Welcome to the Ranch!

Some of our Beefmaster cattle.

Over a decade ago, Cross Creek Cattle Company  decided to raise the Beefmaster breed.  Beefmasters are a combination of the Shorthorn, Brahman, and Hereford breeds.  There are “Six Essentials” of the breed.  Beefmasters are known for their disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, milk production, and hardiness.

My dad calls them “fertile and functional”, especially in our climate.  Being able to withstand the heat in the summer and tolerate the cold in the winter is an important characteristic of Beefmasters.

Since this is a family-owned and operated ranch, many different generations help out on the ranch.  From the grandparents to the grandchildren, we all work together to work the cattle.  Therefore, the safety of our family is the most important to us.

I personally have five children ranging in age from 14 to 2.  We live on the ranch.  We enjoy roaming the pastures on walks and bike rides.  We ride horses all over the property.  In doing so, we also mingle with the cattle while they are being rotated from pasture to pasture.

The Beefmaster breed is known for having a great disposition.  It is the number one essential characteristic.  They are naturally docile.  I do not worry about my children amongst the herd.  I do not fear for them when they are helping work the cattle.

Has anything bad ever happened to us in the pasture with the herd?  No.  The cattle are not phased by our presence.  When my husband brings hay in the winter or refills their free-choice minerals, they come greet him.  Even the bull does not make us uneasy.

Have we ever had an accident while working cattle?  Yes, but only a few in all the years we have raised them.  This is the most dangerous time around cattle.  You are moving them.  They are stirred up.  You are pushing them down a narrow alleyway or in a squeeze chute.  They outweigh you about 5 times.  Something is bound to happen every once in a while.

Without the great disposition of the Beefmaster breed, many more accidents would occur.  We would not feel comfortable with our children helping and working by our side.  Working cattle would be much more dangerous, limited to only older, stronger, and experienced cowboys.

If you are looking into different breeds of cattle for your ranch, we recommend Beefmasters, especially if you are planning to involve your family in the venture.  To learn more about the breed, go to Beefmaster Breeders United.  Being a family operated ranch is very important to us at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  Raising the next generation of ranchers is near and dear to our hearts.

Steve and Jake with Ladd on Jake's birthday.

Years ago when we were looking to purchase good, broke horses for my children to ride, we met Steve Prewitt and his family.  We were struck by his honesty and knowledge.  Steve was a working cowboy at the time as well as training to be a preacher.

We ended up purchasing a paint mare that we named Cheyenne from him.  My dad was sold when he saw the picture of Steve standing in the saddle swinging a rope.  The young mare just stood still, completely desensitized.  My husband fell in love with this horse and he rides her every chance he gets.

Steve also helped us find another mare.  We named her Roxie.  It was not even his horse, but he drove us out to the stables where she was kept and let us ride her in the parking lot.  It was getting very dark.  The parking lot light threw shadows all over the ground, which will spook most horses.  With only a halter and a lead rope, our family rode her around.  She did not spook.  She responded to our commands without a bit.

Now my son Clayton rides her.  He loves Roxie and together they work well together.  If it is riding around Cross Creek Cattle Company, down a busy street during a parade, or in the rodeo arena, Roxie and Clayton make a good pair.

My son, Jake, and Steve hit it off immediately.  They both have a passion for horses.  When our ranch first hired Steve to train and work with our horses, he spent hours with Jake training him as well.  For a while there, I thought I would get sick of Steve’s name because he is all Jake talked about.  I appreciated the fact that Steve took the time to be a good role model for Jake.  Not only is he a good man, but Steve made time for Jake.

For one of Jake’s birthdays, we had a family and friend trail ride.  I think he was more excited when Steve Prewitt drove up with his wife, Dee, to present Jake with a brand-new rope.  It meant a lot to Jake; therefore, the act meant a lot to me.

Steve has helped Lane be a better rider.  They worked together to be able to open and close gates on horseback.  Lane has watched and taken mental notes of how Steve does groundwork in the round pen.  Lane, too, has enjoyed Steve working here on the ranch.

Now Steve is moving.  He has found a great job about an hour away.  We are excited for him and his family as they embark on a new journey.  It is a bittersweet moment for us, though.  We are losing a great cowboy, horseman, and role model.

Thank you, Steve, for being a part of Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We appreciate all that you did for us.  And, we wish you the best in your new adventure.  We are going to miss you.

