A few Photos

[randiliana]

Here's a few photos from the last couple days. Beautiful weather.... Cows are still out grazing and they are looking awesome. There are 73 head in this group, 40 or so are bred heifers the remainder mostly raised our replacement heifers for this year. In addition to the grazing that they are on they have free choice Promolas and Free choice 1:1 mineral and of course free choice salt. This pasture has a creek running through it and the water is still open in numerous places for them to drink. The remainder of our main herd is 1/2 hour away where they are also still grazing and have the same provisions although we have to go cut a water hole every couple days for them to drink.

And then there is this bunch of cows that we just took on lease from a friend. They are Char x Gelbveih (mostly) and calve in May and June. At the moment they are also grazing, and we hope that we can graze them into January. About half this bunch is bred heifers with the remainder 3-10 years old. These girls mean we will calve from March (our herd starts Mar 10) right through to about June 20. But we figured we could increase the herd without having to add any more bulls, as we pull our bulls about the same time as these cows will be due to have the bull go in. As it turned out this year, our heifer bull went straight from our heifers to the heifers in this group. In all we expect about 58 calves from the heifer bull next spring.

 

[jedstivers]

I always like to see your pics. Lot of difference in here and there.

 

[boondocks]

Randi,
At this stage are you watching the weather very closely? Do you move them when you get a heavy snow or do they stay where they are and get hay? Just curious.
Beautiful country, nice cows!

 

[randiliana]

Thanks, Jed.

Boondocks,
We keep an eye on the forecast, but the long range is showing really good weather. The cows 1/2 hour away will get moved home at some point. That somewhat depends on the weather, or on how long the grass holds out for them, whichever happens first. If we were to get a heavy snow those girls would be coming home, hopefully before the snow as we have to truck them and the roads out of where they are can be a problem, plus the semi doesn't do so well in snow.

They will get dropped into the first group of cows pictured and they will stay there till about Mar 1 when we will bring them to the yard for calving. That pasture is 1 1/2 miles from the yard and once the grazing is used up we will feed them hay there.

The second group of cows pictured is just 1/2 mile from the yard, and they will get fed there once their grazing is used up. They will likely stay there till late Apr when they get close to calving and then will be moved to the yard for calving as well. And by then the main group of cows should be done calving and will be moved out to summer pasture in early May.

Snow is usually not a big issue here as far as grazing goes, the quality of the grazing is usually the limiting factor. By late Dec/Jan 1 the main herd of cows will be well into the third trimester and will be needing better quality feed.

 

[uplandnut]

Great looking cows and heifers. I had no idea you would be able to graze your cattle that long that far north.

 

[randiliana]

Hmm, thought I'd replied to you uplandnut...

Most years we can graze quite long into the fall. There are some herds that graze native pasture much longer than what we graze. A lot depends on when the cows start calving, and of course on the weather.

 

[grubbie]

Always enjoy your photos Randi. Great looking animals, your pasture and weather look like we could be next door neighbors. Even our replacements look fat, just on grass.