Welcome to the Ranch!

Dolly and my daughter, Kyla

You know it is hot when you look out on your porch at 6:00 p.m. and see that the temperature is 104 degrees.  Temperatures that high that late in the day are becoming the new normal this August.  Unfortunately, it it just the beginning of the hottest month of the year.

Most people know the warning signs for heat exhaustion or stroke in people.  Symptoms include excessive sweating, lightheadedness, nausea, and a bad headache.  If you ignore those warning signs, then you can quickly suffer a heat stroke.  Symptoms of a heat stroke are disorientation, rapid pulse, the absence of sweating, and/or difficulty breathing.  Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to combat the effects of such extreme heat.

Animals can also suffer heat exhaustion or stroke.  In fact despite all the water and shade we offer our livestock, one of our older horses, Dolly, gave us quite a scare last Saturday.  Most of my immediate family was not at the ranch.  We had gone to a home school convention and family conference.  My two youngest children were staying with their grandparents, the owners of Cross Creek Cattle Company.  As they looked across the pasture, Dolly laying on her side caught their attention.

Horses will sometimes lay down and sun.  They will also roll in dirt.  However, horses don’t usually lay down for an extended period of time.  If they do, it means that something is wrong.  A down horse is not good.  My dad walked out to inspect her.  Typically when nothing is wrong with the horse, it will get up if it hears you approaching.  Not Dolly.  She just laid there.  This was alarming.

My dad enlisted the help of his wife and together they began trying to get Dolly up.  My dad was literally rocking her body, but she continued to lay there.  She was lethargic.  They wanted to try and cool her off with water, but they had to go home to get the supplies they needed.  On their way back, they immediately noticed that Dolly had gotten herself up.

She was staggering like a drunken mare to the barn.  My dad put a halter on her and led her to a shade tree.  He began spraying her down with cool well water.  I have heard of horses going in to shock by cooling them down too quickly.  Start spraying water at the hooves and work your way up the legs.  Then douse their body and neck.

Dolly stayed in her stall the rest of the day and night with a fan on her.  She has major anxiety when she is separated from the other horses so they stalled all the horse earlier than usual that evening.  The next morning she was back to her normal self; however, I noticed that she stayed in the shade the entire day unlike the other horses who would periodically graze in the open pasture.

We are lucky that Dolly rebounded so well from her bout with heat exhaustion.  It reminds us that despite the safeguards you provide, the safety and health of your livestock is not guaranteed.  Just like infants, the elderly, athletes, and people who physically exert themselves outside are the most susceptible to suffering from a heat-related illness, young and old horses are the most susceptible.  In addition, ones that are physically exerting themselves are more likely to show symptoms of heat exhaustion. If you want to read more on the subject, “Heat Stress in Cattle–Know the Warning Signs!” by Kevin Gould, is a good article.

As the high temperatures continue and possibly grow worse this month, keep your personal safety and the safety of your livestock in mind.  Stay hydrated and stay in the shade as much as possible.  When you have to physically exert yourself, do it in the early morning or late evening if at all possible.  Twelve individuals have died in Dallas already this summer; this is not a laughing matter.

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.