Winter Reflections

Winter on the ranch is all about preparing for calving.  For more than 75 years, calving has begun in the Lazy AM Ranch in early January.  Calving for two and a half months in winter allows us to avoid most of the spring mud season. (Frozen ground and snow makes feeding areas cleaner and lets the newborns sleep in cleaner straw conditions than if they were dealing with areas where many cows and calves have trampled the mud.) 

This year calving started late as our mothers held off until mid January.  It was a relief for us all as temperatures dipped well below zero.  We tallied 20% of expected calves by the end of the month as temperatures swung 80 degrees from -30 to record highs in the 60’s.  The spring solstice in March marks the near end of calving.  We will still be feeding hay we harvested last summer until we turn the cattle out on grass in early May.