Shipping|Scanning|Sorting|Selling|Sausage Making|Celebrating

In mid-December, steer calves were shipped to wheat pastures for winter grazing in Merkel, TX. They have spent the last couple of months there & will soon head to a feedlot in Kansas. We have decided to retain ownership of the steers through the feedlot stage.

A big advantage to retaining ownership through the feedlot stage is that we receive carcass data on each animal. This is advantageous in evaluating sires {(bulls} & dams {cows} & determining future breeding plans. In times that demand reducing our stocking rate, carcass data can also help us decide which animals to liquidate.

At the end of 2022, time was spent gathering all ewes. Dr. Reid Redden {Texas A&M AgriLife Extension} & his wife {Toby} came out & ultra sounded 311 ewes. Lots of family was at the ranch for the holidays, so we had extra help this year.

Results from the scan…

By identifying which ewes have twins {or triplets}, we can adjust our management in accordance with the resources we have. During lambing, we can spend more time on predator management in pastures that have ewes with twins {since they have a potentially higher lamb crop value than those with singles}. Ewes with singles don’t require as high of a nutritional level to maintain themselves & to lactate supporting one lamb.

We are gradually culling our ewes based on their pregnancy status each year. Obviously, we want to keep ewes that consistently have twins & cull the ones that consistently carry singles or any ewe that is open {not pregnant}.

At the beginning of January, we sorted heifer calves. Twenty five heifer calves were selected as keepers. These heifers were selected based on visual appeal, as well as their pedigree records. The remaining 73 head were sold to another producer.

On February 10th, Casey Worrell came out to ultrasound our 38 yearling bulls that have been on gain/performance test here in the feedlot.

Ultra sounding an animal allows us to put a score of muscling by weight, which would be difficult by visual observation alone.

As he scanned each animal, we were able to see a cross section between the 12th & 13th rib on his screen. The results were then sent to us which included rump fat, rib fat, rib eye area, & percent intramuscular fat for each animal. With this information, we can compare each animal with a ratio of square inches of rib eye muscle per 100 pounds of animal.

As the bulls were in the chute, we also weighed them & measured hip height. Individual disposition notes were recorded as well.

A combination of weight & hip height determine a ‘frame score’. A frame score is used to estimate the growth pattern & potential mature size of an animal. Frame scores are moderately heritable & can be used to influence the selection process before breeding.

An ideal hill country cow has a calf every year & is able to do that on solar energy that caliche hills convert into grass. That is not the same type of animal that is considered ideal in the tall grass prairies of Montana, Nebraska, or the Dakotas. This is where the frame score becomes important. A large frame size cow has a higher maintenance requirement than a smaller frame size cow.

A vet will perform a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) on each of the bulls. A BSE includes three evaluations: 1) structural soundness assessment, 2) reproductive system evaluation, & 3) semen quality appraisal.

The structural soundness assessment involves examining the overall condition of the animal, including flesh, feet, legs, eyes, & teeth.

The reproductive system evaluation includes examination of the scrotum, testicles, & penis, as well as a rectal palpation to determine any internal abnormalities. The circumference of each bull’s scrotum will be measured. The circumference of a scrotum can estimate the amount of sperm producing tissue in a bull. There is a high correlation in scrotal circumference & sperm output. To be considered a good potential breeder, a yearling bull’s scrotal circumference must be greater than 30 cm, must have greater than 50% sperm mobility, & greater than 70% normal sperm.

source: Society for Theriogenology

The final phase of a BSE consists of semen collection & an evaluation of the semen.

Having a BSE report on each bull tells our buyers that the bull they are purchasing is not sterile & is able to breed.

Each of these evaluations play a key role in selection of bulls. After reviewing all of the information about each bull, decisions will be made as to which bulls to keep for our own breeding program & which ones to sell.

February 11th was Hillingdon’s annual sausage making. Deer meat from the hunting season was combined with pork & the family’s spice recipes to make various kinds of sausage {pan|cooking|hard}. We also made lamb sausage this year for the first time. About 500 pounds of sausage was made.

That evening, we celebrated Robin’s birthday…80 well-lived years of hard work & dedication to keeping Hillingdon Ranch together. Cheers to you, Robin!

 Thanks to Gwen Fancy, Jody Giles, & Tori Huckaba for photo contributions.

