Harvesting healthy cows starts with healthy land.
Our grasslands evolved with wild grazing.
Centuries ago, buffalo, elk, deer, antelope and big horn sheep grazed local areas and moved throughout the region in migration patterns. Elk, deer, antelope and sheep still move through these grasslands today but our cattle now fill the buffalo niche. In the most general sense, we plan grazing to mimic historic migration patterns. More specifically the seasonality, intensity and duration of grazing in a given pasture affect plant species, rain retention, the life cycles of birds, rodents, insects, bacteria and fungi, and the cycling nutrients back into the soil. Our land monitoring protocols evaluate all these interactions and drive our decision making toward overall ecological health.
The best measurement of this health is ecological diversity. Here are just a few of the many plant and animal species we share this land with.
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Spring
Our mother cows calve in the spring to coincide with the peak protein production of native plants. Corriente and Longhorn cross cows do not need birthing assistance; they find a secluded and protected spot in the pasture, lay down, and give birth in minutes on their own. Baby is up and sucking a few minutes later and ready to follow mama.
Summer
Calves follow their mother by instinct but most other behaviors are learned. From March to October a mother teaches her calf to avoid predators, to find water, to find gates and what when and where to eat. All plants vary in nutritional value and toxicity through the seasons so a calf learns to balance their diet and avoid toxicity from mother.
Fall
By October calves weigh 400-500 pounds and are ready for their initial separation from mama. We wean with cows and calves across a fence to minimize stress on both mother and calf. Weaning allows the mother to gain body fat before winter.
Winter
We often return our calves to the cow herd after weaning to continue their education on eating in the winter and weathering blizzards. Weaning is also the time for breeding decisions. Based on genetics and performance, females are chosen as replacement cows. These heifers winter with their mothers and then join a bull, usually Corriente or Wagyu at about 15 months of age. These young ladies produce their first calf at 2 years old and continue in the herd sometimes into their teens.
Protocols
The market for healthy, local beef has grown rapidly in recent years. Confusion about protocols has grown right along with it. Our goal is complete transparency about our beef process. There is a reason for all the decisions we make in that process. We would love to hear your questions and hope that our approach allows you to trust the source of your protein.
Our cattle are:
Pasture raised on 14,000 acres of grassland
Hormone and steroid free
Antibiotic free
Free of animal byproducts
GMO Free
Completely grass-fed
+ Are your cattle confined?
No. All cattle spend their life on the 14,000 acres at Rancho Largo Cattle Company. The only exception is sick or injured animals that need ready access to feed and water while they recover.
+ Do you feed hormones, steroids, or animal bi-products?
Nope.
+ Do your animals receive antibiotics?
Yes, sick animals receive antibiotics to cure microbial infections. These animals are marked, separated, and sold in the commodity beef market. They are never included in our custom beef production.
+ Are there health benefits to grass finished beef?
Yes, starch in the grain supplement does lower the PH in the rumen and decrease the bacteria that produce antioxidant Omega 3 fatty acids. Grain supplemented animals have less Omega 3 fatty acids but still provide healthy fats, essential for active people, and the full range of necessary proteins.
More Questions?
Only seen above ground occasionally, but omnipresent in the root zone of plants. These fungi are symbiotic with prairie plants; the fungi supply soil nutrients the plants can’t reach, and the plants provide sugars released from their roots. The whole process is set in motion when a cow bites a plant.