IX Ranch

The 2013 branding season is off to a hot start

Rich Roth — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:24:41 +0000

Each year the IX and its crew manage to gather, rope, brand, electronic ID, and vaccinate just over 3,000 heifer and steer calves….not all at once of course. Although not always seen in a positive light, the act of marking livestock with fire-heated marks to identify ownership has origins dating back to the ancient Egyptians. Times have changed however and we have adapted to make the process of branding as painless and stress-free as possible. Two of the biggest modifications to our branding protocol were the introduction of electric branding irons and Nordforks. Electric irons have been used on the IX for over 15 years. Electric irons disperse heat more evenly throughout the iron surface reducing the hold time and improving uniformity. Nordforks reduce the amount of labor and restrain the calves in a manner that reduces movement while the animal is being branded and processed. All members of the IX crew are Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified and understand the importance of handling cattle and calves in the best, most humane manner. We brand cow/calf groups of 200-250 pair to reduce the length of time animals are held. Staff are trained in vaccine and brand application as well as proper animal restraint. Safety of the animals and employees are the highest priority.

Calving is well underway on the IX

Rich Roth — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:39:15 +0000

The 2′s (first-calf heifers) started calving back on February 26th and as of this post are over half done. The three year olds and cows are just starting and will be going strong by the end of March. We are fortunate to have an experienced management staff as well as a crew of young, energetic men and women who are excited about working in the industry and being the care takers they can. On the IX they learn that Beef Quality Assurance is not just a name or certification it is an attitude. Employees and interns come from all across the United States and abroad to learn how the pro’s do it. This year is unique in that we have had three vet students from each of the universities, Montana State University and Kansas State. Here they are able to put their classroom education to the test. Interns receive instruction from managers on all aspects of calving and are able to “get their hands dirty”. This is where the classroom meets real world and we are proud to be a part of that experience.

MSGA’s 128th Annual Convention and Trade Show draws 800 to Billings

Rich Roth — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:05:09 +0000

The 128^th Annual Montana Stockgrowers Association Convention and Trade Show, held at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana in Billings, Dec. 13-15, drew approximately 800 participants from across the state for the three-day conference.

“It was exciting to watch as the rooms filled up to capacity with men and women, young and old to develop policy for MSGA to follow for upcoming year,” said Tucker Hughes, MSGA’s newly elected president. “The enthusiasm by our young members was contagious. I was so pleased that the young women and men that are ranching now, the young women and men at colligate level from Montana State and the University of Montana, and 20 preteens that joined me on stage on Saturday night are getting involved in our organization. Having parents bringing their young families paints a bright future for agriculture.”

Here are some of the highlights from the 2012 MSGA Convention and Trade Show:

- Tucker Hughes of Stanford was elected to his first one-year term as President; Gene Curry of Valier was elected to his first one-year term as 1^st Vice President; and Bryan Mussard of Dillon was elected to his first one-year term as 2^nd Vice President. MSGA honored outgoing president, Watty Taylor of Kirby for his two years in the office, and Larry Berg of Judith Gap, Jeff Pattison of Glasgow, and Dean Wang of Sidney for serving four years on the Board of Directors.

- Terry Haughian of Kinsey, Jim Steinbeisser of Sidney, Tim Todd of Ryegate were newly elected to their first two-year terms on the Board of Directors. Ray Marxer of Twin Bridges and Mark Harrison of Belt were re-elected to their second two-year terms.

- Forrest Roberts, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and Tammi Didlot, president of the American National CattleWomen, were featured speakers.

- MSGA’s policy process was especially robust this year, providing direction for MSGA officers and staff heading into the 2013 Montana Legislative Session. MSGA members passed 18 new and 26 revised policies, and renewed 34 policies. Notable new policies address trichomoniasis regulations, communicating with beef consumers, sage grouse, livestock depredation, easement agreements, wilderness designations, classification of bison, water rights, agriculture research, veterinarian education, school nutrition programs, fuel trucks, and agricultural land valuation for tax purposes.

- There were several educational opportunities available during convention. Presentations included “Genetic Tools for Commercial Cattlemen” with Larry Gran of Pfizer Animal Health; “Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Rainfall Insurance” with Montana State University professor Dr. Gary Brester; “Promoting and Defending Modern Agriculture in a Facebook Culture” with Gary Sides of Pfizer Animal Health; “Volatility in Agriculture” by Brett Crosby; a presentation on the new school lunch program; an estate planning panel discussion; a Beef Quality Assurance training; and a “Stump the Speaker” leadership panel.

- The Padlock Ranch, owned by the Homer Scott family and operated by Wayne Fahsholtz, was honored as winner of the 2013 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award sponsored by MSGA’s Research, Education and Endowment Foundation with support from the Montana Beef Council and checkoff dollars. Padlock Ranch is the 20^th winner in the history of the award. MSGA will submit Padlock Ranch for the regional and national Environmental Stewardship Award in early March.

- Floydena Garrison of Glen was named “Ranching Woman of the Year.”

- The Trade Show boasted over 90 booths, featuring animal health supplies, government agencies, insurance, lending firms, gift vendors, and beef dinner stations. MSGA showcased its new table top photography book Big Sky Boots: Working Seasons of a Montana Cowboy with a special booth. Attendees were able to watch the National Finals Rodeo live from Las Vegas on two big screens Thursday and Friday night in the Trade Show.