Hello, Fall…

The last week of August brought nearly eight {much needed} inches of rain to some parts of the ranch, which was more than we had all year until then. The pastures & fields perked up, & we breathed a sigh of relief. Most of September was sunny & hot, but then things started to cool down some at the end of the month into October. Small rain showers here & there have helped range conditions temporarily, but some good rains before winter would sure be welcomed.

Calves were weaned in October. Weaning is a vital time in the management of the cows & calves. The milk diet is replaced with a forage diet. At the time of weaning, calves were about eight months old.

As pastures were gathered, calves were weighed & put in the feedlot. Once they calmed down & began eating well, they were then worked. Heifers, steers, & bulls were separated & put in three different pastures.

The calves were vaccinated with a booster shot, treated with a pour on solution for internal & external parasites, & branded. Branding is a useful & cost-effective way to identify cattle. A distinct, recognizable brand is instrumental in proving ownership if cattle are lost or stolen.

All heifer & bull calves received an ‘HIL’ brand, as well as a number brand {matches ear tag number}. Steer calves received only an ‘HIL’ brand.

At the time of weaning, the mother cows are about four to five months pregnant. It is important the cows have a break from nursing a calf in order to provide adequate nutrition to the developing fetus inside of her.

Frequent feed truck trips out to the calf pastures allow us to observe & monitor their health, as well train them to follow the feed truck. All calves will soon be revaccinated with a booster, so it’s important they are following the truck to ensure a smooth gather.

Billies & rams were gathered in October in preparation for breeding season. They were sorted based on conformation, structural soundness, & desirable wool & mohair characteristics. At the beginning of November, they were then put in various pastures at with the nannies & ewes. Our goal is to expose all nannies & ewes to billies & rams at the same time so all are kidding & lambing around the same time {though some eager ones mess that goal up at times}. Nannies & ewes will be sheared in February/March, then put in pastures/fields before kidding & lambing in April.

A rule of thumb we use when putting out billies & rams is five males for every 100 females. Billies & rams are capable of breeding more than twenty females each, but putting more males than needed creates competition among them. If there is a weak male in the herd/flock, the other males will out compete him. This results in the weaker one breeding less females, employing natural selection as a management tool. Nannies & ewes should begin lambing in April, hopefully after the cold weather has ended & the golden eagles have moved back North. Golden eagles tend to prey on young lambs & kids, although they are capable of killing adults as well.

Wishing you & your family a blessed Thanksgiving!

Summer fading, Fall approaching…

Summer started off with working cattle. Pasture by pasture, bulls, cows & calves were gathered.

Calves are about four months of age when they are worked for the first time {ear tagged, vaccinated, treated for internal & external parasites, castrated}. Bulls & cows also received a round of vaccinations.

Vaccinating calves at an appropriate age is important to build a healthy immune system to fight diseases. Cows & bulls receive vaccinations for reproductive diseases & as annual boosters to vaccinations they received as calves.

Ear tags provide proof of ownership & associate a calf to a specific cow. With an ear tag in their ear, calves can then be paired up to their dam. Knowing the sire & dam of a calf is extremely important in making decisions down the road {keep vs sell}.

Calves, cows, & bulls are all treated for internal & external parasites through a pour-on solution applied across their back.

Most bull calves are castrated, while some are kept as bulls {for our own breeding purposes or to be sold to other cattle producers}. Since the calves are so young & there are no records other than dam & sire, eye appeal & temperament are the greatest factors that go into selecting ‘keeper’ bulls. There are several benefits to castrating bull calves that
are not going to be used in a breeding program. Castration reduces aggressiveness & sexual activity by lowering testosterone levels. It also creates a higher quality carcass-more consistent, marbled, & tender beef. Steers are much easier to handle. Bulls tear up
facilities & injure each other fighting, which is why keeping bull numbers at a minimum is important.

Lambs were gathered & weaned in mid-July to early August.

Lambs were worked {ear tagged, drenched, vaccinated} & put in the feedlot. Lambs recievd a preventive vaccine against enterotoxemia, combined with long term protection against tetanus.

