Page 204 - The Welfare of Cattle
P. 204
ChaPter 17
ranching with Integrity and Intentionality
Tom Field
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
CONteNtS
Overview of Ranching ................................................................................................................... 182
Competing Pressures ...................................................................................................................... 183
Internal vs. External Pressures .................................................................................................. 183
Short vs. Long-term Outcomes ................................................................................................. 183
Proactive vs. Reactive Choices.................................................................................................. 183
Known vs. Unknown ................................................................................................................. 183
Connecting Head and Heart ........................................................................................................... 184
Ranch Culture ................................................................................................................................ 184
Values ............................................................................................................................................. 186
Strategic Management and Decision-Making ................................................................................ 188
Stockmanship ................................................................................................................................. 189
Ranching with Intent ...................................................................................................................... 189
Livestock Handling ...................................................................................................................190
Breeding and Genetics .............................................................................................................. 191
Nutrition .........................................................................................................................................192
Animal Health ...........................................................................................................................192
Education and Training ............................................................................................................. 193
Final Thoughts ............................................................................................................................... 193
References ......................................................................................................................................194
The objective of this chapter is not to prescribe how ranching should be conducted but rather to
create a starting point for discussing the purpose, philosophy, and fulfillment that can be obtained
from the intentional and thoughtful practice of stewardship, husbandry and stockmanship. The
content of the chapter is largely driven by the experiences and observations of the author based on a
lifetime of work on an extensive ranching enterprise in western Colorado plus some three decades
of engagement with ranchers as a teacher, researcher, and consultant.
181
