibility.
“There is no better way to raise young people than with livestock projects,” Danna said. “We are raising better leaders and more responsible workers because that starts with the hard work and dedication they put into their livestock projects at home.”
Meet the Goss Family
Danna Goss has always been passionate about the livestock industry. Raised in Central Illinois livestock judging and showing livestock, she ventured to Oklahoma for college. She attended Northeastern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma State University, where she was on the livestock judging teams at both institutions.
Danna is in her 29th year as an educator. She is a technical applications program (TAP) instructor at High Plains Technology Center in Woodward, Oklahoma.
Where is the most likely place for two livestock enthusiasts who grew up in the pig business to meet? A pig show. That is exactly where Danna met Kent, and they have been married since 1995. They formed Goss Livestock, where they currently run about 125 sows. In 2019, they added cattle to the mix. They have about 60 head of donors and recip cows with the focus of raising high-quality show cattle for their customers.
Kent, like Danna, also attended Oklahoma State University. The Oklahoma native is also passionate about youth, but he has retired from teaching. He spent 27 years as a high school agricultural teacher. Kent now works at Supreme Trailer Sales in Thomas, Oklahoma.
In addition to Kent and Danna, their two sons, Blake and Ty are also part of the family business.
The Next Generation
Blake is currently back at home, running the day-to-day at Goss Livestock. He, too, is an alumni of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Animal Science. He was a member of a successful livestock judging team.
Blake looks forward to following his parents’ footsteps and growing what the family has built together.
Younger brother, Ty, will return full-time after he completes his education from OSU in May 2024. He will focus the majority of his attention to helping customers and growing the operation. He hopes to expand the cow numbers adding quality genetics to raise club calves for their customers. Both he and Blake will work together with Kent and Danna to continue to make their pigs better to meet the customer demands.
Back To Her Why
Danna said that youth livestock programs are part of her why. Watching her boys thrive through their involvement in 4-H and FFA is certainly one of her and Kent’s biggest reasons for operating their business, Goss Livestock. The combination of youth programs and livestock led both she and Kent to their careers, and it is leading their sons back to the family operation.
“It is one way for us to pay it forward, not only helping our own kids, but other kids interested in the industry,” she said. “Both Kent and I had so many people who paved the way for us and helped us along the way, it is the least we can do. From breeders to FFA teachers and livestock judging instructors, this is an opportunity for us to give back and help the next generation of livestock breeders.”
A New Way to Give Back
With a passion for livestock evaluation, Goss Livestock gave back in a big way this past September. They hosted the first Stockman’s Sort, an 8-class collegiate-level hog judging contest at their place. It was co-sponsored by Supreme Trailer Sales and Cimarron Trailers.
Danna said with their family’s shared enthusiasm for livestock judging at this level, they wanted to provide the opportunity for the college judges to have a chance to see that many pigs in one location. She reports that 293 young people participated in the contest on that day in early September.
They hope to make this an annual event where teams can work out before the fall contests.
Sales & Marketing Venues
On December 1, 2023, they will host their second annual Coronation Sale at the OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In their inaugural sale, they offered 21 elite lots, featuring some of their best home raised females bred to elite show sires. They hope to do the same this year and, in the years to come.
With continued growth in the sow numbers, the Goss family is also getting creative in their marketing. In addition to selling barrows privately and through various sales, they started their own bred sow sale.
Their marketing and customer service has definitely paid off. Danna said one of the proudest moments she has had as a member of the Goss Livestock family came this past spring. Goss Livestock raised both the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Barrows at the Oklahoma Youth Expo and had four breed champions.
They recently sold a high-selling, impressive young boar at one of the King of Hill Sales to Premium Blend Genetics, yet to be named at the time of this interview. The Goss Family also has several boars at studs.
“Raising boars and high-quality show pigs isn’t easy, but success makes all the hard work worth it,” Danna said.
Goss Livestock: Game Changers
As trained livestock evaluators, the Goss family knows how important phenotypic design and structure is to an animal’s success. However, they also know that nutrition is another important part of that equation. They rely on products powered by AO-Biotics® Amaferm® to help keep their animals performing to their optimum.
Amaferm is a research-proven prebiotic that enhances digestibility. Since 70% of an animal’s immune response is found in the digestive system, a healthy digestive tract leads to a healthy animal. That’s one reason the Goss family relies on products in the Vita Charge® and VitaFerm® product lines for their pigs and cattle.
“These products have all been a game changer for us,” Danna said.
Their Favorite Products
They run the Vita Charge® HydraBoost™ through their watering system in their chip barn. HydraBoost is a liquid supplement for swine designed to support the animal’s digestive and immune system. It contains Amaferm, MOS (Mannan oligosaccharide) to help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system and electrolytes to help maintain maximum hydration.
HydraBoost helps their weaned pigs transition to feed, keeps them eating, growing and healthy. As the pigs grow and change, the Goss family also relies on Vita Charge® Liquid Boost for the pigs they sell and show.
“Most every pig we have is on Liquid Boost, and everyone has it in their show box,” Danna said.
Vita Charge Liquid Boost is a liquid for all livestock designed to provide immediate support to the animal’s digestive and immune system. Liquid Boost provides an extremely versatile, convenient product to protect animals during stress. It is formulated to help animals recover quickly. It doesn’t interfere with antibiotics. Its palatable flavoring helps create consistency in taste of any water source. Like HydraBoost, it also contains Amaferm and MOS.
How They Support The Rest of Their Farm
With such great response to the Vita Charge products with the pigs, the Goss family also provides their show heifers the Vita Charge® Stress Tubs. These tubs for cattle are designed to support digestive health and intake. They include Amaferm and MOS as well as a probiotic to help restore the gut microbiome.
Finally, with growing their cow herd, they have found great success with the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid®. Concept•Aid products promote effective, easy breeding when fed 60 days pre-calving through 60 days post-breeding. In addition to Amaferm, Concept•Aid includes organic copper, iodine and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity and hoof health. It also contains high levels of Vitamin E to support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
“Our cows are on Concept•Aid all day, every day. We notice a difference with this game changer mineral,” Danna said.
Final Advice
Danna offered some final advice to those looking to #PreptoWin in the show ring and in life.
Work hard.
Pay it forward.
“Without kids, there are no more stock shows. Junior members are vital to the success of the future of the livestock industry,” said this lifelong livestock ambassador.
Want To #PreptoWin? BioZyme Can Help.
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