Enterotoxemia, also known as overeating or pulpy kidney disease, is a condition caused by Clostridium perfringens type D. These bacteria are normally found in the soil & as part of the normal microflora in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy sheep & goats. Under specific conditions, these bacteria can rapidly reproduce in the animal’s intestine, producing large quantities of toxins. The epsilon toxin produced by C. perfringens Type D is the most significant toxin in producing the disease. Young animals are most susceptible. Sudden & high mortality rates may occasionally occur in lambs & kids. Although adult animals are also susceptible to enterotoxemia, they develop immunity due to frequent exposure to low doses of these toxins. source: University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine

Lambs are eating a prepared ration in the feedlot. This same ration was available to them while they were still at their mother’s side in the pasture. Lambs learned to eat feed with their mothers & therefore transitioned into feedlot life very smoothly.

Having the lambs on feed close by keeps them away from coyotes, allows us to easily monitor them on a daily basis & makes them readily available to sell.

Billies received their annual haircut at the end of July. Billies are shorn once a year, while nannies & muttons are shorn twice a year.

Why are billies only shorn once a year? Billies are put out with nannies for breeding season in early November. All of their energy goes into breeding. They hardly eat & become rather weak. With a shortage of nutrition being consumed, they aren’t growing much mohair. Being weaker & a lack of mohair makes for an undesirable time to shear them when nannies are shorn in February/March {just before kidding}.

The day before billies were shorn, yearling billies were sorted through. A handful of the group were selected as keepers, while the rest {about 175} were shorn & clamped/castrated.

Muttons are male goats that have been castrated. We castrate them with a burdizzo. A burdizzo is a device that has a large clamp designed to break the blood vessels leading to the testicles. Once the blood supply to the testicles is lost, necrosis occurs & the testicles shrink, soften & eventually deteriorate completely.

Muttons are beneficial for several reasons. Since they are big & strong, they are not as susceptible to predators. Coyotes are opportunistic & prefer young lambs & kids rather than a stout mutton who is ready to fight. Muttons do not reproduce so they can run with nannies at any given time. And since they don’t reproduce, their nutrition maintenance requirements are less. Consequently, they are able to grow more mohair per year because all of their nutrition goes into growing hair instead of reproduction efforts. Since their nutrition requirement is less, you are able to run more in a pasture at a given time which means greater Ashe Juniper {cedar} control.

This summer has been full of extremely hot days & very little rainfall. To date, we have received about 5.5-6″ of rain for the year. 2011 was a year similar to this one. We received about 11″ of rain in 2011.

Thankfully the livestock are doing pretty well. Cows are hustling & finding green on the hillsides. Sheep & goats do well when it’s dry since stomach worms cannot thrive in this kind of weather. These internal parasites require moisture for their development…& they’ve been out of luck for quite some time now! As tanks dry up, some goats are finding themselves stuck in the mud trying to get a drink. Checking the tanks with some water still in them has become an important daily task.

Small showers here & there have kept us going & are much appreciated! The forecast for the next seven days has the most rain chances in it that we have seen in a while. We are hopeful & continuing to pray that things start to change as we head into Fall.

Evaluating|Shearing|Calving, Lambing, Kidding|Shipping

On March 3rd, Casey Worrell came out & ultra sounded our yearling bulls. These bulls have been on a gain test here in the feedlot since December 2nd.

Casey scanned each of the 35 bulls. Results for each animal were sent to us, which included ribeye area {measured between 12th & 13th rib}, marbling, rump fat, & rib eye fat.

While each bull was in the chute to be scanned, we also weighed them & measured their hip height. A combination of weight & hip height determine a ‘frame score’. A frame score is used to estimate the growth pattern & potential mature size of an animal. Frame scores are moderately heritable & can be used to influence the selection process before breeding. A large frame size cow has a higher maintenance requirement than a smaller frame size cow.

Bulls were then taken to Gillespie Vet Center for their Breeding Soundness Exam {BSE}. A BSE includes three evaluations: 1) structural soundness assessment, 2) reproductive system evaluation, & 3) semen quality appraisal.

The structural soundness assessment involves examining the overall condition of the animal, including flesh, feet, legs, eyes, & teeth.

