Gentle Cattle Get Fat

Grazing Right, Handling Right series

I want to do a series of clips of what I feel is important for proper grazing of animals from a Stockmanship point of view and increasing profit potential from the animals preforming at the best rate possible because of creating animals that graze in a way that keeps the gut full and healthy, and also animals that are content in the moment in the environment and pasture they are in. 

I want to start at the end. These steers are big, fat, gentle and handle real well in the pasture or corral. I hauled them to the sale, they stepped off the trailer calm, and I watched them sell on the internet and they walked in the ring calm and didn’t get bothered at all. 

They weighed more than I thought they would, 1093 average and they brought $311!

I really hope they can stay together through the finish and get to a yard that they can have the same quality of life they have had in my care. 

When you deal with large numbers it is much less personal.  When you don’t have many and know them personally from the time they are born you can get a little attached and really care about them. 

There is nothing wrong with that at all, and maybe we need to have the same feelings with larger numbers of animals. If you have an attachment to something you sure give them better care. 

I wanted to have areal nice easy gather and sort for these big guys on the last time I got to work them. Horse worked good, cattle handled nice, that’s why I like this so much!

This clip turned out to be a nice surprise. I put the camera on a gate post and the cattle had to come into the shot.  What I didn’t realize was the camera was filming our shadows. 

We rode home after getting them sorted and brought truck and trailer back and loaded them on foot. They worked great and loaded up calm and relaxed. 

Stay tuned to see how we graze and handle cattle in our paddocks and pastures to get cattle like this that get gentle and fat. 

Way out West-Colorado FFA podcast

I had the privilege to get to do a podcast after a cattlehandling/BQA day in Greeley Colorado.

I really think the world is going to be a better place in the future because of the new minds and enthusiasm of young people. Young people with good mentors and leaders have such an advantage over those that don’t have leadership and guidance. The advantage is confidence, because without confidence knowledge and skill are underutilized. 

When I see young people that have been involved in FFA, 4 H and or homeschooled properly I always see this confidence that many other young folks just don’t have. 

When I met Aidan Datteri at  Producers livestock Auction market during the day of presentations, I was sure he was either homeschooled or FFA. I was right about the FFA part. We got to visiting and he asked if I would have time for a podcast. We went and did it and I sure enjoyed it and where we went with it. 

Lots of good questions about the beef industry and my over confident opinions!

I enjoyed the day in Greeley, the podcast, and the good folks at Weld County Cattleman and the good hospitality and conversation with Emmett Jordan who set lots of the program up. 

If you want to listen just google “Way out West, Colorado FFA foundation.

I don’t have the confidence in this stinking computer to get the link to,work!

More Rocky

My neighbor and brand inspector for the area, Alex Martin called and asked if I could help him gather some strays that showed up on another neighbor down the river, Mark Ward. Both are super nice guys that I really enjoyed being around.

I knew the place as I’ve helped get cattle there before. It’s on the river and pretty brushy and fun to figure out how to get cattle up and in the pens.

It went real good finding and gathering them on a beautiful fall day. I really enjoyed how they worked in the corral and how well Rocky did sorting on them.

lf you lost four red tagged steer calves without a brand near Ryegate, Montana I know where they are!