2016 Winter Cattlemen's Edition

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

As the southeastern most county in Wyoming, Laramie County is also the most populated in Wyoming, bringing many benefits and challenges.

The county seat of Cheyenne also serves as the capitol of the state.

“Laramie County’s history is tied to a geography that made Cheyenne a crossroads for commerce and transportation,” writes Marguerite Herman at wyohistory.org.

Laramie County was created in 1867 as a county within the Dakota Territory, named for fur trader Jacques La Ramee. The city of Cheyenne was formed that same year when residents who camped along Crow Creek formed a city government.

“By the end of 1867, the new town had 4,000 residents, many businesses and two newspapers,” Herman continues.

Livestock production “In 1867, Laramie County of the Dakota Territory had 36,000 head of cattle,” Herman says. “By 1869, cattle trailed north from Texas were arriving in the new territory.”

The cattle industry grew fast in the area, with an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 head of cattle within a 100-mile radius of Cheyenne in the 1870s. The Wyoming Stock Growers Association was formed in the mid-1870s to accommodate Cheyenne becoming the hub of cattle ranching in the region, she continues.

Herman explains, “Alexander Swan introduced the first Herefords in what was then Laramie County in 1880.

He founded the Cheyenne Hereford Ranch near Cheyenne, the largest operation of its kind.”

With the explosion of

the cattle business, barons of the cattle industry created an exclusive club in the center of Cheyenne to provide a meeting location for the wealthy and influential, continues Herman.

“These cattle barons stayed in Cheyenne during the winter, living well and setting policies that affected the cattle industry throughout the West,” she adds. “The cattle business boomed in the early and mid-1880s, but late in the decade it was hit hard by blizzards, droughts and economic depression.”

While the cattle industry was flourishing, sheep were brought into the area by the Durbin brothers in 1870.

“The Warren Livestock Co., led by F.E. Warren, was the major sheep ranching operation,” Herman says.

Farming In eastern Laramie County, dryland farming attracted early settlers.

“The railroads promoted dryland farming in advertising aimed at immigrant farmers, since settlement promised to increase railroad traffic,” says Herman. “Families sometimes hired an entire railroad car to haul their farming equipment, livestock and other possessions to the whistle stop nearest the new homestead.”

Farming flourished for many years, and many small farming communities emerged along the Union Pacific Railroad.

However, in 1920 after World War II, a collapse in crop and livestock prices, followed by the Great Depression and a seven-year drought, meant that many farmers sold their land and livestock as crops failed and pastures were inadequate to support cattle.

Today Laramie County is still

Wyoming’s population center today, and Cheyenne provides the Capitol where all regulations and laws are made in the Wyoming Legislature.

Herman says, “The 2010 census reported the Laramie County population at 91,738, up 12.4 percent just since 2000.”

The City of Cheyenne and towns of Albin, Burns and Pine Bluffs provide population centers in the county, but census-designated places as well as unincorporated communities are also widespread through the area.

Ag base In 2010, the Census of Agriculture, performed by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, noted that 1,116 farms covered 1.68 million acres in the county. The county ranks third in cattle production and eighth in sheep production. It also comes in first for winter wheat, seventh for sugarbeets, second in corn grain, 10th in alfalfa hay and seventh in other hay production.

The market value of livestock products sold in 2010 hit $144.2 million, and crop products sold at $46.5 million for a total agricultural product value of $190.7 million.

Laramie County is ranked as second in the state for the value of its ag products.

In 2015, Laramie County boasted 83,000 cattle and calves and 18,600 sheep.

On the crop side, Laramie County raises winter wheat, with 77,800 harvested acres in 2014, and harvested 500 acres of sugarbeets in 2013. Farm-

ers in the county harvested 10,500 acres of corn for grain in 2014.

In 2014, farmers also harvested 15,000 acres of alfalfa hay and 27,000 acres of other hay.

With high-protein grass-

lands across the county, many producers marked Laramie County as a great place to live and raise cattle.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Meriden – The year 1889 brought the Kirkbride family from their home in Yorkshire, England to the prairies of Wyoming.

After teaming up with the Harding family in a business deal, Harding and Kirkbride Livestock Company was formed, and the operation remains a significant part of the Laramie County agriculture community today.

Family trees “My great-grandfather and his two brothers came here, and they had only five dollars between them

when they got to Archer,” says Alan Kirkbride, one of the 11 principle operators on Harding-Kirkbride Ranches. “They came to Archer because they knew they could find jobs with the Wilkinson family, who they had known in Yorkshire.”

After taking jobs on the ranch, James, Alex and Barnard Kirkbride almost immediately homesteaded and stepped out on their own.

“By the end of their first year in ranching, they had made $1,100 between them and saved $900 of it,” Alan

says. “Their extreme frugality was really a staple in the early ranch.”

Alan’s grandfather Dan was the youngest of seven children born to Alex.

Because he was the youngest, he had to go out on his own to ranch.

“Dan took up two relinquished homesteads in 1919,” Alan continues. “In 1924, he went into business with his brother-in-law Elvy Harding.”

Dan married Peggy Harding, one of three children born to H.O. and Sarah

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Harding of Missouri.

In 1917, the Harding family came west to Cheyenne. Peggy was joined by her brothers Elvy and Luther “Buck.”

“Dan married Peggy in 1919, and my dad Ken was born in 1920,” explains Alan.

Beginning in business Elvy and Dan started out with 800 old ewes from Swan Land and Cattle. They trailed the sheep from the mountains above Wheatland to the plains north of Cheyenne.

“They started in the sheep business and raised sheep for 60 years,” Alan says, noting that the family finally exited the sheep business in 1983. “They did very well, and it was a really good time to be in the sheep business.”

As their flocks grew, the pair would let other homesteaders have a portion of the flock, accepting payment as one-third of the lamb crop in the future.

“That kept everyone in business,” Alan says, explaining that the small families had enough to keep them afloat during the Great Depression.

In 1937, the current home place for the Kirkbride family was purchased by Dan and Elvy from the Frank Wilkinson family.

“Dan bought this ranch in 1937 and another Wilkinson Ranch in 1945,” Alan says. “They became significant players in the ag industry, and they each started with just a homestead.”

Moving forward Dan and Peggy had one son – Ken, who fathered the current generation of Kirkbrides on the ranch.

“My dad was born in 1920,” Alan says. “After World War II, he came back into the ranching business.”

He continues, “Elvy also had a son, George, who came back into business after World War II. Elvy’s other son Owen joined the ranch after he completed college in 1957.”

Today, Ken’s sons Jon, Alan and Dan, as well as his grandsons Jeff, Glen and Ryan, are principle operators on the ranch. Owen, Owen’s son Jerry and Jerry’s sons Jerrod and Kiel, as well as George’s son Chip, are also involved.

The 11 men work together as a fluid team to run the operation.

Working together With so many principles in the operation, Alan notes that they have successfully worked together for many years.

“We have always had very good family interaction,” he says. “To do that, where someone has a strength, we let them take the reins. We defer to the guys who are strong in an area, and if someone has a talent, we let them lead.”

As they look to the future, Alan notes that there are a number of young people in their family who are stepping up on the ranch.

“We have some really good young guys who like the ranch,” Alan says. “We also share the same values, in that we put the ranch first, not to the exclusion of our families, and we get our work done.”

Cattle business Today, the Kirkbride family continues to run cattle on the original ranch.

“We have a cowherd, and we buy and sell calves and yearling steers and heifers,” Alan explains. “Our cattle are mostly Angus, with a little blend of a few other breeds.”

He comments that they were able to increase the size of their cattle as well.

“We get the best response from buyers and feeders with an Angus base,” Alan notes.

“We feel we need to increase our size, so we have some pressure to do some crossbreeding.”

The family prefers to run larger-framed Angus cows across Laramie, Goshen and Platte counties.

Production Each year, the Kirkbride family calves in April and early May. “We run those calves until they are a year-anda-half old,” Alan explains.

“Then, we sell them off grass.

We can put 400 pounds on them between January and September.”

They begin buying yearlings in January, and while a portion can come to the ranch, the rest are housed in feedlots until grass is available.

“We summer them all out here, and they explode

in June and July,” he continues. “We have pretty consistent country here, and we very rarely have a drought that causes us not to produce anything.”

Because of the variety of grasses that mature at a different rates, feed is often available throughout the summer.

“We try to stock conservatively while also utilizing the resource,” Alan adds.

In late August, steers begin to leave the ranch, and the yearlings are all sold by October.

Advantages of the area Alan doesn’t see disadvantages to the area where they run.

“We don’t have many problems,” he says, “but I would say we do have a lot of advantages to running out here.”

With a good water source available, Alan notes they can drill good wells anywhere that are relatively shallow.

They don’t see the concerns with reduced quantities of water that many others in the county experience.

At the same time, he says, “We are really close to markets in Torrington, Greeley, Colo. and Fort Collins, Colo., and it isn’t far to the feeding areas of eastern Colorado and western Nebraska.”

Their elevation is relatively low, and the Kirkbrides see many benefits from living in Wyoming.

Staying involved To give back to their community, Alan notes that the many members of the family have been involved in a variety of activities.

Alan’s brother Dan is a state legislator. His other brother Jon and Jon’s son Jeff have been involved in the school board, and the family has also been active in the Laramie County and Wyoming Stock Growers Associations. Jon also served as a president for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

“Getting involved is a great opportunity to work to make an impact in our area,” Alan describes. “Communities need people to give back.

Wyoming has been good to us, so we’ll give back.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Pine Bluffs – Gross-Wilkinson Ranch sits just west of Pine Bluffs and is home to three families. Bill and Phyllis Gross and their sons Greg and Pat work together to raise cattle, operate a feedlot and raise feedstuffs for the operation.

“I’ve been here all my life,” says Bill. “I came back in 1961 after I graduated from the University of Wyoming.”

After receiving a degree in animal science, Bill came back to help his ailing father run their ranch.

“I was going to go to vet school when my family asked me to come back, and I’m glad I did,” he says.

“At the time, we had a cow/ calf operation, but we never finished many cattle. Today, we fatten cattle in our feedlot for the March and April markets, and we sell off grass as feeder cattle – whichever we think will work best.”

Building a feedlot When Bill returned home, the family began to build their feedlot, and they took their first set of cattle to feed in 1962.

“Today, we could feed more cattle,” Bill says. “We expanded over a few years to the size we are today.”

Bill primarily looks over the cattle, working with a partner on several ranches in the region to run both a cow/ calf herd and yearlings.

The feedlot keeps the Gross brothers busy during the winter months.

“Pretty much everything but the grain we feed comes off the farm,” Greg explains, adding that they have to purchase corn, distiller’s grain and a liquid protein supplement to add to their ration.

“If we are fattening cattle, we have to buy some corn, but if we are backgrounding, we have corn to sell,” Greg comments.

“Other than the protein, we can produce most of our feed.”

Cowherd Pat, who works with the cattle herd, says, “The cows are predominantly Angus crossbreds.”

They retain their heifers, so he notes that the cowherd is gradually transitioning to a more crossbred herd.

“The crossbred cows wean a bigger, more desirable calf,” Greg notes.

The Gross’ also artificially inseminate their herd to stay ahead of the best genetics.

“We calve our heifers beginning Feb. 20, and the cows start about a month later,” Pat comments. “It’s always nice to have calves when the grass is turning green.”

The cows primarily run at LaGrange and across the state line in Nebraska where they calve. During the sum-

Gross-Wilkinson Ranch as a rich history. John Wilkinson emigrated to the U.S. from England in 1882, arriving with a wife and eight children. John and his brother Anthony were very entrepreneurial and build vast land holding in the Wilkinson name.

Homesteading and purchasing adjacent homesteads played a part, but the Union Pacific Railroad offered huge opportunity when it came through. The Union Pacific owned alternate sections on both sides of the track for a distance of 20 miles each direction, and John and Anthony grasped the opportunity to acquire more land use by purchasing the alternate sections.

Only 16 years after they came to Wyoming, John’s first wife Deborah died in 1896 at the age of 51.

William Dolan also emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. and enlisted in the Navy, where he was awarded a Medal of Honor. He was on his way to California from New Orleans for the gold rush, but by the time he reached Julesburg, Colo., he was discouraged and hired on with the Union Pacific Railroad, which was under construction between Julesburg and Cheyenne.

William reached Cheyenne in 1867 and was made section foreman, the first man to act in this capacity out of Cheyenne. While working for the railroad, he stared to buy cattle.

In 1875, William homesteaded 160 acres of land on Muddy Creek near Pine Bluffs. William and his wife had seven children – six boys and one girl.

Charles J. Gross came to Wyoming from Pennsylvania and married Mary Elizabeth Dolan in 1892. They ran a general store in Pine Bluffs and acquired ranch property across the state line in Nebraska. They were the parents of three boys – William A. “Brick,” Charles C. “Todd” and Henry.

Henry died as a youngster from blood poisoning after stepping on a nail.

Charles J. was killed in a railroad accident while taking horses to Omaha, Neb., leaving Mary a widow with two young sons.

“Mary Elizabeth married John Wilkinson in 1904, and they had one daughter, Mildred. Wilkinson was a big rancher in this county,” says Bill Gross, the son of Brick, who now operates the ranch. “He was really an entrepreneur. He ran 30,000 head of sheep on 90 checker-boarded sections of deeded ground and another 90 in between. He died in 1914, and Mary died in 1954.”

After John’s passing, Mary took one-tenth of his estate, distributing one-tenth to each of John’s eight children and their daughter Mildred.

mer, they also graze native rangelands. They spend a significant amount of time grazing cornstalks or other crop residue in the fall.

“We try to feed mainly crop residue in the fall and early winter to feed as economically as possible,” Pat comments.

“We also lease property from the City of Cheyenne to run yearlings on,” he adds.

Marketing In selling their cattle, the Gross family tries to determine the best time to market each year, rather than sticking to the same marketing strategy year after year.

“We sell cattle off grass in September and October, or we put them in the feedlot in November and sell fat cattle in the March and April markets,” Bill notes. “We also start buying calves for grass in December.”

Calves purchased in December are split between Gross and his partner’s ranch in Nebraska. They go to grass in April and May. In September and October, the calves are either sold or returned to the feedlot and finished for the March or April market.

Farming operation While developing the cowherd and building a feedlot, the Gross family has grown their farming operation as well. They began installing sprinklers on their farm ground in the late 1960s.

“The first pivots went in during 1969,” Greg says.

“We have some of the earliest serial numbers on our pivots, which is pretty interesting.”

Pat notes that they raise a lot of roughages to feed the cattle, including sorghum hay, native hay, alfalfa and triticale. They also raise corn, wheat and pinto beans.

“We have irrigated meadows that we hay as well,” says Greg.

With water challenges

plaguing the area, the family also notes that they have adapted to the current environment.

“We’ve learned to work with water shortages by planting crops that don’t use as much water,” Greg notes.

“So far, it’s been very good.”

Ranching lifestyle The Gross family enjoys their operation, and they believe that agriculture is a great business to work in.

Phyllis notes that the operation has provided a great place to raise their fam-

ily, and Pat says, “This is a good lifestyle to have.”

“Raising cattle is all I’ve done,” Bill says. “I was educated that way, and we’ve had the ranch since I was born.

I’ve always loved it, and it’s been good to me.”

He adds, “A friend of mine told me, ‘First you have a ranch, and then the ranch has got you.’ He’s right, and it’s a good place to be.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Family - The Gross family, including (from left to right) Bill, Pat, Phyllis, Greg and Greg’s son Scott, work together at Gross-Wilkinson Ranch. Saige Albert photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Cheyenne – As a sophomore in high school growing up on his grandfather’s cattle ranch in northwestern Nebraska, Jay Dee Fox decided that he was going to become a veterinarian.

He attended pre-vet school in Lincoln, Neb. for two years and was accepted to vet school at both Iowa State and Colorado State University (CSU).

Walter Reed “I decided to go to CSU, and I graduated in 1969. To help pay for my education, I served five years in the Army Veterinary Corp, stationed at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C.,” Jay Dee explains.

While he was there, he worked in the department of lab animals in support of research. He spent time ensuring that animals were healthy and that their living conditions met regulations.

“Right about that time, the Animal Welfare Act was put

into place, and that actually made a huge difference in the quality of research that came from lab animals, because it standardized their environments,” he comments.

The Act ensured that animals were kept in adequate housing and air-handling systems were standardized to create healthier living spaces.

“There were probably 26 different species of animals that we were responsible for. Each animal had its own nutritional and disease control requirements,” Jay Dee continues.

Some diseases can also be passed between animals and people, including tuberculosis and monkey B virus, which both occurred at the lab while Jay Dee was there.

In fact, he notes, “I had one research project that involved testing for tuberculosis in monkeys at the biological research center at Fort Detrick.”

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Wyoming After serving at Walter Reed, Jay Dee set out West, looking for a place to work as a large animal veterinarian.

“I started working with an older, large animal veterinarian, who mentored me for a number of years,” he says.

Eventually, he began to take on more clients of his own and also joined the Wyoming Army National Guard, working with food inspection and health sanitation for the military.

“I retired in 2006 with 31 years in time and grade as a full bird colonel,” he remarks. “I was a veterinarian in the Wyoming Army National Guard part-time and large animal veterinarian in Laramie County full-time. It’s been rewarding, and it’s been a good place to raise my children.”

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although he also sees the occasional sheep, pig or llama.

“I do a fair amount of client education,” he adds.

“When I go out on an owner’s place, we don’t just give shots and go racing to the next place.”

Instead, Jay Dee tries to look around, pointing out facilities or situations that may not be safe. He also talks about herd management and preventative medicine.

“It’s up to them if they want to use my suggestions or not,” he comments.

Family connections Jay Dee also explains that most of his clients have been part of his practice for many years, and he now works with second and third generations from the same families.

“I am taking care of one lady’s great-grandchildren now. They are pre-teens, and I’ve been a part of their family since the beginning,” he notes.

Working with families is one of the best parts of the business for Jay Dee. He explains, “That may sound a little different in attitude or approach, but some of those families depend on their animals for income, and I try to help them with good advice.”

From recommending preventative medicines or lab tests to discussing herd management, many of Jay Dee’s conversations take place over the squeeze chute or lunch table.

“I’m also a member of Wyoming Stock Growers Association. They do a good job of bringing on qualified

lecture people who talk about preventative medicine, ranch management and what’s going on in Wyoming,” he adds.

Business About 90 percent of Jay Dee’s practice is mobile and operated out of the truck. He also has a building where he can store drugs and meet with clients who prefer to bring their animals in to see him.

“I’ve had one or two employed veterinarians working for me from time to time over the years. There have also been a couple of times, like now, that I’ve been without an associate veterinarian,” he says.

He has also seen a lot of new developments in the industry throughout the years, crediting science and the availability of equipment for many positive changes.

“We didn’t have ultrasounds in vet school when I was there. We had X-rays, but now we have digital X-rays with a much clearer image.

Equine dentistry has made leaps and bounds, and we do a fair amount of equine dentistry throughout the year,” he comments.

The availability of laboratories to use for testing has also improved immensely, allowing small clinics to provide results within a matter of minutes instead of send-

Veterinarian Jay Dee Fox works with producers to evaluate cattle working facilities for safety and ease of handling.

Over the years, he has had the opportunity to work with many different facilities, from swinging on the end of a rope to trying to dally on the ball hitch of a pickup to a hydraulic chute connected to a tub and alley.

He explains that he is always concerned about the safety of both the animals and the animal handlers.