The reproductive system evaluation includes examination of the scrotum, testicles, & penis, as well as a rectal palpation to determine any internal abnormalities. The circumference of each bull’s scrotum was measured. The circumference of a scrotum can estimate the amount of sperm producing tissue in a bull. There is a high correlation in scrotal circumference & sperm output. To be considered a good potential breeder, a yearling bull’s scrotal circumference must be greater than 30 cm, must have greater than 50% sperm mobility, & greater than 70% normal sperm. source: Society for Theriogenology

The final phase of a BSE consists of semen collection & an evaluation of the semen.

Having a BSE report on each bull tells our buyers that the bull they are purchasing is not sterile & is able to breed.

Each of these evaluations play a key role in selection of bulls. After reviewing all of the information about each bull, decisions were made as to which bulls to keep for our own breeding program & which ones to sell. Quite a few bulls have already been sold, while some are still available.

HIL Yearling Bull Sale List

Spring shearing season kicked off at the end of February with billy kids. Our shearing crew from Rocksprings spent eight full days here over several weeks shearing sheep & goats.

Nanny & kid goats are sheared twice a year, while billy goats & sheep are sheared only once a year. Nannies produce about 8-10 lbs of mohair annually, while billies produce about 12 lbs of mohair annually. Ewes produce about 6-7 lbs of wool annually, while rams produce about 8-10 lbs of wool annually.

During shearing season, many days are spent gathering, hauling, sorting, shearing, grading mohair, skirting wool fleeces, culling, vaccinating, drenching, & treating.

Once the shearer has sheared the mohair off the goat, the picker puts the hair into a box & places it on the grading table. The hair is then graded based on handle & fiber diameter, which is measured in microns. Due to years of breeding, our adult goats grade yearling or kid hair. This is finer than most other adult goats. Our kids grade kid hair,  which is the finest mohair there is. A good rule of thumb is the finer the hair, the higher the value or price.

After the hair is graded, it is put into the appropriate wooden box based on its grade. Once the box is full, it is put into the packer to be baled. When the bag is full, it is fastened shut with staples. It is then marked with our brand, the grade of hair, & the date.

Once the wool is sheared off the sheep, the fleece is gathered up & flung onto the skirting table where it is ‘skirted’. Skirting is removing parts of the fleece that are extra dirty or full of manure or vegetable matter.

The cleaner wool is then placed in the wool packer, baled, & labeled. The skirts are processed the same way.

Ewes & nannies are sheared in the Spring just before lambing & kidding starts. There is still a chance of cold weather at this time. If a cold &/or wet spell hits, a shorn ewe or nanny will be uncomfortable. She will then be more likely to seek shelter for her & her lamb/kid. If she was in wool or mohair when a spell hit, she wouldn’t be uncomfortable & probably wouldn’t seek shelter. As you can see, shearing just before lambing & kidding increases the survival rate for newborn lambs & kids if cold &/or wet weather hits.

Ewes & nannies were vaccinated for overeating {Enterotoxemia}, drenched for stomach worms, & treated for chewing lice.

Dry {not bred} nannies were separated off & put in a pasture together with yearling nannies. Dry ewes {a handful} were put in the feedlot to be sold. Bred nannies were split among fields & pastures. Ewes were sorted based on their pregnancy scan status from January {carrying a single or twins} They were then put in pastures. Our older ewes that are beginning to show signs of slowing down {some have carried twins for 4, 5, & 6 years} were put in the feedlot so we could keep a closer eye on them.

Cows began calving in February. Ewes & nannies began lambing & kidding in early April. This calving|lambing|kidding season has been a bit challenging for the cows, ewes, & nannies. Measurable rainfall has been nearly non existent for quite some time. {We did receive about 1.5″ on Monday, April 25th-yay!} Livestock are having to hustle in the pastures. Most of our kidding fields & pastures, as well as our twin lambing pasture, are dependent on feeders this year.

On April 22nd, we shipped 68 yearling steers from the ranch. The decision to sell these steers was not an easy one. With a lack of grass & space here at the ranch & nowhere North to send them to graze, we made the difficult decision to sell them to a stocker & feeder cattle operation. Retaining ownership of these steers through the feedlot stage was unfortunately not a feasible option this year.

