| Operations | ||
| Our farm is in north-central North Dakota near the town of Rolette. Winters are long and cold with high winds and temperatures in the 20-30 below range being quite common. Consequently, shelter is important and we have several barns and windbreaks to get cattle out of the storms. Our main barn is heated and most of the calves are delivered inside where they can get dried off and nursing before being released into the elements. |  A view of the feedlot and barns. |
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 Yet another trip for a bale. |
Getting through a long winter takes a lot of hay and feed. We generally background our cull calves and feeders at home for a couple months before sending them to the auction ring. Cows are fed primarily grass hay with a little corn silage for energy during the coldest weather. We spread lots of straw, especially during calving. Bulls and replacement heifers receive a mixed ration of corn silage, ground hay, oats and dried distillers' grain. Our bulls will be fed to get them gaining around 3 pounds daily. Heifers gain at around 1.5 lbs per day. The bull calves not making the grade at weaning are cut and sold as steers for feeding. | |
| We generally plant about 50 acres of corn. A variety of small grains including wheat, oats, barley and rye are harvested for feed or sale. By mid-summer the focus is on haying with a goal of at least 400 round bales needed to winter 130 animals. |  Getting ready to cut hay. |
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