14 minute read
RAFI Auction Provides Trip of a Lifetime for Illinois Couple
by Kathy Schierbaum, Tunnel Hill, Illinois
Picture this: a cattle drive at the Beckton Ranch in Wyoming. When we saw the auction item listed in the 2020 Red Angus Foundation Inc. auction, it certainly piqued our interest to visit the home of the Red Angus breed’s foundation herd.
My husband, Dale, said he would watch the bidding and see if he could buy it for us. Neither of us had ever been farther west than Kansas City, so we thought it would be a great adventure. On the night of the bidding, he called me at work to say we had been the top bidders!
Nearly a year later, in September 2021, we were on our way to Wyoming. The drive through the Bighorn National Forest was both beautiful and nerve-racking as we wound our way around the mountainside.
Soon, we were at the ranch and greeted warmly by ranch hands Randy Zier and Renee Morris.
The mountainside cattle drive to retrieve the Beckton Ranch herd from government grazing was both treacherous and beautiful. However, the opportunity to see a western ranch in action and to participate in a cattle drive left memories to last a lifetime. Dale and Kathy Schierbaum purchased a ranch experience on the historic Beckton Ranch in Wyoming in the 2020 RAFI fundraising auction. The couple from Tunnel Hill, Illinois, made the trip in September.
... to raise the BEST GENETICS in the INDUSTRY for the SUCCESS of our CUSTOMERS! Consignments Bred Heifers
... to the North Dakota Red Select Sale Saturday, December 11, 2021 • Kist Livestock, Mandan, ND
Open Heifers
RREDS SENECA 731C x HXC CONQUEST 4405P Bred to STRA ADMIRAL 0150 for a Feb. 24 calf. BIEBER SPARTACUS A193 x LJC MISSION STATEMENT P27 Bred to STRA ADMIRAL 0150 for a Feb. 24 calf.
Videos & Catalog available at
TwedtRedAngus. com
STRA RELENTLESS x RED U-2 RECON 192Y RED U2 TOWNSHIP 17G x LARSON SUN KING 016
RED U-2 RAINBOW 417C #2585248 BIEBER LAURA 158W #1311673 STRA RELENTLESS #3955293 RED U2 TOWNSHIP 17G #4265551
Contact us for more information and to receive a sale catalog!
Annual Production Sale Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Sam Twedt
C: (701) 388-4035 • H: (701) 262-4768 twedtredangus@hotmail.com 2061 95th Ave NE • McHenry, ND 58464 www.twedtredangus.com
When Cam Forbes arrived, we wandered around the barns and saw the bulls in their pens waiting for the sale. Dale and I chose our favorite bulls and marveled at the different hay equipment. Such a large operation has quite different feeding processes than our small family farm in southern Illinois.
Driving up to the house that was designed by Cam himself, we were greeted by his wife, Trish. We all became acquainted over the nice meal Trish had made. Sitting on the patio, we all visited and watched a gorgeous sunset over the mountains.
Early the next morning, we saddled horses and trailed up the mountains – the same nail-biting road I drove down in a car! Had I not been so excited, I might have been nervous about riding in such rough country. Six of us made the trip – Cam, Trish, Randy, Renee, Dale and I, plus one extra pack horse. Randy and Cam, plus the horses, were the veterans of the group.
Our mission for two days was to move two different groups of cattle from government grazing back onto the ranch pastures. We rode all morning on the fi rst day and didn’t see any cattle. After a short lunch break by a pretty creek, we mounted back up and soon got into a group of cows. The horses really perked up and were happy to work.
With Cam and Randy directing, the rest of us jumped in to help round up and push the herd to new grounds. It was beautiful riding behind all the red cattle with the mountains in the background. There are always a few cows that run to the trees or just don’t cooperate, but we fi nally headed them all in the right direction.
Our night was spent in an old, two room log cabin built years ago on the mountaintop. A wood fi re stove was used to cook steaks and potatoes, and we dipped clear spring water to drink and wash up. Coleman lanterns lit the cabin after dark. We were all exhausted, but reveled in our thoughts of the fun and successful day we had.
