Lessons Learned in Winter

Working with Cows in the Winter...

Working with Cows in the winter is... interesting. I'm not really sure how this differs from spring time and summer time work as this is my first winter under the management intensive system. Suffice it to say, that there is a steep learning curve. Below is a breakdown of how I thought winter would go in my head, the way things are really going down, and the kinks that sometimes derail the whole thing.

The Ideal Situation:
  In the winter, the ideal situation for my cows would follow these guidelines. They would slowly work their way through thick green grass that has been stockpiled on the back half of summer/fall. This grass would have been grazed at least one time, in early spring, prior to being stockpiled and would consist of a variety of grasses. Every one of these grasses hitting their growth peak during this fall to winter switch. The "growth peak" is the period of time just prior to maturity or seed reproduction. During this time, the ideal cows would slowly eat every square inch of the stockpiled nutrient rich grass. Not only would they eat it, but they would uniformly eat it. Every blade would be perfectly mowed as if I brought out the ole riding lawn mower to do the job myself. Finally, the girls would be so fat that they wouldn't need any extra hay supplements.  The extra hay supplements, by the way, to which I don't have access. They would continue on utilizing only the grass native to my farm. The team would love this grass so much that even when snow came, they would root through it in search of these tasty green morsels. That's the ideal situation anyway. Let me be the first to admit that I may need to lower my expectations a smidgen. This is the color of my farm in winter. If you find green, it's the exception not the rule.

The Real Deal:
  My cows do not follow any guidelines. Therefore, my cattle operation follows fewer and fewer of the commonalities others enjoy. The frustrating part is that every "old timer" around me is warming up the "I told you so" line. (To cover my rear, an "old timer" does not refer to one's age, but someone totally given to the conventional method of raising beef cattle. They are the first to point out the apparent flaws of my system.) My cows do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it. For instance: The don't do anything slowly. To think that they would take their time working through the pastures stockpiled grasses was apparently a joke. They immediately run into the next paddock and fight for the smallest morsel of fresh grass. This is the same fresh grass that was supposed to be all over my pasture by now. No! I started this little endeavor in the fall. Thus, I was unable to harvest the grasses at the appropriate time. Since I was unable to time this, all of the grasses have reached maturity. Instead of lush winter grasses, I have fully mature old world blue-stem everywhere. The girls hate it! Rushing to the next paddock indicates that they are not getting enough to eat. This left me with two options. The first was to open up larger sections for a paddock to allow the cows more grass to consume in a given day. The problem with this option is that they were already leaving behind mounds of very good grass behind them. They only wanted certain grasses. There goes the perfectly mown grass theory! Secondly, I could augment their daily consumption with hay. This is the method that I have chosen to employ. I have divided up square bales to be available for each move. Each paddock receives the appropriate amount of square bales for the cows. They eat the hay after they have searched the paddock for the grasses that they like and leave quite a bit of hay each day. They are literally never satisfied. Yet, this is my favorite part of the game. Part of the fun of this process is tweaking the different elements to ensure the happiness of my harvesting team. And I'm getting better at it. That is... until the snow came.

The Kink:
  The day after Christmas, Texas experienced a freak snow storm. Actual snow! I mean, we get ice and stuff that they try to call snow from time to time, but this was real white puffy stuff. Snow! I have heard that cows are adapted to handle some pretty extreme conditions. I have even heard from folks that it doesn't hurt to leave them where they are to weather the storm. Maybe I'm a "softie", but I couldn't do that to my harvesting team. So, I abandoned my management intensive grazing system for a few days to help my girls ride out the storm. I moved them from out in the field where there was no cover from the snow to our goat yard where there is plenty of cover. In the goat yard, there are trees, the back side of a barn and many different things to aid in riding out the storm. The team didn't exactly understand why I brought them in from the field, but their concerns waned when I brought them some fresh hay. Also, the grass in the pen has been resting for the entirety of their stay out in the pasture. This meant that fresh young winter grass was spread throughout the cage. I knew that bringing them into these close quarters would mean the end of the stand of grass in the cage, but between the health of grass and cows, I choose cows every time. Grand total time spent in the cage was 3 days. After three days the snow had melted and the cows were restless to see the pasture again.

Wintering Cows Wrap-up:
  I wasn't able to see the results that some have reported about being able to ride out a full blown snowstorm without changing their management intensive plan. However, I don't feel too bad. Reports have come in from across the state and the loss of cattle life was extensive due to the storm. I think the combination of a freak storm and my grass fortitude not being where it should be led me to balk at the first sign of significant snow. I'm glad I did! Maybe things don't need to go perfectly every time. That may be hard for someone like me to hear, but it seems to be essential to raising cows...especially in winter.

 

Why Cows?

  A common question we get asked about our farm is, "Why cows?" This is usually a question that is asked by someone from a place we like to call, "The City". While it may appear that there are many species of animal with which to work (goats, chickens, pigs...), there is really only one option for us. Let me explain...

