The World Beyond BetterMost > Anything Goes
The Cowboy Trail
Sason:
Very nice additions, BF!
morrobay:
I wonder how much Jack really knew about a cow & calf operation....the link below has a lot of info...
My dad always said that we are in the business of selling grass, not cattle. Our main ranch is located in Osage County, Oklahoma. This is on the southern edge of the Flint Hills, one of the best grazing ecosystems in the U.S. To most effectively “sell the grass” on our ranch, we are always evaluating what we think will work the best—”best” being a balance between what is most profitable and what is best for the land. To accomplish this we run three types of operations on our ranch and adjust according to what we think will work the best.
Cow-Calf Operation
This is just what it sounds like: You own a cow herd, then sell the calves that are produced. Cow-calf operations are the backbone of the beef industry and are made up mostly of smaller operations that own anywhere from 10 to 100 cows. It’s considered a more conservative type of cattle operation, but there are still a lot of variables that affect its profitability.
The largest variable with any cow-calf operation is the conception rate. A cow has a nine-month gestation period and you need all of your cows to get bred back almost as soon as they’ve given birth. Getting the cows bred back is paramount to having a profitable cow-calf operation, as you need to be able to sell a calf from your cows every year so that you’ll have the income.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2012/04/the-cow-calf-operation/
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: butlers_fantasy on February 02, 2014, 11:26:19 am ---
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I really love this one! Love the stocky pony with its winter coat and the non-glamorous appeal of the pic.
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: butlers_fantasy on February 02, 2014, 11:27:04 am ---
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And I can totally get behind this one. :laugh:
Reminds me of something.....
Front-Ranger:
Wonderful photos! Also, the cow/calf operation breakdown was interesting. I read The Cowboy Way once and it was an eye-opener. Cowboys spend a huge amount of time involved with the reproductive systems of their female charges. The euphemisms are funny. Cows are "bred back"; and another one is "freshened". That means for the cow to have a calf so she produces milk again. Can you tell us about the other two forms of cow ranching, butler? I assume you mean dairy and beef operations.
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