CALF News Aug./Sept 2018

39 CALF News • August | September 2018 • www.calfnews.net Offered Exclusively By: Information contained herein was obtained from sources deemed reliable. We have no reason to doubt the accuracy, but the information is not guaranteed. Prospective Buyers should verify all information. All maps provided by Agri Affiliates, Inc. are approximations only, to be used as a general guideline, and not intended as survey accurate. A with any agricultural land, t his property may include n oxious weeds. Agri Affiliates, Inc. and all agents are acting as Agent of the Seller. NORTH P P.O I-80 North Pl www.a (308) Fax ( WRIGHTVALLEY RANCH 14,225 acres of Nebraska Sandhills McPherson/Hooker County. 861 acres pivot irrigated for grazing or winter feed; balance rangeland. Very well fenced and watered. Oilmat road access from NE#92 at Tryon. Excellent cattle facilities and shop; nice managers home, second house. John Childears - 308.539.4450 Mike Polk - 308.539.4446 308.534.9240 agriaffiliates.com RANCH FOR SALE C A L L T O D AY T O D E M O ! W W W. R E P R O - S C A N . C O M 8 7 7 . 8 9 0 . 2 4 1 1 s i mp l e d u r a b l e a f f o rda b l e cattle ultrasound technology nume r o u s t r a i n i ng o p p o rt un i t i e s ava i l a b l e Ranching for Profit School three times,” Norris says.“That changes the way of things. Early on, the emphasis here was all on cattle genetics, not pasture management.” In those days, he says, you were handed an ax and a long chain to fight the brush. A ten-foot cedar will use 60 gallons of water per day, according to Norris. “We do things in a holistic manner now,” Norris says.“I don’t like equipment or farming, so I’ve put a main emphasis on pastures. Grass and water are the most important things now because they aren’t replaceable. “I developed an intensive grazing management system for the entire ranch. Currently, we have six herds. Each herd rotates through a cell of six to nine pastures. Grazing time in each pasture depends on forage availability and how long the recovery period is for the grass. “Early summer, we typically have a 30-day recovery period, but this year has been a little longer. This allows the pasture to rest for 30 days or more while the grass is recovering before we put cattle back on it. “As we continue to develop water sources to handle more head of cattle and rebuild existing corrals to larger capacity, we will combine some of the herds. This will create a larger herd rotating through 16 or more pastures. This creates a shorter graze period in each pasture, which improves animal perfor- mance while maintaining the proper rest period for the other pastures in that grazing cell.” Times are tough in the Smoky Hills this year.“There is a sur- prise every day,” Norris says.“They told us 2012 was the drought of our generation. The way this one is going, that isn’t true.” The lack of rain has made burning to control the buck brush and invasive trees impossible. The ranch runs 1,400 cows, mostly Hereford that they cross with Red Angus. They have six fulltime employees and, as is the case everywhere, good cowboys are hard to find. “About the only way to find good help is by word of mouth,” Norris says.“I placed an ad on Facebook a while ago and got 60 replies. When I asked for resumes, only 15 sent them in.” He says lots of people want to be cowboys but even with providing a house, utilities, insurance and a 401k, many don’t like the salary. They don’t realize the total value of the package. Along with the change in grazing units, Norris has gone to fence-line weaning, sorting after 30 days. Remaining calves are backgrounded on grass for 60 days before being shipped to buyers. Norris had worked with Superior Auctions in Florida and, for the last seven years, CK calves have been sold over Superior. He swears by his rep, Barrett Brody, and believes they get a proper value for their calves. “Jack always said you can raise a calf cheaper in Ellsworth County than on any of his other ranches,” Norris remembers. They also keep replacements. Norris admits he is probably one of the most particular cullers there is. If he spots any blem- ish in a cow, she goes to town. No “one-more-year” syndrome here. With the drought, they had to select harder than ever this year. Continued on page 44 