From the Barns: Close to 100% Prime

We have continued to stay very dry this past month, despite getting one good rain a few weeks ago. Combines in the area are flying through the fields, dust is fogging us everywhere we go, and these farmers will be done with harvest before we know it. To our surprise, we did end up getting a very nice, slow rain a couple of days ago. It has made a big difference, I can already tell.

Great timing for that, because we did go ahead and sow 93 acres of wheat the week of Sept. 14. Within a week, it was emerging in most places except the high points, because apparently there was some moisture still in the ground, enough to get it sprouted. Most of that ground was carrying some cover that kept the moisture from being sucked out of the soil, so that reinforces what we should already know that it is important not to let things get too bare.

With this new rain, we are already seeing the wheat growing. We also sowed a couple of other fields, one for the hayfield at Russell’s, and the other an annual rye/ryegrass mix on a paddock to get us some winter and spring grazing and try also to improve soil health at that location.

We have a couple of ongoing EQIP projects in progress. At that last mentioned field, we are having a winter-feeding station constructed, plus as we are subdividing the pasture with hi-tensile electric fencing, we almost have that component completed. Still need to drive some more posts and run some more wire, then that 70 acres should be turned into five paddocks for rotational grazing.

Last week as the weather became more suitable for working cattle, we rounded up the bred heifers and ran them through the chute to check pregnancies with David’s ultrasound machine. We did 109 head and were fairly well pleased with the results as 77% were confirmed pregnant. We identified the majority of the open heifers were with one specific bull and appears that maybe he wasn’t fulfilling his role of covering the heifers, so we believe we would have had an even higher rate if not for him.

We went ahead and placed these opens in the feedlot and started them toward marketing them as fat heifers when they are finished. Starting tomorrow, and over the course of a couple of other days this week, we will be pregnancy checking the spring calving cows, then taking them off to winter pasture. Hoping for even better results with them. Of course, as we did with the heifers, we will vaccinate and deworm all of these females.

Speaking of fat cattle, we sold another load last week of September. We were excited to see that this was our best ever quality grade, with 90% of the load grading Prime. These were home-raised steers and heifers. Following up with the carcass data that we receive back, and looking at the previous load that sold in August, which was a mixed load of home raised and purchased, all the home born on that load graded Prime as well.

So, when we look at the overall numbers, the cattle that are born here at the farm are nearing where we want to be from the quality grading standpoint, getting close to 100% Prime. Not to say that the other purchased calves aren’t doing well, because they are grading either Choice or Prime, but the ones from our own herd do stand out.

Fall calving is about halfway completed. We have close to 100 calves on the ground. Things seem to be going very well. We do most of our calving latter half of September and all of October, to avoid the heat and dryness that August and early September can bring. Hoping by next time’s writing, that fall calving will about be wrapped up.