Mizzou wrestling vs Tagging calves

We currently have two employees that used to wrestle back in the day….not each other thankfully but for their high school teams. It’s fun listening to them talk about challenges and meets they competed in and which schools were the hardest to face.  Here in Missouri we are very proud of our Mizzou wrestling team who won a National title this year!  Those guys are beasts! Very athletic and have worked hard for that title. All of this wrestling chatter lately has opened my eyes to the everyday wrestling that happens here on the farm.  Have you ever considered the similarities?

It has been calving season for several months now and each time you wonder how that momma cow is going to react. First, our guys have to hook the calf’s leg with their bare hands and get them on the ground (don’t worry, it doesn’t harm the calf).  Then they try to hold them  down while reaching for the tagger tool.  And have you ever noticed how the wrestler’s give each other a quick smack in the head prior to “getting serious” on the mat?  That’s what our men have to do. That cow is not too happy about their calf being restricted away from them so they often have to have a light tap on the nose to show them who is dominant and to keep the cow from running right over them.  Some tricks of the trade including working quickly as to not stress either the momma or the calf more than necessary and to also keep the calf between you and the cow at all times so she can see it and know that it is okay.

Here are some photos my mom took of my dad recently tagging a few newborn calves. It’s just like piercing it’s ear. Small pinch of pain for an instant and then they are up and walking!

Why tag them you might ask?  There are several reasons actually.  The ear tags numbers and colors are very important. They tell us which cow is their momma, which pasture they belong in, what shots if any they have had, who owns the calf and where it should go next.  Also, when you purchase beef from us we are able to tell you exactly which calf your beef comes from, how it was raised and what genetics it has in it.

Some other wrestling simliarities I’ve noticed include the fireman’s carry which on the farm is used when the farmer needs to carry a calf to a warmer place or to it’s momma. There is also the move where one wrestler simply gets out of the ring. Haha. That happened here the other morning.  The men were working cattle and it was about to storm so the cows were acting crazy! It’s amazing how the weather will affect an animal’s mood!  Four cows jumped OVER the gate!  Our guys were very close to getting seriously injured. Cattlemen are tough but still human. We know of 4 men who ended up in critical condition from our area this year alone as a result of cows charging them.  It is not a job for the faint at heart that is for sure!

Here are some more photos taken recently on our farm during calving season. Enjoy! We are so thankful for the beautiful weather this week and green grass! So are the cows!!!