“The cost of adequate, safe, animal working facilities is minimal compared to medical bills and lost time incurred by injured animal handlers. Good facilities decrease the manhours required to work the animals and the stress on the animals,” he notes.

Jay Dee also tries to help novice horse owners improve safety for horses and people, working with them to understand horse body language and herd interaction, as well as how to feed and care for the animals without humanizing them.

“I try to be available by phone 24/7 for my clients, to answer questions and set up appointments,” he says.

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ing samples by mail to more remote vet labs and hearing back three or four days later.

“Referral clinics have also changed. The availability of referral clinics that have hightech equipment like MRIs, CT scans and great diagnostic tools comparable to human medicine is pretty amazing,” he notes.

Veterinary diversity Anesthetics have also improved greatly, both in animals and in humans.

“There are a lot of veterinarians involved with research. I think the DVM (Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine) degree gives us the widest array of professions,” Jay Dee says. “We put a monkey on the moon, and there were a lot of veterinarians involved with that. The same goes for drug testing and experimental work.”

Along with his practice, Jay Dee is also a certified foreign animal disease diagnostic technician, credentialed by USDA’s APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service).

“If there is a foreign animal disease outbreak, there aren’t enough federal and state veterinarians to orchestrate an effort to eliminate the disease from the United States,” he explains.

He continues, “I spent many hours on the computer to become credentialed with the USDA as a veterinary asset responding to foreign animal disease emergencies, but I would much rather get in my truck and work on animals and interact with their owners.”

Born in 1944, Jay Dee comments that people occasionally ask him about retirement, but he enjoys the work too much.

“When someone retires, they should do what they’ve always wanted to do all their life. I’ve been lucky enough to do what I want to do – all my life,” he remarks.

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@wylr.net.

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A7

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Albin – The Rabou family has a 110-year legacy of farming and ranching outside of Albin, and today, Ron, the son of the late Ed Rabou, is continuing in the spirit of his father on his farm.

“I grew up on an oldtime ranch. We’ve been here a long time,” he says, noting that his operation today is much different than it was in the past. “I think, as production agriculturalists, too often we believe that the legacy is the farm and the ranch. It took me a long time to realize that my dad’s legacy is who he was and who he taught me to be.”

As a result, though he only owns a small portion of the original family ranch, Ron is fulfilling the morals, values and history of agriculture involvement that his father instilled in him at a young age. Ron’s greatgreat grandmother originally purchased half of the section where his farmstead lies back in 1911. She later purchased the rest of the section and built the farmstead where he and his family reside today.

Splitting the place After Ron attended college, he returned to the ranch for a short time before moving to Cheyenne to

work in fundraising for the Wyoming FFA Foundation.

“I was three years into working for the FFA Foundation when my dad unexpectedly had a heart attack and died,” Ron says. “His passing completely turned my whole world upside down.”

With choices as to what we he could do, Ron opted to return to the family place in Albin and pursue his future in agriculture, all while finishing his college education. After approaching his family, who were partners in the ranch, the operation was split, with Ron leaving with 40 percent of the operation, including the land where his grandparent’s house sits.

“The hardest decision I ever made was to split away from the family ranch,” Ron comments, “and it was even harder to follow through with, but it was also the best decision – and the right decision – for everyone.”

Starting out After going out on his own, Ron says that for three years, he struggled.

“I finally decided that I was going to have to do something else or take some risks and make some serious changes,” he explains.

“The land I owned wasn’t the right type to make the

kind of life I wanted, so I decided to sell 80 percent of what I had and rebuild.”

Over the next 10 years, he bought and sold various parcels to put together a farm that was both productive and practical for his goals in the operation.

“It isn’t easy to find places nearby, and it wasn’t easy to make the numbers work, especially when we were selling pasture land and buying productive crop land,” Ron says. “I had to take a long hard look at what kind of return my assets were producing and what they contributed to my business. Through some enormously tough choices, some of which involved land that I was very emotionally attached to, we looked at how we could grow and shape the operation to create more opportunities.”

Ron’s desire was to create an operation that was based in farming. Though he has some cattle today, a friend runs his herd. He left the ranch’s original herd with the rest of the family when he left the ranch.

“We raise organic wheat and proso millet,” he says. “We’ve replaced over 100 percent of the acres we sold and are farming over five times the amount of

cropland today, compared to when we started. I’m really proud of that because we’ve worked really hard and taken a lot of risks to get here.”

“We’ve invested a tremendous amount of money in updated equipment and improvements,” he continues, “and we’ve continued to grow the place.”

“One of the big challenges we had to face is how we change and grow our place and provide opportunities for our family while still remaining in contact with our foundation.” Ron says. “I have to remember where I came from and the principles that I learned.”

Developing In addition to purchasing more land, Ron has rebuilt or remodeled many of the original buildings.

“The farmstead I received had seen little to no improvement since the 1950s,” he says. “My grandparents lived in the farm house for 62 years, and most recently, we finished remodeling it. Every year we split our time between the farm and our house in Cheyenne.”

In addition, they have remodeled several of the old buildings, while also adding new shops to accommodate the needs of the farm.

An old granary was turned into a hunting lodge, and the dairy barn transformed into a music studio.

They’ve added an outdoor

kitchen, as well as a modernized meat processing facility.

Diversification Outside of the farm, Ron has developed a number of enterprises to supplement their income and provide additional opportunities.

“Brady Petsch and I run an outfitting business,” he explains. “I’ve been an outfitter for 16 years, and we’ve had our own company for 12.”

Their outfitting business guides people hunting elk, mule deer and antelope, and it keeps them very busy through the month of October.

“We are booked until 2020, and we’ve really grown in the last several years,” he says.

Ron also owns several real estate companies and a music production company.

“When I came back to the ranch, I still wanted to be able to do motivational speaking and get involved in the community,” he says.

“I do both today.”

Through his business ReThink, Ron works to motivate and inspire people around the country through keynote speeches and communication and leadership training seminars “As a result of the diversification we’ve done, we’ve been able to provide our family with opportunities, like travel, that we

would not have been able to do otherwise,” Ron says.

Family One of the most important aspects of Ron’s life is his family. He and his wife Julie have three boys – Carson, 12, Spencer, 9, and Mason, 4.

“One of the biggest blessings I have is to be able to raise my boys on our own place. They are developing independence and self-confidence,” Ron says. “They are learning, growing and experimenting.”

His children love the farm, and Spencer, in particular, is fascinated with agriculture.

“I want this place to be available if they want to return to it after college,” he says. “But I will never require them or make them feel obligated to be here.

They need to find their own way.”

“The legacy is not the buildings and the land. It is who my dad was and who he taught me to be,” Ron says. “I have taken that idea forward. We may not have the same cattle herd or all the same land, but the beauty of agriculture is that I’ve learned a lot by having to work and take risks, and I’m doing everything I can to pass that on to my children.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

G BAR H GENETICS ANGUS BULL SALE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Torrington Livestock Market • Torrington, Wyoming • 1 p.m. (MST)

Selling 70 Registered Angus Bulls Bull-Proof

LOT 1 New Insecticide Strips

2/14/15 • Sire: AAR Ten X 7008 SA Dam’s Sire: SAV 8180 Traveler 004 BW: 85 lbs. 205 wt.: 729 lbs.

LOT 40 3/2/15 • Sire: H Rocky 2415 ET Dam’s Sire: SAV 8180 Traveler 004 BW: 85 lbs. 205 wt.: 694 lbs.

Portable

LOT 46

Calf-friendly

3/1/15 • Sire: SR Impression 2076 Dam’s Sire: Haynes Upward 307R 032 BW: 75 lbs. 205 wt.: 879 lbs.

LOT 64 2/9/15 • Sire: Connealy Conservative 3129 Dam’s Sire: Mohen 004-16 BW: 78 lbs. 205 wt.: 773 lbs.

AI SIRES: AAR Ten X 7008 SA • Vin-Mar O’Reilly Factor • Connealy Black Granite • Connealy Confidence 0100 Connealy Right Answer 746 • PA Power Tool 9108 • PVF Insight 0129 • VAR Discovery 2240

RESIDENT HERD SIRES: SB Sisco 209 • H Rocky 2415 ET • SR Impression 2076 DELIVERY AVAILABLE WINTERING AVAILABLE

G BAR H GENETICS

3146 St. Hwy 154, Veteran, WY 82243 • gbarh@bbcwb.net • www.nickelcattle.com www.angusjournal.com/gbarh • View catalog at www.TorringtonLivestock.com.

You can bid and view the sale at www.cattleusa.com. You must pre-register to bid

KEVIN & JACKIE NICKEL 307-837-2279

PAT & MARILYN HERRING 307-837-2540

BILL & DANA HAAS 307-837-2925

A8

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Cheyenne – Anyone who has ever driven from Chugwater to Cheyenne has probably noticed the Nimmo Road exit off of Interstate 25. If they follow that road, they’ll come to Nimmo Ranch.

“Our ranch goes south and east from that exit,” explains Matt Nimmo, adding with a laugh, “Seems my grandfather knew some guys when they were building the interstate.”

Matt is the third generation on the ranch, which started in the 1940s. He

explains that his grandfather was born in Cheyenne, and the family owned a meat market in town.

“From what I understand, they started ranching to supply the meat market,” Matt says. “Grandpa’s brother-inlaw bought the ranch we are currently on, and Grandpa ran it for him. When that brotherin-law passed away, my dad and aunt got half, and another nephew got half. My dad eventually bought the half from the nephew, and that’s how we got the whole ranch.”

Inside their operation Their property, which lies 25 miles from the state’s capitol, is a cow/calf operation primarily raising Black Angus and black baldies.

“We do a little farming and some custom work.

The great thing about custom farming is it removes a lot of the risk. We do our work, and we get paid. We don’t have to sit there and hope the hail misses us and the rain doesn’t,” Matt says enthusiastically. “We do quite a bit of haying and farming.”

Running cattle - Nimmo Ranch runs cattle 25 miles north of Cheyenne. Their ranch converted from yearlings to cow/calf pairs seven years ago, and they’ve been able to grow the operation since then.

Photo courtesy of Kay Schrock

Similar to many other ranches in Wyoming, they begin calving heifers in February, cows in March and sell calves in October. Matt admits he and his mother Gretchen, who helps run the ranch, are interested in making changes to the herd.

“We’ve changed over the past seven years after dad passed away,” says Matt.

“Once we bought out my aunt, we really started changing things.”

Making changes “Before, we were a yearling operation, but I wasn’t happy with how our cattle were doing. They weren’t performing the way I like, so I decided we would move to cow/calf,” Matt says. “The first year we sold our calves they were 475 pounds. But in 2014, we raised a 604pound calf at weaning. That felt good. As for the past four years, we had been working on growth, getting them to perform the way we want and reaching the size we wanted to have. We brought in some outside genetics and bought some good bulls.”

Matt admits that he’s used to the easy disposition of his homegrown cattle.

“Some of the ones we buy are a bit more ‘woolfie,’” he chuckles.

Nimmo Ranch has also changed their how they market their cattle.

“We had the same buyer

for 60 years buying our yearlings. It’s amazing, but three generations of that family purchased cattle from three generations of Nimmos,” the young rancher explains.

“When they got out of the cattle buying business, we decided to try the sale barn.

However, that didn’t work very well for us. We noticed that calves at the video sale were selling for 30 cents per pound more. The next year we tried the video auction and have been happy with the results.”

Close to home Working in the ranch’s favor is that it is in one large block, so cattle don’t need to be trucked from summer pasture to winter pasture.

“Our summer pasture, winter pasture and calving pasture are all interconnected,” Matt explains.

“Although we run our heifers through a shed, our cows calve on the creek in the brush, and then we move them out to summer graze.

The farthest the cattle ever are is about six miles. We have a pattern set up, so when it’s time to ship, they are back near the house.”

Once the calves are weaned, the cows go back on grass, and barring any big snowstorms, they graze all winter until they calve.

The ranch keeps 120 head of replacement heifers, which are developed on the meadow and fed hay and cake.

“It’s nice. We’re just one giant square,” Matt says.

Although horses are still mainly used for most of the work, he says there have been some changes over the past five years.

“We still use horses for branding, shipping and all of that, and our brandings are all rope and drag. However, sometimes we will use ATVs for moving pastures,” Matt comments.

Working together Matt and his mother run the ranch.

“She does the bookkeeping and makes the parts runs when we’re farming. And then there’s me. Right now we have two full time and two part-time guys to help.

The guys working for us are great. It’s hard to find good people,” he laments. “When we find them, we want to keep them.”

The 33-year-old can’t think of a better life.

“Since I was a kid, ranching is all I wanted to do. In fact, when we were cleaning out Mom’s house, we found a deal we made when I was in first grade that said I wanted to be a rancher like my dad,” Matt says. “Dad took me with him a lot when I was little. When I was in school, I hated being inside. Ranching is in my blood.”

Sharing the message That’s a fact Matt realizes he needs to share with non-agricultural people.

“I have friends involved in agriculture and some who are not. Those who aren’t can’t fathom the hours we work for the amount of money we get,” he says. “I realize I need to become active in ag organizations to help promote and protect what we do.”

Matt continues, “It used to be that nobody wanted to talk about what they’re doing on the farm or ranch. Those days are long gone. These days we’ve got to communicate what we do to anyone who will listen. I realize I need to get more vocal.”

Indeed, Matt realizes that in being more vocal about his life, he’ll make people understand the passion people have for their livestock and land.

“I like the whole package of ranching in general,” says Matt. “There are some days when we wonder why we’re doing this, but overall, it’s really a good life.”

Rebecca Colnar is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Ranch raised - Nimmo Ranch raises their own replacement heifers, and Matt Nimmo prefers the disposition of his home-raised cattle.

Photo courtesy of Kay Schrock

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A9

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Burns – When Burns ranchers Dave Bowman and his son Kyle decided to raise Angus cattle with Dave’s father Dale, their ultimate goal was to develop a herd that is efficient as possible.

As they expanded the herd, the Bowmans have continued to seek out new genetics.

“We have tried to purchase genetics comparable to what a purebred operation would use,” Dave explains.

“My Uncle Lyle Bowman has raised Black Angus for a long time,” Kyle explains. “We wanted to work with him to market our cattle, so we would have a better package to offer. We use a lot of the same bloodlines he uses with his registered Angus, so our cattle are all consistent when we market them.”

Big goals Kyle says their ultimate goal is to build an efficient feeder calf. When they look at a bull, they are looking for long, deep-bodied sires with larger birth weights.

“We want that bigger birth weight because it makes us more dollars in the end,” he explains. “Our own records have shown that calves weighing 85

pounds or more at birth average 53 pounds more at weaning than calves that weigh 85 pounds or less when they are born.”

“We don’t focus on that small birthweight because we would rather have the pounds up front,” Dave adds. “A bigger calf at birth is pounds ahead come weaning.”

Results Focusing on genetic improvement has paid off big for the family.

“In the last five years, we have gained an average of 70 pounds in weaning weight on our steer calves,” Kyle says.

Last year, the steer calves ranged from 670 to 700 pounds, while the heifers came in at 620 to 650 pounds.

The family also keeps track of efficiency by weighing their cows each year. The herd average is 1,200 pounds.

Diversity Because the Bowman operation is diversified between ranching and farming, they choose to calve the replacement heifers at the end of January, followed by the cows the first week of February.

“We have to start farming April 1, so we want

most of the cattle work finished by then,” Kyle says.

Since they calve so early, the Bowmans add value to their program by not pulling the bulls to limit the breeding season.

“We pregnancy check everything with an ultrasound machine,” Dave explains. “We calve early enough that there are still guys calving when our late cows calve. We sell the late calvers to other producers because they are worth a premium over selling open cows.”

Only the replacement heifers are artificially inseminated, so they can be bred to lighter birth weight bulls. Bulls are turned in to breed the cowherd.

“We are retaining our own replacement heifers now,” Dave explains.

“When we were building the herd, we purchased a lot of replacement heifers. Some of them came from the same place at a premium because they allowed us to hand pick in lots the ones we wanted.”

Considering disposition Disposition is an important selection criteria.

“We are not fans of wild cows,” Dave explains.

“We run a tight operation.

We can’t afford for anyone to be hurt.”

They also select cattle using EPDs, as well as by looking at their visual appearance and if they have good feet and legs.

“We are also starting to place some emphasis on ribeye area because we want to build a bigger ribeye into our calves,” Dave explains.

Enjoying the job Although Kyle admits he enjoys the genetic selection part of the business most, he also enjoys keeping records on the cattle and enters all their data into a CowSense program.

“I keep track of birth date, birth weight, individual weaning weight, cow weight and weaning date,” he says.

He also records any cows that go lame, have a hard labor or a longer calving interval. The records help with the culling process.

“My goal is to do my part to help us build the most efficient cowherd possible,” he says. “I like the challenge of being part of the operation. Every year is different. The challenge is in making what we have even better. I would like to grow our operation even more, but I would like to wait until my two boys are older so they can help.”

Although Dave prefers the farming part of the operation, he read-

ily admits there is a lot of enjoyment in building a herd and doing it right.

“Ultimately, we want to put a good product out there for the consumer.

I think that is the biggest challenge for the beef industry,” Dave comments.

NEIMAN CATTLE COMPANY

Featuring Sons of: Cole Creek Full Bore 730

Annual Bull Sale

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

1 PM • Belle Fourche Livestock • Belle Fourche, SD

Lot 1 NCC Full Bore 405

Sire: Cole Creek Full Bore 730 3/8/14 • BW: 92 Adj. 205: 704 CED: +4 BW: +1.7 WW: +42 YW: +75 M: +21 $W: 40.10 WR: 120 YR: 111

Lot 20 NCC Magnitude 412

Sire: O C C Magnitude 805M 3/31/14 • BW: 82 Adj. 205: 608 CED: +5 BW: +0.6 WW: +40 YW: +68 M: +19 $W: 49.85 WR: 104 YR: 100

“We all need to do a better job putting a good image out there for the public to see.”

Gayle Smith is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

AAA# 16720408

Selling:

60 2-Year-Old Angus Bulls

Lot 3 NCC Full Bore 4269

Lot 4 NCC Full Bore 4278

Lot 15 NCC General 4216

Sire: Cole Creek Full Bore 730 5/5/14 • BW: 80 Adj. 205: 701 CED: +9 BW: +0.6 WW: +48 YW: +90 M: +26 $W: 52.27 WR: 119 YR: 105

Sire: Cole Creek Full Bore 730 5/8/14 • BW: 86 Adj. 205: 599 CED: +5 BW: +0.9 WW: +46 YW: +80 M: +26 $W: 44.27 WR: 102 YR: 100

Sire: O C C General 794G 4/13/14 • BW: 95 Adj. 205: 736 CED: +5 BW: +2.0 WW: +51 YW: +80 M: +21 $W: 47.21 WR: 125 YR: 117

Lot 21

Lot 31

Lot 40

NCC Open Range 4232

NCC Rito Promise 4238

NCC In Time 4239

Sire: Sinclair In Time 9RT12 4/18/14 • BW: 83 Adj. 205: 612 CED: +4 BW: +0.2 WW: +41 YW: +84 M: +23 $W: 41.39 WR: 104 YR: 107

Sire: Sinclair Open Range 2Q23 4/17/14 • BW: 82 Adj. 205: 644 CED: +6 BW: +0.9 WW: +49 YW: +81 M: +9 $W: 46.99 WR: 109 YR: 107

www.neimancattle.com

Sire: Sinclair Rito Promise 0R12 4/18/14 • BW: 78 Adj. 205: 617 CED: +4 BW: +1.9 WW: +37 YW: +65 M: +14 $W: 30.22 WR: 105 YR: 106

Lot 16 NCC General 4248

Sire: O C C General 794G 4/20/14 • BW: 87 Adj. 205: 696 CED: +4 BW: +1.0 WW: +49 YW: +79 M: +20 $W: 51.35 WR: 118 YR: 110

Lot 42 NCC Rito Promise 407 Sire: Sinclair Rito Promise 0R12 4/2/14 • BW: 90 Adj. 205: 623 CED: -2 BW: +2.7 WW: +30 YW: +63 M: +12 $W: 21.51 WR: 105 YR: 103

Also Selling Sons of: O C C General 794G, O C C Magnitude 805M, Sinclair In Time 9RT12, Sinclair Rito Promise 0R12 and Sinclair Open Range 2Q23

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Ryan and Sonnie Neiman • (307) 290-0791 • neimancattle@gmail.com

A10

Cheyenne – When Jay Berry talks about his registered Hereford operation, the fact that he is proud of what he and those that came before him have accomplished shines through. Berry has every right to be proud. The registered Hereford cattle he and wife Janice own datesback to the mid-30s, when Jay’s dad and brothers traveled to Roggen, Colo. and purchased some bred Hereford heifers for a 4-H project.