- This marked the first year of the T-Bone Classic Car Show featuring classic Ford vehicles and several of Ford’s newest models.

- The highlight of the convention was the Ford Truck drawing. MSGA and Montana Ford Stores teamed up to give a Ford Super Duty truck to a lucky member who attended convention and the Grand Finale Banquet on Saturday, Dec. 15. The lucky winners were Sonny and Sam Obrecht of the Louie Petrie Ranch in Turner.

- Convention photos can be seen on MSGA’s Facebook Page.

- Plans are already underway for MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting which will be held in June 7-8 in Missoula at the Hilton Garden Inn.

The Montana Stockgrowers Association, a non-profit organization representing nearly 2,500 members, strives to serve, protect and advance the economic, political, environmental and cultural interests of cattle producers, the largest sector of Montana’s number one industry – agriculture.

Fall is a busy time on the IX

Rich Roth — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:27:32 +0000

Lots of caring people doing lots of different jobs to ensure the cattle are well handled and taken care as they enter the next stage of their journey. Whether its steer calves headed off to be grown in feedlots in the Midwest or cows returning to the pastures they have grazed for many years, the life cycle on a ranch is pretty amazing. With a little help from Mother Nature and a dedicated crew, we’ll be back again next year doing it all over again.

Each and every fall we bring in all the cow/calf pairs from summer pasture to be weaned and shipped.

Rich Roth — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 02:12:36 +0000

Cows are pregnancy tested and if bred remain in the cow herd. Those that are not bred are sold off the ranch. On this particular day heifer calves are being weaned from their mothers and turned back to the pasture in which they came. This process is very similar to fence line weaning, less the cows next door. By turning the calves back to the place they were last with their mothers, they are less apt to become stressed and which leads to sickness. We have been doing this practice for many years and the death loss associated with this type of weaning has been less than 1/2 a percent.

Once the heifer calves are returned to the pasture, the cows are worked through a tub alley system to the squeeze chute. This system is designed to reduce stress on the animal while at the same time allowing us to properly pregnancy test and inspect the cow. A hydraulic chute is used to safely and with as little stress as possible, hold the cow while she is pregnancy tested. Once in the chute age, body and udder condition and weight data is collected. We use that information to make decisions about whether or not a cow should stay in the herd or be culled. Hydraulic chutes also reduce the amount of labor required to do the job. Our vet is our cousin DVM Barr Gustafson. He uses the palpation method to test the majority of the cattle on the ranch but we have also used ultrasound. Over the course of the season, Barr will have tested over 3,000 cows!

Moving bred replacement heifers to fall grazing pastures

Rich Roth — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:20:18 +0000

This trek takes about 5 hours and covers roughly 6 miles. Cattle on the IX are moved/trailed by horseback everywhere on the ranch. It is important for our cattle and crew to know how to “trail” cattle. This is both an art and a science. There are a lot of techniques used to trail cattle but it also takes a lot of experience and “thinking like a cow” to ensure the animals learn how to trail properly. Experts like Bud Williams and Temple Grandin are just a couple of the greats we have had the opportunity to glean handling techniques from.

Headed for Home

Rich Roth — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:21:44 +0000

Moved just under 900 steer pairs from the Ryan pasture to the Boggy Spring. Pictured is the crew having lunch after the big move. This annual trek, over the course of two weeks, transitions the pairs from summer range to irrigated pastures close to home. Starting on October 22, steer calves will be weaned from their mothers and shipped to Iowa. All the cows will be pregnancy tested after the calves have been shipped. Bred cows will be turned back to fall pasture until the end of the year. Open cows (cows not bred) will be sold at the local auction. Management works hard to maintain a pregnancy rate of 94-96%, although Mother Nature plays a big part in how that all turns out.

Fire season still in full swing

Rich Roth — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:37:19 +0000

Much of the northwest sky has been smokey the past month due to wild fires. The same is true in our area as moisture has been non-existent for over a month. Thanks to a devoted crew and local volunteer fire department, these fires are stopped before they grow too large. Thanks to the Big Sandy Volunteer Fire Department, one of the best in the state, in my opinion for helping us out on the most recent fire. Pictured is part of the Big Sandy Volunteer Fire Department as well as IX crew members Matt Kocher, Anna Reeves and Stephen Clark.

Pregnancy testing on the ranch begins on a high note

Rich Roth — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:15:19 +0000

We tested our first group of cows for the 2013 calving season. 230 running age cows (cows that consist mainly of ages 5-14) tested 90%. This was very exciting news because it was the highest pregnancy rate we have ever received at this location. Cows and calves both looked very good despite extremely dry weather over the summer. Quality stock water and healthy grass conditions were strong factors contributing to this increased pregnancy rate. We are hopeful that this is an indication of how the rest of the cattle will test around the ranch.

Shipping time, Yeeeehaw!!!

Rich Roth — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:44:36 +0000

Every September the ranch ships out just under 900 all natural yearling heifers and 100 yearling steers. This is like sending your kids off to college. We have been taking care of these animals since they were born and although it is hard to see them go, we are excited to see the fruits of our labor. Out of all the yearlings we lost less than .5% to sickness. They came in looking shiny and healthy and the buyer, who has purchased the yearlings for over 5 years, continues to say how nice a set of cattle they are. It took 4 hours and 12 semi loads to get them all weighed and on the trucks. We like to “gitter done!”