Our dog Maggie.

We are coming into the last days of July, which is when the days really start heating up here in Texas.  Now through  early September are generally the hottest days of the summer.  The ancient Greeks coined the term based on the belief that Sirius, a.k.a. the Dog Star, was responsible for the extreme heat.

Regardless of who is responsible for the heat, everyone needs to be cautious at this time of the year.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we are concerned for ourselves and our animals.  Our cattle herd, horses, and pets are all susceptible to the heat.  The soaring heat index is not selective between human or beast.

Our biggest priority is our family.  We drink large quantities of water and drinks with electrolytes.  We wear hats to keep the sun from baking our heads and necks.  My husband wears a chill tie around his neck.  We try to do our hardest work in the morning and evening.  During the afternoon, we try to do work indoors or in the barn.  We also watch ourselves for signs of heat exhaustion like heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, and muscle cramps.

Learning to monitor ourselves is the first step in preventing either heat exhaustion or the potentially fatal heat stroke.  If you stop sweating when you should be, then you are in danger of heat stroke and should immediately seek medical attention.  None of us are doctors nor are we trained in the medical field, but we do our own research.  We encourage you to research other ways to prevent either heat induced illness.

Last year we were not as vigilant in watching for signs of heat exhaustion.  Unfortunately, my husband, the ranch manager, fell ill.  He suffered from vertigo, which was heat induced.  It took weeks before he was able to get back to his full work load.  He was miserable.  We have learned from our mistakes and we hope that you can learn from it too.

As far as our animals are concerned, they have similar needs.  They need to rest during the heat of the day.  They need plenty of fresh water.  They need to be in a pasture with plenty of shade, either artificial or natural.  So if your pen or pasture does not have shade trees, then you need to consider constructing a permanent or temporary source of shade.

Having lived in Southeast Texas our entire lives, we knew our climate well before choosing our breed of cattle.  We knew how hot the summers were.  We knew the high humidity all too well.  We also knew that the heat index most often soars higher than the actual temperature during the summer.  It was important to us to raise a breed that was well suited to our climate, which is why we choose to raise Beefmasters.

Hairy Cows from Scotland. Photo from Wikipedia.

It is not the only breed that is suitable to Texas’ summers, but it was our pick.  Before buying cattle, consider your year-round climate.  Can you imagine the Highland cattle of Scotland trying to make it here?  Their survival would be questionable.  Beefmasters not only survive, but they thrive here at Cross Creek Cattle Company even during the dog days of summer.

Take the necessary precautions for your family, herd, and pets for the next month or so.  Be aware of the weather conditions and provide for the needs of everyone based on the heat.  Most importantly, be safe.  The coolness of autumn will be here soon enough.

Some of our horses with the pond in the background.

Nine horses call Cross Creek Cattle Company home.  During the fall and winter, they graze in small fenced-in pastures. Then we lead them to their stall in the horse barn to spend the night.  We feed them grain and plenty of fresh hay.  In the morning we feed them grain again and then lead them back to the small pasture for exercise, fresh air, and some grass.  Then we can spend two hours a day cleaning the stalls.

Compared with the Beefmaster cattle we raise, horses are much more time-consuming and expensive to raise.  We buy their feed, supplements, and hay.  Shavings are needed to spread over the floor of their stalls.  These things all cost money.  Horses also require training, exercising, and riding. And, this requires time.  In addition, the ferrier comes out every six weeks to trim hooves.  Horses are high-maintenance, plain and simple.

With the wonderful rain that we have been receiving this summer, our pastures are filled with tall, green grass.  We always have our cattle rotating pastures to ensure that plenty of fresh grass is being consumed.  While the cattle are eating grass in one pasture, the grass in the other pastures are growing.

This summer we have also let the horses have a vacation from their routine.  We have released them into a large pasture full of grass that also has a 3 acre pond.  At first the horses’ heads went down to taste the tall grass.  It did not take long before the excitement of being in a new place caused them to forget the grass and run as a herd.

It was one of the times I wished that I had my video camera.  It was a beautiful sight to behold.  Like a herd of wild horses, they ran over the pasture, up a hill, down the hill, around in large circles, in figure eights, etc.  I don’t know what was more beautiful: the beauty of the horses themselves moving as one or if it was the landscape in which the ran.  The sky was bluer than blue; the grass was swaying in the light breeze.  Thinking back, it had to be the combination of the two.

