Real Wealth Ranching

For ease of management, the less cattle groups the better.

I am often asked how many groups of cattle we need to have for optimum results.

My answer is always: less groups is easier for you and achieves better animal impact.

I have the large group with mature cows, first and second calf heifers.

The weaned heifer group until they get bred, once they are bred, they go with the large group.

The Bulls group, where the weaned intact Bull calves go, 3 months after weaning.

Some months there is only one group, breeding season, and the rest of the year we may have two to three groups.

The only groups we move daily, 4 times per day, are the weaned heifer group and the large group, the Bulls are moved only once every 3-7 days to reduce the workload on us.

To make this easier we use a Kubota side by side where the temporary electric fences are put out and taken off without dismounting.

A word of warning: This is possible, at very high stocking rate, only with adapted genetics that have ...

1.- Conventional genetics have been selected under very high input situation where the goal is maximum production and animals are fed to potential.  This means that when in a real ranch situation at very high stocking rates they would require so much supplement to remain in good body condition that it would be uneconomical.  Besides, they would only harvest around 60% of available forage per graze cycle without losing body condition, even with protein supplement, compared to around 85% achieved with adapted animals selected correctly.  These differences can be what separates a profitable appreciating ranch from a losing money degrading ranch.

2.- At very high stocking rates individual animals cannot select the best parts and move on to a new paddock as that would become overgrazing, re grazing the same plant before it has fully recovered its energy reserves.  This means your cattle require nutritional adaptation to maintain good body condition at very high stocking rates, good body co...

If we start with the end in mind, we need to project our future number of cattle, and water needs, considering that we have increased 3 times the normal stocking rate in the first years.  After that stocking rates can increase further.

1.- Always plan for a much higher number of animals, as your land improves your stocking rate MUST increase to keep conditioning your grass for maximum photosynthesis.  This is important to repeat: as the cow needs the grass the grass needs the cow.  If your ranch demands more cattle to keep up with the extra grass being produced and you do not increase your stocking rate the improvement of your soil may go back.

2.- Build resiliency into your system, pressurized systems can fail, especially in the weekends.  You do not want thirsty cows which would lead to depressed individual performance.

3.- Allow enough water trough space so that all animals can consume water unimpeded, consider timid and dominant animals.  Having the cattle competing for water du...

While EPDs can be used in some instances, trying to achieve maximum in any trait will not help but hinder reaching our goal of maximum profitability.

As we know now, too much milk goes against reproduction or on the ranch fertility, too large a frame goes against practical fertility and conversion efficiency by reducing relative intake which is defined as the amount of grass a cow can consume per hundred pounds of weight.

The most important trait in a cow is her ability to wean a good calf every year, to do this she needs to be in top body condition with smaller frame animals the ones with best body condition, all other factors being equal.  Observe your herd of cows at same reproductive stage and age, and you will find out this is true as a rule with very few exceptions.

A larger framed animal results from chasing high daily gain, high weaning weight, maximum yearling weight, as the larger frame animal will win in those categories.  These larger frame animals also mean they are lat...

When we calculate whole ranch profits at the end of the year it is clear, that the number of pounds of weaned calves sold is more important than selling fewer pounds in the form of higher weight individuals like heavy weaning weights.

To achieve heavy individual weaning weights, we need to use high input genetics with high milk production and those genetics are usually larger frame animals.  We need to ask ourselves: do I want maximum profits while improving my soil and my life? Or do I prefer bragging rights?

A good comparison would be to consider a corn grower.  Does he/she select and manage for large corn ears, or for higher profitability? Is individual corn ear size the determinant of profitability? Or is total production less the total expenses more important?

The same happens when selecting for heavier weaning weights/higher milk producing cows.  They need a very different selection criteria and management than a maximum profitability ranch requires.

Too make matters worse, t...

There are many aspects and ways that genetics play a determinant role in our profitability and improving our land.

Some genetics, especially those that are high production/high inputs, do not help to regenerate our soils and certainly go against maximum productivity per ranch or farm.

Those high input/maintenance genetics require total parasite control, energy feeds, selective grazing, pampering, and result in high individual animal performance but low profitability per acre/hectare or whole ranch.  They also degrade the land by forcing us to do those practices to keep them productive.

When we have adapted genetics selected for maximum profitability per acre/hectare while improving our land the fastest we, and our animals, are much more comfortable and in tune with our goals, we then can bring harmony to our land and lives.

What is needed on the part of our animals?

1.- Climatic adaptation

2.- Nutritional adaptation

3.- Easy keeping/ability to fatten

4.- Docility

5.- High prac...

Microorganisms and cattle interact to increase humus in our soils. This is the true soil fertility which is exploited by synthetic fertilizers.

How can we wean our land from synthetic fertilizers?

In this video I show you 5 simple ways to wean your land from synthetic fertilizers.

Share this video if you think this may help others as well.

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We ranchers/farmers are usually hard pressed for time to socialize, have fun, or be with family and it does not need to be that way. 

To enjoy life in the land we need to be managers and not become firemen where we are constantly putting fires out, which if planned properly do not even light up.

Being a good livestock manager requires us to observe each one of our animals every day and it is much easier to observe them correctly when they are all bunched up and we are with them 4 times a day than when they are spread over many acres.  This becomes more important the larger the ranch is.  Contrary to popular opinion cattle feel insecure when spread out and feel secure inside a tight herd. 

Cattle and sheep gain better under a Total grazing when moved four times a day, they are also more efficient at harvesting when not soiling the forage before being able to consume it.  Total grazing enhances leaf to stem ratio which improves our soil humus content fastest and is explained in our on...

We humans have the ability, by our management and actions, to either destroy or build.  It is our responsibility to hand our assets to future generations better than we found them.  Land is no different and when we consider that a ranch or farm is a living organism intercommunicated by mycorrazhea and contains millions of microorganisms, insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, trees, forages, grasses, legumes, etc. we can easily become overwhelmed.

Understanding all the interrelationships between all these living organisms in the land is complex as in natural systems 1+1 isn’t always 2, it can be 9 or 15 due to building on each other in a symbiotic way.

We can understand how each action or decision impacts the whole ranch/farm organism and bring harmony to where the land or environment benefits and improves year on year.  To do this we need to be keen observers and know some basics.

In one ranch we have increased organic matter from 1% in 2012 to 3.18% in 2019.  This is in North Central ...

When we have been total grazing half the ranch in the growing season (total grazing half means it doesn’t get away from the cows and thus maintains higher quality). There is the other half that will have the full growing season to grow, deepen its roots and allow for the full expression of each individual plant.

This is where we enhance the humus production the most by having deeper, stronger roots and having more carbon remain in the soil after the following total grazing on the next non-growing season.

We have observed where this is practiced that the rested or spelled area develops a mellow, darker soil.

In this rested area, there is no human or animal traffic, is where most wildlife will be concentrated and meshes well with a goal of enhancing wildlife habitat which improves biodiversity, essential for good resiliency of the land.
This is where ground resting birds have the best habitat to reproduce unmolested.

It is also the time to recruit seedlings of desirable species as mos...