On the Importance of Sustainable Ranching
Post by Clemson Montana Summer Program student Melissa Ferral
When I landed in Montana, after traveling for a total of six hours from South Carolina, what immediately stuck out to me was the openness of the landscape. Driving through Billings the first hour of my arrival, I found myself analyzing my new surroundings, from the open plains to the fields full of cattle, all of this underneath a wide and blue sky. When undergoing new situations, memories and past experiences are what people fall back upon to determine thoughts and solutions, if needed. South Carolina is a coastal state that has a variety of different regions, all set in a hot and humid climate for most of the year. I was born in South Carolina, in a small city by the name of Camden that shaped me into the person I am today, and I cannot help but draw comparisons to my home state.
Of course I have seen pictures and read information of Montana and its open skies, but seeing such a thing in person is entirely different. Montana has a natural beauty with open grass plains and distant mountain ranges that crest against a never-ending sky and I cannot help but stare every time I glimpse them. Within these plains, ranchers who have lived here for generations make a living by raising and selling cattle. These cattle are not only their livelihood but also their future as every decision a rancher makes regarding their cattle will impact not only their income for that year but also for future years to come. So, in order to grant themselves successful future seasons to come, ranchers focus largely on sustainability of their fields; the health and growth of the grasses that the cattle feed upon is considered just as important as the cattle themselves, perhaps even more so. There are several different avenues that a rancher may take to ensure optimal use of his resources, with one of them being the Midland Bull Test.
The Midland Bull Test (MBT), located in Columbus, MT, is a facility that provides valuable information regarding cattle weight, consumption of feed and frequency of feedings for each individual bull. A rancher may submit their bulls to MBT to gain more perspective on each individual and their feeding habits than what lineage papers may offer. When we arrived at MBT, we were greeted with the owner, Steve, who then explained how each bulls’ feed intake and weight gain was unique to an individual, meaning that a good bloodline will not guarantee a desired trait. By using equipment called ‘GrowSafe’, Steve and others at MBT are able to track which bull feeds along with the frequency of each feeding which, along with the weight, can be used to rank the most desired bulls. The most desirable bulls are ones with low DMI (Dry Mass Intake) but a high final weight, meaning they still reach the optimal weight gain despite eating less feed. This is valuable to ranchers not only because it can save them money that would be spent on food but also benefits the grasslands the cattle graze on. When I learned of this technology, I was a little overwhelmed at flood of information but once I caught on, I was vastly impressed.
Another option that ranchers may undertake to sustain their grassland prairies is to consult an expert, one that can advise ranchers on the management of their farmland. Montana State University Extension provides such a service; Matt Walter is a rangeland consultant that deals with matters of the range, including the grassland prairies that ranchers use. He explained how a controlled burn is beneficial to the native Montana grassland as regrowth will be encouraged and germination may occur, this being compared to a wildfire, which burns at a much higher intensity and often times will harm the native flora but not the invasive species-which are hardier. After a burn, the grasses will be rich and vibrant which may tempt some ranchers to allow cattle to graze but this is what Matt warns about. Cattle have four chambers, including the rumen where fermentation occurs and it involves millions and millions of micro-organisms that share a mutually beneficial relationship with the cow. The danger of this new grass is its richness, which would alter the environment of the rumen and then cause ‘Bloat’-which is a disease caused by a build-up of gas. Instead, Matt said, it is recommended that ranchers wait at least a year to let the grasses recuperate and become more fibrous, which is better for the cattle and their micro-organisms. In the Southeast, controlled burns are a common method used to encourage growth and eliminate any detritus that could act as fuel for a wildfire, but I was surprised to learn that controlled burns and even just thinning out trees is regarded with distaste. As a wildlife major, I find myself somewhat stumped, but I try to view the topic from a neutral standpoint. Many people, Matt Walter explained, are emotionally attached to their trees and view a controlled burn as a threat to their forests. And I can understand their feelings as I used to be quite a bleeding heart when I was young. The most important thing we can do to encourage more people to think ecologically is education; just by understanding the relationship of succession and controlled burns, many people might reconsider their stance.
Regardless of where a rancher stands, a successful rancher recognizes that sustainability is key not only to a successful herd, but also to a successful future. Conservation and agriculture aren’t as opposed as they seem to be, in fact both areas place emphasis upon renewable resources and safe practices.
Of course I have seen pictures and read information of Montana and its open skies, but seeing such a thing in person is entirely different. Montana has a natural beauty with open grass plains and distant mountain ranges that crest against a never-ending sky and I cannot help but stare every time I glimpse them. Within these plains, ranchers who have lived here for generations make a living by raising and selling cattle. These cattle are not only their livelihood but also their future as every decision a rancher makes regarding their cattle will impact not only their income for that year but also for future years to come. So, in order to grant themselves successful future seasons to come, ranchers focus largely on sustainability of their fields; the health and growth of the grasses that the cattle feed upon is considered just as important as the cattle themselves, perhaps even more so. There are several different avenues that a rancher may take to ensure optimal use of his resources, with one of them being the Midland Bull Test.
The Midland Bull Test (MBT), located in Columbus, MT, is a facility that provides valuable information regarding cattle weight, consumption of feed and frequency of feedings for each individual bull. A rancher may submit their bulls to MBT to gain more perspective on each individual and their feeding habits than what lineage papers may offer. When we arrived at MBT, we were greeted with the owner, Steve, who then explained how each bulls’ feed intake and weight gain was unique to an individual, meaning that a good bloodline will not guarantee a desired trait. By using equipment called ‘GrowSafe’, Steve and others at MBT are able to track which bull feeds along with the frequency of each feeding which, along with the weight, can be used to rank the most desired bulls. The most desirable bulls are ones with low DMI (Dry Mass Intake) but a high final weight, meaning they still reach the optimal weight gain despite eating less feed. This is valuable to ranchers not only because it can save them money that would be spent on food but also benefits the grasslands the cattle graze on. When I learned of this technology, I was a little overwhelmed at flood of information but once I caught on, I was vastly impressed.
Regardless of where a rancher stands, a successful rancher recognizes that sustainability is key not only to a successful herd, but also to a successful future. Conservation and agriculture aren’t as opposed as they seem to be, in fact both areas place emphasis upon renewable resources and safe practices.