All the pretty horses.

They settled down and then noticed the pond.  Every single one of the horses stepped out into the water.  Some literally went for a swim.  They were completely enjoying themselves.

Weeks later, the horses are still enjoying their freedom.  They have all kept up their condition on grass only, including the oldest horse, Ladd.  We are enjoying not having to clean any stalls.  Raising horses on grass is much more economical, which is why both equine and human alike are enjoying the summer here at Cross Creek Cattle Company.

A 6 lb. bass swallowed Isaac's arm.

Summer would not be complete for my family unless we went fishing.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company we have several stocked ponds.  One has catfish.  The others have bass and crappie.  With so much work to do on the ranch, it is nice to carve out time to enjoy living here.

Last weekend my boys went fishing with their dad.  They did not catch many, but what they did catch was huge.  You cannot help but get excited when you hook a big bass on your line.  This one in particular put up a fight.  Catching fish is very rewarding.

Fishing is a great way to encourage father/son bonding.  I am not saying that my daughter and I do not fish because we do.  It is fun for me to see the way that my husband teaches the little ones how to fish.  He has so much patience with them.

Once Jake hooked Lane, my husband, in the forehead with a treble hook.  Actually he hooked him twice in the forehead by casting too soon before Lane was out of the way.  Lane calmly asked me to remove the hook.  When I saw that two hooks were buried in his skin, I got sick to my stomach.  I tried to move them, but they would not budge.  Lane had to remove them himself.

I will never forget how he did not yell and scream at anyone. Jake already looked sick.  He was only five at the time.  I think Lane knew that he had learned his lesson already.  Lane just asked him to not do that again.

When my step-father takes little ones fishing, he always cuts the tips of the hooks off.  The hook still catches fish, but it does not catch him.  A great tip for anyone fishing with young children.

Multiple generations like to come out here to fish.  Grandfathers and grandsons, uncles and nephews, fathers and sons enjoy the day together.  Friends are always welcome, too.

My dad has a friend who visited here two months ago.  He is an avid fisherman.  He began fishing early in the morning and fished most of the day.  He caught over 40 fish.  My dad said he has never seen anything like it.  Almost every time his friend cast out, he pulled in a fish.

We don’t always have luck.  Sometime we catch nothing, but those days are few and far between.  I tell my kids, “That is why it is called fishing and not catching.”

I find it relaxing to sit and watch your bobber float on the surface of the water.  My children prefer fishing with lures because there is always something to do.  They can reel in and cast out as much as they want.

We usually stop fishing as soon as we have enough for dinner.  The taste of fresh fish coupled with homegrown vegetables is out of this world.  There is nothing better than eating what you raise, forage, and/or catch.  Living on or visiting Cross Creek Cattle Company enables you to experience a taste of self-sufficiency.

Ready and waiting for their turn in the ring.

On Saturday, June 5th, Jake represented Cross Creek Cattle Company at the Grimes County Fair.  He raised, halter broke, and practiced with the fifteen month old heifer as his 4-H Beef Project.  This is his first year as an official 4-H member; therefore, this project was also his first animal project.

On our ranch and family farm, we raise animals from rabbits and chickens to cows and horses with other species in between.  Raising an animal for the show is an entirely different experience.  This is especially true when comparing grass fed beef to show beef.  To be competitive, show animals need grain in order to fatten them up.  Judges look for good conditioning, which in my mind means fat.  Needless to say, this heifer was taken out of our grass fed program.

We learned a lot this year.  With the help of our county extension agent, Jake fed his heifer as directed.  She began really putting on the weight.  She got her hooves trimmed and her hair clipped.  She also received several baths.  A fan blew on her during the heat of the day.  The heifer was the most pampered animal on our ranch.

The last two weeks before the show, Jake really began working on his showmanship.  Different family members would pretend to be the judge.  We would ask him to do a variety of things with his heifer.  When he set her up, we would walk around her, touch her, and speak to Jake.  This was very good practice for what was to come on the 5th.

Jake in the show ring with Sugar.

Jake arrived at the Grimes County Fairgrounds excited and ready to participate in his first heifer show.  He had the heifer, who he named Sugar, looking show ready and beautiful.  He was all dressed up, too.  Jake was very smart in that he watched a few of the first classes before his class to get a better idea of what the judge would have him do in the ring.  He watched some experienced showman and got some good ideas.