“I always joke with people that they should be careful what they let their children buy for a 4-H project,” Jay says.

For Marvin, DC and

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Jim Berry, it was the start of a livelihood that sustained them and their families for nearly 50 years.

Growing in early days What registers most with Jay about the start of the business was the absence of EPDs back then.

“They had a good eye for cattle,” he explains.

“Back then, we had to select our seedstock visually. They didn’t have access to numbers.”

Until 1980, the brothers worked together to build a strong Hereford operation. They sold 100 registered bulls annually through their production sale. At

Brand - The Berry’s Herefords raises registered Hereford bulls that they sell each year. They focus on improving the Hereford breed and their herd by developing cattle to fit their environment. Courtesy photo

that point, their children had graduated from high school, and Jim was ready to retire, so they dispersed the cattle.

“I had just graduated from college and had come back to partner with my parents,” Jay says. “We were able to purchase 50 registered bred heifers at the sale, which helped us get the operation started that we have today.”

Continuous improvement Since then, Jay has worked tirelessly to improve the foundation of the herd. Some of the biggest improvements in these cattle has taken place in the last 10 years.

“The environment has really helped us select cattle that fit our climate,” he explains. “When we went through the drought and it was so dry, it made us take a hard look at everything.”

“It made our herd more efficient. We kept the cattle that performed well, without a lot of extra feed, like we might be tempted to do with registered cattle,” he says.

Feed efficiency has become a popular trend in the beef industry, and Jay says he does what he can to produce more efficient cattle.

“The baldy cattle are

really popular right now because of efficiency and their ability to do more with less,” he says. “I have been working with the University of Wyoming Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center (SAREC) and Steve Paisley to participate in the bull test they have there. It has allowed us to identify the most efficient cattle we have in the herd.”

Breeding cows The cows are typically limited to a 50-day breeding season, but Jay does sell some of the later calvers that have been culled from the program commercially.

Since the bulls are sold at 18 months, Jay has the luxury of calving his heifers starting March 15, followed by the cows a week later.

He also artificially inseminates (AIs) nearly every heifer produced.

“We calve 20 to 25 percent of our two-year-old heifers,” he says.

The rest are sold privately, with a few available at their annual production sale the third Monday in October.

“We have emphasized milk and performance to the point almost every heifer produced here leaves as a replacement heifer,” Jay adds.

Berry was able to partner with another seedstock producer to purchase a $40,000 sire.

“We collected from him and did mass AI,” he says.

“The first 70 calves we got were out of that bull. We are excited about what that can do for our operation.”

Production sale The top 70 percent of the bull calves are sold during the annual production sale.

“We have a strong repeat clientele, so we have to focus on constantly finding fresh genetics. I have to turn over the cattle quickly because customers come back regularly,” Jay explains. “I emphasize birth weight a lot. I select cattle with at or below breed average for birth weight, with at or above average performance.”

The bulls are developed slowly on a high-quality roughage bull pellet and hay raised on the ranch.

He doesn’t push for a high yearling weight. Mostly the bulls weigh an average of 1,100 to 1,200 pounds.

The first of May, they are put back on grass until August or September. By the sale, they will weigh close to 1,500 pounds.

Most of the new customers who come to the sale hear about Jay’s program from his satisfied customers.

“I am fortunate to have a lot of people who are really faithful to me,” he explains.

“I have one customer who has purchased 110 bulls from me in the last 40 years.

Those are the kind of relationships that are important.”

“I just hope our cattle stay good enough to justify that in the future,” he said.

Customers come from a 150 to 200 mile radius of the ranch.

“I think what separates us from other producers is that we can produce consistent selection. Our goal is to produce the same thing but better over time. Guys who haven’t used a Hereford bull before comment how they

get a consistent calf crop,” he explains.

The bull sale is still held in the barn his dad had the vision to build in 1951.

Berry has heard it has the lowest ring of any sale barn in the U.S. It still has the original bleachers his dad crafted from wood when he built the facility.

Disposition in the herd is critical, and the sale bulls and replacement heifers are halter broke.

Looking forward Looking to the future, Jay sees endless opportunities for the operation.

“When it started raining and the cattle market improved, we started to focus on improving the genetics of the herd,” he says. “At that point, we switched from a survival mode to a where do we want to go from here mode.”

Jay and Janice have four children. Jessie is the state director for Wyoming Ag in the Classroom. Ben is student teaching math in Laramie. Stacia has finished law school, earned a masters degree in ranch management and works as deputy director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

Amy is in her first year as a veterinarian in Pine Bluffs.

Although none of their children have chosen to return to the ranch fulltime, Jay says he sees a bright future for the operation.

“I think it is a question of sustainability of the future of the operation in the next 10 years, and if we will grow and have the kids satellite out,” he says.

Gayle Smith is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

The Hereford breed has undergone significant changes over the years, thanks to genetic selection.

Eye and udder problems that were once commonplace in the breed are insignificant today thanks to producers selecting cattle for darker pigment, says Jay Berry.

“It is important to note that as a breed, we have been able to improve upon most of the negative aspects of the cattle,” Jay explains. “At this point, we need to work on improving the muscle in the Hereford cattle.”

In his own herd, Jay focuses on producing bulls and females that are usable in commercial operations on the Wyoming prairie.

His cows average 1,500 pounds and have about a 5.5 frame score. Jay finds their size just right.

“At one time, many people considered the Hereford cattle too small,” he explains. “In our operation, we are not show ring focused or into the short, blocky cattle. Our cows have stayed consistent and within the county average for size.”

Traditionally, Hereford cattle were not known for their milk, but over the years, it is a trait Jay has selected for.

“Now, I have to watch their feed intake in the spring because they can get enterotoxemia from milking too well,” he says.

To save operating costs, Jay uses most of May and June to allow the cows to gain condition on grass before they are bred.

“Our goal is to get the cow big enough to breed and let the grass improve her body condition so she will breed back,” he says.

A11

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Granite Cañon – In 1878, Jim Willadsen’s granddad’s brother homesteaded in Granite Cañon. His granddad followed about two years later with his wife and children, and the family has been there ever since.

“We became known as the Willadsen Brothers Ranch. Before that, it was Willadsen Land and Livestock, and it was a pretty good-sized operation at the time,” notes Jim. One of the first thrashers in the area belonged to Jim’s granddad, who would visit surrounding homesteads and small acreages, thrashing fields.

“He went from here clear to LaGrange with his teams,” he comments.

Family On his mother’s side of the family, Jim’s grandparents were both doctors, and his granddad practiced in the Boyd Building in Cheyenne when it was first built.

“He was a pioneer doctor. He got paid with chickens and eggs and a lot of things he wouldn’t think of now,” he says. “When my grandmother passed away, my granddad remarried, and that wife wound up being a county treasurer in Laramie County for a number of years.”

In high school, Jim met his wife Iris, who also comes from a Wyoming pioneer family.

“My grandfather had a blacksmith shop in LaGrange,” she explains.

“His name was Willis Troyer, and he was pretty well known all over the country.”

Jim and Iris have been married now for 61 years, and they still live and work on their cow/calf operation west of Cheyenne.

History “At one time, we had a band of about 1,200 sheep, but when my brothers went into the Navy at the start of World War II, it just left my dad and me here. My dad said we couldn’t do it all, so we either had to get rid of the sheep or the cattle,” Jim says, adding that they sold the sheep in 1943.

In the early 1960s, Jim’s father was honored for 50 years of shipping cattle to Omaha, Neb. by rail.

“We would load them on the train, and he would jump on the caboose and ride the train to Omaha. At that time, they had to stop to unload the cattle, water and feed them and load them back on the train because they were only allowed to be on the train for so long,” he explains.

Jim also notes that his dad received his first silver dollar from a visitor who put his horse up at the Willadsen Ranch.

“Tom Horn used to trail right across here. We used to take care of his horse, and we thought he was a pretty nice guy,” he remarks. “I’ve even got an old doorjamb from an old line shack that he carved his name in.”

With over 137 years of history, Jim also points out that these anecdotes are only a small window into all of the events that have taken place on the ranch.

Mountain grazing As for the Willadsen family trailing, cattle are moved every summer to Pole Mountain, now part of the Medicine Bow National Forest.

“In the 1940s, it was the Pole Mountain Military Reservation. There was training for World War II, and even before that, the military was up there,” Jim says.

Each summer, the ranch would hire a rider, and Jim would stay with him at the cow camp on the mountain, helping to move cattle out of areas that the military was using for training maneuvers with shells, mortars or other weapons.

“We trailed everything.

At first, we trailed west from here for about five or six miles. We were bordering the forest, so we could turn right in. Later, they changed it, and we went to the north side of the forest. That was at least a three day job, just trailing,” he explains.

Now, all of the cattle are trucked, avoiding problems with calves getting lost in the timber and cutting through backyards of the new subdivided neighborhoods.

Herd manager In 1996, while finishing her college education, Brenda Johnson was working at the University of Wyo-

Friendly greeting - Jim Willadsen greets cows on his ranch west of Cheyenne where his family homesteaded in 1878. Natasha Wheeler photo

ming Vet Lab and became acquainted with vet lab director Lynn Woodward’s wife Nancy Bath. Nancy is a Forest Service co-permitee with the Willadsens. Brenda was introduced to the family and began helping out on the ranch.

“I thought it would be fun to do for a month or two, or six months. Now, 20 years later, here we are,” she says. “It’s been fun.”

Iris jokes, “I told her, when anything comes to this ranch, it never leaves.”

Brenda now lives on the place and helps manage the cattle.

“The long-term goal is to maintain the asset because once these ranches are gone, they’re gone,” Brenda says.

The operation runs mostly black cattle with Angus and Gelbvieh cross, although in the past they have also run Herefords.

The Willadsens are also one of two remaining original Forest Service permit holders in the Pole Mountain area.

“Since we have a forest permit, we need to calve early, so they are ready to go by early June. We typically start in late February, and it’s usually about a 55-day season. Then, they go to the forest, and we usually ship our calves in October. The forest permit really dictates a lot of our management,” Brenda explains.

Challenges and advantages Pine needle abortion, low hay production potential and brisket disease challenges also affect management, as portions of the ranch sit above 7,000 feet elevation.

“We don’t have a resource that’s conducive to a lot of growth and a lot of production. We have to stay within certain parameters, so we aren’t increasing our production costs,” she says.

The ranch also faces challenges due to development, including a proposed City of Cheyenne reser-

voir project that is currently postponed and increased recreational activity on Forest Service land.

“There is a lot of activity up there that we never used to have,” Jim remarks.

“There are not just cars.

People come up with horses, four-wheelers and guns.”

Despite the challenges, the ranch provides some great benefits.

Rocky outcroppings provide natural shelter and

windbreaks for cattle, and abundant wildlife allow the family to lease to hunting outfitters for additional income.

They have also been able to sell their cattle to the same buyer for over a decade.

“We never know about

the price of cattle. I’ve seen so many ups and downs in the cattle markets,” states Jim, “but we’ve been doing well. We can’t complain.”

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@ wylr.net

Granite Cañon - Brenda Johnson (left) joined Iris and Jim Willadsen (middle, right) at their family ranch to help out for a few months, 20 years ago. She now lives on the ranch and helps manage the cattle.

Natasha Wheeler photo

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A12

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Meriden – West of Meriden, Bobbie and Dan Frank moved to a new location a year ago with the hope of continuing to grow their herd of registered Angus cattle and club calves.

The Franks operate as Horse Creek Angus, and their son Shade operates under SDF Cattle. Shade has been involved in the operation for the entirety of his life and maintains his cowherd while also attending Central Wyoming College in Riverton.

Raising cattle The Frank’s cattle are primarily Angus based, with some Maine Anjou influence in the show cattle they raise.

“We like a good solid cow,” Dan explains, adding that they also raise bulls for their operation. “Most of our cows are very docile. They are either halter broke or broke to pet.”

The advantages of doc-

ile cattle is that they are easy to work with and easy to handle, he adds, noting that it isn’t a problem to load animals that need to go to town or be moved to another pasture.

The family start their year calving heifers in early March.

“The bulk of our calving starts around March 20,” Dan says. “We used to start in April with our artificially inseminated cattle, but we’ve moved that up some.”

Breeding Today, they still use artificial insemination with the top end of their cows and heifers, but Dan says, “We believe in the bulls we are producing, so we bull breed all the heifers unless they are related.”

“We have some leased pasture east of Cheyenne that we can take a bunch of cows and a bull for breeding in the summer,” he explains. “Last year, we also kept our other

bull here with a group of heifers and younger cows.”

One particular bull they are currently developing is free moving and growthy, with lots of potential to add to their herd.

Dan notes that they also purchase registered Angus heifers to grow their herd, and they retain the top end of their heifer calves as well.

On the club calf end of their operation, Dan mentions that they’ll likely raise a few club calves even after Shade is finished showing this year.

“We’ll probably keep raising club calves just to see if we can,” he says. “It’s a fun challenge.”

Developing the property After moving to their new location, Bobbie comments that they’ve worked to improve the property and bring it back into good condition.

“This property hadn’t been used in probably five years, so it was overgrown and not in real great shape,” she says. “We’ve done a lot of work fencing and getting it ready to have cattle.”

They plan to continue to develop the ground to make it more productive.

“Right now, our pastures have a bunch of old, dead grass,” Dan adds. “It’ll come back though, when we manage it right.”

In addition, they built a barn on the place to accommodate calving during winter storms and to provide some shelter.

“My spring project this year is to build a set of corrals,” Dan says, “but there are lots of things we want to do to improve this property.”

When the portion of the ranch that is currently in the Conservation Reserve Program comes out of the program, which is currently planted in wheat strips, the Franks also note that they hope to develop water on that acreage to enhance the land.

Other endeavors Both Bobbie and Dan also work off the ranch.

Dan is an attorney and owner of Frank Law Office, P.C. in Cheyenne. In March 1998, he opened the office to provide legal services in many different areas.

“I do a lot of ag and natural resources law,” he says, “and I also work a lot with water law, real estate and property transactions.”

Dan received his law degree form the University of Wyoming, and he enjoys practicing law today.

Bobbie serves as executive director of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts. In her position, she advocates for the conservation of natural resources in Wyoming, including rangelands and water.

Bobbie works both from her office in Cheyenne, as well as from home.

“It’s nice to have the flexibility to work from here,” she says. “We’re 50 miles out, so getting to town isn’t always easy, especially in the winter.”

Continued growth With more land to provide added capacity, Dan and Bobbie both mention that they will continue to grow on their new property.

“We’ve got so much potential here,” Bobbie says.

Dan also adds they have some leased pasture east of Cheyenne, as well as half interest in a state land lease.

“The state lease is a legal fixer-upper,” he explains. “If we can get the access fixed, we’ll be able to use that land better.”

The Franks are optimistic and excited about the future of their operation, and they see a number of benefits to the area they are in.

“We’ve got good neighbors and a nice location,” Dan says. “Things are going well, and we’re looking forward to what the future brings.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Frank family - Shade, Dan and Bobbie Frank (from left to right) work together on their ranch east of Meriden. They raise registered Angus cattle, as well as club calves. Saige Albert photo

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A13

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Cheyenne – Mark Eisele came to King Ranch 40 years ago to work for Ann and Jerry King, and today, he runs the ranch with his daughter Kendall Roberts at his side.

“We have to respect the past, but we have to embrace the changes that come with the future,” Mark says, noting that they continue to recognize the traditions of the ranch while working to adjust the operation to reach optimum efficiency.

Cattle King Ranch runs three distinct herds of cattle – the mountain cattle, the Trust herd and a third bunch that fits somewhere in between.

“We have separate goals for each of our herds,” Mark says.

Their mountain cattle must be durable and capable of surviving on the range.

“They have to be able to withstand the high altitude and the mountains,” he explains.

The Trust cattle are managed for the benefit of the King Ranch Trust, and they descend from the herd Ann and Jerry King developed.

“The Trust cows don’t travel anywhere, and they get the best of everything,” Mark says. “The third herd is in between. They get a little of everything and stay at low elevation. For the most part, they are the cows that go to the research station.”

Each year, the cattle slowly move away from the ranch after calving, rotating through a series of pastures.

As summer turns to fall, the Eiseles bring the cows home in a similar sequence.

Mark comments, “We rotate through our pastures, and they move every two to three weeks, depending on the grass.

Each year, they begin with calving in February for 85 days.

“Almost all of the cows are concentrated down by the house,” Mark explains, noting that they calve almost entirely through barns. “We have no natural shelter here, so we use barns. If a big winter storm comes, we can have almost everything in a barn at a moment’s notice.”

Mountain herd After calving is complete in May, the family works to prepare their Forest Service allotment for cattle.

“Our allotment is the highest in this region,” Mark says, mentioning that they run at 8,600 feet. “We have to prep our water development and check the fencing.”

By May 10, the bulls are put in with cows, and they head to the forest by June 10.

“During the summer, we either take turns or designate someone to ride through the cattle and check water and salt two or three times a week,” Mark explains. “They move on a weekly basis.”

Cattle spend four months on the forest, and the calves are preconditioned on the allotment.

“We come home and

wean the first of October,” Marks comments. “We wean and move them to our other ranch.”

Trust cattle With the best of everything at hand, the King Ranch Trust herd is composed of larger, exotic breeds of cattle, but Mark says they are working to downsize the frame size of the herd.

“Some of the Trust cows are 1,700 to 1,800 pounds,” he explains. “We are in a management plan to continue to downsize those.”

The herd started as exotic cows, and the Kings prided themselves on big cattle, with production as their main goal.

“Now, efficiency is our main goal, and we are in the process of transitioning to Red and Black Angus,” Mark says.

Research herd Also during the summer months, the Eiseles select a set of heifers, as well as about 80 pairs, to go to USDA Agricultural Research Service’s High Plains Grasslands Research Station.

“They go to the research station for pasture and grazing research,” Mark explains.

“They use the cattle in different grazing situations – light, moderate and heavy, and for different durations.”

The cattle go to the station at the beginning of June and return to King Ranch at the beginning of November.

“In November, we bring everything home,” Mark says.

Hay land The family also hays during the summer months.

They begin preparing for the farming season by readying their irrigation systems.

