Herd Behavior and Moving Large Bunches of Cattle - Part 2

Most of us want our cattle all going together in a bunch and drive them from behind. When cattle are scattered in a pasture, we can create we motion by traveling back and forth in a straight line across the back of the pasture. However, that is only to start them not to drive them the whole move. You will notice in most cases, that moving cattle in this manner if you are going up a steep hill (or getting closer to the pens, or going through a gate) the cattle wind up bunching up and slowing down. This is because they don’t like to be pushed into a crowd anymore than you do and cattle need to have a leader. Fifteen or twenty animals across the front of three hundred steers is not a lead. Even if you happen to think it is, those steers will not remain there for long when you are creating your motion from the back. When creating motion in this manner you get what I refer to as “tank track” milling. I have watched cattle being moved in this manner change the “lead” six times in less than a quarter mile. Rather than going through the gate on their own, the “herd” stops and people will do a “controlled mill” by creating motion on one side and moving it to the front and (hopefully) through the gate.

          There are different analogies to describe this situation. The first one that comes to mind is pushing our trailer instead of pulling it.  Wouldn’t it be hard for us to see where we are going? Yet that is what we are asking our cattle to do. Go forward blindly and hopefully push the front cattle with them enough to have a place to go.

          Another analogy would be going somewhere in heavy traffic. Imagine going to the Stockshow in Denver. If you are going early in the morning before rush hour traffic hits you have plenty of room on the road and truck along at 70 mph with no stress. What happens in as rush hour gets closer? You may still be doing 70mph, but you are now in bumper to bumper traffic and can’t see the brake lights of the second vehicle in front of you. You may get to the Stockshow in the same amount of time, but how are you feeling? Pretty stressed out, no?

         What makes you think that your cattle can get crowded in like that without stressing out?

          It is even worse if you are moving pairs. Imagine being in a strange city. Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, just take your pick.  You have no idea of how to get where you need to go, but you have a friend you are going to follow. Now imagine it is rush hour, bumper to bumper, 70 mph  and you loose track of your friend and have way to call him to let him know where you are (and that idiot behind you keeps honking his horn.) How much stress are you under now? Bet you would be under enough stress you would be tempted to just turn around and go back to the ranch!

          Now that you have an idea of why your cattle are stressed and don’t hang around together like a herd should, you can learn how do handle them to make them a herd. The biggest mistake people make in this is expecting it to work like magic in only one move. It takes time, and the less you move your cattle the longer it will take.  The more often you move  your cattle the faster they will begin to act as a herd.
     The steers in this picture were moved three times before they began grazing together like in this picture. They were purchased at a sale barn from several different owners and had no idea they were supposed to be a herd until they had been handled in a manner that allowed them to feel as a herd. Notice how all of them are facing the same direction while grazing?  When the herd changes where it is grazing (or decides to go to water), the lead steer will begin walking. After he leaves, the rest will follow, but string out in single file to do so.   When he stops to graze, the rest will begin stopping when they reach him. When you begin moving cattle so that they act as a herd, you will discover that each group of cattle will have its own lead animal. The other thing you will begin to notice is that nearly always, the same group of animals will be bringing up the drag. This is because each herd will establish its own “pecking” order.

          You have spent years teaching your cattle to not be a herd. If you are running a stocker operation, your calves have probably come from several different herds and don’t realize they are supposed to be a herd. This means you have to reverse your actions and teach them to be a herd.   Just as in teaching any person or animal this takes time and repetition. There will be signs showing if you are headed in the right direction or not with every move. The biggest  and most immediate sign will be how your cattle act when  they  go into a new pasture. Rather than fanning out in all directions to graze they will, at least for a short amount of time, remain together, grazing in the same direction.  Each time you move them correctly, they will remain together for a little longer amount of time.  Eventually they will stay together as a herd, like in the above picture.
    You need to be aware of the fact that if you push them from the back, even for a short amount of distance, you will undo everything you have accomplished. Just as it takes longer to undo what a bad rider instills in a horse, it will take several moves to undo what one bad move has taken away from the herd instinct of you cattle.

