February 6, 2017

The Cows You Root For...


Yesterday I found myself rooting for a few cows in our herd. I think this is pretty common among serious cattle raisers. Here are a few examples.


Your last show heifer…every time you see her you beg her to please be bred, please throw one more calf, and could it act just like she did in the champion drive. Because let’s face it, if she isn’t bred she’ll take a trip to the packer or the sale barn.

That second-calf cow that threw an incredible calf and struggled to make it five months to weaning time…please be bred. It wasn’t your fault, you were a heifer and we were pouring feed to you…please be bred.

The cow that is always as big around as a truck. Tag #10 I know you carry a twin gene, (GG – she’s out of orphan Annie) but please just have a healthy calf, and if it’s twins, please be able to raise them. My spring schedule does not include bottle feeding a calf.

The family favorite cow that was your daughter’s practice show heifer. Dear Snowball can you please have calves with your same personality. I could really use one gentle heifer every year that doesn’t mind learning tricks, getting covered in a towel when it’s snowing, practicing haltering and loading in a trailer, and learning to chase a girl with cubes in her pocket.

To the cow that only has bull calves. Girl you are doing a great job, but we paid for your great bloodlines so could you pretty please throw one heifer in your lifetime.

The cow that is on the fence, she goes in the sale pen and then she goes back out with the herd. Cow if you can hold out a few more weeks…maybe Ryan won’t have time to haul you to the sale barn and you can have one more calf here.

You root for cows because you need a calf out of each and every one of them. And then you root a little harder for the ones that are special, have potential or meet a specific need.

The kids and I name the special calves, Ryan calls them by the ear tag number. In the end as long as each one contributes to your herd in as breeding stock or for money to pay the feed bill, you are successful.

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