Open Farm Visits in SK: Part 3

Last month, I got to visit a beef cattle farm for Open Farm Day, and it was way bigger and more organized than I expected. The farm has around 300 cows each year along with all their calves and bulls. They raise a few different breeds like Black Angus, Charolais which are the big white ones, and Gelbvieh which are the tan colored cows. There are also some crossbreeds that have lighter colors or red and white patterns. I never really thought cows could look so different from each other or that they would each have their own personalities.

One thing that really surprised me was how they take care of the calves. If a cow loses her calf, the farmers sometimes give her another calf that needs a mom. It does not happen right away. They keep the calf with the new cow for a few days until she accepts it as her own. This is especially helpful when a cow has twins because she usually cannot feed both properly. The farmers care a lot about making sure every calf gets the best chance to grow up healthy and strong.

Breeding is also a huge part of what they do there. They have herd sires and they sell around 80 to 90 bulls every year. The farmers test the bulls and track their birth weights and even their genetics to make sure the herd stays healthy. Genetic variety matters a lot because it prevents problems in the future. They also pay attention to which cows are ready to breed and when. I did not realize how much planning and science goes into all of that.

Learning about how cows give birth was really interesting but also kind of intense. Some breeds like Charolais and Herefords stay pretty calm when they are having calves. Meanwhile, Black Angus cows can be a lot more protective and stressed. The farmers usually try to let the cows handle everything on their own unless a problem comes up. They even have cameras in the barn so they can check on them without bothering the animals. You can definitely tell how much work goes into keeping the cows safe and comfortable.

Daily life on the farm is way more than just feeding animals. The farmers are always checking fences, moving cows to different pastures, cutting hay, and keeping track of so many cows at once. They grow most of their feed because buying hay costs a ton of money. It can be anywhere from 150 dollars to 250 dollars for one hay bale. Vet bills also go over 20000 dollars every year and insurance is so expensive that they cannot even insure every cow. It made me realize how much money and effort it takes just to keep everything running.

I also noticed that cows really do act different from each other. Some like to stick together in friend groups and others like being alone. The farmers know each cow by how they behave which helps a lot when they need to move them or separate calves from their moms. I honestly did not think cows had personalities before I visited the farm but now I know they definitely do.

Overall, going to the farm gave me a completely new view of farming. It is not only about producing meat. It is also about caring for animals, planning ahead, and paying attention to every single detail. Seeing the calves, learning about breeding, and watching everything the farmers do every day made me appreciate their work so much more. I left the farm with a lot more respect for the people who do all of this to take care of their animals and keep their farms going.