Lessons from Winter Calving

Heading toward Christmas I could see the bellies swelling and the udders filling.  I knew we were going to have some winter calves.  I pulled two heifers out of the heard (#12 & #21) and put them in a paddock with hay so I could assist with the birth in the event I needed to. 

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Review of Cattle Business

Well 2017 concludes my first year in the cattle business.  And I must say, I made some big mistakes. 1. I paid too much for most of my cattle.  I was paying premium price on moderate quality animals, and I was paying bred heifer pricing on animals that turned out to be open.  Takeaway:  a

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Working on Working Cattle
Working on Working Cattle

Working cattle is a necessary endeavor that every rancher dreads.  Lots of pushing and prodding, a few rambunctious animals, and tons of poop and flies.  The challenges start when you try to round up the cattle.  It’s important to incorporate you’re working area into the cattle’s normal routine – otherwise they’ll know something is up

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We’re in the Cattle Business
We’re in the Cattle Business

So after several weeks of building fences and other preparations, we finally have cattle on the ranch. We have 9 adults and 5 calves that I bought from my father-in-law. The two cows that don’t have calves should be bred, so I’m off to a good start. These are Black Angus crosses.  Additionally we purchased

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