Winter Feeding
Wilson Ranches is in the beginning of winter feeding. It is a steady process that begins the day. These daily feed runs allow us to get our eyes on most of the herds and evaluate their health and nutrient requirements. All the cows are receiving protein supplement and a salt and mineral mixture.
Photo Credit: Thomas Boyd
Winter Roundup
The entire crew of Wilson Ranches is gearing up for calving season, even the cows. This is an important time on Oregon working cattle ranches, as all of the cows are in their third trimester and the calves they carry complete their largest amount of growth and development before birth. All the cows have received their prenatal vaccinations to help ensure healthy calves and are ready to enter into motherhood again. The herds will be rounded up before calving begins one last time to be put into age groups.
The cows scheduled to calve in early February are in their Butte Creek Valley calving pasture. With the mild winter temperatures and lack of snowfall, most of the cows are still grazing in the hills. We are planning to gather the cows set to calve in March and April on February 15th. With a full-day in the saddle, the cows will be gathered and trailed to the Butte Creek Valley. The day after the roundup, the cows will be sorted by age and condition to their calving pastures. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience ranch life first hand and dust off your boots.
Photo Credit: Thomas Boyd
Calving Season
Any cow-calf producer will tell you, calving is the most exciting yet stressful time on the ranch. Every calf is roped, tagged, given probiotic, and documented as a pair with its mothers when born. After feeding the cow herd in the morning, the horses are saddled and the four herds are ridden through so nothing is missed, covering about five miles in distance and 3,000 acres of pastures. Calving season is the time of beginnings as we welcome each new life onto the ranch. Joy and hope take the reins to carry us through the months of February, March, and April. Join us to share in this wonderful time of the year!
Book Now