“We have both pivot and flood irrigation,” he comments, noting that their west ranch is primarily flood irri-

gated. “There, our emphasis is on conservation right now. We’re working on adding tanks, water developments and pipelines and also instituting rotational grazing systems.”

“We hay at the home place and on the west ranch.

We also do some contract haying,” Mark says.

Mark’s start in agriculture on his own was through a contract haying business.

“I got my start custom haying on the Y Cross Ranch,” he says, mentioning that his first ag loan was for a tractor and bale wagon. “I stacked a lot of hay through my college years, which provided the leverage to buy cows.”

They also hay the City of Cheyenne’s Belvoire Ranch, with the first option to purchase hay.

Family oriented “Family is a key word for me,” says Mark. “Our family is really important.”

While Kendall is on the ranch full-time, Mark’s son Colton runs yearlings on the place, and his daughter Kaycee also has cattle at the ranch.

“Colton buys yearlings with me, and Kaycee comes back from her home in Colorado as often as she can to help out,” Mark comments.

“One of my goals was to make everyone get off the ranch and get an education,” says Mark of his family. “My kids and all of their spouses have a college education.”

He also credits his wife Trudy for being a stronghold of the operation. She currently works full-time off the ranch as Laramie County Treasurer.

“Trudy sacrificed and worked incredibly hard, especially when we were first married, and she still helps out today,” Mark says. “She

helped on the ranch and worked as a national certified pharmacy technician, too.”

Working toward the future Mark and Kendall both recognize that, as they go forward, there are several things they hope to accomplish.

“I think in the next 10 years, we’ll really think about our marketing, what the global economy looks like and what our role is,” Mark says. “We have to be consumer-based in what we do.”

Currently, Mark notes that their yearlings are marketed as natural, but he adds that marketing efforts will continue to be important moving forward.

While increasing their marketing, he also notes to improve the efficiency of the ranch and reduce labor.

“I have two daughters,” Mark says, noting that, while they are capable young women, mechanization eases physical strain. “I’ve been working on mechanizing what we can so we can all help out.”

Kendall adds, “We need to continue to modernize and add efficiency to make the ranch run effectively.”

Kendall cites water as an example.

“We deal with water problems on this ranch,” she says. “Recently, we’ve added low-pressure sprinklers, and it’s a whole new ballgame for me.”

However, she also adds that she can learn from the older generation, who learned to irrigate with flood and sub-irrigation systems.

“That generation knows how to do those things, and I can learn more by remembering that they know more than I do,” Kendall comments.

Mark adds, “We can all learn things from other peo-

ple. When I was stacking hay and when I was on the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Environmental Stewardship Committee, I saw a lot of different ranches and got to see how they work. I’ve had some great experience and have learned a lot.”

“I come from a family of ranchers, and I love the lifestyle,” Mark continues.

“Ranching is a great way to work with family, and I really enjoy every part of it.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to saige@ wylr.net.

Eisele family - The Eisele family has been at King Ranch for many decades, working to continually improve the landscape. The family (from left to right) includes David and Kaycee Scadden, James and Kendall Roberts, Mark and Trudy Eisele and Colton and Miranda Eisele. Saige Albert photo

A14

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

VE A S

started showing the sheep at Wyoming State Fair 30 years ago, and I have gone every year since then.

Now, I have about 30 head of Suffolk ewes. Most are frame-type sheep, although I do have some wether-type sheep that are shorter and meatier for youth projects.”

Over the years, Larry has found adventure in trying to determine what the customer wants.

“I really enjoy showing, but I have found it is also important to produce something that pays the bills and is what the customer wants,” Larry comments.

MccLUN’S M

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they no longer wanted them, so I kept them.”

Larry continues, “I decided if I was going to have a few sheep, I might as well have several, so I bought some Suffolk ewes. Then, I started going to some sales and buying ewes and rams that I thought would work for the kids’ projects.”

Continuing the operation The kids have all grown up and moved away, but Larry still has his small farm flock of Suffolk.

“The project grew into a small business over the years,” he explains. “I

J

Cheyenne – Being in the Suffolk sheep business for 33 years is no easy feat.

But Larry Lofink of Lofink Suffolks in Cheyenne has tackled this challenge by determining what genetic improvements he wants to make in his flock and sticking with them.

“Years ago, I got into the sheep business to give my kids a project for 4-H and FFA,” he explains. “I acquired some crossbred white-face ewes that just wandered onto my property, and no one would claim them. When the owners finally came forward,

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Traveling to shows These days, Larry travels to the Midwest Stud Ram Sale in Sedalia, Mo., where he shows some of his own sheep and buys a few to improve his own flock.

He also travels to Utah to participate in some shows and sales there.

“I have quite a few youth who come out here to buy project lambs,” Larry says. “They call them club lambs, but I refer to them as project lambs because it is important for the kids to learn how to take care of their lambs and feed them properly.”

In the past, Larry has hosted clinics teaching youth how to show lambs and how to take care of them properly.

Raising sheep In his own program, Larry lambs in January, mostly so his lambs develop good size and frame to be competitive as 4-H and FFA projects. Some of the lambs grow up and are sold as rams and ewes for other farm flock programs or range operations mainly in Utah and California.

“In the Suffolk breed, wool isn’t worth much since it is of medium to course quality, so the lambs are what we have,” Larry explains. “The Suffolk breed has worked well as a terminal cross for market lambs. They are thriftier and gain faster in the feedlot, which makes the producers more money.”

He tries to avoid fads, which are commonplace in the show ring business.

Instead, he focuses on producing sheep with good breed character, conformation and structural soundness.

“They need to have a good back and legs,” he explains. “It is just like building a house. If we don’t have a good foundation, the house isn’t worth anything.”

Breeding program Staying on track with the breeding program can be a challenge for any producer.

“The sheep industry is constantly changing. Back in the mid-1900s, the oldstyle sheep were short and chunky,” Larry says.

“Then, the fad was tall, racy, streamlined sheep that looked like a small racehorse. Now, it is more middle of the road. The sheep are more moderate in size now. It seems like the type changes every six or seven years, and that’s what the customer wants to force us to raise.”

“I think it is important as a producer to not get hung up on fads,” he continues. “If we can just maintain a good, sound,

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To produce his sheep, Larry Lofink keeps good flock records and reviews them regularly.

“Culling is important,” he says. “I want to pick out brood ewes and rams that will help me build a bigger and better flock.”

He continues, “Foundation is important, and it is not something we can cheat on. I keep records on my ewes from the time they are bred, and if they are having a hard time breeding, I want to know why.”

Larry also keeps detailed records at lambing.

“I weigh the lambs at birth and again at 60 days. I use that information to evaluate the ewes and determine if they are producing lambs with a good rate of gain. Milking ability tells me how good of mothers they are,” he notes. “By keeping records, I can look over the years to see how consistent a ewe’s production is.”

Larry is also a strong believer in the Suffolk breed, which he says is the “Cadillac of the sheep breeds.”

He has served as a past director for the United Suffolk Sheep Association and was a past president and sales manager for the Wyoming Suffolk Sheep Association.

middle-of-the-road sheep that can be used anytime or anyplace, the majority of the customers are happy.”

“Consistency is also important. It is hard to stay true to our breeding program when the newest fad may have brought a lot of money the year before,” he states.

Maintaining the ranch Larry also tries to maintain his home site, as well as his sheep.

“We only get one chance at a first impression,” he explains. “I feel like it is important to keep up with the stock and keep my place looking nice. If customers drive up, they want to see a nice looking place if they plan to buy breeding stock from us. I try to keep things looking good on the inside and the outside.”

The sheep are kept on a good feeding and health program.

“When I show customers my sheep, sometimes the depth in the flock means a lot,” he explains.

“Customers want consistency, not just one or two sheep that are exceptional.”

Enjoying the job As a sheep producer for the last 30 years, Larry still gets a smile on his face as he watches a new crop of lambs run and grow when they are about 45 days old.

“There is nothing that ever beats that,” he says.

“That is the most joy I get out of my breeding program. I am very proud of what I have built over the years.”

“I am at the point now where I am just tweaking certain characteristics.

When it gets to the point you don’t think there is anything to improve, you are stale, and I think you’re done,” he adds.

Gayle Smith is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

A15

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Cheyenne – “Our family has been in Laramie County since 1887,” says John Eklund. “My brother Val is on the home place, and we bought this place in the late70s.”

John runs a cow/calf operation with his wife Suzi, daughter Ginny Hansen and son-in-law Greg Hansen.

Ginny and Greg entered as full-time partners in the operation three years ago.

“I’m the fourth generation of the family to be ranching here,” he adds. “Ginny and Greg are the fifth, and their kids are the sixth generation.”

The Eklund’s oldest daughter Mandy Teeters ranches in Goshen County with her husband Matt on his family’s ranch, and their youngest daughter Laurie is a student at the University of Wyoming. In total, they have seven grandchildren.

Cattle John got his start in the cattle industry in 1970 after winning a showmanship contest as an FFA member.

“The prize for winning was a heifer that Roy and

Phyllis Atchinson gave to the winner,” John comments.

“There are bloodlines from that heifer still in the herd.

That was a really neat gift, and she was a really good heifer.”

“In the ‘70s, we were able to expand from English breeds to exotic crosses,” he explains. “It was a really easy transition because we artificially inseminated and ended up with bigger animals.”

John says that now their cattle tend to be Black Angus and black baldies.

They are working to reduce the frame-size of the cattle while maintaining efficiency and producing a large calf. While shrinking the frame size has been challenging, they are gaining ground with each generation.

Developing the herd In growing their herd, John says, “We purchase cattle, as well as develop our own heifers. Our preference is to develop our own heifers, which we’ve done pretty successfully.”

Calving begins in May on the range, and the family runs on grass throughout the

summer. They brand at the first of July.

“We have two primary herds,” he explains. “Our big herd grazes in a development that we lease. That has been really interesting.”

John continues, “Over the years, we have found grass wherever we can.

Recently, we worked out a deal with a ranchette development. The homeowners association embraced the idea of living on a cattle ranch while their community is being settled. The association has also benefited from the extra income, and the range is being maintained..”

The running-age cattle graze the development while the Eklund’s two- and threeyear-old cattle graze closer to home.

“We precondition in October, wean in November and then we sell after the first of the year,” he explains.

“We used to sell right off the cow, but buyers today want animals weaned and backgrounded ahead of time.”

“We have a combination of owned and leased land,” he says. “Our heifer calves

are developed as replacements here in our feedlot, and the steer calves are fed out at the Teeter’s feedlot in Goshen County.”

In recent years, John notes that the best markets have been in April after grass is available.

“Our biggest calves are usually 700 to 800 pounds, so some of them end up in the feedlot,” he says, “but the April market has been most dependable for us.”

Market influence The last few years have brought several challenges, including markets.

“This has been an interesting year,” John comments.

“It has been good for the most part, but some people got caught buying really high and selling at lower prices.”

Feeders were also hurt in the recent market crash, but John notes that the correction was necessary for consumers to continue buying beef.

Global markets also have an impact, which adds more complexity in navigating the markets.

Farming In addition to running the ranch, the Eklunds also raise organic wheat.

“Organic wheat is our farm crop, and it works really well for us,” John says. “We can graze the stubble as well.”

They began the certification process for their wheat in 2002 and sold their first organic crop in 2005.

The dryland crop utilizes manure from their feedlot as fertilizer.

The organic markets have been profitable, and John comments that he foresees a future for organic beef.

“At some point, organic

beef will come along, I think,” he says.

Staying in agriculture John notes that agriculture has been an important part of his life, and he enjoys the industry.

“I wasn’t sure that I would be able to ranch,” he says of his start. “Dad’s operation was small, and I wasn’t sure if I could come back.”

While in college, he majored in pre-veterinary medicine and animal science.

“I didn’t get into vet school right after college, so I came home and started working for the family who owned this place,” John explains of the ranch they now own.

“The man who owned this place had a heart attack, and when the opportunity came along, we bought this place.

I’m glad I didn’t become a veterinarian.”

Family involvement Ginny notes that she came back to the ranch to work with cattle.

“I’ve always really

enjoyed being around the cattle and helping with the cows,” she says. “I like being out of town, too.”

“We need the ideas, as well as the energy, from the younger generation,” John comments. “We’re happy that Ginny came back to the ranch.”

Ginny’s seven-yearold son Rutley adds that he wants to be a farmer when he grows up, too.

“I want to be a farmer because it’s fun,” Rutley says.

John notes that the benefits of being in agriculture in Laramie County are plentiful, and he has enjoyed the community that they operate in.

“We have really good grass, good rainfall and good land,” John comments. “This is good country, and it’s home for me.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Along with the ranch, John Eklund also serves as a legislator in the Wyoming House of Representatives.

“I’ve always had an interest in the legislature,” he says.

“When Pete Anderson wanted to get out of the legislature, I decided to run for his seat.”

“It’s been a huge honor to be involved in the legislature,” John adds. “I’ve really enjoyed my constituents and working for them.”

As a member of the Agriculture, Transportation and Select Water committees, John advocates for the agriculture industry and economic development, especially entrepreneurship John is in his sixth year in the House, and this year, he is contemplating a run for the Wyoming Senate.

Spotlight on Genetics Family focus - John and Suzi Eklund (on left) ranch with their daughter Ginny Hansen (center), her husband Greg (back left), and their children Leander “LJ,” Rutley and Fletcher. Saige Albert photo

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A16

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Cheyenne – “My sister owns the primary ranch, I own the guest operation, and we try to combine it into agri-tourism,” remarks Dan Thiel of the Terry Bison Ranch in Cheyenne.

Agri-tourism Dan sees the popularity of agri-tourism rising as production operations incorporate tourism to offset typical cash flow cycles.

“There has been a lot of push toward agri-tourism, even if it’s just small, like doing a farm tour,” Dan says. “Our gross sales from tourism last year were $1.8 million. That’s a lot of

L

steaks that were served, a lot of weddings and lot of other things going on out here.”

Dan’s father Ron purchased the ranch in 1992, and for the first two years, the ranch was only open to the public during the summer months, with chuckwagon dinners served on Friday and Saturday nights.

The ranch was officially opened for full-time business in May of 1994, and Dan organizes tourist operations into five seasons.

“We have the gear-up season and then show time,

which is when we are servicing most of our guests,” he notes.

This is followed by the gear-down season, the turnaround and the pre-set. The turn-around season coincides with the colder winter months when fewer guests visit the ranch.

“We are fixing and repairing facilities and painting during that time,” he explains.

Guest attractions Bison tours, the Sunday lunch train and horseback and pony rides are available throughout the year, and guests can also hope to see

R

aramie County Fai Wyoming’s Oldest & Largest County Fair

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alpacas and camels on the ranch.

Guests can also visit the Senator’s Steakhouse and Brass Buffalo Saloon, which features a menu offering both beef and bison entrées, among other items.

“We have a copy of the menu cover that shows the menu that Teddy Roosevelt had when he was here at the ranch,” Dan comments.

“The original menu is at the University of Wyoming in the archive department.”

Historical figures Records show that Roosevelt was at the ranch in both 1903 and 1910, as he was a friend to Senator F.E. Warren, who owned the ranch from 1885 to 1960.

The ranch was known as the southern headquarters of the Warren Livestock Company, and they ran sheep and cattle. They also raised sheepdogs that earned national recognition.

“Senator Warren was Wyoming’s first territorial governor and then went on to become a U.S. senator for many years,” Dan explains.

Warren’s daughter Helen Francis married a man by the name of John “Blackjack” Pershing who was an Army Captain at the time.

“He was a war hero and a general in WWI. He grew up out here, working in the hay meadows. There is a lot of really important history that has happened right here,” he remarks.

The ranch itself dates back to 1881, when the land was purchased by Charles Terry, who ran sheep.

Over the years, Dan notes, “It went from sheep

to cattle, back to sheep and back to cattle again. Then, we brought bison in 1992.”

Bison management Although bison require heavier working facilities with strong equipment and fences, Dan comments that they require less maintenance than cattle.

“It’s very simple and straightforward,” he says.

“We have our daily routine, with bunk line feeding and daily operations.

We are always procuring hay, grains or ingredients to put in the mixing unit,” he explains.

Calves are born light, and they rarely require any assistance, which means calves don’t need to be pulled. In January, the herds are rounded up and brought into holding pens to receive vaccinations and any other necessary procedures.

Forty head of bison are kept close to the guest facilities to remain visible for tours, and approximately 2,500 head are kept on the property, making the Terry Bison Ranch one of the largest bison ranches in North America.

“We are a family business,” he explains. “Over the last 10 years, my sister has leased out our bison production to a company based out of Colorado.”

Dan remarks that the Terry Bison Ranch has an excellent relationship with their lease holder Boyd Meyer, owner of Cold Creek Bison, based out of

Windsor, Colo.

Marketing “We have such a niche market,” Dan continues.

Bison are sent to Denver, Colo. for processing and marketed through a company that promotes the product.

“The company is developing strategic niche marketing lines to U.S. Foods, Sysco and different family restaurants,” he comments.

“They have figured out all of these different niche fingers of the market, and they end up exhausting all of our product that is produced.”

Along with raising bison and catering to guests, the Thiel family also tries to make continual improvements to the property, such as the addition of a gazebo, stone entryway and a new dining room at the steakhouse. To avoid seasonal lay-offs over the 2015-16 winter, employees are building sturdy park benches that will then be sold.

New projects and ideas are constantly being formulated to capitalize on the partnership between agriculture and tourism at the Terry Bison Ranch.

“It’s been really interesting, and we love it,” states Dan. Learn more about Terry Bison Ranch at terrybisonranch.com. Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@wylr.net.

Western experience - Terry Bison Ranch uses tourism to connect people with agriculture, capitalizing on the history of the ranch and the West. Natasha Wheeler photo

Proudly Serving Agriculture Across Laramie County!

Toby Hytrek, Vice President Wyoming Bank and Trust

120 Main Street • Burns, WY 82053 • 307-547-3535 Toby Hytrek NMLS Number: 613275

A17

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Cheyenne – In 1910, the Holmes family set up their ranch on the stretch of the Old Yellowstone Highway between Cheyenne and Chugwater. Today, the Drake family carries on the family’s tradition of raising horned Hereford bulls.

Richard “Dick” Drake, patriarch of the family, bought his first Hereford steer at age 10 as a 4-H project animal.

“I grew up on a farm in Riverton,” says Dick. “I married my first wife Myra Lou in September 1958.

This was her grandparent’s place.”

Myra Lou’s parents were Keith and Myra Holmes, the founders of Holmes Herefords. Myra Lou and Dick became a part of the operation in 1959 when they moved to the ranch.

Moving to Cheyenne “When I moved here, I wanted a chance to own a part of this operation, work hard and keep it going,” Dick says. “We were able to support three families here.”

Myra Lou and Dick raised Herefords with their children Kent Drake and Joylyn Ciz. Today, Kent lives a short distance away from the home ranch in Cheyenne, and Joylyn resides in North Dakota.

“We’ve added a little bit of acreage, and we’ve grown a bit since we’ve been here,” says Kent, noting that they are continuing into the future with the same strength they’ve had in the past.

Raising cattle “We raise horned Herefords,” Dick explains.

“Since my first 4-H steer, I’ve stuck with the Herefords. They are so gentle, too. It makes a big difference.”

“One of the great advantages of Herefords is they are very docile,” Kent adds.

“Dad wouldn’t still be able to work with the cattle if they weren’t easy to get along with.”

Dick adds that they have secured a strong following of several generations of buyers, which also makes a difference.

In 1998, Holmes Herefords – Drake Ranch was formed, after the original ranch split between the Holmes siblings.