When it was Sugar’s class, Jake was ready.  He walked in the ring with such great confidence.  He looked like he was an experienced showman.  He followed the judge’s requests.  And, he set Sugar up beautifully for the judge.

The judge said as he was giving his reasons for placing the class, “The more that you look at this heifer (Sugar), the more that you like her.”  He also called her “refined and feminine.”  These are all desirable qualities for a heifer in any breed.

Jake and Sugar won the class.  He received a $25.00 gift certificate from Producer’s Co-op in Bryan, Texas.  Jake was excited that he won and we were so proud of Jake.  His hard work paid off.

Now the show bug has bitten him.  He is looking for more shows in which to participate.  I will let you know how he does in his future shows.  His goal right now is to enter the Houston Livestock Show next year.  Wherever Jake shows Sugar or any other heifer, he will make Cross Creek Cattle Company proud.

Rain, glorious rain!  It started raining last night and I believe I heard it still raining early into the morning.  At about 8 o’clock this morning it began again.  We are so excited here at Cross Creek Cattle Company.

It is the perfect rain, too.  It is not accompanied with a storm system.  We were not under a tornado watch.  We did not lose our electricity due to high winds.  We were not kept awake with thunder and lightning.  It is a steady rain.

Not only is this rain steady, but it is a soaking rain.  The water is doing exactly what we need it to do; the water is seeping into the soil nourishing the roots of our plants and grass.  It is not running off our pastures into creeks that eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico.  It is not flooding our pastures and putting our herd in peril.  As I said before, we consider ourselves blessed with this perfect rain.

As you would expect rain plays an important role on a grass fed ranch.  Grass has to have sufficient rainfall to thrive.  I know that our cattle and grass fed operation did well despite a drought last summer, but two back to back droughts would have been tough to pull through without many problems, which is why this rain is absolutely glorious.

I have a more selfish need for the rain that goes beyond the pasture conditions.  I have a big, organic vegetable garden that badly needs the rain, too.  Despite my seemingly constant watering, the plants are turning yellow.  The soil is never muddy; the soil has been soaking up all the water.  For some reason, watering with a sprinkler is not as good as rain falling from the sky for your garden.

I don’t know the reason, but I have made this observation countless times.  The garden always seems refreshed after a rain like this, but not when I water it myself.  Maybe it has something to do with the rain bringing cooler temperatures and overcast skies.  Whereas when I water, the skies are clear and the sun is still baking the plants.  Evaporation of the water might be a key issue as well.  Regardless of the reason, I am celebrating the fact that my garden is being refreshed and soaked by rain.

We want the rain to stay, but obviously we don’t want it to rain forever.  That would be unhealthy for our grass fed operation and my garden.  We want the rain to continue treating us with its blessings throughout the summer.  We definitely don’t want to endure another drought.  This great rainfall is a good sign that we will not.

Summer is in full swing here at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  The daily temperatures are hitting in the mid-90s and staying above 70 degrees during the night.  This is prime grass growing time.

With the new growth of our grass, the herd is on a strict pasture rotation now.  We are in the midst of our time-intensive pasture management.  It is time-intensive in that we check the pastures two times a day.  We are interested in the condition of the grass.  We also look for worn areas in our pastures.  We want to move the cattle before they erode any of our pasture land.

We make sure that the herd has access to plenty of good water. Cows drink surprisingly amounts of water in one sitting.  In this heat, full-grown cows drink about 25 gallons of water a day.  Times that by the head that you are raising and that comes to a high number of gallons necessary to support your cattle.

We use natural ponds as reliable sources of water.  We also utilize well water in one of our pastures.  In another, we pump water out of our largest watering hole into a large water trough using solar energy.  To read how my husband set that system up, read my article, “Watering Your Herd on a Dry Pasture.”

As long as the rain continues to fall, we will be sitting pretty on lush green fields.  I hope that we do not suffer from another drought.  Two consecutive years of drought would be devastating to Texas ranchers.  We did better than could be expected last year.  In fact, Cross Creek Cattle Company was blessed with fat cows and green grass.