  There is an unspoken level of social pressure that goes with anything in life. Most of the time we are unaware of it, but it is present all the same. Jessie and I pride ourselves on not being overly given to the opinions of man, but even in its trimmed back nature, social pressure still subconsciously exists. We live in an area of the country that predominantly raises two varieties of animals.  There are dairy cows and beef cows. Yes, some people get away with raising the odd goat, but they are immediately labeled, well, "weird". They usually carry around the commonly ascribed name of "crazy goat lady" for females, and "the guy with all the goats" for males. Bovines are the only quickly accepted and even appreciated animal in our neck of the woods. There is a sense of pride that accompanies telling folks that you are in the "cattle bidness". You are a part of a heritage that has provided incomes, meat, and quality of life for the generations that have gone before you. We raise beef because that's what my daddy does. It is also what Jessie's daddy does. It is what all of the respectable, down-to-earth men of this tiny sub-culture do. Therefore, I raise beef.

 Being that cows are such a large part of this sub-culture, there is already a large system in place that provides the opportunity for us to buy/sell our animals as commodity. This means that we find animals pretty easily when the price per-pound of beef is down and we would like to buy. It also means that we have an idea as to how much we will get when we want to sell them. The system is so large that it would be unlikely for us to be stuck with a cow that we could not sell. This would not be the case if we were trying to sell our cow locally to a direct market. It would be up to us to find the rancher, settle on a price, and come to terms with the shipment of the animal. The huge commodity market around us means, at the very least, that we have cattle movement options. At anytime the infrastructure is in place to accommodate our needs. Therefore, I raise beef.

  Let me caveat the entire previous point by saying that, I think there is an even larger market developing. The future is in direct sale organic. There is something about the generations following the Boomers that presses for a simpler time. They look for things that develop in a much more authentic fashion. These millennials and X'ers want to be connected to their food. This means that they want to know where it came from, how it was handled, and participate with the cycle of life. Whether one agrees with this sentiment or not, it sure makes for a bright future for farms like mine. We represent farms that cannot produce the scale of other operations, but could fetch a better profit margin through higher quality beef. I would love to get in on the direct sale market of organic beef as it develops. The major impediment for me is that I fall into the stereotype of most people who raise cows. I'm not a great salesman. I like to raise cows, not convince others to buy them. This is true of my job as a pastor in town. I have the greatest product in the world, transformed lives. However, it is hard for me to attempt to convince people that a choice must be made. There is a bit of salesman that must prompt a decision. I am working to develop this skill, but in the mean time I will stick to emphasizing the value of the product. Even with my personal shortcomings, I look forward to the opportunities that could open with this emerging market. Therefore, I raise beef.

  On a purely monetary level, cows are per-pound the best bang for your buck. This assumes that your land can support them. The reality of having a number of cows that both bring in a salary and sustain your family is very much dependent upon your land/geography. Many old/grumpy cattlemen would disagree with the statement that cattle can bring in an income, but if managed well it's true! The variables are water and being able to forage cows throughout the winter. If it rains to replenish your plant life and you do not have to bring in alot of outside hay, you should be able to turn a profit. I'm sure this will be the topic of many posts in the future. For now, suffice it to say that cows woo you with the opportunity for financial benefit. At least, they have to me. Therefore, I raise beef.

  Probably the most significant reason that answers the "Why Cows?" question is that I simply like being around cows. Yes, they are predictably slow witted and find themselves doing exactly what you don't want them to...But I find those attributes charming. Regardless, of their mental capabilities, I like them. It must be something that mothers/fathers experience with young children. The cows are dependent upon me for everything. They learn to wait upon me for their morning snack. They know that when I open up the next paddock they are allowed to rush in and scout it out (this is particularly rewarding for me, as their excitement is contagious). They grow in what they perceive to be threatening or not. For example; my very presence with them in the paddock was threatening. Now it is not. The hay fork used to mean imminent danger. Now it does not. The blue snake was initially thought to be a messenger of certain death. Now, it brings fresh water from its mouth into the trough. There is something extremely satisfying about watching them grow in all aspects of life. They physically report to me their current nutrient condition. I can tell by their "gut fill" whether or not they are getting enough to eat (more on that later). Daily we play a game of matching their feed desires with the pressure I would like to place upon the land. The balance between the soil health and the prosperity of the cows changes daily. It must be constantly observed and tweaked. Many in the permaculture, sustainable living, and hippie cultures lose me when the focus is solely upon the plants. Don't get me wrong... I'm all about taking care of the soil and plants entrusted to my care. But if it weren't for the emotional/psychological link between myself and the cows, I wouldn't be as passionate about farming/ranching. I can literally see the benefits of taking care of the soil through proper management because it yields better grass for my herd. A cycle is created where I care for my cows, they care for me (or at least my feeding of them), and it in turn causes me to care about the land that provides for them. My eyes get opened to a whole world that I would not normally be aware of through our relationship with the cows. Therefore, I raise beef.

  "Why Cows?", the city slicker may say... Because cows are the socially preferred, most productive per-pound, fastest growing in both the commodity and the organic markets, earth healing, docile human companions for your farm. Cows are an essential element to both my culture and my heritage. I can't wait to see how cows effect our family and the culture around us.