by
Holly Peacock
| Dec 19, 2019
From The Pasture Podcast with Hired Hand, Episode 1: Wintering Longhorns. In today’s episode we’re interviewing two Registered Texas Longhorn breeders who chose to raise their herds in parts of the country where winter can be brutal. Alex Dees runs a herd of 200+ head in Harper, Oregon and Jim Lehrbass runs about 60 head in Scottville, Michigan.
Listen in to hear two Oregon and Michigan ranchers talk about their unique solutions to harsh weather and even bounce ideas of each other candidly about what works, what doesn't, and tactics they're going to try with their herd moving forward.
Both Alex and Jim discuss ways to keep their cattle warm during the winter season. We talk about the specific hay and creation of corn silage that keeps their cows well fed, the differences between manually providing warm water every day or using automatic heated water, and mineral supplements. One fun fact we learned through our discussion was that cows tend to prefer natural windbreakers. Spend your time and money on lean-tos and they'll still go running for the hills and trees.
Calving is also a hurdle that a lot of breeders are still trying to get a handle on in the winter months. Jim and Alex give their personal experience on how they deal with the most stressful night of the year when that first harsh cold night hits and the potential of losing one of their weaker or older cows becomes a reality. Plus, we may have found the cow's equivalent of a flu shot!
Listen to Episode 1 to hear more about how to keep your cattle warm and well-fed during the winter months (#HayEveryday), what types of windbreaks are cow-approved, and so much more:
https://apple.co/35yzZ1i
Check out the CR Longhorns website:
CRLonghorns.com
Check out the CR Longhorns website:
MichiganMafiaLonghorns.com/Lehrbass
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