Four Seasons of Ranching

Life on the ranch can be as predictable as the changing of the seasons. Spring, summer, fall, or winter, we know what is required of us. No matter the season, the LAAN Limousin herd must be maintained year-round and there is much to do. Here’s a look at the four seasons of ranching.

Winter

Wintertime means feeding and breeding. There is no such thing as a day off in the winter. Cows don’t celebrate Christmas and really don’t care how much you celebrated on New Year’s Eve. They just care about their hungry bellies, and have no problem bellyaching about them. We start feeding hay when the cool air stops the grass from growing. Once the chore of feeding is done, however, the rest of the day is usually light duty.

Spring

The calves born in the fall stay with the cows until mid- to late-spring. Spring is weaning time. Everyone bawls for three days during the weaning process. Once weaning is over, spring is a quiet time on the ranch. We usually spend this time replacing fences and fixing equipment to get ready for summer tasks like mowing, haying, and raking. Spring is also when we start on our non-cattle chores, like tending to the vegetable garden and keeping the bee hives healthy and productive.

Summer

Summer can also be a quiet time on the ranch. The cows are on pasture grass and our biggest chore is to move them from one pasture to the next to give the grass a chance to keep growing. We also must monitor temperatures to make sure the animals aren’t getting overheated. The bulls are separated from the cows because they are already pregnant, in fact they are already in their second trimester. A cow’s gestational period is identical to humans. The hay crop is growing

Fall

Fall on the ranch means babies, babies everywhere. We start calving in September and finish in early November. Though just a short window in the year, fall calving season is the busiest time for us; but, also our favorite. Calving for older cows is simple. They do their thing on their own in the field. It’s the first-time calvers that sometimes need our help.

When it comes to the four seasons of ranching, I personally prefer the fall chores. There is so much going on and the weather is almost perfect. It is also when we see the rewards of all our work from the other seasons. What is the season you prefer the most in your neck of the woods?