Legends of the Fall

By Dan McCarty

Living and ranching in western Colorado, September marks the most distinct change of seasons throughout the year. It is almost as if overnight, you can feel a chill in the morning air and realize the leaves on the trees and brush are not quite as green as they were yesterday.

Another telltale sign that September and fall are here is the dramatic increase in cattle trucks running up and down Interstate 70. Shipping time has arrived in the Intermountain West. Along with weaning and shipping, spring calving herds will also be busy preg checking and, because of the extreme dry conditions throughout the west, making tough culling decisions.

Fall cow work on the ranch is very similar to the day that the report card comes home from school—one of the few days of the year that we put actual numbers down on paper and see how things really turned out. The calves might have been healthy and looked good on the summer range, but the real test is the day when they step on the scale to determine their value and the exact amount of the ranch’s annual paycheck.

The steer and heifer calves aren’t the only ones receiving a report card this fall. Cows that fall out of a herd early in life are a major economic drain on the long-term profitability of a commercial cattle operation. This year, the cow not only had to raise that calf in dry, less than ideal conditions, but she had to breed back as well. Did she slip back a cycle that will cause her to calve late? Is her udder holding up? Are her feet and legs holding up? If she is unable to put a checkmark in all the appropriate boxes in a challenging year like this, she is most likely exploring a career change in the near future.

All the measures and data recorded this fall that I have mentioned have a direct impact on the bottom line of any commercial ranching operation. They are additionally the traits that Gelbvieh and Balancer® genetics are known for and excel in—maternal ability, fertility, growth and performance and cow longevity.

As genetic providers to the commercial cattle business, Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders continue to focus and improve on economically relevant traits that our customers count on for their long-term success. When fellow cattlemen put their trust in you and your genetics, making financial decisions that impact their livelihoods, the commitment and focus of breeding decisions are not taken lightly.

I was once visiting a bull customer that runs in some rough country and retains his heifers and he said it best, “On this outfit, a pretty cow is pretty useless unless I can count on her as a profit center.” FF

Martin Cattle Company

David & Rita Martin

256 Boyce Road Judsonia, AR 72081 C: 501.278.7614

www.martincattleco.com

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Dean & Mary Swenson

17513 Hwy 10

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Duane & Brenda, Dustin & Karla Rippe 6775 Road D • Hubbell, NE 68375 (H) 402-324-4176 Duane (C): 402-200-0096 Dustin (C): 316-323-4874 dustin.rippe@yahoo.com www.rippegelbvieh.com