At the same time, Dick and Myra Lou took over the Holmes Hereford Ranch annual October registered

bull sale, and they hosted buyers from around the world.

Myra Lou passed away in 2000, and the family continued to help Dick hold their annual fall bull sales.

Since the ranch split and Myra Lou passed away, Dick says they have slowed down a bit.

Dick then married Pat Fox of Sheridan in 2002.

Developing bulls The Drakes begin calving the first of March. Their primary focus is on producing high-quality Hereford seedstock to sell.

“We have to hope for the best with the weather,” says Dick. “If we don’t get too much snow, we are all right.”

After calving, the cattle are turned onto grass, where they stay until winter.

They develop comingtwo-year-old bulls to sell each year under the keen eye of Dick.

“Dad has a tremendous eye for cattle and quickly adapted to EPD values when they were first introduced in the 1980s,” Kent says. “He selected many productive herd sires, with the culmination being HH Homebuilder.”

A son of the Homebuilder bull was selected as the 1997 Reserve Champion Bull at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo..

“Today, we only sell private treaty bulls,” Dick says, noting that the main cowherd was sold privately in 2006. “We sold the first half of the herd in October 2006, right after the sale.”

Producing cattle With over 50 years’ experience ranching in Laramie County, Dick has seen the benefits of the area as compared to other parts of Wyoming.

“This is good grass country,” says Dick. “That is the main thing that has kept us here. I grew up where there was a lot of sagebrush, so grass makes quite the difference.”

During the winter, they only have to feed hay if the snow doesn’t blow away to uncover the grass.

“We don’t have much protection,” Kent says. “We don’t have meadows or anything like that, so we have to feed some.”

They also only have to supplement salt and phosphorus to combat pregnancy

and fertility challenges.

Wind and weather provide a strong challenge, and Pat notes that when the roads are closed, it is often surrounding their ranch.

“Wind is a definite challenge,” says Dick.

With water distribution also providing a challenge on the ranch, Kent notes that they have worked to put some of the old farm ground into grass and provide water.

“We have good water, but we’re working on adding pipelines to improve it,” he says. “We’re working to put some of the old farm ground back into grass.”

Getting involved Over time, Dick has also been involved in the Wyoming Hereford Association, and though the organization isn’t as strong as it once was, he maintains an active presence in the orga-

nization.

“Dad served as the Wyoming Hereford Association director for many years, and he served one term as president and one term as vice president,” Kent says.

“Mom was the secretary for the Association for many years.”

The family hosted the Wyoming Hereford Field Day and participated in the World Hereford Conference. They also brought home numerous awards from participating in the Wyoming Junior Hereford Field Day and at the Wyoming State Fair.

“Most of the guys involved with the Hereford Association today are young, so I hope it keeps going,” Dick adds.

Staying in the business Ranching has been a big part of the Drake family, and they all agree that agriculture is a great lifestyle to lead.

“I grew up here, and it’s all been a great experience,” says Kent. “The ranch is a nice side job for me. I enjoy

doing it, and I help out wherever I can.”

Kent’s full-time job is with the Animal Damage Management Board, but he enjoys the chance to come to the ranch.

For Dick, ranching is a way of life, and he plans to continue.

“Frankly, I just enjoy this life. I’m my own boss, and I like the country,” Dick adds. “I’ll be here for a while.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wyrl. net.

Father and son - Holmes Herefords - Drake Ranch is operated by (from left to right) Dick and Kent Drake. They raise horned Hereford bulls on their place north of Cheyenne. Saige Albert photo

A18

Carpenter – In the southeast corner of Wyoming, nearly 7,200 Holsteins reside at the Burnett Dairy.

“We milk 3,000 cows, three times a day,” explains Jeff Burnett, co-owner of

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Burnett Land and Livestock in Carpenter.

At any given time, approximately 3,000 cows are in production, and 500 to 600 are cycling through a dry period. Replacement heifers

make up the balance of milking animals, and additional cattle are kept at the feedlot as well.

The feedlot holds nearly 6,000 cattle, including replacement heifers, and beef

Holstein calf - This calf is one of nearly 7,200 Holsteins residing at Burnett Dairy in Carpenter, an operation that ships approximately 240,000 pounds of milk per day. Natasha Wheeler photo

numbers range from a few hundred to a few thousand.

“They balance out with our Holsteins. To stay full, we get greater or fewer numbers of beef cattle in,” Jeff explains.

The family also runs a herd of beef cattle on their ranch, with nearly 500 mother cows.

Starting out In 1998, only bare ground covered the area where the dairy now stands. Jeff, his wife Kim and his brother Jay worked together to build a feedlot and feed cattle, but drought conditions in the late 1990s and early 2000s put a lot of pressure on the operation.

“To make up for the drought, we started feeding more of our own cattle.

We were getting cutter bulls in from states like California and Tennessee. We would bring them in, make them into steers and then into fat cattle,” he says.

In 2003, mad cow disease became a hot topic in the U.S., and major cattle feeders like ConAgra and Cargill

were growing rapidly, making it difficult for smaller feeders to keep customers.

“Then, we had an opportunity with some friends who had retired from the dairy business,” Jeff notes. “We partnered up, and we were partners for 18 months. Then we bought them out and built the current dairy facility.”

Milk parlor At the current facility, 70 cows at a time are brought into the milking parlor. Within minutes, they have been milked and undergone an udder sanitation procedure to ensure a clean, quality product.

“We have three different post-dips,” Jeff comments. “It’s like hand sanitizing lotion. The orifice doesn’t close for 15 minutes after milking, so we have to protect the cow from the environment.”

He adds, “We are harvesting our product from the underside of the cow. It has to stay clean.”

That product, averaging about 84 pounds of milk per cow per day, is pumped through a filter that removes any particulates such as straw or dirt before it is flash-cooled and shipped.

Milk leaves the cow at about 101 to 102 degrees, and by the time it reaches the cooling system, it has cooled to approximately 98 degrees.

After cooling, the temperature has been reduced to nearly 37 degrees.

“We can’t ship milk over 40 degrees,” Jeff remarks.

The cooling system consists of piping that runs cold water and uses heat transfer.

“All of the water that is used on the dairy runs through the cooling system. Milk goes one way, and water goes the other way because we need cold milk and hot water,” he explains.

Transportation Once the milk is cooled, it is pumped into large, insulated tankers.

“The trucks we run aren’t refrigerated. They are insulated well, and with 8,000 gallons, there is such a mass amount of volume that there is some security in cooling there. In the summer when it’s hot, in the 90s, we’ll lose a degree a day,” he says.

Burnett Dairy ships about 240,000 pounds of milk a day, with a majority of the product being transported to the Leprino cheese factory in Greeley, Colo.

“We are part of DFA (Dairy Farmers of America).

It’s the nation’s largest milk co-op. When the co-op does the balancing and logistics of transportation, the Leprino cheese factory is where ours ends up going,” he comments.

Depending on supplies at different milk sheds around the country, the trucks may be rerouted and shipped to whichever facility needs the product.

Antibiotic-free “When we have a load ready, we test it for antibiotics. When the milk truck driver shows up, he takes a sample,” Jeff notes.

The dairy tests half of the sample for antibiotics, and

the other half of the sample is split again and sent to labs in Denver, Colo. and Salt Lake City, Utah to be tested for antibiotics, as well as butter fat, protein, somatic cell count and other quality measures.

“Everybody is drinking antibiotic-free milk,” Jeff states.

“When we deliver to our customers, we are assured of a quality product.”

When animals do receive antibiotics, those individuals are separated from the main herd and placed in the hospital group. The hospital has its own milking parlor, and a cow will not be put back into production until she is well, the specified withdrawal period has passed for the given medication and her milk tests negative for antibiotics.

“Each cow wears two computer chips, one on a collar on her neck and an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag in her ear,” he says.

As the cows come into the milking parlor, each animal is identified, and data is collected for the production from each animal and monitored to ensure a quality product, as well as a healthy cow.

Cattle health The tags are also used in the daily care of the cows, which includes specific diets for different stages of production, ultrasound monitoring of pregnant cattle and regular monitoring of cow health.

“On Mondays, my wife runs the ultrasound crew.

They ultrasound pregnancy-check anything that is at 32-days carried calf, 60-days carried calf and fresh check.

They have a computer reader, and they scan the cows’ ears to know what they need to preg-check for,” he explains.

In addition to a health crew, a breeding crew, nutritionists, veterinarians and others, Burnett Dairy also employs a full-time calving crew.

“In an idealistic dairy world, we would calve the same number of calves every day, 365 days a year, unless we could turn off the switch during a blizzard,” Jeff says.

When calves are born, they receive pasteurized colostrum and are placed in an individual pen for about 50 days. Then, divider walls are removed so that calves are kept in pairs, allowing them to adjust to living together.

“Then, we go to a group of six, and they live in a group of six for about 10 days. Then we go to a group of 12, then 24 and then 48, and they stay in a group of 48 for quite awhile,” he notes.

Fulltime production Before long, the calves are old enough to be brought into production.

“If we can stand the chaos and no downtime, there is cash flow when everybody else is taking the time off,” Jeff notes. “No matter what’s going on, we’re making milk. Our parlor shuts down twice a day for half an hour to 45 minutes to wash equipment, but other than that, we’re making milk.”

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@wylr. net.

A19

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

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A20

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Lisco & M Diamond Angus g n i m Wyo

From the

Hub of Cow Country

come cattle born & Bred with the

DRIVE TO THRIVE

Cattle that thrive under tough range conditions with limited inputs.

Cattle that produce & raise big, healthy calves year after year. nd ulls a 100 b elect 50 s l es sel femal

Featuring Progeny Of: Sitz 4 Aces 4551, Cole Creek Cedar Ridge 1V, S Summit 956, Lisco Finale 902, S Chisum 6175, S Rainmaker 110, S Chisum 0263

24th Annual Angus Bull Sale Friday, March 25, 2016

Dick Lisco

(307) 358-3810 Cell (307) 359-0167 liscoangus@vcn.com

1:00 p.m. mst Central Wyo Fairgrounds Arena Casper, Wyoming

Brad Boner

(307) 436-5406 Cell (307) 359-1162 mdiamond@hughes.net

These are the cattle that work for the commercial HERD STAYABILITY Beckton is the #1 Herd in the breed for Stayability, and has been for many years. 43 of the top 50 sires in the breed for Stayability EPD are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires including 15 of the top 20.

High reproduction rate and cattle that work for their owners, rather than the other way around. These are the cattle that stay in your herd.

LOW MAINTENANCE ENERGY This has also been the #1 Herd for Low Maintenance Energy requirements for many years. 6 of the top 20 sires in the entire breed for lowest Maintenance Energy EPD are Beckton sires. No other cattle will do a better job cutting you cowherd feed requirements and saving you money.

EASY CALVING The #1 Herd for easy calving, with the best average Calving Ease EPD of any major herd. 13 of the top 20 sires in the breed for low Birth Weight EPD are Beckton sires. No other genetics come close.

GROWTH from Birth to Market Beckton bulls are leaders in total rate of growth, from birth to market weight. The average birth weight EPD of our sale bulls last year was minus -4.0, and the average yearling weight EPD is plus +80. Beckton cattle start with low birth weight and reach a high market (yearling) weight quickly – for quicker marketability and less cost to market.

The new HERD-BUILDER Index recently developed and implemented by the Red Angus Association combines economically relevant EPD’s (maternal, growth and carcass traits as well as fertility), and weights each EPD for its contribution to overall herd profitability. Designed for commercial producers retaining replacement heifers, this single index measure compares and ranks all Red Angus sires in the breed, to provide a single measure of expected profitability for every sire compared to all other Red Angus sires.

BECKTON’S 71st Anniversary BULL and HEIFER SALE Tuesday, April 12, 2016

And the cattle stay in your herd – 43 of the top 50 Red Angus sires for Stayability EPD are Beckton

Selling 300 Red Angus 250 Bulls and 50 Heifers

sires or descended from Beckton sires.

1:00 pm at our ranch 10 miles west of Sheridan Delivered free anywhere in the continental U.S. Video of sale animals will be available on our website.

Direct line telephone bidding will be available.

TOTAL PERFORMANCE IN THE MOST ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT TRAITS High reproduction rate; high calving rate; less time and cost to market weight; and lower total feed inputs and feed

Call, write or email for a catalog

www.becktonredangus.com becktonwyo@gmail.com 37 Beckton Drive • Sheridan,WY 82801 307-674-6095 • 307-674-8162 - Evenings Fax: 307-672-7281 Cam and Trish Forbes

41 of the 50 highest ranking sires on the Red Angus Herd Builder Index are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires, including 16 of the top 20.

costs. Plus 71 years of selection for the convenience traits – good dispositions – cowherd

The Beckton ranch office – photographed in 1899 when it was George Beck’s original home

In our annual bull sale on Tuesday, April 12, most of the 250 bulls and 50 heifers selling will rank in the top 10% of Red Angus breed. Many of the bulls in the sale will be in the top 1 or 2% of the breed, with an expected profitability gain over $15,000. Even the average bull in our sale will have an expected profitability gain of more than $10,000 compared to the average non-Beckton Red Angus bull.

Trish and Cam Forbes

For more information about the Herd Builder Index, please contact either us or the Red Angus Association.

Industry leading genetics and the highest quality Red Angus - 71 Years of Satisfied Customers

producer – 41 of the top 50 highest ranking sires on the Herd-Builder Index are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires, including 16 of the top 20.

fertility – good udders and milk – and structurally sound cattle that run on dry Wyoming range conditions and summer at high elevation in the Bighorn Mountains.

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Cheyenne – On the east edge of Cheyenne, Lummis Livestock holds a longstanding history on the land that started with simple beginnings in a hardware store.

“To start, we have to go back to Germany,” says Doran Lummis, the patriarch of Lummis Livestock.

“My grandpa lived on a farm there. In 1867, his dad gave him a little bit of gold, and he came here to get started.”

Coming to the U.S. Doran’s grandfather Jochim Hinrich Arp tried his hand at prospecting in Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming when he decided that he wouldn’t earn his fortune by searching for gold.

“He walked down to Medicine Bow and bought a train ticket to Cheyenne,” Doran explains. “When he got off the train, he didn’t know what he was going to do.”

During a fortunate breakfast at a local diner, Jochim met a man named JW Hammond. Hammond offered Jochim a job at his hardware store.

“Jochim became really intrigued with the hardware business in Cheyenne,” Doran says. “Hammond was his partner. While Jochim ran the hardware store, Hammond stayed in the cattle business.”

In 1893, the Arp and Hammond Hardware Company was incorporated in Cheyenne.

“Jochim married, and the couple stayed here and raised five kids,” Doran continues.

Entering the ranching business In 1926, Jochim looked to sell the ranch, and Doran’s parents purchased part of it. Doran’s father had married Jochim’s daughter.

“Lummis Livestock Company was my grandfather’s,” explains Doran’s son Del Lummis. “My grandfather leased this property from his father-in-law.”

“This ranch has stayed in the Arp and Hammond Hardware Company, and today, Del is president,”

Doran says, noting that Del runs the cattle business.

“The actual hardware store closed in the late 70s, so all the Arp and Hammond Hardware Company consists of today is the ranch,” Del explains.

Today’s generation “I’ve punched cows here all my life,” Doran says. “I went to the Army and did my time in Japan, but I started here.”

Doran notes that when the Great Depression hit, he stayed on the ranch because it was a good job. They milked 40 cows, and he was raised doing cowboy work.

“I married my high school sweetheart, and after I got out of the Army, we started raising a family,” he says. “I didn’t have to hunt for a job because I stayed right here.”

Doran got involved in the cattle business in 1950 after going to school at the University of Wyoming.

Over time, the Lummis family was able to purchase the Arp and Hammond Hardware Company from the other stakeholders, so they now own the business.

“We raised Herefords and were in the cow/calf business at the time,” Doran says. “We haven’t been in the cow business for a number of years.”

Switching to yearlings Today, Lummis Livestock focuses on raising yearlings.

“If I was in the cow business, I’d be back with Herefords, but the cow business has all gone black now,” Doran says. “With the yearlings, we have mostly black cattle.”

They strive to purchase a superior steer that is marketable, which means they are often black.

“We like the red steers, too,” Del says, “but mostly, we want to maintain good cattle that have good marketability and are high quality.”

The Lummis’ buy cattle in January at 600 pounds and sell in October at just over 900 pounds.

“We also still put up all of our own hay,” Del says.

“We don’t need as much hay

Livestock roots - Lummis Livestock Company began by raising Hereford cattle. Today, they run strictly yearlings during the summer months, a move that has decreased the labor involved on the operation. Saige Albert photo

as we used to.”

“We have good water rights on Crow Creek that make it possible for us to irrigate a good hay crop every year,” Doran says.

“When it is dry, we don’t have too much of a problem.”

Del also notes that their grass is a high-quality product that provides adequate nutrition.

“The grass in this part of Laramie County has some of the highest protein in the state for summering pasture cattle,” he says. “The bulk of this place is really suited to be summer pasture.”

“It’s a fabulous place to run steers,” Doran adds.

“Really, it’s better suited to run steers than cows.”

Family business With Del, the youngest of Doran’s children, doing much of the day-to-day work, his sister Claudia also helps, in addition to running her own place outside of Pine Bluffs. Chris, Doran’s oldest daughter, works in Cheyenne, and his youngest daughter Cynthia is serving in her final term as Wyoming’s representative in the U.S. House.

“All of us kids were born between 1952 and 1956,” Del says. “We all grew up here putting up hay and working with the cattle.

Our job was really to put up hay in the summer.”

“As we got older, we’ve all pursued additional interests,” he adds, “but we were involved at the ranch, too.”

Del started full-time at the ranch in 1977, and he and Claudia ran cows together for 30-plus years.

“We decided that we

were getting old enough that we wanted to decrease our labor and exposure to mad cows, so about three years ago, we decided not to breed back any heifers,” he explains. “We slowly got out of the cow business and are now strictly pasturing yearlings.”

Diversification Lummis Livestock has also taken the opportunity to diversify the operation where they can.

“Dad always recognized that there is not much money in agriculture, so he started diversifying the place 40 years ago through gravel,” Del says. “We have two operating gravel pits on the ranch, and they have provided an outside revenue source to keep us in the

ranching business during the hard times.”

They are also pursuing additional opportunities through developments on the ranch.

“We’re exploring the potential of this place,” Del says, “but I can see myself pasturing yearlings here for the rest of my life.”

Del adds that the ranch provides other good opportunities, including a great place to raise a family.

“The ranch was a good place to raise my two kids and four step-kids,” he says.

“It has kept me close to my family and friends, and it’s been very rewarding.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

B2

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Petschs develop well-rounded operation Meriden – Since 1935, the Petsch family has owned and operated Y6 Ranch, a cattle and farming business nearly an hour north of Cheyenne in Laramie County. Through hard work, they have expanded the operation to its current height.

“We purchased the ranch in 1935,” says Irv Petsch. “It was purchased from the widow of C.B. Irwin, who was instrumental in getting Cheyenne Frontier Days started and is in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.”

Renowned bucking horse Steamboat also lived on the ranch when he wasn’t touring the rodeo circuit.

“After the purchase of the ranch, my family turned the operation into a cow/calf operation, with many horses being raised for the cavalry.

Our first feedlot was built in 1950,” Irv says. “Early, we raised a lot of horses for the cavalry.”

Current generation Irv has been on the operation since he was old enough to return home from the hospital. Today, he operates the ranch with his nephew Rowdy and sons Trevor and Brady.