Cattle|Sheep|Sausage

In mid-December, all heifer calves received a preventative calf hood vaccination for Brucellosis. Brucellosis is a contagious, infectious, & communicable disease that affects cattle & is caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Brucellosis causes loss of young through spontaneous abortion or birth of weak offspring, reduced milk production, & infertility. It can affect both animals & humans. Brucellosis is transmitted from animals by direct contact with infected blood, placentas, fetuses, uterine secretions, or through the consumption of infected & raw animal products {especially milk & milk products}. source: USDA APHIS

This vaccination must be administered by a veterinarian. The vaccine is a live product & works by producing an immune response that increases the animal’s resistance to the disease. As with any vaccine, it is not 100% effective in preventing brucellosis. For best results, females should be vaccinated when they are between 4 months & 1 year old. At the time of vaccination, a tattoo is applied in the ear which identifies the animal is an ‘official vaccinate’. The tattoo identifies the vaccine & year in which it was given. Many states require that breeding age females be OCV’d before crossing their borders.

Steer & heifer calves received boosters at this time for vaccinations they had received at weaning.

This year, we selected 35 calves to be kept in tact as bulls. These bull calves will either be kept for our own breeding purposes or sold to buyers. On December 2nd, these bulls went on feed to begin their gain/performance test.

We weighed each of them at the beginning of the gain test & will weigh them again & sonogram them at the end of the test. These bulls will spend the next 90 days or so in the feedlot consuming a prepared ration.

During this time, we will be able to collect data on efficiency & production to be considered in genetic selection of future herd sires. This gain test allows us to measure feed conversion, which is the amount of feed an animal consumes as compared to the amount of body weight gained {expressed as a ratio}. Feed conversion ratios around 6:1 {6 pounds of feed per pound of gain} are common in most beef cattle operations. Cattle that gain more weight with less feed or forage are more efficient.

Having the bulls close by allows us to interact with them regularly. We can observe their disposition/temperament to ensure they are calm & handle well. A hot-tempered bull can be very dangerous. When selling bulls to other producers, it’s important to us that the bull is docile.

Dr. Reid Redden {along with his son & daughter} with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center came out in mid-January & ultra sounded 304 mature ewes & 142 ewe lambs. This is our sixth year to scan ewes for pregnancy status. Results from the scan show a projected 150% lamb crop among mature ewes.

By identifying which ewes have twins, we can adjust our management in accordance with the resources we have. During lambing, we can spend more time on predator management in pastures that have ewes with twins {since they have a potentially higher lamb crop value than those with singles}. Ewes with singles don’t require as high of a nutritional level to maintain themselves & to lactate supporting one lamb.

Our ‘Super Twinner’ herd consists of ewes that have consistently scanned as carrying twins for 4 or more years. These ewes tend to get to graze the greenest spots. We think carrying twins every year for 6 years {or even 5 or 4 years} is worthy of something a little extra special. ; )

We are gradually culling our ewes based on their pregnancy status each year. Obviously, we want to keep ewes that consistently have twins & cull the ones that consistently carry singles or any ewe that is open {not pregnant}.

We took wool samples from the ewe lambs the night before they were scanned. Wool data, pregnancy status, visual appeal, & structural soundness will all be factors in selecting our keeper ewes. Ram lambs were sorted at the beginning of December. Twenty keeper ram lambs were selected, while the majority of ‘culls’ were sold at the Gillespie Livestock Auction.

On February 12th, family gathered at Hillingdon for the annual sausage making shindig.

Deer meat from the hunting season was combined with pork & the family’s spice recipes to make various kinds of sausage {cooking, pan, & hard}.

It was a full {windy, cold} day of work, fun, & laughs.

More pictures from the last couple of months…

Fall @ HIL

Shearing season started back up at the end of August. Nannies, kids, billies, & muttons are all shorn in late summer/early fall. Our shearing crew from Rocksprings spent about eight days here at the ranch over the course of about six weeks getting all goats shorn.

Once shorn, nannies & kids were drenched for stomach worms. Kids were then separated into billies & nannies & weaned from their mothers. Nannies went back to pastures, while kids were put on separate fields {nanny vs billy}.

As the days get shorter & nights get cooler, all billies prepare for breeding. One billy in a pasture full of nannies at the wrong time can be quite a pain. It’s important that all nannies kid at the same time so they can be sheared again in February/March & placed in kidding pastures before kidding in April.