         

Quality Health Care Is Key to Raising Cattle

 

Quality land and quality feed are obviously vital in keeping your cattle healthy and much more valuable on the market. THe folks who will be looking over your cattle on the auction block know exactly what they are looking for, so it is vital for any cattle rancher to make sure his cattle is healthy and can bring home the most money and offer the best food that can ensure your reputation as a cattle rancher who is known for bringing the best livestock. Even the female cattle have to have their health heeds filled so that their young will grow up healthy and profitable and in turn, produce livestock of their own to keep the business alive for years.

It is vital to make sure that the reproduction of the cattle is well managed to ensure a healthy and profitable future. That way the rancher doesn’t have to spend his or her profits on replacement cattle. The cattle will reproduce for generations if taken care of properly. That’s not to say the process is cheap, because getting high-profile feed and quality supplements are the key to ensuring a healthy cattle stock. It is a part of the process that is costly in the short term, but can be very profitable in the long term.

Another cost that can never be avoided is high-quality health care, especially for young cattle. Vaccinations are key to maintaining a healthy herd and the vaccinations can also help stop the spread of viruses that can kill large amounts of cattle. For ranchers who survive on beef, a virus can be devastating, so it’s best to take care of any problems well in advance with simple routine care.

Studies show that reducing nursing time on young cattle causes stress for the young and can result in them not growing as large as they should, especially during the key first two years of life. It can also bring about serious healthy problems down the road.

Many ranchers are now taking charge of being active in the birthing of their calves. Many ranchers now think that it is acceptable to have a hand in the process, especially when the heifer delivering the calf is having difficulty. Diligent care may save the lives of the heifer and the calf and save the rancher a lot of money in the long run

Jeff Berlinicke

Range & Pasture

Range and pasture lands are diverse types of land where the primary vegetation produced is herbaceous plants and shrubs. These lands provide forage for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, horses and other types of domestic livestock.  Also many species of wildlife, ranging from big game such as elk to nesting song birds such as meadowlarks, depend on these lands for food and cover. 
Primary economic outputs include livestock production, but wildlife values are also a major economic consideration for these lands, especially range lands.  Environmental values of these lands are extensive and provide many essential ecosystem services, such as clean water, wildlife and fish habitat, and recreation opportunities.  Scenic, cultural, and historic values of these lands provide not only economic benefits, but also quality of life values cherished by many.
Range and pasture lands are located in all 50 states of the US.   Privately owned range and pasture lands makes up over 27% (528 million acres) of the total acreage of the contiguous 48 states, and these lands constitute the largest private lands use category, exceeding both forest land (21%) and crop land (18%).

Other Grazing Lands 

Most grazing lands are considered either range or pasture, but grazing lands also include grazed forest lands, grazed croplands, haylands, and native/naturalized pasture.  These other land use types make up an additional 106 million acres of privately owned grazing lands, or about 17% of the total U. S. grazing lands. These other types of grazing lands provide a significant forage resource for U. S. livestock production.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ANIMAL_PRODUCTION&navtype=RT&parentnav=PRODUCERS

Cattle: Operations and Inventory by Size Group, US

“The Real McCoy’’ moved the Cattle to the East

There once was a man named Joe McCoy who played a major role in the cattle ranching business that started to spread from Texas across the Midwest as far north as Chicago. By luring livestock to Chicago, that put his business much closer to the northeast and the profitable New York market. He had to battle many of the homesteaders who lived in the Kansas area and objected to the cattle ranchers moving their cattle across state lines since it was believed that they carried a tick that killed many of the other animals in the area. Cattle ranchers didn’t like taking their cattle through Kansas because of the hostile reactions they received and the fierce opposition to their presence.