“Rowdy runs the feedlot,” Irv says. “Trevor is involved in the feedlot and haying. Brady takes care of the cows in the winter and runs the farm in the summer.”

Farming “Since 1995, we have farmed everything ourselves,” Irv says, noting that prior to that point, sharecroppers farmed much of the land. “There are about 1,500 acres of irrigated farm ground here. We raise

sugarbeets, irrigated winter wheat, alfalfa and corn, and last year, we also put up sorghum-Sudan silage.”

“It is really good farm ground,” he adds. “It might be some of the best in the state of Wyoming. We can grow just about anything we want.”

They farm under both center pivot and flood irrigation, though the center pivots are relatively new.

“Our farmground was all under flood irrigation until 1995, when we had a big flood come through,”

Irv explains. “It was going to cost more to put the dirt back for flood irrigation than it was to put in sprinklers, so we started installing the pivot systems.”

The pivots have also improved their water utilization.

“We have good water rights on Horse Creek,” Irv adds. “In dry years, we are a little short, but the sprinkler systems have helped us utilize our water.”

He continues, “We might farm fewer acres than we used to, but we are able to get better yields. We are growing more on fewer acres.”

They also can harvest native hay from nearly 2,000 acres of irrigated and

sub-irrigated meadows.

“We spend most of the summer haying,” Irv says.

Nearly all of their farm products are utilized in the feedlot, which is a major part of the operation.

“All the corn comes through the feedlot as silage or grain corn,” Irv says. “All the alfalfa comes through here, and in a good year, we can even sell some alfalfa.”

The wheat is taken to a local elevator and exchanged for corn, which is also brought back to the feedlot. Sugarbeets are taken to the factory and processed. Beet pulp is also fed to the cattle.

“Virtually everything we raise has a tie back into the feedlot,” Irv adds.

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Locally Owned and Operated Licensed and Insured Family - Everyone in the Petsch family is involved at Y6 Ranch and Y6 Feeders. Photo courtesy of Buffy Kelly, Buffy Kelly Photography

In the feedlot The Petschs operate Y6 Feeders, a widely recognized feedlot that was custom-designed by Irv and family.

“The real focus of the ranch in the wintertime is here in the feedlot,” Irv says.

“Our feedlot can hold about 6,000 head, and depending on the year, we usually have between 4,500 and 5,500 head. Through the course of the season, we feed over 10,000 head.”

They feedlot is set up to accommodate a wide variety of cattle – from calves to heifers to bulls.

“We can take 250-pound calves to 2,500-pound bulls in the same lot,” Irv says, explaining that their lot is uniquely designed with rounded-bottom bunks so calves can access feed easily. “The feedlot is built to be flexible.”

“Last year, we developed heifers in the feedlot,” he explains. “They are brought in as calves, and we grow them to the right weight and condition. We can also artificially inseminate them. Last year, we developed 3,500 head of replacement heifers.”

They began working with a heifer development company, supplying them with plenty of heifers for the year.

He continues, “We also have quite a few customers who run grass cattle in Continued on next page

B3

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page the summer. They bring them here at weaning and hold them in the feedlot on an inexpensive ration until grass is good.”

For a number of years, Y6 Feeders has also developed the Steer-A-Year steers for the University of Wyoming Cowboy Joe Club.

“It is really fun working with the University of Wyoming,” Irv says.

Flexibility “We wanted to become a genetics-focused lot,” Rowdy explains. “The feedlot was built to facilitate utlrasounding, fat cattle sorting and projecting inputs for different cattle all the time.”

He adds that it was difficult to compete with the big

feedyards just south of the Wyoming border.

“One of the things we really look at is flexibility,” Rowdy says. “Our batching and feeding systems are very accurate. We can do test trials here, and we are certified natural.”

A year in the life The feedlot stays full through May and June, when the majority of the cattle are moved to grass.

“By April 15, Brady has finished calving his share of the cows, and he starts farming,” Irv says. “The first of June, we put up our first cutting of alfalfa.”

They also custom hay harvest for two of their neighbors, bouncing back

Irv Petsch maintains active involvement in the cattle industry at the state and national level.

“In 2001, I was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Wyoming Beef Council. Because of my duties there, I became very involved with the Federation side of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for many years,” Irv says. “It was the Wyoming Beef Council who really got me started, though.”

He served as Region V Vice President for the Federation of State Beef Councils for four years and was on the executive committee of the Federation and also NCBA for four years.

“In 2005, I was appointed by Wyoming Beef Council to be Wyoming’s representative for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, where I served for nine years,” Irv comments, adding that the last three years, he served as chairman of Beef and Allied Industries Committee. “Most recently, I was appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as Wyoming’s representative on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB).”

“I’m looking forward to working with CBB,” he continues. “When I was with the Federation of State Beef Councils, we worked with the CBB but from a different perspective.”

CBB works with the Federation of State Beef Councils to distribute funds collected by the beef checkoff.

“I look at this as a chance to give back to the industry and give back to the state,” Irv says, noting that he also served in the first Wyoming L.E.A.D class, on the Wyoming Board of Agriculture and the Wyoming State Fair Advisory Board. “I’ve been involved and been proactive. It takes away from time on the ranch, but my family has been very supportive of my involvement in leadership of the industry.”

and forth between customer work and harvesting their own hay.

“By the time we finish our third cutting of alfalfa, it is September, and we have cattle back in the feedlot,” Irv says. “The farming runs through the first part of November when we are pulling the last of the beets.”

“We are tied up running two operations during that time, but luckily I’ve got two sons and a nephew to help out,” he adds. “I tell everyone that Rowdy runs the feedlot, Brady runs the farming operation and Trevor does everything else.”

Petsch cattle The Petschs also run their own cattle and take on custom calving. Their cattle are primarily Maine Anjou-Angus cross.

“We have a pretty good group of cows that we run up here close to the home place,” Irv says. “We calve them out, and then they come to the feedlot.”

For their customers, Irv provides the land and hay.

“In the summer, aside from our cows, we graze about 700 head of cows, and depending on the year, we also have yearlings,” he says.

In addition to the commercial cattle, Irv notes that they raise a handful of show cattle for his grandchildren to show.

Looking forward With a strong history of feeding and raising cattle, Rowdy says, “I hope we can continue as we are with the feedlot.”

“The stability in the feedlot at this point is probably as good as it has been for a number of years,” he explains. “As long as we can keep going like this, we will.”

“There will always be a need for feeding cattle and for niche feedlots,” Rowdy adds. “If the heifer development aspect fizzles, we’ll move to the next stage and go on.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Feedlot - Feedbunks at the Petsch’s feedlot are uniquely designed to accommodate a wide variety of cattle. The round-bottom bunks allow calves to easily reach the feed and have access to a complete ration, while bulls and larger cows are also able to utilize the lot.

Saige Albert photo

B4

Iron Mountain – “Brinley, it’s time to head home and get ready for preschool,” says rancher Carol Far-

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

thing as she glances at the clock on the truck’s dashboard.

All morning she and

her five-year-old granddaughter have been out on the meadows feeding cattle with other family

Family ranch - Farthing Ranch, which sits at Iron Mountain, runs cow/calf pairs. The operation is home to (from left to right) Ryan and Rita, Charlie and Carol, and Tom and Sara, as well as Tom and Sara’s daughter Brinley (front) and son Carson (not pictured). Photo courtesy of Gary Gwin, Gwin Photography

members.

“Oh, Grandma,” Brinley exclaims, “I’d rather stay here and work.”

Brinley and her twoyear-old brother Carson are the fifth generation of Farthings on this ranch near Iron Mountain, west of Cheyenne. The ranch headquarters, including the original ranch buildings built before Charles Farthing bought it in 1903, sit along Chugwater Creek as it flows out of the rugged Laramie Range to the west, creating the hay meadows where hundreds of Farthing cattle are winter and calve.

Carol and Brinley have been out since daylight, joining Carol’s husband Charlie, their sons Ryan and Tom and Ryan’s wife Rita on the snow-covered meadows. Tom’s wife Sara is home this morning with son Carson getting ready to make the 40-mile drive to Cheyenne to take Brinley to preschool.

Carol says, “Brinley loves the cattle. When

we’re calving, we can’t leave without her in the daytime. I think she knew more about calving when she was three years old than most adults. She’s really into the animal part of the ranch.”

For more than a century, the Farthing Ranch has raised crossbred cattle, their own saddle horses and Shetland ponies.

Charlie and Carol ranched with his dad Merrill, who worked with his father Charles.

Improving the cattle Carol talks about changes and improvements in the Farthing cattle over the years.

“Ranchers in the 1880s raised purebred Herefords and frowned upon crossbreeding. Charles’ brother Harry brought in Shorthorns to cross with his Herefords,” she says. “Farthings have been crossbreeding ever since.”

Carol adds, “We introduced Shorthorns to get more milk production, then Charolais to put more

size on the carcass. Now we run Angus and polled Hereford bulls with our predominantly Angus cows.”

“We wean in November, so for those first two months we really have to watch out for sickness,” she continues, explaining the operation. “We move the pregnant cows in to the meadows to calve about April 1. The men ride daily in the winter months.

Since we’re also feeding during those six months, the cattle have eyes on them several times a day.”

Traditions The ranch’s first-calf heifers are three-yearolds, so they are run right in with the cowherd.

“We like to give them that extra year to mature.

It works nutritionally and labor-wise for us. From April 1 to mid-May, we calve outside, and we think it’s healthier for the cattle,” Carol comments.

“We baby our calves from the time they’re born to Continued on next page

Trailing cattle - During the summer months, the Farthings trail their cattle to the mountains where they graze. Cattle are turned out at the beginning of May. Photo courtesy of Sara Farthing

B5

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page the time they get on the truck.”

The Farthing Ranch raises all its own hay and stacks loose right on the meadows where the cattle are fed all winter.

No four-wheelers or motorcycles are used on the ranch.

“We use only our ranch-bred horses to check and work cattle. We feel it makes the cattle calmer, and horses can go where the cows go in the mountains,” Carol says. “Years ago we liked a Quarter horse/Thoroughbred cross because we were playing polo. Now we raise Quarter horses from a stud we purchased, mares that we’ve raised and a couple of new mares we just purchased to introduce some new bloodlines.”

Horses Their saddle horses are raised with three qualities in mind – disposition, cow sense and stamina.

“We ride every day in rocky country, so they have to have a firm foundation and good bones, legs and solid feet, since we don’t shoe them,” she continues.

The Shetland pony

herd, begun by the original Charlie Farthing, still runs wild in the mountains, with annual December roundups and sales of the young ponies. During the Depression of the 1930s, pony sales provided important income for the ranch.

Since 1950 the Farthings have donated all five of the University of Wyoming’s Cowboy Joe Shetland mascot ponies.

Enjoying the work The women and the men all enjoy the outdoor work with the cattle and horses.

After fall weaning, the men ride every day. On a typical winter day, two people go out to feed, two ride horseback and two travel in vehicles to check cows and calves, which are never without eyes on them longer than an hour a day.

Carol says, “My job is to drive around the calving pasture all day long and check for problems, so I can go get help. Rita often goes with Ryan, and they do a little of everything. Sara usually takes Brinley and Carson when she’s checking her meadows, and we teamwatch the kids, depending on who’s doing what. We do whatever is necessary when

Ranch-bred horses - Farthing Ranch only uses their own ranchbred horses to check and work cattle, rather than motorized vehicles. They mention that the cattle are calmer as a result. Photo courtesy of Sara Farthing

it comes to working outside.”

“In the spring, when the women are out checking cows and calves, it frees up the guys to do what they need to do – irrigating, checking fences and such,” she adds. “We turn our cattle out the first of May, so the guys have to get around and check all the fences first.”

Ranch business Farthing Ranch is a corporation and a “three-family operation.”

Carol says, “Although we sell cattle with major income twice a year, we run the ranch just like any other business.”

She includes Rita and Sara in the bookkeeping process.

“The books are open to anyone here who wants to see them,” she adds.

Carol emphasizes, “I think that estate planning is probably the most important thing ranchers can do to keep their ranches in the family, especially as the generations expand.”

The family works

together every day, “so we make decisions together.

Because Charlie worked alongside his father and our sons have worked alongside Charlie, they learn by example. The men get together each morning and lay out their day,” Carol says.

“We are all used to

never being on a schedule.

Each family eats at their own house, except on big work days, when I’ll come in early and feed everybody,” she comments. “We are all involved in major decisions, such as purchasing more land and machinery and planning for the

future, such as new buildings. It works for us. I don’t think any one of us who would trade it for the world.”

Virginia Wakefield is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Farthing men - Tom, Charlie and Ryan (from left to right) all make a living for their families at Farthing Ranch. The operation runs primarily Black Angus and black baldy cattle today, with some Red Angus influence. Photo courtesy of Gary Gwin, Gwin Photography

B6

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Pine Bluffs – At just 29 years old, Tyler Anderson represents the fifth generation of farmers on Prairie Farms, Ltd., in southeastern Wyoming. Not only does he work the farm with his parents Tim and Jan and his grandparents,Leonard and Norma Jean Anderson he and his wife Megan travel extensively on ag-related business.

Ty says, “This will be my sixth year lobbying for agriculture in D.C. Just last fall Meg and I flew to Paris, where I represented the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) at the Bayer Crop Science International Weed Resistance Symposium.”

Megan adds, “Attending this conference

allowed us to see the big picture and how, as a global community, we are going to solve the issues affecting agriculture worldwide. It put into perspective what we do, why we do it and how we, here on our farm in tiny Pine Bluffs, impact the world every day.”

Ty is also currently president of Wyoming Wheat Growers Association and serves on the Laramie County Surface Water Board.

Starting at school Less than 10 years ago, Ty graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in ag business.

He says, “I wanted to work with my family and have the freedom to make my own decisions. Every

day is different, a new challenge. The ties to the land give a pride in ownership and in having the best product possible. Maybe one day our son Tegan, who is 20 months old, will continue this legacy.”

Those ties to the land stretch back more than a century. Ty’s greatgreat grandparents, Lars and Kate Anderson, with their four children, homesteaded the farm’s original 160 acres north of Pine Bluffs in 1887. Their son Gust J. and his wife Anna took over the farm, which later went to their son Leonard and his wife Norma Jean. Ty and Megan now farm with Ty’s father Tim and his wife Jan. Farming practices Ty says, “New techniques and technology

Three generations - Leonard, Ty and Tim Anderson (from left to right) are all involved in Prairie Farms, Ltd., a dryland and irrigated farming operation that produces wheat, hay, millet and oats for seed, along with hay and straw. Photo courtesy of Emmett Jordan

have enabled us to expand and increase productivity and quality, while decreasing time- and labor-intensive practices. We farm both irrigated and dryland acres. We raise dryland and irrigated wheat for seed, hay, millet and oats for seed, and we have a large hay and straw operation.

“We have been raising crops for certified seed for nearly two decades. My dad Tim and grandfather Leonard started the certified seed business when I was a little boy,” he says.

“It’s been a push to grow, expand and make it better so it can support three families.”

Ty continues, “I’ve always worked on the farm, from driving the tractor to helping in the summer. When I was still in college, I started in the straw market, selling to reclamation companies and dairies, which would pick up the bales right from the farm yard.”

“My new land already had alfalfa on it, so I started my own haying business,” he adds. “I began with a round baler. I went to large square balers so I could put up good alfalfa that could be more easily transported and retain a higher value at dairies, feedlots and pellet mills.

When the hay market rallied, I got higher prices for my hay that helped pay off equipment.”

No-till farming Prairie Farms’ dryland crops are 100 percent no-till, which is the process of preparing a seed bed with minimal to no soil disruption, usually by utilizing equipment that is designed to penetrate crop residue during seeding, such as corn stalks from a previous year’s harvest.

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The farm’s pivot-irrigated land is used for a corn-bean-wheat crop rotation, which has increased efficiency, productivity and quality. This order of rotation allows coordination of the planting, growing and harvest seasons for each crop.

Direct harvest of their dry edible beans has cut their work load in half.

Ty explains, “We wait for the beans to dry, combine them like soybeans and haul them to town, just one operation. Combining eliminates two tedious steps. We used to begin bean harvest by pulling them at night. For a month straight, we would be out there every night. Then we’d be out every day to combine the beans that we had pulled, and then we had to haul them.”

This year, the Wyoming Legislature passed a dry bean checkoff, creating a dry bean grower board.

Ty explains, “The checkoff money generated will promote new bean varieties for this area, as well as a potential premium for our beans, which are proving time and time again to be some of the most highly desired beans in the world.”

Harnessing technology Ty says, “I came into farming in the middle of a technology revolution.

Cell phones, the internet and even GPS have significantly changed the business of farming, from commu-

nication to advertising on our farm website to sophisticated equipment and even marketing.”

“I stay current on markets and prices through phone texts three times a day, but I don’t do any of my own marketing for board traded crops, which are corn and wheat,” he explains. “I pay a commodity consultant a minimal amount to trade my crop every day. He watches the markets every second to determine the best position possible for marketing. This seems to be where most farmers lack the ability and time to do the job efficiently.”

Ty states, “Contrary to some popular beliefs, farmers are the best stewards of our land. We pay attention to its needs. We know and care for every piece of ground and want to make it better, not just to make a livelihood. We take pride in producing the best possible crops and in feeding the world.”

“By caring for the land and by applying time-, labor- and money-saving techniques and technology on the farm, Meg and I are able to travel and to spend quality time with our son,” Ty comments. “Plus, Prairie Farms is able to support several families through diversity, which is the key in the ‘new’ ag world.”

Virginia Wakefield is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Ty Anderson of Prairie Farms, Ltd. focuses on the many options for integrating technology into their operation. Ty uses tractor guidance, yield monitoring and soil sampling, in particular, all of which are integrated into their tractors.

If farmers plow their fields with a recording GPS system using tractor guidance software, the tractor can be programmed to follow the same route – for cultivating, fertilizing, pest control and harvesting. The programming of tractor routes has the potential to save a lot of money.

Estimates of yield variations across a property can also be made using GPS. To do this the property is divided into zones, and the yield of each zone is estimated and plotted on a map. The map can then be used to better understand the property and for decision-making in regard to the next planting. Yield monitoring can be very precise with the right setup and software.

Collecting soil samples across a large property can be organized using GPS and mapping software. The sample locations can be waypointed in the field and those waypoints marked on the mapping software. Then, when the laboratory results are returned, the data can be plotted on the maps and decisions for soil treatment can be made for various parts of the property. The locational information can save money and time by allowing variable rate applications and treating only those areas with a documented need.

B7

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Meriden – As the fourth generation on the family ranch, Val Eklund continues the legacy of raising cattle that his great-grandfather started in 1887.

“I’m the fourth generation, and my sons will be the fifth generation,” says Val. “We’ve always raised cattle, and the ranch has stayed in the family.”

Their commercial black cattle provide numerous opportunities for the Eklund family.

Cattle For the Eklunds, the ideal cow is a medium-framed cow that raises 50 percent of her body weight.

“We try to keep them as efficient as we can,” Val says.

Their cows begin calving March 10. The family starts with artificial inseminated cattle and embryo transfers, later moving into their natural-service cattle.

“We are usually done by the middle of May,” he continues. “Then we take the cattle to grass.”

Raising show cattle has been an added endeavor in the Eklund’s operation.

Val says, “We are doing some embryo work in purebred Simmentals now. My son Jamie, who lives and works in Greeley, Colo., has always liked the show cattle, so we have kept at that.”