Fields were worked & planted for winter grazing. Triticale, Elbon Rye, & Alfalfa were planted this year. Thankfully, the rain showers came & fields began greening up a couple of weeks after being planted.

Coyotes have shown up in full force, so many hours have been spent on predator control. No shortage of hogs either, & even a bobcat has recently shown up on a game camera. We’ve been able to reduce the coyote & hog population some, but we still hear coyotes at night. We have several guard dogs helping with predator control but could use more. There’s no way the four of them can cover the entire ranch. Our Livestock Guardian Dog Program is slowly growing as we learn more about how to utilize them most effectively.

Treats for Pepper {Livestock Guardian Dog}

At the beginning of October, we sorted ram lambs & ewe lambs. Ram lambs were put in the feedlot, while ewe lambs went back to a field. Like billy kids, rams start to prepare for breeding season as the days get shorter & nights get cooler. Separating them from the ewes is important for the same reasons as keeping billy kids separate from nannies.

In mid-October, we began weaning calves. Calves are about 8-9 months old at weaning. We vaccinated the calves with a booster shot, treated them with a pour on solution for internal & external parasites, & branded them.

All calves {bulls, heifers, steers} received an ‘HIL’ brand, while some heifers & all bulls received a number brand as well {corresponding to their ear tag}. Heifers that will most likely be retained for ownership received a number brand. These heifers were selected based on visual appeal, as well as pedigree records.

At weaning, cows are about 4-5 months bred. It is important that the cows have a break from nursing a calf in order to provide adequate nutrition to the growing fetus inside of her.

Rams & billies were gathered at the beginning of November in order to be put with ewes & nannies for breeding season. We sorted them based on conformation, structural soundness, & desirable wool & mohair characteristics. We then put them out in various pastures with our ewes & nannies. Ewes & nannies should begin lambing in April.

A wonderful Thanksgiving celebration wrapped up November. We spent several days enjoying the company of family & friends. 2021 has been a good year for Hillingdon Ranch, & we are thankful.

Wishing you & your family a very Merry Christmas & Happy 2022!

Summer @ HIL

On May 27th, Congressman Chip Roy visited Hillingdon. Other farmers & ranchers around the area also joined us. We appreciate Congressman Roy giving farmers & ranchers the opportunity to visit one on one with him about important issues affecting us.

The past couple of months at Hillingdon have been filled with working all three classes of our livestock.

Due to the plentiful rainfall we have received this year, this created an ideal environment for stomach worms in sheep & goats. A severe infection of stomach worms {Haemonchus contortus} causes anemia, reduced animal production, & possibly death.

At the end of May, we began gathering nannies & kids from the fields. We drenched & gave copper boluses {COWP}* to the nannies & kids, as well as vaccinated the kids with Clostridium perfringens types C&D & Clostridium tetani. Nannies were vaccinated with the same vaccine when they were pregnant, so the kids received it then as well.

*Due to the presence of anthelmintic, or dewormer {drench}, resistance, alternative methods of control are necessary.  Copper Oxide Wire Particles {COWP} have been shown to reduce infection of H. contortus. These tiny metal particles are a slow release from of copper that can be administered in a gel capsule. The capsule passes through the rumen & lodges in the abomasum {true stomach} where the H. contortus resides. COWP appears to cause damage to the adult worm, but does not affect immature larvae {which can also feed on blood from the animal}. source: https://www.wormx.info/cowp2014

Nannies & kids were then all turned into one pasture where they had more room to graze. We had them confined to fields close by so we could keep a closer eye on predators. The kids are now big enough to travel better & stay with their mothers in large, open areas. Our livestock guardian dogs had been moving around to the different fields checking on the nannies & kids, so they were moved into this same pasture.

Sheep were worked & lambs were weaned in June. Ewes were drenched & given copper boluses. Lambs were ear tagged, drenched, had a tissue sample taken from their ear {to determine parentage}, & were vaccinated with Clostridium perfringens types C&D & Clostridium tetani.

Lambs were then put in a field where they can graze, as well as learn to eat a prepared ration from a feeder. The majority of ewes went back into pastures. Our super twinner ewes {scanned as carrying twins for 3, 4 or 5 years} were put in the field with the lambs. Having some ewes with the lambs helps lambs to stay calmer & allows the lambs to learn from the ewes on how to eat a prepared ration.