While other ranchers in our area were feeding hay to their herds during the summer months, we did not.  I attribute it to many things.  First, we prayed specifically for fat cows and green grass.  To understand this statement better, read my article from Texas Homesteader called, “Pray More Effectively.“  Additionally, we adhere to strict pasture rotation.  These are the two things that we credit our success last year.  God-willing, we will be blessed with plenty of good rain, fat cows, and green grass this summer.

Central Park in New York City

I was recently in New York City.  If absence makes your heart grow fonder, then I have grown much more fond of Cross Creek Cattle Company.

It is not that I did not have a great time.  It was exciting and fun.  I really enjoyed my week in New York.  Visiting the Big Apple was a great experience.  I would recommend it to anyone.

After days of living in the fast-paced city which never sleeps, I welcomed the solitude of the countryside on my return.  Looking out across the green pasture with the breeze gently stirring the grasses is a huge change from seeing the bustling streets filled with people and taxis surging between tall buildings.

New Yorkers walk 3 to 5 miles a day.  We walked that easily each day we were in town, but you are walking on concrete.  I walk 3 miles a day through different pastures and woods.  I once took for granted the feel of the earth beneath your feet, but now I have a new appreciation for it.

I was really impressed with Central Park.  It was beautiful and much bigger than I expected.  The perimeter of the park is 6.2 miles.  Central Park has rolling hills and rock outcrops.  It has a huge lake and open areas.  Quiet secluded spots can be found around the lake.

I enjoyed my visit to Central Park.  I can see why people seek to lay in the sunshine on the rocks or the grass in the open areas.  I know why people would row their boats out on the lake.  People want to get close to nature.

From my dining room window, I can see our lake.  It might not be as big as the one in Central Park, but it is our private lake.  Cross Creek Cattle Company is like one big private park.  It has wooded and cleared pastures, hiking paths, and waterways.  One can hike, ride horses, ride bikes, camp, swim, fish, hunt, and/or row a boat.

I have always loved living here in Texas.  Now that I have been gone for a week in a completely different world, I am glad to be home.  I will visit New York, but Texas is my home.  And, Cross Creek Cattle Company is my little slice of heaven on earth.

Now that we have our new horse facility built and occupied, we are working on another project.  We are building a hay barn.

Hay is an important part of any grass fed beef operation.  Grass does not grow in the winter.  At some point, ranchers have to put hay out for their herd.  The weather can really deteriorate the quality of the hay.  Too much rain can make the hay moldy, which is dangerous for animals.

The future spot for our hay barn.

We are in the beginning stages of building a barn in which to store round bales of hay.  Square bales are easier to manage.  I can lift and stack square bales without the aid of machinery.  Square bales have a place in the horse barn.  They are easily fed to the individual horses.

You can feed square bales to cattle.  It actually works well for a small herd.  There is little to no waste as the cattle clean up all the hay on the ground.  Square bales allow you to spread out the hay so that the cattle have more room in which to eat.  You can drop smaller sections of the square bale in a long line, which decreases the amount of butting and pushing in your herd.

You must have a place to store square bales though.  They can get wet and moldy easily.  Another downside is that you have to put out hay everyday.  It is more labor intensive.

For the size herd we are running at Cross Creek Cattle Company, round bales work best for us.  My husband puts out several bales at a time with the help of the tractor.  In two days, the hay is gone.  Again, this is during the winter.

The plans are to have plenty of room for our hay needs in a covered and walled barn.  We are also going to extend the roof to cover our trailer and tractor.  It will be good for our equipment to be under a shelter.

With plenty of grass in the pastures right now, it was a perfect time to construct a hay barn for next year’s hay.  My husband rented a bulldozer to help him knock down trees and remove stumps.  He also worked the dirt to build a nice, level pad for the hay barn.

Andrew, Isaac, and Jake are posing for a photograph on the dozer.

My three year old, Isaac, loves big machinery.  I have never seen anyone so excited about a bulldozer as he was.  He watched my husband work for hours with a huge smile on his face.

After all the work was completed, my husband allowed Isaac to sit on the bulldozer.  He showed him what all the joysticks and pedals did.  Then to Isaac’s surprise, he turned the bulldozer on and allowed him to steer with the joystick.  He also let him lift and lower the front blade.  Isaac was truly on cloud nine.

It was such a great opportunity for Isaac.  I am so thankful that my husband thought of it.  It is just one of the perks of living on Cross Creek Cattle Company!