On the next morning, we were a little slower getting around, but we fi red up the old stove again to heat wagroups of cattle from government grazing back onto the ter for coffee. After ter for coffee. After fi lling water bottles and packing all filling water bottles and packing all
We drove cattle from government grazing land in the majestic Bighorn Mountains back onto ranch pastures during our cattle drive purchased in the 2020 RAFI auction. The trip fulfi lled an Illinois girl’s dream to be a cowboy.
items back up, we caught the horses that had been grazing around the cabin all night. It was another lovely morning and slightly warmer than the day before.
We rode through some of the forests that had burned a few years back and passed another log cabin. This area was dry and dusty. The trail led through scenic pine trees that are much sturdier than midwestern pines. I learned this as I rode into a branch expecting it to yield to me. Instead, I was nearly knocked off my horse. It was quite a wake-up call.
The sagebrush released a clean, crisp scent as the horses ambled through, imprinting lasting memories in our heads.
We saw more cattle on this day. The steep hills and mountainsides made the roundup even more challenging as we gathered a herd from a large area. This time, we pushed a rather large herd across the mountainside to a clear, cool creek racing over the rocks. After crossing the creek, a nice pasture for the cows to graze appeared in our sight. We stopped next to the creek for a lunch break before our last trek up the mountain.
This last leg of our journey made me appreciate our sure-footed mounts. Areas of the trail were very narrow, and some of it had washed slides off the mountain side. However, a daunting ride made for gorgeous mountain views. At one pasture, we could see nearby Sheridan.
We covered many miles on our two-day ride and encountered lovely country with breathtaking views. We fl ushed some elk into a hunter’s camp and even caught sight of a rather large black bear.
This was a totally unforgettable experience. My deepest appreciation goes out to Cam, Trish, Randy and Renee. We were treated like family, and I will cherish the memories forever.
For a girl who always wanted to be a cowboy, this trip was absolutely a dream come true. n
Every contribution to the Red Angus Foundation, Inc. is important and appreciated.
Following is a list of donations from members and stakeholders over the past year.
MEMORIAL - KEVIN LEMASTER
GREEN MOUNTAIN RED ANGUS
BIEBER RED ANGUS
MUSHRUSH RED ANGUS
SELECT SIRES
KOESTER RED ANGUS
SCHULER RED ANGUS
Name _______________________________________________________________
Ranch or Business Name _______________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________
City __________________________ State _______ Zip ___________________ Phone Numbers _______________________________________________________
Email _______________________________________________________________
Given in o memory or o honor of _________________________________________ Submit to: Red Angus Foundation, Inc. 18335 E. 103rd Avenue, Suite 202 • Commerce City, CO 80022
Retain a copy for your tax records. RAFI is organized under IRS code 501(c)(3), Tax ID #75-2617387. Contribution may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor.
BOB HOUGH BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER
NETWORK FOR GOOD
DONATION - GENERAL FUND
BLOM RED ANGUS
BRAHMAN COUNTRY GENETICS LLC
BUFFALO CREEK FARM
CIRCLE S FARM
DAVID HOFFMAN
DAVID KEY
FERGUSON RANCH FFT
GREGORY JONES
HOLSTE HOMESTEAD INC
JACKIE HATCHER II
LETRUD FARMS
RON DAVIS
SANDY RANCH
SY YATES OLSON
THOMAS G FIELD
ZACHARY LARRIMORE
If you would like more information on contributing, visit: RedAngus.org/rafi / n
Industry Voice by Purina Animal Nutrition
Breeding season may seem like it is months away for spring calving herds. However, winter is a vital time to ensure your bulls will be ready to perform at turnout later in spring or summer.
Start the Season at the Right BCS
Structure, soundness and fertility are all important factors for a bull’s breeding success, and so is body condition.
“Mature bulls should be at a body condition score of 6 by turnout, while yearling bulls should be at a 6.5 BCS,” said Chad Zehnder, Ph.D., cattle consultant and nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “Having bulls in proper body condition enhances their ability to perform. Bulls thinner than BCS 6 may have impacted fertility, while over-conditioned bulls have lower libido. During the course of a breeding season bulls typically lose 10-15% of their weight – one to two BCS points.”