The business keeps Jamie connected to the ranch, and it also provided a venue for the Eklund children to stay involved in 4-H and FFA. Farming The Eklunds also farm some irrigated ground in the county.

“We raise beans, corn, wheat and irrigated hay,” Val says. “We also raise a lot of dryland wheat that is organic.”

“There are a few guys around us who are doing the organic wheat, so we tried it,” he says. “We found out that it works really well, so we’ve kept at it.”

Continued growth With a strong base in their cattle and farming operations, the Eklunds are also expanding and developing their operation.

“We are playing with embryo transfer to see if it works with our commercial cattle herd to give us the recipient cattle we need,” Val explains. “There are a lot of pieces we have to fig-

ure out, but we are working to market those cattle.”

Using purebred Simmental genetics, he explains that they have yielded both heifers and bulls, since they didn’t sex the embryos.

“We will keep our heifers, but we couldn’t castrate the bulls with the genetics they have,” Val continues. “I think they will make dang good bulls.”

This year will be the first that they will sell bulls.

“We’ve been doing internet sales over the past few years,” he says, “and this year will be the first year we have sold bulls.”

Eklund notes that they have good genetics, so they will work to market their bulls.

“We can raise cattle, but our biggest challenge will be in marketing and selling the bulls,” he says.

“It’s all new for us.”

Challenges of raising cattle In Laramie County and in the cattle business in general, Val says, “Our biggest problem in the cattle business is securing enough grassland to help our cowherd grow.”

They run cow/calf pairs, and pasture can be a challenge to obtain.

“A long-term lease can help us project what we want to do,” he notes, “but it seems like leases are here today and gone tomorrow.”

The future of the cattle industry will be held in longer-term leases so the Eklunds are able to buy new cows to expand their herd, Val says.

“One of our big goals right now is to secure grassland and pasture,” Val says.

Importance of family Val and his wife have raised a large family, and they place high value on their family.

“My oldest son is Jamie, and the youngest is Brodie,” Val says. “I also have nine daughters. We raised five of our own children, and then we did foster care for a few years. We ended up adopting six of those girls.”

“Brodie, our youngest son, will graduate from the University of Wyoming in May, and he is planning to come back to the farm and ranch and eventually take over,” Val continues.

His youngest daughter is in first grade this year.

Ranching in Meriden With all the challenges facing agriculture, Val notes that the area they ranch in is unique.

“This is one of the last places on earth that big money hasn’t gotten to,” he says. “There are so many big investors who are buying land and looking for a view. They haven’t gotten here much yet.”

With the best farmland in the state, Val says they

are fortunate to have adequate moisture to make dryland farming work while also being far enough out to avoid the crowds and large populations.

“We have the normal challenges,” he adds.

“Winter-related risks, like big spring snowstorms and cold winters, are always a concern, but I think a lot of the challenge is just making the ranch work and the family work – and then making the two work together.”

Back to ranching “When I came back to the ranch, I didn’t know if it was going to work

because of the economics involved,” Val says, “but I love the farm and ranch.”

The variety in day-today work, as well as the challenges associated with making the ranch work, provides enjoyment for Val. “If you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life,” he says. “That part is easy, but trying to grow, acquire more land and build something up is

a challenge.”

“We aren’t just about the work,” Val adds. “The farm and ranch allow lots of family time. We work hard and we play hard, too.

It’s nice to have our kids involved in everything we do and to have that connection through our work.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

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B8

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Little Bear – When Don Cox first purchased his land just west of Interstate 25, he was looking for the chance to get out on his own.

Today, he runs cattle and operates an artificial insemination (AI) business as a part of Accelerated Genetics, hidden in a valley just off the interstate.

“The cattle and genetics business fit in pretty well together,” Don says.

Starting a ranch Don started with four

Branding cattle - Don Cox brands one of his calves last fall on Lazy GT Ranch just south of Chugwater.

Curt Cox photo

heifers he purchased at the sale barn, commenting, “We had run yearlings before. It was hard to find a place to run yearlings, so we switched over to cows.”

He purchased the heifers to start his own herd at Lazy GT Ranch. Their Angusbased herd has influence from carefully selected sires to improve the herd’s genetics.

“I have a few Red Angus, but I like to play with the genetics,” Don says. “I’ve tried club calves and Simmental, but the Angus work best – both red and black.”

He prefers smaller-framed cattle, which seem to work well in their country.

“Those cattle that are large-framed don’t stick around,” he says.

Bulls Along with his commercial cattle, Don sells a handful of bulls each year, focusing on AI-sired bulls that boast calving ease traits.

“We started selling just black bulls, but I had some friends who wanted red, so I started raising Red Angus

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years ago, which has really helped.”

The barn helps to move cattle more quickly when AIing, and it allows two people to breed at the same time.

“Having the barn is easier on the cattle, and it’s easier on me,” Don explains.

We can go through a bunch of cattle quickly with a couple of guys.”

Future of AI Don sees that the AI business has been supported through high bull prices.

“It seems like I pick up a couple new customers each year,” he says. “Bull prices have really helped the AI business. Producers can AI to a million-dollar bull, but they don’t have to own him,” he comments.

AI also has a number of benefits, Don explains, adding, “There is no faster way to improve genetics than through AI. We can breed cows to the bull we want to breed her to.”

This year, he notes that the business grew to the point where he hired an additional hand to help AI cattle.

“With timed AI, we have a limited window,” Don explains. “I try to stick close to the time-based synchronization programs. I prefer to stick to what works.”

Inside a year Each year, Don prepares for calving while simultaneously gearing up for the AI breeding season.

“I start working with my semen customers in January and February,” he says. “I try to make their sales, see cattle and whatnot early in the year.”

He starts calving March Continued on next page

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Lot 34 Lot 20

bulls,” he says. “We’re looking for calving ease and carcass.”

Don develops bulls on grass without additional feeding so they stand up on the range.

“Bull buyers want the lightest birth weight and the biggest bull in the pen,” he says. “I can’t sell a bull that isn’t calving ease here, and I don’t push them to grow. Fat bulls are pretty, but they tend to fall apart on the range.”

Bulls that get out and travel to do their job are important on any operation, and Don says that his bulls work well for customers.

AI business Don’s AI business, Lazy GT Genetics, also started after they first purchased their cows.

“When we first got our cows, my wife was helping another guy heat detect,” he says. “We had our little bunch of cows that we took to his place. When he quit AIing, we took our cows up to another guy.”

“Then we made the decision for me to go to AI school,” Don explains. “I started doing my own herd.”

Don was also working a second job in town. At the time, he’d go to work, breed cattle, come home and work with his own cows. Developing the AI business allowed him to quit his in-town job.

However, shortly after jumping into AI, Don’s plan to build the business was put on hold for several years when he lost his wife.

“I’ve been with Accelerated Genetics for about 15 years now, and it grows every year,” he says. “I bought an AI barn two

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B9

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page 10. All the cows are synchronized and AIed. He says, “During calving, I’m pretty well tied down on the ranch.”

After calving is finished, he heads out on the road to begin AIing cattle across the region.

Working with family “I’m gone a lot AIing cattle. I’m not usually gone for longer than three or four days. I have good neighbors who help take care of things, and the boys help, too,” Don says, noting that his sons Curt and Cody also help in the operation.

Curt works in Casper, and Cody is in Torrington.

They each also have some cattle on the property.

“We try to schedule things around the boys’ schedules, so they can be here if I can’t during calving,” he says. “It can get

tough because everyone wants to calve at the same time, so they all want me to AI at the same time. From the middle of April until July, I’m pretty busy.”

Don works breeding cattle into September.

He travels from central Nebraska, west to Riverton and north to Wright.

After finishing up the AI breeding season, Don returns home to wean and sell his calves.

“We sell the middle of October in the sale barn, where I’ve done really well and we get what they are worth,” he continues.

In the winter months, he doesn’t have to feed hay unless the grass is covered with snow. Typically, he comments, the wind blows the snow off.

“We’ve had some hard winds, and usually the wind uncovers the grass,”

Don notes.

He also supplements with tubs each year to ensure his cattle receive complete nutrition.

Living outside Chugwater Don notes that living north of Cheyenne on the Laramie County line comes with both challenges and benefits.

“I live in a high spot,” he says, noting that he sees more snow than many areas. “I’ve got some winter protection, too.”

“This is also great grass country,” Don adds.

The ranch is situated in an area that is windy, and he says all of his water comes from windmills.

The productivity of the ranch each year depends on moisture.

“I have some dryland hay that used to be farm ground at one time,” Don comments. “It was planted back to grass, and in a good year, we can hay it.”

Ranching lifestyle With livestock in his background, Don says he always wanted to ranch.

“My dad ranched and did other things, and I worked for other people on ranches,”

he says. “I’ve always been around livestock, and I’m glad that we came back and started a place.”

“I enjoy working cattle, and I enjoy the people,” Don comments. “There are some

really good people in the ag world.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

Customer relations - As part of his artificial insemination business, Don Cox (left) travels to meet and visit with producers, as well as to discuss the latest technologies involved in artificial insemination. Curt Cox photo

To advertise in one of the Roundup’s special editions, call 800-967-1647.

The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community www.wylr.net • 800.967.1647 • 307.234.2700 P.O. Box 850, Casper, WY 82602

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B10

Cheyenne – Warren Livestock is one of the oldest corporations in Wyoming, dating back to 1883.

The Warrens raised sheep, cattle and horses for the remount for the cavalry.

“They used to have a huge load of horses. In the early 1900s, they had close to 1,800 head and also owned 63,000 sheep,” remarks current owner Doug Samuelson, adding that some estimates claim the family had 100,000 head of sheep, including lambs, in 1953.

“Sheep are such an icon for Warren Livestock.

The ranch is synonymous with sheep and the Warhill breed,” he adds.

Warhill sheep Warhill is a breed of sheep unique to the ranch, developed in the 1930s and kept in a closed-breed herd ever since. Fred Warren and University of Wyoming Animal Science Professor John A. Hill developed the composite breed using Rambouillet, Targhee, Columbia and Panama breeds.

“They wanted to develop a breed to increase fertility and enhance twin-

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

ning of sheep,” notes Doug. “They called it Warhill after Mr. Warren and Dr. Hill.”

When the Etchepare family bought the ranch in the early 1960s, they maintained the sheep, along with their cattle.

“The Etchepares did a terrific job. They weren’t wealthy people. They had to do it through hard work and sandiness. They went through the 1980s and kept the ranch intact. They were very smart people,” he remarks.

As a Basque family, they were very knowledgeable about the sheep industry and took care to never overgraze their pastures.

“When we purchased the ranch 16 years ago, we kept the sheep herd as well,” Doug comments.

“We don’t run nearly as many sheep as either of the previous owners, but we still have quite a large herd.”

Doug and his wife Susan run nearly 4,400 ewes, keeping their yearlings as replacements, along with an Angus-based cattle herd. A number of horses are also kept at the

ranch and used for working and roping.

Lamb co-op Referring to his sheep, Doug says, “We have shares that we give to the Mountain States Lamb Cooperative (MSLC) every year as part of our membership. We sell the lower end of our ewes to other people, and if they’re not good enough for breeding, we’ll put them in the feedlot.”

Before the Samuelsons owned the ranch, Doug worked as a Wyoming legislator, supporting the creation of the MSLC to support the sheep industry.

“The big difference was, outside investors could become part of the MSLC, instead of just owners. In my opinion, MSLC saved the sheep industry in Wyoming,” he explains.

Buying the ranch At the time that the Etchepare family was selling Warren Livestock, Doug worked in ranch real estate, and he hoped that the property would be a worthy investment, sold in smaller pieces.

“My wife and I were looking for a nice-sized family ranch, but when

I saw this one, it was one of the best ranches I had seen in my life. We knew this was the one we had to buy,” he says.

He explains, “It has so much good topography. It grows grass so well, and it has live water in all of the pastures – creeks and springs that stay open all winter.”

Although the wind can be a blessing and a curse in Wyoming, it keeps the snow clear across the ranch, allowing livestock to access grass throughout the winter.

“Since we’ve owned this ranch, we haven’t had to feed hay to the cows in the winter,” Doug mentions, noting however, that the cows are fed hay when they are brought in close together for calving.

The ranch is also located conveniently without being so isolated that transportation or supplies become a problem, and livestock can be marketed in Colorado, Nebraska or Wyoming.

“We’re located at a very good address,” he states.

Stewardship Along with their deeded land, Warren Livestock also holds a forest permit, which the Samuelsons use to demonstrate good stewardship in grazing their sheep.

“Sheep have a bad rep-

utation for overgrazing pastures, but people don’t even know we’ve been there. We graze in a spiral, and the sheep are in one area for a very short period of time before we move them to another area,” he explains.

Warren Livestock employs a number of sheepherders to help look out for the animals throughout the year, including many of them from Peru.

“I wouldn’t trade the Peruvian sheepherders for anything in the world.

They’re salt of the earth,” comments Doug.

Herders stay with the sheep at all times, watching out for animal health and keeping the animals safe from predators.

“We also fly a lot during spring, and Wildlife Services has some people on the ground with us to control predators as well,” he adds.

Because of their efforts, the Samuelsons often see high numbers of swift foxes and ferruginous hawks on the ranch, two species that are affected by large populations of coyotes.

“Keeping coyote populations down allows some of those other species that are really susceptible to predation to flourish. That’s been a real plus,” he comments.

University collaboration Along with sheepherders and wildlife managers, university students can also be found helping out at the ranch, including veterinary students from Colorado State University (CSU), who visit annually through internship programs.

“We haven’t worked with the University of Wyoming (UW) as much as we’ve liked. I bleed brown and gold, but it just hasn’t worked out,” he remarks.

“The CSU students and I tease each other, but we stay on the cutting edge of sheep research by having them here through lambing camp.”

With university collaboration, Warren Livestock has become an ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP)-free flock, allowing sheep to live up to 10 or 12 years old.

“Sometimes, we’re keeping ewes up to six or seven years longer in our herd. CSU has helped us a lot with that, and they’ve learned a lot through their research,” he explains.

CSU and UW have also been involved with many other projects, as Warren Livestock has worked closely with the universities throughout its history.

“We’re really lucky to be so close to a veterinary college,” he remarks.

Good neighbors Doug also praises his neighbors, saying he is thankful to be living in proximity to such good friends.

“We’re in one of the best neighborhoods for ranches. We have the best neighbors anyone could imagine,” he remarks.

Although ranching can be done in many different ways, Doug acknowledges that everyone can still be doing it right and says it’s one of the neatest things about being involved in the industry.

“We can always learn from what other people do,” he notes. “Everybody out here is really smart.

We know what things work well for us and every one of us is right. We’re really lucky.”

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@ wylr.net

B11

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Little Bear – When Clyde and Frances Caster look out across the prairie of their Little Bear Community ranch, they can’t help but feel nostalgic and proud.

“The reason we are here today is because Clyde’s grandparents were gutsy enough to throw everything into a railcar, come out here and throw the dice,” Frances says. “In one of our pastures, there is still a depression where there once was a dugout with just a roof over it.”

“They had seven people who spent the winter in there.

I couldn’t imagine doing that.

We wouldn’t be here today if we weren’t standing on the shoulders of giants,” she continues. “They were tough people.”

Getting started at Little Bear Clyde’s grandfather homesteaded in the Little Bear Community north of Cheyenne in 1907.

“A lot of the history of the operation was documented by another homesteader in the

area named Laura Smith,” Clyde explains. “When she returned to Iowa, she wrote a series of stories that were published in the Moravia Union, an Iowa paper. A lot of these homesteaders came from Iowa.”

Clyde’s grandparents homesteaded a portion of land and purchased land from some of the other homesteaders. Clyde’s parent’s purchased more land, combined with land they inherited and eventually built the ranch up to about 2,000 acres.

When Clyde and Frances purchased the ranch from his parents, it was managed as a Hereford operation. When the couple decided to transition to Angus, they purchased breeding stock at dispersal sales.

Improvement “About 25 years ago, we decided we wanted to improve the herd even quicker, so we started to AI,” Clyde explains.

Frances went to artificial insemination (AI) school and with Clyde’s help, AIs all the

cows and heifers. The cows are exposed to AI for two heat cycles, followed by two heat cycles with cleanup bulls.

“Since we are a smaller operation, we have more flexibility,” Frances explains.

She and Clyde also both work outside the home. Clyde drives a school bus and Frances teaches, so they schedule the breeding season during the month of June when they can both be home.

“We use MGA on the heifers and CIDRs on the younger cows for synchronization. We heat detect and pull the rest of the cows in to AI when we see them,” she says.

Ideas to improve The Casters aren’t afraid to try new ideas to improve their cowherd and are constantly looking at new genetics. Clyde picks the sires and works with Don Cox through Accelerated Genetics. Currently, the focus is on milk and fertility, but the couple is also looking at improving their carcass traits.

Haying crew - The Caster family works together to put up hay, which they feed to their cattle in the winter months. Courtesy photo

“As a byproduct of that, we are getting calves that grow pretty fast. We notice a lot of difference between the calves born from AI sires and those from cleanup bulls as far as growth,” Clyde notes.

The family also stresses the importance of keeping their moderate-frame cows in condition for calving and breeding. Since the cattle mainly survive on dryland prairie grass and hay, they supplement with protein tubs, cake and a good mineral program. They also work closely with their veterinarian to keep their vaccination and health programs up to date.

End of the year The calves are weaned and sold right off the cow through a sale barn or by private treaty. However, the couple does retain some replacement heifers for themselves, and some bull calves are sold to neighbors for cleanup bulls.

The replacement heifers are developed on cake and

hay and, by the beginning of April, some grain. Clyde has found that by hand-feeding these heifers, it improves their disposition and makes them more suitable cows.

They also maintain good herd records on how the cows perform and choose the best heifers for replacements based on that information.

“We want to keep heifers that are fairly reliable and have the most likelihood of producing good calves,” Frances shares.

Adding family The couple has been married 40 years and has one son, Daniel. He, his wife Trista and children Tanner and Madison work outside the operation but hope to return to the ranch to take over one day.

“Our future goal is to work out a smooth and easy

transition plan, so Daniel can take over this operation,” Clyde says. “The ranch has been in the family a long time, so we would like to see him be able to come back and take over. One advantage for us is that the operation has been debt-free for a long time.

We hope that will make it easier for Daniel.”

“I grew up in town, but I love this way of life,” Frances adds. “I love the cattle and the cattle work.”

“We also work together with our neighbors when we brand and preg check,” she adds. “That is the nicest thing about our community, it is like extended family.”

Gayle Smith is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Raising cattle - The Casters look to improve their cowherd constantly by introducing new genetics through artificial insemination. Courtesy photo

i “

“

SHERIDAN 29 N. Gould St. (307) 673-7777

BUFFALO 141 S. Main (307) 684-2211

GILLETTE 200 S. Kendrick Ave. (307) 685-3375

B12

Chugwater – Russ and Karen Wedemeyer, ranchers in northern Laramie County, carry on over a century of family tradition.

“Both my mom’s family and dad’s family homesteaded here over 100 years ago,” Karen comments. “The ranches were right next to each other, and through the years, they combined the two places together and added other land.”

Russ also grew up on a ranch, west of Wheatland along the Laramie River.

“I bought my first Hereford cows when I was 21, ran them with my dad and leased summer pasture,” he explains.

He met Karen at the University of Wyoming, and the couple continued to ranch near Wheatland until her parents retired. Then, Karen and Russ relocated, becoming the third generation of owners on

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

the cow/calf operation south of Chugwater.

