A Bigger Picture
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
This week was one of the busiest and toughest weeks of the internship yet! While the work was exhausting and we worked long hours, the experience gained this week was very useful. Additionally, the events that took place were relatively significant as far as ranching events go. One of the major events that took place this week included the first cattle sale of the season. On Thursday of this week (7/18), 500 head of the largest cattle from one of the herds were separated and sold back to the owner. This was a significant event because I was able to witness the reward aspect of working cattle, and it was validating to be able to watch the process come together.
Another event worth noting from this week was the preparations that took place for the upcoming ranch rodeo. The ranch is hosting a private rodeo at the ranch arena, therefore much of this week’s work was preparing the arena for this event. For this, we had to clean the arena out first then construct a viewing platform, roping boxes, and other important considerations. When I had applied for, and accepted, this internship, I had no idea that I would gain so much experience in the construction field as well, but I am actually so fortunate to be able to gain experience in this line of work. Though the work itself was physically exhausting, I thought it was worth it upon seeing the arena come together and fulfill the vision that we were given to work with.
As I prepare to apply for veterinary school and apply for future job opportunities, the significance of having other skills and a unique tool set seem to be even more apparent. This week especially, as I gained a great deal of knowledge and experience in work outside of animal science and basic ranching, I realized that being able to utilize these skills in the future could be extremely useful.
Throughout the internship I have been able to learn how to create, construct, and problem solve in ways I never would have thought of before. From building entire platforms, to fixing a gate that the horses had figured out how to escape from, I have been able to problem solve in realistic and effective ways that can only be learned through experience (and likely some trial and error as well).
Aside from being challenged in ways I did not expect as it related to the animal science and ranching field, this week also made me think more about the importance of understanding buying and selling stocker cattle. It was interesting to see the process firsthand, but it also made me think more about the profitability of buying, grazing, and selling cattle. It is somewhat of a risk to be in such a position and it was conceptually interesting to consider the ways in which cattle are most profitable. For instance, the process of weighing and selling the cattle is done extremely quickly because if the cattle even lose weight by urinating or defecating, money is lost.
Though I was able to witness the basic process of weighing and selling some of the cattle this week, I have so many questions as it relates to the process as a whole and the considerations that are made throughout. I am interested to learn more about understanding the proper timeline for these cattle, especially in regards to their weigh and sell date. I am still new to the entire concept of stocker cattle and am constantly learning new things about the specific considerations that are made to (hopefully) create the largest profit. I am interested to learn more about the weights and weight predictions that are used to determine when the cattle will be ready to be shipped and how these dates can be determined. I know that the grazing methods that are used can play a large role in the prediction of grass consumption and weight gain in cattle, and this series of formulas and predictions goes along with the questions and interests I have.
On another note, I also have some questions as it pertains to the ways in which the ranch is operated outside of the cattle ranching aspect. I understand that the ranch has numerous other enterprises to utilize outside of running cattle, but I am interested in learning more about the ways in which the ranch makes a profit in addition to the profit made from cattle. As I gain more knowledge, experience, and personal interest in the ranching lifestyle, I strive to learn more about the specific qualities that make a ranch successful and profitable. It seems there is always some sort of work to be done on the ranch, but I want to know the difference in working in the different seasons and how the ranch is utilized during times when there are no cattle to run or horses to ride.
As I proceed through this internship, I have realized that my interests in ranching have increased greatly. I hope to use the experience I have gained thus far to not only prepare me for the ranching environment as it related to large animal medicine, but also as it related to my personal interests of potentially owning my own ranch someday. I am fortunate to be able to gain experience and insight into the ranch management side of this internship in addition to the animal medicine aspect. Having a better idea of the ranching field and the people that I could be working alongside with in the future is something that I had hoped to gain from this internship, and I am glad this goal is being achieved.
In addition to growing my own interests in both my field of study, and my personal interests, I hope to use the experience and knowledge obtained through shipping cattle to better understand and utilize the prime conditions and expectations for stocker cattle. I hope to take the information I have gained to better understand the overall goals of the buyer and the seller and the expectations they have to consider for “good” stocker cattle. In addition to this, I hope to gain even more information as it pertains to grazing methods and use this information to better understand large animal (especially cattle) nutrition.
Submitted by: Sydney Thorvaldson
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