Yearling bulls need a little more condition because they are still growing, and they tend to be more active during the breeding season than older bulls. Having a little extra condition will help yearling bulls make it through their fi rst breeding easier.
For a bull, a one-point change in body condition score equals about 100 pounds. And, it takes time to add condition back on bulls who lost weight during the previous breeding season, so starting to prepare those bulls four or fi ve months out is ideal. Adding one pound per day during
Winter care for herd bulls is essential
GUIDE TO BODY CONDITION SCORES
BCS 1: The cow is severely emaciated and physically weak with all ribs and bone structure easily visible. Cattle in this score are extremely rare and are usually infl icted with a disease and/or parasitism. BCS 2: The cow appears emaciated, similar to BCS 1 described above, but not weakened. Muscle tissue seems severely depleted through the hindquarters and shoulders. BCS 3: The cow is very thin with no fat on ribs or in brisket and the backbone is easily visible. Some muscle depletion appears evident through the hindquarters. BCS 4: The cow appears thin, with ribs easily visible and the backbone showing. The spinous processes (along the edge of the loin) are still very sharp and barely visible individually. Muscle tissue is not depleted through the shoulders and hindquarters. BCS 5: The cow may be described as moderate to thin. The last two ribs can be seen and little evidence of fat is present in the brisket, over the ribs or around the tail head. The spinous processes are now smooth and no longer individually identifi able. BCS 6: The cow exhibits a good smooth appearance throughout. Some fat deposition is present in the brisket and over the tail head. The back appears rounded and fat can be palpated over the ribs and pin bones. BCS 7: The cow appears in very good fl esh. The brisket is full, the tail head shows pockets of fat and the back appears square due to fat. The ribs are very smooth and soft handling due to fat cover. BCS 8: The cow is obese. Her neck is thick and short and her back appears very square due to excessive fat. The brisket is distended and she has heavy fat pockets around the tail head. BCS 9: These cows are very obese and are rarely seen. They can be described as similar to eight but taken to greater extremes. They also have a heavy deposition of udder fat.
the off-season, versus rushing to add on up to three pounds per day as breeding season closes in, can support your bulls’ longevity.
“During a 45- to 90-day breeding season, we’re demanding high performance from bulls,” said Zehnder. “If we can have them in the right shape at the start of the season, the better chance they will perform the way we expect.”
Keep Bull Nutrition in Focus
“A lot of focus is put on feeding the cowherd and making sure they have what they need during the winter, but we can’t forget about bulls,” said Zehnder. “As forages go dormant during the winter or we move to stored forages, supplemental feed may be needed to make up the nutritional gap.”
Self-fed supplements can help remove the burden of feeding bulls daily, keep them on a high plane of nutrition and are a great way to achieve added body condition when paired with adequate forage and mineral.
Using mineral with additional trace minerals ensures ideal trace mineral absorption to support high reproductive expectations.
The same strategy can be employed with a self-feeder using supplements.
“Using self-fed products eliminates competition between bulls at the feeder and the daily task of feeding,” said Zehnder.
“Reducing competition helps minimize the risk of injury that could set back your bulls for breeding season.”
Depending on winter forage quantity and quality, a protein tub can aid in bridging the nutritional gap. “Start now with bringing your bulls into proper a body condition score so you won’t be playing catch up during the lead into breeding season following spring calving,” said Zehnder.
Fall Calving Herd Advice
During the winter, fall-calving cowherds are in their breeding season.
“Although nutritional requirements of bulls in a fall-breeding program should be met by forage and diets being supplied to the cowherd they are serving, bulls should be closely monitored for BCS and injury and replaced if need be,” said Zehnder.
If you’re feeding your cows to a high plane of nutrition with supplements and mineral, your bulls will get what they need to perform.
Zehnder recommends working with your nutritionist to build a nutrition plan for your bulls. n
