Ranching the Right Way

I never thought I would say this, but I believe I have found a downside of teaching our five-year-old the ins and outs of ranching.  With all of his newfound knowledge, my little rancher suddenly believes he knows all there is about ranching and he is here to tell you all about it.  It can be adorable when he uses it on his little toy setup in his room.  It can even be endearing as I watch him work in sync with his dad, little as he is.  But the cuteness runs out when he is ready to tell everyone else how it “should” be done.

Living clear out in ranch country, we get our share of miles on the road with plenty of them going past someone else’s operation.  And it seems that whenever we do, up pipes some comment about how “that pivot shouldn’t be off!” or why “are those cows still there?”. I have to suppress a chuckle that such a little boy can have such a strong opinion on how farming and ranching is being done.  But at the same time, it’s wild to think that anyone can tell you how your operation “should” be run.

Unfortunately, this isn’t unique to my little rancher.  It seems far too easy to jump to conclusions about when or how someone else is doing their work and if it’s the right way or not.  They say there is always more than one way to skin a cat, and I’m here to say that there is more than one way to ranch.  It all depends on you and your operation. 

Round bales or square- one HAS to be better than the other, right?  Maybe one is better for one kind of operation but they both are a great way to feed livestock.  Baling rounds means you can put up the hay a little sooner, allowing a little more moisture in the less densely packed bales. Net wrapped rounds are far better at keeping moisture from damaging the hay as it sits in the stack.  But when it comes to hauling and transporting, square bales are by far faster and more efficient.  Depending on the need, one is surely better than the other.  But it depends on the need.

A hot topic we hear every branding season is all about running calves through the calf table or sticking to the traditional roping and dragging.  For us there is really only one option.  Our range brandings necessitate roping and dragging, not to mention the super handy cowboys that we have.  If we didn’t have great ropers and did have our cattle close to a set of corrals, we could consider the calf table.  But for those operations that have little help, using a calf table is just what makes sense.  It all depends on what makes sense for that operation.

A similar debate of moving cows with 4 wheelers and horses can always get a rise out of someone.  Whether it is because 4 wheelers are faster at getting around than horses or because horses can get into places 4 wheelers never could, there are strong opinions flowing.  In my humble opinion, there are plenty of cows that need moving, so as long as it gets done, it’s done the right way.  But at the same time, if there’s a chance I can ride my horse to move cows I would far prefer that than a 4 wheeler.  It all just depends on who is doing the work.

There isn’t one right way to calve out cows, but looking out to the neighbors set up, a rancher might be right quick to say he is doing it wrong.  There is a whole spectrum of practices from bringing each cow in the barn as she is calving to assist with each birth to being completely hands off.  Different cattle, different locations, and different ranchers lend to a wide variety of systems that can all work.  It all just depends.

With so many different options for farming, raising livestock, using machinery, irrigating crops, and so on, it can be hard to know what actually would fit your operation.  When it comes down to those decisions there are a few things you should know.  First, what are the goals or outcomes of your operation that you are looking for.  There is no sense putting time, energy, and thought into a practice that wouldn’t help you achieve your goals.  Next, know what your operation has to give.  This could be the land you have to use, your own expertise or the assets sitting in the shed.  Systems that capitalize on anything from efficiency to moral to resources will always be the right systems to use.

Once you know where you want to go and what you have to get you there, then you can begin to try new things.  You will never know if it will be the right thing for you until you give it a try.  But be sure to consider why you want to try it and how it will improve your operation.  If you are only trying it because your neighbor is and it really has no place in your operation, you are better to look to the next idea.  But if a fellow rancher running a similar operation has found something new that seems to work, it could be worth a try.

In the end, maybe there is one right way to ranching- doing what is right for you.  It is doing what is right for your goals with your resources and abilities. The right way is finding new ways that help you grow, become more efficient and allow for greater returns in more ways than just money.  The right way is being sure of what you need but also open minded to new ideas and practices.  And when you figure out your right way, you can tell everyone else, “This is MY right way!” with all the confidence in
the world.