Burnt River Ranch

06/07/2026

Not ALL beef comes from massive 1400 lb steers.
Dairy breed beef is just as good! There’s just a bit less of it on the carcass. But, when you’re buying a whole or 1/2 animal - and the price is based on hanging weight; that’s all relative.
Is it the most efficient way to raise beef? No.
But is it a useful way to allow that dairy breed animal to have one last chance to feed families really nutritious, delicious food instead of wasting the meat? You bet!

“But they are dairy and dairy cattle don’t make beef”

🐄 1/3 of Prime-grade beef is from dairy beef
🐄 around 20% of the beef consumed is dairy sourced
🐄 tender and flavorful, less intramuscular fat than others resulting in less connective tissue to cut through
🐄 deposit marbling (flecks of fat within the lean of the meat), enhances the flavor and juiciness of the beef
🐄 dairy steers are fed up to 18-24 months and around 1400-1500 # live for cuts of beef
🐄 cull dairy cows routinely transition from being a milk producer to being a beef producer, most older cull cows enter the food chain and help supply the ground beef market

06/02/2026

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It's been a crazy busy month around here. Phew!

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May has flown by so fast. That's one of the most surprising and slightly depressing things about summer; how beautiful of a season it is, but how quickly it goes by. I feel like there's busy season and then busi-ER season, which is what summer is. Longer, warmer days means projects start piling on.....

06/02/2026

Phoebe the Land Whale surprised us with a pretty white faced heifer last night!

Charolais/Simmental x Hereford

She was really bagged up and acting different so I moved her just in case and a couple hours later, she had this cutie completely unassisted this time around.
I wasn’t expecting her to calve for another couple of weeks but definitely could not have asked for a better night to have a calf born!

As this is the year of “P” names; we named her Porpoise 🐬 to fit in with the whale theme 🤪

05/30/2026

Anyone who has ever stacked small square bales by hand will know the excitement of this here contraption!

We are slowly developing an entire collection of red/yellow New Holland haying equipment.

It’s gonna need a bit of love to get it ready for haying season, but I have always wanted a stackliner and I’m super excited to see it in action!

05/26/2026

The cows finally got to go out on grass for the first time this year, and they are so thrilled! It makes my heart happy to see them roaming about on the fresh green meadow.

05/23/2026

Why the whitewashing? Is it just paint?
Well, whitewash is essentially hydrated lime mixed with water. Some people add salt and other things, but it’s mostly lime. When it’s sprayed, it’s more on the translucent side, but as it’s exposed to the air and dries, it calcifies and turns white. It’s kind of an old fashioned thing. Due to its PH being highly alkaline, it makes for a great disinfectant for barns. It helps with any bacteria, viruses, ammonia, fungus and mold. It is also effective at fly control and other critters like mites. This is important because our calves are housed in the barn year round. Things like ringworm can live in the wood and this will kill it. Will also help with preserving the wood. Neutralizing ammonia in the barn helps with overall air quality which is also essential for healthy calves and cows. In addition to all these hygienic reasons, it looks good. Old barns can tend to get a little on the dark side, and whitewashing truly brightens up the space. Certainly doesn’t last forever though!
You can totally make this yourself and paint it on. A recipe to follow is: 8 cups of lime and 2 cups of salt, to 1 gallon of water. We much prefer to hire a professional, but it’s totally possible to DIY it.

Done by: J.A.R whitewashing. 570-960-1058 or 570-878-4105. Give em a call and tell em Farmer Wayne sent ya!

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

I took some updated photos of Flashbang today!

Somehow he is still searching for his forever home, due to absolutely no fault of his own. I am surprised somebody hasn't scooped him up yet!

(I'd be willing to bet part of the reason is because he isn't a "cool" colour, but he is beautifully dappled in the summer, has pangare markings that lighten his muzzle and other points, a thick and luxurious silvery flaxen mane/tail, and is developing some lovely feathering)

He has been doing absolutely wonderful with his groundwork and has been so fun to work with.
Tomorrow he will be getting gelded.