Department of Animal Science
Date of this Version
December 1991
Abstract
When I was asked to give this presentation on “WHY WE CALVE EARLY” I said this is easy “because it works for us.” Now that I sit down and think about why it works I find myself going over five generations of inspirations, frustrations, work, sleepless nights, and determination to understand why “IT WORKS FOR US”.
The Price Ranch is a family operation that has been in the family for five generations. The present day Prices consist of my father Richard Price, stepmother Lylamae, wife and best friend Pam, three children John R., Shannon and Angela and two excellent full time employees.
When CSU first approached me about this presentation I was excited at the prospect of explaining to you all the academic reasons of why we calve early. Economics, breeding, weaning weights, 205 day averages etc, etc. And all those things are important, but when I sat down and really thought about it, it wasn’t some smart cow man, it wasn’t some academia that came up with the most basic reason of why we calve early. In fact it was a woman who come up with the idea. It was Mother Nature. It’s that basic. It has just taken some smart cow men to work around her and with her.
Comments
Published for Proceedings, The Range Beef Cow Symposium XII December 3, 4 & 5, 1991, Fort Collins, Colorado.