“We bought some of Karen’s dad’s Hereford cows, and we’ve kept going since then,” he says.

The couple has also raised four daughters on the ranch, and they now have 11 grandchildren.

“The girls and their families come at different times of the year to help with the operation, whenever needed,” Karen notes.

Springtime The Wedemeyers run on about 5,000 deeded acres in addition to leased land in Laramie and Platte counties, calving in the spring starting in April and selling most of their calves in the fall.

“In the spring, we bring the cows in closer to the ranch headquarters and calve close by. As they calve, we work them out into different pas-

tures until we’re ready to brand, and after branding, we’ll turn them onto summer pasture,” describes the couple.

Cows are then separated into different pastures for breeding, and Russ comments, “We have enough pasture that we can do selective breeding to certain bulls.”

He uses low birth weight bulls for the heifers and selects for animals with strong pigment.

“Years ago, there wasn’t a whole lot of pigment in Herefords, but now, pretty much all of my cows are red necks, and I try to keep as much pigment in them as I can,” he explains.

Fall season In the fall, Karen and Russ trail their pairs in to precondition the calves about a month before they’re marketed.

“We then sell all of the calves, with the exception of

some replacement heifers,” Russ adds.

For the most part, the Wedemeyers sell their calves at Torrington Livestock Auction, where they usually find good buyers and prices.

“We have done well in Torrington over the years,” Russ remarks. “We also sell them on the place sometimes.

We’ve done that every couple of years or so.”

The Wedemeyers have experimented with selling Hereford-cross cattle, but they prefer straight Herefords and keep a purebred herd. Russ has run the breed for the last 48 years.

“I like Herefords. I like their disposition. We can do something with them and they winter well. They hold their condition, and the Hereford bulls seem to breed a lot better,” he says. “I think we have good cattle, and the cattle sell themselves.”

Quality grass One of advantages of raising cattle on the Wedemeyer Ranch is the abundance of grass their land provides for them.

“I think it’s probably some of the best grass in the country here where we are in Laramie County. I’ve been around the state, and I think the grass at this end of the state is probably some of the best for cows and livestock,” Russ remarks.

The couple puts up dryland hay in the summer and runs cows on the grass in the winter.

“We supplement with cake and feed hay when cows can’t get to grass in the winter,” Russ explains.

The Wedemeyers also maintain conservative herd sizes to utilize their grass yearround and lower their overhead costs.

Winter winds The family ranch is set on rolling land with few rocks but also very few natural shelters or windbreaks. In the wintertime, the blowing wind can be one of the couple’s greatest challenges.

“We have some shelterbelts and trees that we have planted throughout the years.

The interstate also intersects our place, and there are snow fences along the interstate that the cattle can get behind,” Karen comments.

Recently, the couple has also diversified their water systems, adding solar and electric pumps to supplement

their existing windmills.

“The wind either blows or it doesn’t, which affects cattle water supply,” she explains.

Consistency Other than occasional updates, the Wedemeyers are satisfied with how successfully their ranch operates in traditional fashion.

“We’ve done pretty much the same things we’ve always done,” Karen notes.

She continues, “We change some things for whatever works best from year to year. We adjust to the weather and handle our cattle according to different pastures and what feed we have.”

Karen and Russ also work exclusively on horseback, carrying on the tradition of the West.

“We raise our own horses, and Russ breaks them,” Karen says. “We both love horses and love to ride.”

Russ adds, “We do pretty much everything on horses.

We feed in the pickup and use horses to trail cows.”

Seasonal pastures are within five miles of each other, and the horses are the perfect tool for moving cows.

“We try to keep it simple,” states Russ.

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@wylr.net.

Hereford cows - Russ and Karen Wedemeyer use the pickup to take feed out to their cows, which are Herefords that have been selected for rich pigment. Courtesy photo

B13

2016 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Albin – Innovations in agriculture come in many forms, from high-tech improvements on farm equipment to creative corral systems for stress-free cattle working. In the Lerwick family, innovation revolves around new concepts in cattle breeding, especially in heifer development.

New ideas with developing cattle run in the Lerwick family. Jim Lerwick’s company, LT Premium, LLC, is a two-year-old business, but its roots run back five generations when Jim’s grandfather started ranching in 1907 in Albin.

Crossbreeding tradition “My grandfather owned milking Shorthorns, and during my father’s generation, they put Hereford bulls on those cows and enjoyed having the crossbred vigor from those animals,” Jim explains.

“When my brothers and I became involved, we put Angus bulls on those Herefords, which still had some residual shorthorn genetics, and again established that hybrid vigor.”

Recognizing the true value of crossbreeding in the 1970s, the family began using Charolais bulls on black baldy cows – their breeding program for the next 40 years. But that wasn’t all. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, they established a single-source herd with neighboring ranchers to produce black baldies.

“Then 10 years ago, we established a red baldy supply with Francis Livestock from Cheyenne. Over time, we created a crossbreeding system to produce efficient feeder cattle and realized the efficiency of crossbred cows in that operation,” Jim says. “We began talking to other parties about making this concept a commercial business that could supply crossbred females to ranchers who want terminal cross production. We believe that efficiencies in heifer development allow us to make use of our investment much better than would a traditional cowherd. ” Forming a partnership The Lerwicks teamed up with Topp Herefords – the “T” in LT Premium, LLC – a couple of years ago, with the plan that Ryan Topp would source baldies out of his customers who run Angus cows with his Hereford bulls.

For the past two years LT Premium primarily has had a Hereford influence from the Topp bulls.

“Starting this year, we’re taking Angus genetics back to those herds, and now, we are beginning to tie in single-source reputation Black Angus genetics from North Dakota and Red Angus from Sheridan, Mont.,” says Jim.

“Our concept is to take excellent genetics from the two prominent English breeds – Herefords and Angus – to make premium baldy cows available on a large scale to people who understand the value of buying replacement heifers from a consistent source,” Jim says. “We use our genetics to produce efficient feeder cattle for those operations that don’t keep replacement heifers. All of those animals are a threeway cross and a consistent supply for feeders and packers.”

Selling heifers In their first year as LT Premium, LLC, they had 1,200 heifers.

“As everyone in the industry knows, 2014 was a wonderful time to sell bred heifers. In 2015 we had to purchase incoming calves at the peak of the market, so 2015 won’t be nearly as profitable as 2014. However, our business is focused on the long term,” Jim says.

Jim explains that they sell bred heifers in the fall.

“We buy the baldy heifer calf, then sell a Black or Red Angus female back into the same herd on a formula that locks in the development cost. People buy the replacements and sell heifer calves on the same market,” Jim adds.

“We manage our risk by a contractual arrangement.

Repeat customers have the opportunity to contract the baldy heifer if they choose.”

The concept has been well received.

Y6 Feeders out of Meriden serves as the initial development center for the baldies. LT Premium, LLC is planning to establish a development center in North Dakota for Angus genetics this winter and breed them there to fill the contract of baldy producing herds.

Looking forward In 2016-17, LT Premiums, LLC is planning to incorporate the southern need for cattle with a Brahman influence. The first is the popular “Tiger Stripe” Brahman-Hereford cross.

“We are working to produce an Angus-influenced super baldy with Brahman that will sell from Dallas, Texas, south and over to Florida,” notes Jim. “The potential is there for a national focus for design and quality controlled flow of crossbred females.”

Calving and heifer management Heifers begin calving in mid-January with cows starting in February. Jim explains that, with their early calving date, they can wean a 700-pound calf Oct. 1, and yearlings will reach 1,400 pounds by the following April.

Calving is also finished when farming demands

attention.

“What we foresee is a national network of cattle producers who know what they want in a genetic design, and we have the ability to influence that,” Jim says. “It’s a transition away from the standard keeping of replacement heifers.”

Jim explains that in buying – and keeping – heifer bulls’ influences, there is a limitation for growth and performance.

However, because LT Premium artificially inseminates their heifers and uses a cleanup bull, those deficiencies are mitigated, and the ranch’s bull battery can be better focused on the needs of the mature cowherd.

Coming back to the ranch When heifer calves arrive from Y6, they

receive health vaccinations and are Bangs vaccinated with electronic Bangs tags.

Those tags become the permanent identification that ties them back to the origination herd. They have a dangle tag that ties to the Bangs ID tag. The reader at the chute records anything that happens in the chute with that heifer.

In March, heifers receive reproductive ultrasound scores. Their company veterinarian, Jay Hudson, evaluates every heifer for maturity and activity of the reproductive system.

Heifers are then placed in groups for embryo transfer or artificial insemination, which is done targeting calving dates in threeweek intervals, starting Jan. 15 through March 30. Natural service produces March and April calving groups, which can be sorted into groups with one- to two-week breeding periods with ultrasound technology.

Marketing Replacement heifers are pregnancy tested via ultrasound, and the sex of the calf is also determined.

Heifers can be marketed for calving dates.

“This allows our customers to have a tight calving period whether they buy bull-bred or AI-bred, which is very defined in our program,” Jim says.

Heifers are also bovine viral diarrhea persistent infection (BVD PI) tested to make sure they are PI-free.

LT Premium, LLC also has a division using embryo transfer for registered breeders, and in 2016 they will have between 600-800 recipient cows.

“We want excellence to be achieved in every part of our program,”

Jim says. “Y6 Feeders is very detailed. The result is a well-designed system of heifer development.

We have multiple entities involved overall with the goal of producing efficient females with the meat dimension focused on the male side.”

Jim continues, “We call this the Age of Specialization, where there are a diverse areas of specialized focus. Everyone is in a diversified business and has a specialized part to create efficiencies to the entire chain. We look forward to seeing the business thrive for years to come.”

Rebecca Colnar is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

B14

Cheyenne – Originally owned by cowboy Ed McCarty, the Vowers Ranch is now a cow/calf operation owned by Karl and Janice (Vowers) Wilkerson.

“Ed McCarty raised horses for the cavalry first and then horses for Cheyenne Frontier Days way back,” mentions current owner Karl Wilkerson.

Ace Tyrrell bought the ranch from McCarty and owned the place for 10 years before selling it to the Vowers family.

“Those are the only three landowners of this place,” Wilkerson notes.

“I don’t know how long McCarty was here, but it was a long time. He was quite the old cowboy. There is a lot of history here.”

The Vowers purchased the ranch in 1956, hiring a foreman to keep up operations.

“They were from Kim-

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

ball, Neb., and they never did move up here. My wife is the first part of the family who moved up to the ranch,” he says.

Karl grew up on a farm in southeastern Iowa. After spending time in the service, he moved west in search of opportunity.

“I worked for Coors Porcelain in Golden, Colo. as a machinist, and I met my wife in Golden. Her family owned the ranch. Neither one of us liked living in town, so we moved up here,” he says.

Herefords and hay The family runs mainly Hereford cows and produces hay on both dryland and irrigated acres.

“We have 150 acres under a center pivot irrigation system, and that’s where we get most of our hay. We also have sub-irrigated meadows where we cut quite a bit of hay. In a

really good year, we have about 1,000 acres of hay we can cut,” he explains.

The weather can dictate both extremes, however, and Karl has had to purchase hay in bad drought years.

“One benefit that we have is two creeks that run fulltime. They’re springfed, so they don’t freeze. It’s nice in the wintertime. I’ve only chopped ice once in 47 years,” he comments.

Calving Calving on the Vowers Ranch begins in mid- to late March, with cows starting a few weeks after the heifers.

“I tried calving earlier at the first of February, but it didn’t work out very well.

It took way too much feed,” Karl explains.

March calving has proven to be much more successful since bad spring storms are common across the ranch.

Productive land - Ranching in southeastern Wyoming, the Wilkersons produce their own hay and raise quality Hereford cattle. Courtesy photo

“This is some of the rottenest country in the wintertime. We can go north and not be as bad, and we can go south and be better.

I’ve come over the hill and looked down to just a sea of white but turned around and looked the other way to see all sorts of things, like houses,” he notes.

But Karl adds, “It also goes the other way. In the summertime, it can be really, really nice.”

Family operation In fact, Karl and Janice have started to spend winters in Arizona, leaving the winter work to their children.

“We went down for a couple of months to start, and now we’re going for four or five months at a time. We get everything taken care of in the fall, and then the kids can handle it,” he says.

In the spring, they come back in time to help with calving at least some of the heifers and all of the cows.

“We synchronize our heifers and artificially inseminate (AI) them,” adds Karl.

Although Karl’s cows are bred by natural service, his daughter AIs her cows as well.

“We used to sell our calves in January at a sale in Fort Collins, Colo. that runs at the same time as the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo.,” he remarks. “I used to really like selling them in January.

It makes a lot of extra work, but it sure worked well.

There was always a good price for them.”

Now, Karl and Janice are moving toward retirement, weaning and selling calves in October to reduce the workload.

“The good thing is, both kids wanted to stay on the ranch,” states Karl.

His son lives on the ranch with his wife and two boys, and his daughter lives on the place as well, with her husband and daughter.

Successful weaning Karl has also reduced his workload on the ranch with his discovery that Lumix feed works successfully in his weaning program.

“It’s a liquid feed that gives the calves quite an appetite, and it’s medicated, too. They go to licking on that, and I leave them in the corral for about 30 days.

Then I put the Lumix out in

a small pasture with hay and all I do is wean them. I’ve had such a small amount of sickness. It’s very minimal,” he notes.

Currently, Karl runs about 300 head as he goes through the process of transferring the land to his children.

“I’ve cut back. We used to run between 500 and 600 cows,” he notes. “I’m back to about 300 now, and it’s a lot easier.”

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@wylr.net.

Wyoming history - Karl and Janice Wilkerson run a cow/calf operation in Laramie County on a ranch once owned by Wyoming cowboy Ed McCarty. Courtesy photo

Karl Wilkerson runs Herefords north of Cheyenne on the Vowers Ranch and is also one of the original founders of Chugwater Chili.

“There was a town forum because Chugwater was about to blow away,” he notes. “Somebody knew a guy in Cheyenne who cooked Chugwater Chili at cook-offs, so we bought the recipe.”

After refining the recipe, the Chugwater Chili Company began to sell and market the product, including taking it to shows around the country. Karl and his wife Janice traveled to Las Vegas, Nev., Salt Lake City, Utah, Albuquerque, N.M. and other cities, competing in chili cook-offs.

“At one time, we were up to five or six shows a year.

We got to where we were doing really well in Fort Worth, Texas. We even beat those Texas chilis,” he remarks.

Although he wishes he could continue with the company, it has now been sold after 30 years of operation. One of the new owners is Karl’s son-in-law.

“It’s been an interesting little venture,” says Karl.

“When we went from the ranch to working with the general public and marketing foods, we got quite an education.”

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Cheyenne – After raising cattle for nearly 40 years, Don Berry knows what traits he wants to see in his cowherd.

“I have to look at these cows every day,” he says. “I want cattle with not only a good physical appearance but good EPDs.” Don and his wife Patty started in the cattle business north of Cheyenne after high school with his father Doe. “I had 50 cows of my own, so when my dad and uncles dispersed their herd of Herefords in 1980, my dad and I bought 150 registered Hereford cows,” Don explains.

Switching breeds But by the mid-1980s, what Don calls the Angus movement settled in, and Herefords were making producers less money than other breeds.

“At that point, we started putting black bulls on our Hereford cows and moved into a crossbred program,” Don says.

Eventually, he transitioned the herd to black cattle because there was more money to be made.

“The Herefords, were worth eight to 12 cents less a pound. At that time, money was important because I had just purchased a couple ranches and needed every nickel I could get,” he says.

Once this transition was made, Don never looked back.

“My focus is on raising quality cattle. I judge them mostly on physical appearance, but I am not against using EPDs in areas where they are lacking,” he explains.

“We use some Sim-Angus sires that produce larger calves that wean heavier,” Don says.

The calves are weaned around the first of October and average 650 to 670 pounds.

Bulls are selected by how early they mature, so they can produce cows that will cycle earlier. Scrotal circumference that is larger than average is also important.

Breeding decisions “I look for bulls that are thick and long with some eye appeal,” Don says.

“I look at their physical appearance first, and if I like what I see, I follow up with their EPDs.” Since he has access to smaller pastures, Don still uses one bull to a group of 40 to 50 cows. It helps him better manage the herd.

“I know what every cow is out of, what is working and what isn’t,” he explains.

“I know what bloodlines work for me.”

The cattle have a limited calving season starting March 1, and they are finished in 40 days. More than 85 percent of the herd calves during the first heat cycle.

“We get pretty good production out of our cows,” Don says.

Managing cows Don has also found importance in keeping the cows in good flesh so they breed sooner. The cows average 1,350 pounds, with a frame score of 5.5 to six.

“If I don’t like the size of the cow I am using, I am not afraid to cull,” he adds.

Bigger, fatter cows that are not milking or come in open are also culled.

“I cull those cows because I don’t want that gene pool in my program,” he explains. “I have found that if I hold an open cow over, she may come in bred every breeding season after that, but her offspring will come in open in the future.”

Late-calvers usually sort themselves out from the program since Don has such a short breeding season. Typically, eight to nine percent of the cows will be open in a given year, which may seem high to some producers but is part of Berry’s strict management protocol.

“My son buys all the open cows to use as embryo transfer recipients, so it works out okay,” he says.

The cows graze yearround but are supplemented with alfalfa-grass hay from mid-December until calving.

“We raise our own hay, and it is about 19 to 22 percent protein,” he says.

The cattle also have unlimited access to mineral.

Differentiating the operation One area that is different on the Berry operation from other producers is the tradition of halter breaking the replacement heifers.

“It takes a little time, but to us, it sure is worth it,” he explains.

This process involves running the heifers down the chute, putting a halter on them and tying them up in the corral. Don has room to tie up 50 heifers at a time.

He spends most of the day combing their hair and getting them used to human contact.

In the evening, Don unties them and lets them drag the lead rope around during the night. He repeats this process for three days.

“I have halter-broken thousands of head this way.

The first day, they really fight being tied up, but by the second day their head is sore so they are more manageable,” he explains.

Halter breaking comes with benefits. Don had found the heifers are gentler and go to the bunk easier. If he has to assist one at calving, he can walk into a pasture, put a halter on her and assist her with delivery.

“If I have one calving in the pasture, a lot of times I can just walk up behind her and offer assistance without her jumping up and tak-

ing off,” he says. “When we work with the neighbors, they always comment how slow and tame my cattle are, which makes them easier to work with.”

Replacements When Don selects replacement heifers from the cowherd, he selects from the middle to maintain the size and uniformity of the herd. The heifers are weaned on a circle of alfalfa and grass that is close to the

house.

Later in the winter, Don adds 20 pounds of alfalfa-grass hay and some mineral tubs to their diet.

The process has worked well, though he admits it isn’t perfect.

“I don’t want to develop them in a feedlot because the environment is so different than what they will experience here,” he says. “I think it is important to keep things consistent so they cycle and breed back easier.”

Although the cows are typically bull-bred, Don and his sons synchronize and artificially inseminate (AI) about 100 first-calf heifers.

The heifers he doesn’t retain

are developed in a feedlot near Alliance, Neb. Those heifers are AI-bred and sold privately before they calve.

Family Don feels fortunate to have his sons TC, Brett and Jeff come back to the ranching way of life. Although it is challenging to be in the cattle business, he says he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“I love this way of life, and it has been not only my

livelihood but also a hobby,” he explains. “I enjoy working with the cattle and my neighbors.”

“I am also proud of my own cattle and that my boys are back in the operation. I am hoping it will continue into another generation,” Don says.

Gayle Smith is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup