It is finally that time of year...we made it through the rugged winter and have a nice calf crop to show for it. We hosted our first in-person production sale, and survived the crazy routine of breeding season...that's right, it's pasture season baby! In my opinion, the BEST season of the year! Not Christmas, not football, not any other holiday....pasture season is the winner. The cows are on grass, the calves are past their building immunity stage since we haven't had to treat any for a while, and the herd sires are geared up and ready to cover their group of ladies for the summer. This month we are putting cow/calf pairs out onto temporary pastures close to home and then we'll check the long-term pastures for fencing needs before we haul out.
After effects of the drought: We've noticed the pasture grasses are coming back but there was definitely some damage from the harsh drought we've had the last couple years. There's been years that we'd already have pairs in the pasture by this time but this year (as I said earlier) we're going to give them a couple more weeks to recover. The Scott Angus Cattle family is so thankful for the many inches of rain we've received this past month! Which brings me to my next story...
When in doubt, bait a hook: I asked Mom (Kelly) what she'd like to do for Mother's Day this year and her only request was that we'd head to the fishing pond and catch some crappie. I couldn't have agreed more with this request so plans were set in motion. AJ and Dad woke up early Sunday morning to get the cattle fed, Sam and Mom got the bucket chores and health checks covered, and Stephanie (Sam's wife) and I got our little munchkins up and dressed so we could all make it on-time-ish to church service. Our embryologist, Phil Buhlman was able to change our embryo transfer appointment (one recip cow to haul in to Columbus) from 4:30 to 1:30 pm so all the necessary work items were taken care of....it was looking like our Mother's Day fishing plans were going to pull through! Sam's family started to feel a little sick after church so they declined the fishing invitation but the rest of us headed out with the full fishing day "works": fishing poles, dug up worms and caught minnows, bonfire supper items, lawn chairs, and Mom and Dad even hooked up the trailer to haul out the side-by-side for a little pasture ride possibility.
It's really not necessary for me to finish this story because every rancher and farmer knows as soon as you're just starting to have too much fun, the weather decides to cut you short. Right? We were all getting a good feel for the pond. My 3-year-old daughter, Hardee, caught her first bass! And I decided I'd drag the kayak down to the water and get a little Mother's Day solitude to fish by myself. As soon as the kayak touched the bank, I noticed a subtle cool breeze and I looked up to the sky to notice the weather man's projections of a rain storm was probably true. I asked Dad if he thought we should start packing up to head back (we'd been there about an hour and a half). He said it looked like it was going to blow south of us so we casted back in the water.
At this point in the story is where I need to explain that to get to our fishing spot you have to cross a deep-ish clay gully in our pasture. We plan to change this steep slope eventually but for now, we kick it into 4 wheel drive if we have to. I could tell Mom was getting a little nervous with the winds turning colder and more gusty. So we made the executive decision to pack up camp at the first sprinkle. This "sprinkle" turned to a downpour by the time we got in our trucks! We made it through the gully which had gotten quite greasy and looked back to see Dad emerge with the side-by-side trailer! Everything became an adventure real quick by the time we got home to a wonderful rain. So, when your crop or pasture is really needing some moisture....just pack your poles and get to the nearest fishing hole...it's bound to bring some rain!
Book Your Pasture Tour Today: With the pairs in pasture, SAC is open for cattle tours! If you're interested in learning more about our program, a cattle tour is a great way to do it! Feel free to contact me directly or through our website's contact form to schedule your tour date. You can also ask questions you have in the comment box below. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook or Instagram as we share lots of day to day there as well as notifications for future blog releases!
Well, until next blog, here's to content comfortable cattle!
Abby Ropers with Scott Angus Cattle
Comments