Antibiotics. What a controversial subject! There are many articles and a great deal of science to consider when discussing antibiotic usage, but today I want to share with you my perspective on this subject.

My husband and I are cattle ranchers. Our job is to provide for our animals. We provide food, water, supplement and care. In particular, we care for them if they get sick. This morning, we had two yearling heifers that were quite obviously not feeling well. After studying them we could tell they each had an infection and we needed to administer antibiotics to both of them. After a quick call to our veterinarian we gathered a bottle of Terramycin and syringes, placing them into our saddle bags and rode back to the yearlings. We roped each heifer and gave them the appropriate amount of antibiotic based on their weight.

You may be wondering why we would rope a sick animal? Roping is quick and easy. We can have the medicine administered in a matter of minutes and the heifer didn’t have to travel. If we had tried to move her to the corral, a couple of miles away, that would have compounded the stress she is under from the infection. We will monitor both heifers throughout the day, checking that they are walking around, eating and drinking. We are hopeful that the one injection of Terramycin will be sufficient to combat the infection and the heifers will return to good health quickly.

Here is a link to the medication we gave the heifers today. It lists the proper uses of Terramycin (wound infection is the case for these heifers). This FDA site also lists withdrawal time: 28 days before slaughter. We aren’t planning to sell these heifers until later this summer, so they will certainly meet the required withdrawal time.

As a Mom, I don’t want to feed my children food that is laced with antibiotics any more than you do. As a beef producer, I don’t want my animals to suffer and I will treat them with antibiotics, if needed. After much research into FDA requirements and learning that the US beef supply is among the safest in the world, I am assured that feeding beef to my children is safe and continues to be an excellent choice for many of their nutrient needs.

I love weekends, mostly because my kids are home from school and we can do activities together as a family. I realize these days are short-lived; my older boys are nearing their teenage years and will soon realize there are more exciting weekend options than hanging with mom and dad. But until that day arrives, we will continue to put them to work on the weekends enjoy our weekend time together.

Last weekend we gathered a large field of cows and calves, then sorted the pairs into two different groups.

Sorting is a slow and steady process. We take the pairs to a corner in the field, then station all the riders around the perimeter of the herd. One or two cowboys quietly ride through the herd looking for the cows they want to sort into a different group. Once they have identified a cow to sort out, they watch her to determine which calf is hers. Then calmly and slowly, they work that pair out of the large herd. Once that pair crosses the perimeter, the nearest cowboys continues driving that pair to the smaller herd we are creating with the pairs we have sorted.

It can be a real test of animal handling skills. Remaining quiet, keeping your horse calm and not rushing through the job are the keys to easy sorting. The kids all did a great job; I was so proud of them. They held the herd, keeping the cows in the corner of the field and my oldest even sorted out a few cows on his own.

My youngest kept himself (and his mother) entertained. He trotted around and around with one hand thrown into the air. When he approached me, I asked him what he was doing. His response: “I’m a World Famous Buckin’ Horse Rider!”

Of course. I should have known.

Eventually, even bucking horse riders get tuckered out.

Rotational grazing is a ranch management practice that we use with our yearlings. We have several fields that we rotate the yearlings through, moving to a different field every few days. This allows the yearlings to always be on fresh green grass, which meets so many of their nutritional requirements. This system also gives the grass a resting time which encourages new growth. It’s amazing how quickly the grass regenerates.

Moving yearlings every few days provides many opportunities for the kids to log a few more miles in the saddle. It is an easy ride, perfectly suited to young kids and young horses.

Today was a windy day, with gusts that sent my daughter’s hat skipping across the field as we rode home. It was Dad to the rescue!