Day 2: Cowen Cattle Company

Written by: Ariel

During our summer ag tour we made a stop at Cowen Cattle Company, where they are basically all about cows. They have both a cattle ranch and a feed yard. They get cattle from all over the place, and their main job is as a stocker operation. A stocker operation is a phase in the beef industry that transitions cattle from weaning to when they are ready to go to the feed lot. Heifers tend to be sent off at roughly 800 pounds and steers tend to be about 900 depending on the situation. It seems like a lot of work, but it’s also pretty cool.

One of the biggest things they do is feeding. They have a whole system for it. They use this motor-operated feed mixer and a feed truck that has a scale in it, so they know exactly how much their giving each group of cows. They feed them twice a day and it has to be on the same schedule because they could get sick if changed around. They’re always watching to make sure they're eating okay and growing like they should so that there ready after about 90 days. If they don't want them to grow too fast, they will adjust their feed. It’s kind of like making sure they’re not eating too much junk food. Just like humans. cows have a schedule as well. 

Certain markings on the animal and in the ear tags help with keeping track of what health measures have been taken.

They also really focus on keeping them healthy. They give them medicine if needed and they have a really cool way of keeping up with it. They do there best to try to keep them comfortable, especially when it gets hot. They have to always check on them, making sure they look good and aren’t over heating from the hot sun. Healthy cows are happy cows, and happy cows grow better. It's all about giving them the best environment so they can get bigger and stronger.