McCoy was a smart man who knew that the new railroads that were sprouting up along the Midwest could be beneficial to moving cattle from the Midwest to the northeast. The Kansas/Pacific Railroad ran right past a midwestern frontier village, so McCoy built a hotel, stockyard, office, and a bank in the village and basically built the town of Abilene in Texas, one of the first real cow towns. The cattle were to be driven from the Midwest to Abilene, then transported to New York by train. It seemed like an easy idea at the time because Abilene was established as a town at the end of the Civil War as a site that would transport supplies to Confederate troops. The trail to the East was west of Kansas, so the transporters could use it without hostility from the Kansas homesteaders who were afraid of the tick virus,

After the Civil War was ended, McCoy spent an unheard-of $5,000 on advertising and riders. He promised high prices for cattle sold in Abilene and he was able to keep his word. He once sold 6,000 cows for $5,400 and sold them in Abilene for almost $17,000. Between 1867 and 1881, McCoy spent more than 2 million cattle from Abilene to Chicago where they were later moved to the northeast.

His reputation for reliability is the reason for the expression, “The Real McCoy.’’  The cattle trade was at its peak from 1867 until the mid 1880s and the increased number of railroad lines allowed the country to expand thanks to the transfer of cattle. It also led to the removal of Native Americans from the plains to reservations, which allowed for more room for ranching.

In the late 1800s, the cattle industry virtually collapsed as the farmers began to experiment with different breeds of cattle that could not live on the open range. There was less grass available for grazing and in 1883, there was a drought that ruined the little remaining grass that was still in the heartland. 

Jeff Berlinicke

Herd Behavior and Moving Large Bunches of Cattle

The first thing we need to learn in order to handle cattle in a less stressful way is how cattle act in a herd. Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest things to comprehend because most of us have never seen cattle acting as a herd. This is because we create so much stress in moving our cattle from pasture to pasture that we basically blow the herd instinct out of them. We try to do things which we conceive make them easier to move which actually causes a great deal of stress. The very meaning of the word “herd” is a group of animals which remain together, which is what we never see. Fortunately, they still do some things on their own which we can observe to show us the error of our ways. Cattle will follow each other with little effort as long as we start them in the right way, as demonstrated in the following video. These cattle had come in fresh two weeks before this video was taken. They had never been through this gate, or into this pasture before, and the dog "helping" me was just starting out, and deaf on top of it. Even though she makes several mistakes, the steers not only go through the gate, but don't scatter after going through.

http://www.2lazy4u.us/herdbehav.html

All Cattle & Beef Cows: Number of Operations by Year, US

More Cattle, Not Less, Can Save the Grasslands

It’s a common myth that much of the American cattle supply was obliterated when America began its westward expansion more than 150 years ago. The grasslands that make up the Midwestern landscape has been changed so much as progress and expansion have moved westward, that hundreds of small communities that owe their economy to livestock are withering right along with the grass. Much of the nation’s Midwest is being destroyed by overgrazing of cattle, which is costing plant life where grass once flourished and fed the cattle that made the grasslands what they were. Not only are the grasslands losing their agriculture, the cattle are losing vast supplies of food.

So what can be done to save the grasslands? Many ranchers, conservationists and investors are determined to rebuild the cattle industry and are looking for answers. There are plenty of answers out there although none of them are guaranteed winners. So was overgrazing the problem that is causing ranchers to go out of business today? The key, according to the people whose livelihoods depend on the cattle industry is how to manage the cattle rather than to cut costs and limit the cattle and the areas in which they graze.

Ranchers can consistently double or even triple their livestock capacity over time if the ranches are managed correctly. It might not be the easiest solution, but if the land is fertile and managed correctly, there is still tons of money to be made in the cattle ranching industry. More cattle per acre rather than less is just one factor. By actively planning and managing the grazing of the cattle, the benefits become more of a solution to the current situation rather than a hindrance to the land.

The dynamic is a simple one and was studied extensively by a cattle rancher in South Africa. Allan Savory saw the connection between roaming animal herds and grasslands and if the animal chews the grasslands so fast that it can stimulate grassland growth by allowing sunlight to shine through growth points. The cattle then move on to another direction to find fresher grass.

While the animals are away from their original territory, the grass grows again and a wise cattle rancher will return his cattle to their original location to allow the grass to grow in the most previous area. The grass grows back and the soil is aerated wile the hoof movements chip away at the hardened earth so seeds can germinate and water can penetrate.

