Build a BETTER HERD
On a mid-February afternoon — sunny and chilly, with a slight breeze rustling through the tall bluestem grass — Kansas rancher Kordell Krispense’s pasture has become a nursery to the many tiny black calves scattered across the land. He’d been there earlier that day, but Kordell finds that there’s already been a handful of newborn calves added to the herd. Some are fresh enough to still be lying down in the tall grass, while others are standing upright on wobbly legs, looking for their next meal.
As the shrill call of the cattle siren dies away, cows eagerly make their way toward Kordell’s truck. He opens bags of range cubes, and the slightly sweet aroma fills the air. The cubes provide extra protein in lieu of the dying grass. After spreading the cubes in a long line, Kordell counts to see if the cows are all present. Typically, if a cow is missing from the herd, she’s gone away to have a calf. When his count comes up short by one, he begins to scour the pasture for the missing cow.
He finds the new mama nestled in a cluster of bluestem grass toward the far edge of the pasture. Cautiously edging closer, he sees a small black head appear from behind the grass. With an ear-tagger in one hand and an already-marked tag in the other, he reaches the calf just in time to clip the tag into its ear before the mama starts nosing toward him.
Bull Selection and Breeding
A fourth-generation Kansas farmer and rancher (and my brother-in-law),
