Meet the Cattle
At Wyoming Wholesome there is NO Gap Between Producer and Consumer.
How we raise our cattle:
Babies!!
It all starts with the momma cow as a baby. Each year we select our very best female calves to retain in our program. They have many chances over the first few years of their lives to prove they have what it takes. Our cows have to be healthy, have a good temperament (no moody cows trying to run us over), must be able to maintain their body condition, and have good structure. This means they grow well and remain healthy with no help from us.
Then we just watch them grow for the first year.
We raise all of our females to the first breeding season so we are able to evaluate them through all their life stages ensuring we keep the best ones going forward for responsible breeding. The cattle are evaluated at breeding age by our veterinarian for fertility, body size, health and condition. They get a thorough check up and once they pass evaluation we send in the bulls (dads) to handle the breeding season. These girls are paired with bulls of their same age and size for the first couple breeding seasons. Since they aren't fully grown yet, this helps make breeding and calving easier for them.
Once bred, we again just watch them grow. We refer to them as yearlings at this age. Once we confirm that they are pregnant, they head to our pastures that we've reserved for the fall time. The yearlings will spend the whole winter eating and growing their babies. Cows are pregnant for 9 months just like us!
Yearling Cows...
Mommas...
In the early spring the babies are born. We watch this very closely in case our help is needed. Sometimes a first time momma will need a little help with birthing so we check on them round the clock every 2-3 hours just to be sure our assistance is not needed.
The yearlings will stay together in a group for the summer so they can easily be observed while raising their babies. A natural mothering ability is very important because the heifers will raise their babies without our help. Once again, towards the end of summer we bring in the bulls again.
Next year the yearlings will be referred to as three year olds and they will be mixed in with the rest of the herd. This time we expect them to birth and care for the babies largely on their own. During calving we make rounds through the pasture twice per day to check on the cows and three year olds. We put a tag in each new babies ear at birth. This helps us identify which baby belongs to what momma incase of separation, and it helps us identify who the good mothers are. This group of cows are kept farther from the house and in bigger pastures so their mothering ability is essential.
On our ranch there are 350-400 momma cows and their calves, 160 yearling heifers and 20 bulls give or take a few. That's a lot of mouths to feed! During the summer months the cattle roam and graze eating a diverse mixture of pasture grasses. We allow 30 acres for every cow/calf pair ensuring there's plenty of space to eat and roam.
Haying...
At the end of a good growing season we begin to harvest our hay fields, cutting, curing, then bailing the hay to store for our winter feeding. Occasionally in old hay fields the grasses get tired and stop producing as abundantly as they once did. This is when we start a cover crop rotation as part of a healthy soil plan. These diverse cover crops are planted in the spring and usually consist of a mixture of around 21 different kinds of seeds including grasses and root crops like radishes, turnips, and forage peas just to name a few.
Crop rotation is a powerhouse that feeds the soil. In the fall and early winter it is a powerhouse that we will utilize as feed for the cattle too! Our cows will get a chance to graze this buffet during the winter months.
It's pretty amazing! In previous years these fields were in a crop rotation plan but would have been left dirt all summer, we would have tilled them continually to control weeds. The ground would suffer moisture loss and the wind would blow the top soil away. We have learned that this is not the best plan for our land. We strive to keep learning and trying new things to do the very best we can for our animals and the land.
