August 11, 2015. Western Head, N.S. The Cattle Business.

In Pennsylvania at the farm, we raised Angus beef.  We were a cow calf operation.   We kept the heifer calfs and sold the bull calves.   And we ate the meat too.  Brian looked after the cattle.  During calving season in early Spring, Brian would check on the cows twice a day to see if the cows needed help with  birthing.  Angus cattle have big calves which is hard on the mother cows.   They definitely required attention.   But the calves sold well and of course, the meat of the Angus cattle was delicious so you put up with the extra effort.   And we loved looking at all those black cows and calves on the hillside.  

In Texas, in order to receive the agricultural tax exemption,  you must keep animals on your property, or you must raise crops.   Our friends Joyce and Robbie have always raised goats while my friend A.A. cuts and sells hay at her country home.  We decided to raise Longhorn cattle at our small ranch.   They were bred to look after themselves.   They have small calves so need no help with birthing.  And they are not picky with their food.  We like to look at them too.  They seem to look like Texas.   They basically look after themselves although we give them treats when we are living there.   In dry seasons we must provide extra food so Steve buys hay and feeds them regularly.  And he puts out mineral blocks.    We enjoy watching the calves frolic around but most of all we like the looks of the longhorns on the land.   It seems like we are really in the cattle business.