KFRM Blog

In Like a Lion ... Or A Feeder Calf
Wednesday 2nd of March 2011 07:01 AM
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By Kim L. Fritzemeier

KFRM Central Kansas Reporter

Farm Wife along the Stafford/Reno County Line

March came in like a lamb yesterday. Or in the case of life on the County Line, March came in like a feeder calf. (It doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?)

It was a beautiful morning to sort calves. The sun was out. There was a vibrant blue sky dotted with wispy cotton-candy clouds. It was a sweatshirt morning instead of a coverall morning, Jake and I decided as we manned the gates. Last year, it was 21 degrees when we did this job. I liked the 40-degree weather better.

We sorted the feeder steer and heifer calves we'd weaned from the mama cows in November. We will sell the steers and a few heifers - a total of 69 head - at the Pratt Livestock Sale on Thursday. We've hired a semi to come today to transport them to the sale barn, so we needed to separate the cattle we plan to sell and those we plan to keep.

Randy is keeping 34 heifers this year as replacement heifers. They will become the cows in our cow-calf herd in the future.

So, thankfully, March came in like a lamb yesterday. I know the old saying says that it will go out like a lion to compensate. But it would be OK with me if it goes out like a lamb, too.

(A study of light and shadows in the corral)