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On a mere 12,000 acres, Nick Nehl keeps 400 Aberdeen Angus beef cows in Watagua, south Dakota. Nick’s son Logan works full-time with his dad, while Wade Roth also works on the ranch and has done for 12 years. Wade owns 25 cows in the herd, a common practice in the States to help keep and encourage farm workers.
The cows calve in February and March.
“We use easy-calving stock bulls and AI bulls on our heifers. The target birth weight is 77lbs (35kg) – we don’t want to have to assist any calvings,” Logan said.
Big weaning targets
Bulls are castrated at one month of age and sold in October, heifers are all bred and any not for keeping are sold at 20-22 months of age. All heifers will calve down at two years of age – a given on American ranches.
As ranchers we’re producing a product – we gotta satisfy our buyers
“Our heifers will calve at 1,100lbs (499kg) and mature cows weigh about 1,300lbs (590kg). We want a 1,300lb cow weaning half of her body weight (295kg). Along with disposition (docility), fertility, udders and lameness, it would be a big factor in our culling decisions.”
Cattle prices
A prolonged period of drought, beginning in 2012, saw the USA’s beef cow herd contract by 6,000,000 head. This created a huge deficit in live cattle supplies and drove prices skyward.
“You were selling a 650-pounder for $2 per pound after the drought. Today it’s more like $1.35,” said Logan.
“You gotta be more efficient now – things like culling hard, using more AI, rotational grazing (500-1,000 acre allocations) and getting nutrition right, particularly post-calving.
“As ranchers we’re producing a product – we gotta satisfy our buyers. It’s no coincidence that I’ve been selling to the same guys for decades, be it privately or in the sale barn. Times have gotten tougher in the cattle business, but in order to guarantee your future you must guarantee your buyer. There’s a trust built there, it’s our biggest strength, I think,” Nick said.
Rural isolation
Being in his mid-20s, I asked Logan whether he felt isolated – Watagua is a tiny village with a population of less than 50 people. Bismark, where Logan attended college, represents the closest city – almost two hours away. Otherwise, it’s hundreds of thousands of acres of ranch land in every direction and a spattering of small towns.
It’s a way of life for us and lots of social events revolve around cattle
“No, I don’t see it as a drawback,” he said. “I’m contented in doing what I’m doing and with this lifestyle. There are others my age doing the same thing close-by. It’s a way of life for us and lots of social events revolve around cattle. I’ve leased some of my own land [4,000 acres] for the ranch and have cows in the herd like Wade.”
Watch as a five-man team drive 101 of the Nehl’s cows to Lemmon sale barn for Saturday’s (26 November) sale. The sale starts at 7pm Irish-time and can be watched live on Cattle USA’s website.
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