Welcome to the Ranch!

Due to a death in the family two weeks ago and an unrelated illness the following week, I have not been posting any articles.  I hope that you understand.

Exciting things are happening here at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We have just harvested more grass fed beef for a new group of customers.  We are excited by our growing customer base.  We also want to thank people for spreading the good news about our grass fed beef for us.

Cross Creek Cattle Company was invited to be in The Homestead Magazine for the April issue.  It is a magazine that “is about families that are innovative , creative, and ambitious in their pursuit of getting back to the basics.   Passionate about making simple living a priority for themselves and their family.”

We are happy to be apart of that description.  To see the publication, go to “The Homestead” magazine.  You can download the current issue and read it online.  We are on page 17.

On Monday morning, the owners and managers of Cross Creek Cattle Company were interviewed by a journalist, Clay Copperidge, from “Country World” magazine.  He was very interested in the grass fed beef aspect of our family owned and operated ranch.  I really look forward to reading the article featuring Cross Creek Cattle Company.

We are excited about all the interest in our ranch and grass fed beef operation.  I field calls and emails daily.  If you are interested in placing an order or asking a question, contact me directly at lndehaven@aol.com.  I am more than happy to respond.

In addition, the grass is growing in the pastures.  We are getting good soaking rains.  Calves are being born almost daily at this point.  Our herd is growing in number and in size.  The countryside is beautiful and green.  It is great to be here on the ranch.  Come by and visit sometime.

Just call beforehand so that we can make ourselves available.  You never know, we might just put you to work.

Jake and Sugar

Cross Creek Cattle Company does more things than raise healthy and delicious grass fed beef.  We also raise award-winning show animals.  In the past our heifers have placed very high in the big Texas shows like San Antonio, Houston, and Fort Worth.  When they competed in Beefmaster futurities, they also did great.

If you did not already know, a futurity is like a beauty pageant for cattle.  And, if you are interested in seeing all the awards our show heifers have won, then check out our Braggin’ Rights page.

Jake, my eight year old son, is enjoying his first year in 4-H.  He and my other two older children are all members of 4-Hers-on-the-Brazos, which meets in Plantersville.

Jake decided he wanted to show a heifer for the first time.  My father, Kenton Holliday, graciously offered Jake the pick of the herd.  Of course, I advised Jake to listen to PawPaw explain what qualities to look for in a choosing a show-quality calf.  Jake learned and with PawPaw’s help chose an excellent heifer.

He named her “Sugar.”  We had to separate her from the herd because a grass fed heifer will probably not stand a chance against a grain-fed heifer in the show ring.  If you have ever been to a cattle show, you know that fat cows win.  Judges like them plump and filled out all over.  We are feeding this heifer free-choice creep feed.

Because Jake decided to show a heifer a little later than most, he is having to halter break a much bigger heifer than we would normally recommend.  She weighs at least three times what Jake weighs, if not more.  He has had a difficult time, but all his hard work is beginning to pay off.

She leads well now.  He is trying to get her to set-up for the pretend judges in our round pen.  He rubs her belly, back, and neck with his show stick.  It is a long stick with a hook at the end.  Sugar really enjoys the scratching and rubbing.

The problem that Jake is working on now is getting Sugar to come to him.  Catching her is a game that I think she enjoys.  Once caught, she does well.  The other day she kicked him hard in the arm when he reached to get her halter.  He had a bruise for a week.

Jake knows that he has to work hard to get her ready for the show ring.  He is enjoying raising a show heifer.  He likes a challenge.  Luckily, he is committed to the end.  Hopefully in June, Sugar and Jake will stand proud and do well for the judges.  I know one thing, everyone hear at Cross Creek Cattle Company is rooting for the both of them.

A mama cow watching several calves.

Observing a herd of cattle is a great tool of ranchers.  You can learn a lot about the behavior of the herd and the behavior of the cows as individuals.

For example, there is always a lead cow.  A cow that is in charge.  As a rancher, your job is much easier when you figure out which animal is in charge of the herd.  Then you only have to be in charge of that cow.  The rest will follow.  We have trained our leader, Fatty, with a sing-song call.  We can be two pastures away and call, “C’mon cow, let’s go!”

Seconds later we will hear a “Moo.”  Then a minute later, we will hear a chorus of “Moos.”  Soon we will see the cows headed towards us with Fatty in the lead.

In addition to our leader, Fatty, our herd bull, Romeo, plays an important role.  His job is protector of the herd.  And, he takes it seriously.  Fortunately for us, our cattle are docile.  This is the main reason that we chose to raise Beefmasters, which are known for their good dispositions.

On cattle working day, we sort the calves from their mothers.  Then we run them in the chute to await their branding, de-horning, and in some cases castration.  Instead of grazing with the rest of the herd, Romeo stands on the other side of the pen watching his calves.

I have to be honest.  On occasion, his presence has been a little intimidating.  After all, he weighs about two thousand pounds.  He waits until the last calf has been worked.  As they are released back to the herd, he greets them with a reassuring nudge of his nose.  Only when his herd has been reunited, Romeo resumes grazing.

Another behavior that intrigues me is the way that cows baby-sit for each other.  Sometimes it is a new mother who is in charge of all the calves.  Sometimes they recruit or train an older heifer to watch the calves.  The cows have a system and they trade off responsibilities.

If you don’t believe me, simply spend some time observing cattle.  They don’t have to yours.  They don’t have to be on our ranch.  Cattle are cattle.  However, they do need to be a multi-generational herd.  In a pen of only calves, there will not be a baby-sitter.  But in the natural setting, cattle share these responsibilities.

This is what you will see.  The whole herd seems to be randomly grazing in a grassy pasture.  All the heads are down and they are steadily, but slowly eating their way through the grass.  A few cows might be full.  They have laid down together and are chewing their cud.  All the calves seem to be grazing together.  Or, they are tired of eating grass and are exercising and playing with head butts.

If you watch closely, there is one cow/older heifer in charge of these calves.  She keeps them together.  She is not grazing as steadily as the other cows.  She keeps her eyes on the calves.

Soon another cow stops grazing or stands up from her rest and walks over to a calf.  The calf runs to meet her.  They smell each other and the cow licks the calf on the forehead.  The calf goes straight to nursing.  Here comes another mama cow.  Soon all the calves are nursing.  When the calves are full, the mama cow will lick them down their necks and sometimes on their sides.  If it is a brand-new calf, she will lick the navel to clean it.

Then the mother leaves to resume grazing.  If it is her turn to baby-sit, then she stays and the prior baby-sitter is relieved of her post.  She can now graze steadily and fill her belly with confidence that her calf is being watched.

Cattle are smart creatures.  They are also interesting to study.  I have often marveled at the way they work together as a herd.  I am glad that Cross Creek Cattle Company raises cattle in the natural way.  I am not sure that these observations can be found when cattle are not raised naturally.  I personally think that it is the best way to raise cattle for the rancher’s sake and for the sake of the herd.