Welcome to the Ranch!

Most of the nation is feeling the effects of a heat wave as the temperatures soar, and the heat index goes even higher due in part to the high humidity.  Yesterday the actual temperature here was 108 degrees.  I have no idea what the heat index was, but the word hot does not begin to describe it.

As people try to find relief in air conditioning, the shade, or in a swimming pool, ranchers cannot overlook the effects of the heat on their animals.  Cattle, horses, and other livestock are suffering in the heat also.  Their needs are not unlike our own.  They need to stay hydrated and they need a cool place to spend the day.

At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we make sure that the cattle have plenty of fresh water to drink.  Cows usually drink twice a day.  The amount consumed is staggering.  On a typical day, each cow can drink between 25 and 30 gallons.  During excessively hot days, the amount increases to 35-50 gallons.  Depending on how many head of cattle you have, you have to make sure that you provide sufficient water for your herd.

Cows will stay in shady places when it gets really hot.  Make sure that your cattle are on a wooded pasture with plenty of shade.  You do not want them baking in the sun.  If you only have cleared pastures, provide shade with a covered structure, tarp, or something else.

Believe it or not, cows love to wade out into a lake or pond up to their bellies.  It is their version of pool fun.  Cows can swim, but usually only when they have to.  Horses seem more playful in water.  They will swim regardless if they have to or not.  Even wading into shallow water, they will splash with their front hooves.  Having a lake or pond for your livestock to use as a swimming pool is not necessary, but it is also a good way to insure that they have enough to drink throughout the day.

As we all try to survive this exceptional drought coupled with extreme heat and humidity, consider the needs of the animals, too.  From livestock to family pets, animals are also looking for ways to stay hydrated and cool.

In the above video, a reporter investigates the claims made by a grass fed rancher as to the health benefits of her beef.  This is not just any rancher, she is Dr. Whisnant, founder of American Grass Fed Beef.  She happens to also be a veterinarian.

The report contrasts the environment of the cattle in feedlots versus a grass-filled pasture.  I have to admit that some of the video is hard to watch.  But, I am comforted by looking out my window and seeing our herd grazing in a green pasture.

We have received a little rain in the last two weeks.  I believe if you added it all up, it would total just under an inch.  Even though we are far behind in our rainfall needs, the small rains have spruced up the grass a bit.

The report goes on to explain the cost difference between factory-raised beef and grass fed.  It is true.  It takes longer for the animal to reach a good harvest size.  For awhile there, Cross Creek Cattle Company was filling orders for grass fed beef one after another.  We have hit a lull as we wait for the rest of our grass fed candidates to mature.

In three weeks, I am going to weigh them again.  However, I think we will be ready to begin filling orders again in approximately 45 days.  We have some of the beef secured with deposits, but we still have some available for sale.

If you are interested in purchasing grass fed beef from Cross Creek Cattle Company, please let me know.  Contact me at lndehaven@aol.com.  All I will need at this time is your name, the size of your order, and a $100.00 non-refundable deposit to secure your order.  Then as the time approaches a definite harvest date, I will be in contact with you.

Texas A&M University hosts an annual Beef Cattle Short Course in August.  It is a three-day event filled with a variety of sessions, vendors, and food.  It also provides opportunities to meet other ranchers and cattlemen from all over the United States.

Dr. Temple Grandin is a keynote speaker this year.  She will be discussing what she is best known for, “Cattle Behavior and Proper Handling Techniques.”  We are excited about the opportunity to listen to her speak in person.  If you are not familiar with Dr. Grandin’s work, then read my article, “Thank You, Dr. Temple Grandin,” to see why we are such fans.

Other sessions that caught my eye include: Marketing Grass Fed Beef, Landowner Issues such as water rights and eminent domain, and Range Management-Recovery from Wildfire and Drought.  There are many more sessions available.  To check out the tentative schedule for the Beef Cattle Short Course, click here.  Many of the sessions offer continuing education credits.

The course also offers live cattle demonstrations including cattle handling, dehorning, castrating, etc.  It also has a class to learn how to grade beef and where different cuts come from off a hanging carcass.

Cross Creek Cattle Company proudly sends our ranch manager to the three-day course every year.  We find it beneficial for the ranch.  We are also happy to see so many sessions that address current issues in the cattle industry.

If any of this interests you, consider attending the short course.  You have until July 26th to register.  We highly recommend it, and guarantee that you will learn something new.

Rheaghan riding her horse, Peanut, bareback with my daughter, Kyla, riding Dolly.

This summer Cross Creek Cattle Company is happy to have hired a local cowgirl to train and work with our horses.  Rheaghan Pavlock is the newest member of our ranching operation.  She has been around horses most of her life.  She is a member of the Grimes County Mounted Posse along with my children.  Rheaghan competes in Ranch Hand rodeos and speed events.  She is looking forward to making some money and gaining more experience by working with our nine horses.

We have a variety of horses.  From old faithful horses on which you can do anything to a young broke colt that needs to learn some manners.  This colt needs a lot of attention and work to fine-tune his skills.  We also have one mare that was abused in her past.  She needs to learn to trust people.  She has made progress in leaps and bounds since first coming here years ago, and we hope that this progress will continue.

Rheaghan is doing a great job so far.  Riding, round penning, grooming, washing, feeding, cleaning stalls, cleaning the tack room, etc. are all responsibilities that she oversees.  Her favorite part of the job is riding horses, of course.  We have a variety of places to ride so it is always interesting.  Creek bottoms, hills, wooded pastures, an arena, pens, and open pastures all make for fun rides.  It is good for both horse and rider.

Just last week, Rheaghan was riding with my daughter, Kyla.  They came up out of a creek, which happens to be in our wildlife refuge.  Both the horses started snorting and side-stepping, which caught Rheaghan’s attention.  She looked harder into the brushy overgrowth.  There was a feral sow with ten piglets bedded down.  The horses must have caught their scent.  You never know what to expect around here.

Rheaghan finds Spur, our relatively young colt, the most challenging aspect of her job.  He likes to challenge her authority, and she has to constantly remind him that she is the boss.  Rheaghan hopes that by the summer’s end Spur will be a changed and better horse.  She knows that she has to put a lot of hours under his feet to attain that goal.

A perk that she loves after a hard day’s work is a smoothie.  Made out of homemade goat milk yogurt and frozen fruit, smoothies are a treat that make the heat feel more tolerable.  When she is sweating in the sun, the thought of a smoothie in the afternoon keeps her going.  I am glad that I can reward her hard work with something as simple as a smoothie.  And, Cross Creek Cattle Company is glad that we have Rheaghan for the summer.