Jeff Berlinicke

A Knowledgeable Cattle Rancher Can Save a Calf

When heifers give birth, many ranchers want to take part. It’s a new trend among cattle ranchers and, since giving birth is often a difficult process for heifers, especially the younger ones, ranchers are now taking a much larger part in the process and that help may save the life of the heifer and her young offspring. It is important to use every hand possible to save not only the life of the heifer and the offspring, but can also mean a financial windfall down the road as healthy cattle obviously command top dollar on the open market.

It is also the humane way to do everything you can as a cattle rancher to make the birthing process as easy as possible. A young heifer doesn’t go to birthing classes like humans, so the more support you can offer allows for a more comfortable experience for the heifer.

It is typically the first-time mothers that have the most difficulty delivering their calves. The labor can last almost three times as long as veteran heifers, but complications can arise in any birth regarding a heifer, first-time or any time after that. It is a complicated process, even if the heifer has had easy deliveries in the past. Every time is a new experience.

When a young calf is born tail first, someone needs to intervene and that is where the experienced cattle rancher comes in to the play. The process is a difficult one so the cattle rancher needs to know how to handle things on his or her own instead of calling for a vet every time one of his heifers is giving birth. There is not a lot of time for the vet to get there in the first place, so taking care of business themselves is vital for the cattle rancher If the calf starts coming out backwards, there is pressure on the umbilical cord which is not a good thing.

It causes a limited amount of blood supply going straight to the calf’s brain and that can result in death or serious injury. Whether it is a humane thought or not, cattle are moneymakers and the loss of a heifer or a young calf can be very costly. The calf can drown in their own fluids if they aren’t birthed right away. If the calf isn’t born in four minutes at the most, the chance of successful birth is very small.

That doesn’t mean everything is great even if the calf is born mostly healthy. Further evaluation is necessary and one-on-one care is needed by the rancher to see that the calf grows to full size. The heifer might not be able to take care of vital needs. Calves born underweight especially need more help from a knowledgeable rancher.

Jeff Berlinicke

There Are Plenty of Ways to Save Money Raising Cattle

Cattle ranching can be a lucrative business. It can also be a very expensive business. You can’t just send your cattle into the fields and hope that they someday allow you to reap the benefits raising them. Feed costs, for instance, are soaring and aren’t likely to come down any time soon. Buying feed locally is the best way to go about feeding your cattle, if for no other reason than to save on the cost of shipping in bulk. Many cattle ranchers don’t choose to take the local route and find themselves on the short end of the bottom line. Striking a deal with a local rancher is a great way to buy feed in bulk and to save yourself the money it would cost you otherwise. Deals are easy to make because all cattle ranchers are in the same boat these days when it comes to the cost of raising cattle. Striking a bargain can pay off in more ways than one if you can forge a great relationship with a neighboring rancher.

Don’t just look after your bottom line when it comes to the cost of feed. It is vital to maintain detailed records of your feed purchases as well as any other factors that go into maintaining your cattle. If you can keep the vital records up to date concerning your cost expenditures, you can save in the long run.

Another important record to maintain is exactly what your cattle eat and do not eat. Providing food for the cattle is the right thing to do, but if they aren’t eating it and simply trampling it into the ground, you are wasting money. Cattle do not eat anything that is put in front of them, so keep vital records since every cattle is different and has different tastes, just like humans.

Adjusting your feeding process is another way to make an impact on how much you are spending on feed. Some cattle ranchers throw feed onto dirt, others put it into a trough, and others have special feeders. The design of the feeders is very important in getting the feed to the cattle and having the right type of feeder can ensure that little of that expensive feed is being wasted, not to mention the amount of loss in hay.

To save money, it might be important to reduce your herd or move the livestock out to pasture more frequently. When the feed is supplemented with vitamins, minerals, and protein, you are getting a lot more bang for the buck and the cattle will show the benefits. Working with neighboring cattle ranchers and designing schemes that work for all of the cattle is a great way to save money, not to mention brining cash benefits to you and a healthier diet for your cattle.

Jeff Berlinicke