We're hearing a lot more new words entering the cattle business. Probably the latest is "Low input" genetics; a phrase that's becoming quite popular. "Low Input" meaning cattle that can take care of themselves.The other word you're hearing thrown around a lot is "Sustainable". Cattle must be "Sustainable" meaning to continuously perpetuate themselves.
Somewhere along the line, cattle raising became complicated. Calf pulling became common. "Mothering up" a calf to its first time mother, using a lot of medication to keep cattle healthy, and using high protein feeds to keep cattle in flesh. A lot of labor and time went into taking care of a herd of cattle. Nothing happened to change this, until such practices resulted in no profit. It always comes down to profit. Now the shift is on to raise cattle as cheaply as possible. Adapt cattle to your land and resources, that will thrive on what they have.
I'll never forget being at a Cattle Meeting a few years back and the conversation was about the preparations made for Spring Calving: calf pullers in good shape, foot ropes, Disinfectants, spare bottles of colostrum, scour medicine, syringes and this old time Beefalo Breeder cocks back his cowboy hat and says:
"Are you sure you boys are raising Cattle and not running a maternity ward? I just let my Beefalo calve by themselves." The place went dead."Yeah I don't worry about any of that stuff. I've got easy calvers, and Beefalo are good mothers and they breed back fast. I always ship a bunch of calves to market each fall, and I know I'll have another good calf crop next Spring. I don't use any of that science stuff. I just use Beefalo and Mother Nature." Well. The Spring Calving Session came to an abrupt end.
Beefalo have always been Low-Input, Sustainable Cattle. Now, more and more cattlemen are turning to Beefalo. To find out how Beefalo can fit into your cattle program, contact a Beefalo Northwest Member via phone or email. You'll find our listings on the membership page.
Somewhere along the line, cattle raising became complicated. Calf pulling became common. "Mothering up" a calf to its first time mother, using a lot of medication to keep cattle healthy, and using high protein feeds to keep cattle in flesh. A lot of labor and time went into taking care of a herd of cattle. Nothing happened to change this, until such practices resulted in no profit. It always comes down to profit. Now the shift is on to raise cattle as cheaply as possible. Adapt cattle to your land and resources, that will thrive on what they have.
I'll never forget being at a Cattle Meeting a few years back and the conversation was about the preparations made for Spring Calving: calf pullers in good shape, foot ropes, Disinfectants, spare bottles of colostrum, scour medicine, syringes and this old time Beefalo Breeder cocks back his cowboy hat and says:
"Are you sure you boys are raising Cattle and not running a maternity ward? I just let my Beefalo calve by themselves." The place went dead."Yeah I don't worry about any of that stuff. I've got easy calvers, and Beefalo are good mothers and they breed back fast. I always ship a bunch of calves to market each fall, and I know I'll have another good calf crop next Spring. I don't use any of that science stuff. I just use Beefalo and Mother Nature." Well. The Spring Calving Session came to an abrupt end.
Beefalo have always been Low-Input, Sustainable Cattle. Now, more and more cattlemen are turning to Beefalo. To find out how Beefalo can fit into your cattle program, contact a Beefalo Northwest Member via phone or email. You'll find our listings on the membership page.
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