Westerm Ranching vs. Midwest Farming

[LFF]

There has been a lot of talk about cowherds having to work harder out west than herds in the mid-west. I do not have any experience in big sky western ranching and I know that their operations are different than mine. I would like to hear comments from others about what you have experienced comparing the two different environments, or if you have no experience what are your thoughts about differences.

For example: I can see that ranching operations need cattle to travel much greater distances than cattle in Kentucky or Tennessee. I also know that cattle from the west do not preform very well on Ky31 fescue, they use more energy finding food out west but are not able to deal with the toxicity of fescue.

I often heard people say that mid-west operations feed much more grain than westerners , however from my experience that is not so. I do use some grain on developing heifers and bulls, however if I did not have endophyte infected fescue and had hay from the western states I probably would need less or no grain

The northern and southern operations are also different than mine due to weather. Northerners have to use more grain and Southerns have to be more heat tolerant.

It comes down to environment and I think we need to be careful not to fall into the mindset that cattle from another environment will preform better if they were located elsewhere. Sure some cattle adapt after various amounts of time, but on the average that is not normally the case.

LFF

 

[EAT BEEF]

Heck with the cows I can't adapt to this place.

 

[farmguy]

My cows never see grain. Hiefers are fed a little grain from weaning until they go back to pasture at one year of age. I raise polled herefords. This morning the temp was 20 below F which is not uncommon here for January. I don't know how many feed grain to their cows. I just speak for myself. I feel a cow should do fine on hay and mineral. Farmguy

 

[Ashton V]

My cows never see grain. Hiefers are fed a little grain from weaning until they go back to pasture at one year of age. I raise polled herefords. This morning the temp was 20 below F which is not uncommon here for January. I don't know how many feed grain to their cows. I just speak for myself. I feel a cow should do fine on hay and mineral. Farmguy

I try to really grain my heifers im keeping for replacements. For me it seems they make thicker more productive cows. A farmer buddy of mine feeds 7 pounds of grain a day per calf. Both heifers and steers. But since he is a farmer he has his own grain. I imagine if a man tried to do this and didn't have his own grain it would cost a pretty penny. However most of his calves go to the sale barn, but he does keep replacements. He feeds em all the same though.