Here’s a view from the feed truck office. Do you see that notebook and spreadsheet? Those are some of first things we would grab if there was a fire. READ on to find out why.
Always keep the baby between you and the Mama! Mama cows are no different that any other mama. . . some are more tolerant than others when it comes to mess’in with their baby.
Beyond the Red Gates is a view into what is going on at our Ranch by day or season AND most importantly the fact that we know the beef industry spans much further than the gates of our ranch.
My name is Chancey and I feel blessed beyond measure to be back home on the ranch that I grew up on. Redgate Cattle Company is made up of Max & Debra Redgate (my parents) along with my husband, John and our two kiddos, ages 4 and 6. My two older sisters and I grew up spending weekends and summers working along side my parents working cattle, building fence, servicing tractors and equipment and . . . yes we all three CAN drive a tractor, a stick shift and back a trailer.
I didn’t intend to start a blog today. In fact I sat down at my computer to edit some videos of bulls that we are selling private treaty here at the ranch. While waiting for the video to upload, I did some updates on the website and the next thing I knew I was typing the title to this blog. Sometimes things just happen . . .
Speaking of things that just happen, I should tell you that I always wanted to be back on the ranch, but didn’t want to come ‘home’ alone. My husband, John, was an answer to many prayers. Sometimes things just happen . . . God’s plans are always greater than our plans. (John is the one tagging the calf in the photo. Can you tell he wasn’t posing?)
Now, let’s talk about what’s happening right now on the ranch. February is synonymous for calving season around here. The first-calf heifers start calving at the end of January and the cows begin around February 1. Out of the first 10 heifers that calved, 4 of them gave birth to twins. Those odds are not normal or expected. Luckily the first-time mamas did great and were able to give enough milk to support both babies.
Calving season is intense around here because we artificially inseminate (AI) most of our females. So LOTS of babies are born in a short period of time. Timing is not the only reason we AI. The main benefit comes from being able to hand-pick a sire and dam combination to genetically enhance the offspring.
Record keeping is pretty intense when it comes to breeding and calving. The feed truck really does turn into an office! An ear tag is placed in each calf’s ear and we carry breeding records in the pick-up for reference as we ear tag. The ear tag includes the mama cow's number, the sire’s name and the calf’s birth date. All of this information is also documented right there in the feed truck office. Additionally, the birth weight and the sex of the calf is documented before driving away.
Information is essential in today’s world, but especially in the beef community. All this information assists us in marketing our cattle and making breeding choices next year. Consumers want to know as much about their food as they possibly can and that all starts with calving season at our family’s ranch!