Summer Coats For Calves By Bill Clark
are born with summer coats. A ll calves Will Rogers once said, “Men learn through
COW CALF
operation less efficient, that growth two things. One is reading and the other is association and carcass genetwith smarter people.” Reading and listening to people, ics have made our most of whom are much smarter than me, talk about cows too big and raising cattle is something is something I really enjoy hard to keep. This because I am passionate about the cattle business and time I want to talk I want to be continually improving. But, I think Will about the timing of Rogers missed another way that we learn and that’s calving, and how through observation. The Apostle Paul said in Romans that can affect the 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation efficiency of our of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the cow/calf operations. things that are made, even his eternal power and GodIt is easy for us head; so that they are without excuse.” When it come to observe that to understanding the Bible, I really enjoy reading Dr. God’s plan, has J. Vernon McGee’s commentaries. Dr. McGee’s comruminants having their offspring during the period of ments on Romans 1:20 basically says that if you can’t peak forage production, late spring. Here in Oklahosee God through observing His creation, then you are ma, we don’t see Whitetails having their fawns in Janua fool and just plain stupid. I can’t help but smile each ary or February. The vast herds of Buffalo that once time I hear Dr. McGee say just what he thinks, much roamed Oklahoma didn’t calve in the winter either. like our current President! There are many aspects of But, in order to wean a bigger calf in the fall, many of raising cattle that are “clearly seen” if we would just us have gotten into the habit of calving in the winter, take the time to observe God’s plan for nature. I admit which can be severe, even here in Oklahoma. I rethat I have been a fool many times by ignoring what member one particular ice storm in February when we is obvious and going along with “the way we’ve always had newborn calves actually freeze to the ground on done it”. our ranch in Pontotoc County. I bet that if our friends As we talk about efficiency of our cow/calf operafrom PETA had driven by our pasture on that nasty tions, one of the things that I have become convinced day, they would have accused me of being cruel to my of is, that the closer we can mimic the system that God cattle by forcing them to calve out of season. Cruel or put into place, the more efficient we will become. In not, common sense and experience tells us that calves other words, trying to work against the plan God has born during wet, cold conditions are much more likely put in place for nature is as McGee said, just stupid. to become sick as opposed to those born during milder Kit Pharo, a Colorado rancher who sells over 1000 weather. bulls annually through a very unique program, says There are other reasons to calve latter. that “God made a perfect world”. He has been outspoThe late Dr. Dick Divens, who for years preached efken in his belief that when we go against God’s plan, it’s ficiency in his Low-Cost Cow/Calf Production School, a mistake. One if his favorite quotes is “It’s not nice to talked a great deal about the timing of calving. He fool mother nature, but it’s also not profitable”. stated, “there are two forms of growth: cell multiplicaIn the previous article, I expressed my ideas on one tion and cell enlargement. Formation of cells begins of the things I believe has made the average cow/calf with conception and concludes shortly after birth. Cell
EFFICIENCY
GPL spring 2018
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