05/20/2026
"You only care about the money."
"Ranchers abuse and neglect their animals-they couldn't care less about animal welfare."
Let me introduce you to 6902, a spring replacement heifer born in late April. A few weeks ago, when we were working our spring calves, we noticed one calf lagging behind the rest.
To keep up with the herd that was being led into the pens, we loaded her in the back of the side-by-side and drove her to the pens.
Why? Because we care. A long walk would have put additional stress on an already sick animal.
Could we have continued to let her walk the rest of the way? Sure.
But we didn't. Why? Because we are ranchers-ranchers that care about their livestock, every single one.
While we certainly have to measure profitability (as all small business owners do), we care for every single animal that God has placed under our care.
6902 was treated with antibiotics and returned to graze with the rest of the spring herd.
The next morning, we went out and used an esophageal feeder to provide electrolytes.
Was this necessary? No, probably not. 6902 would have likely made a full recovery without the additional nourishment. Nonetheless, we spent a morning ensuring she had the best chance to recover.
We want our animals to be healthy and comfortable. Why? Not because of profits or the bottom line, but we, like every other rancher worth their salt, actually care about the animals they have been appointed stewards of.