OUR FARMING PHILOSOPHY
Traditional beef breeding farms have a reasonable similar program, if raising animals to finish:
* Cows calve.
* At 4-6 months calves are weaned and the weaned calves drafted into separate herds from the cows.
* The young calves are put onto the best grasses to have them finish as soon as possible
* Cows are drafted on lesser pastures – they don’t have the same growth requirement.
Weaning is a very stressful time for cows and calves. It takes a week to 10 days for their obvious stress to dissipate, but at that point they just get on with their lives. We should not put human emotions into this equation. We are a quite different species!
Whilst the above is a more efficient protocol, for a few reasons we decided we did not want to follow such a protocol.
Firstly, we DO put human emotions into the equation (even though we shouldn't). If we can avoid this obvious stress for the animals, we are happier. Secondly, we want to have cattle in herd(s) of all ages, just as they would be in the wild. They develop their own herd rules, and there are leaders and followers (just as there are in humans). We believe being part of a herd, and following herd rules is quite special. Lastly, there are less herds (actually only one for us). We have 70-100 head which can be kept the one herd (apart from the bulls). Less herds mean less work, which is a bonus, even though that is not the reason to do it.
Perhaps the biggest buzz we get is that by not weaning, the cows and calves develop a wider family - with cows and their current calf, plus last years calf keeping together. Last years calf is now a year old, so are pretty much self weaned (from a feeding perspective). Last years calf understands its place and is quite content for the cow to spend its time with their new born, feeding and nuturing it. On the other side of this, when it comes to feed, it's everyone for themselves. It's so interesting in the winter when we have to feed out. There is no "sharing" of food. Calves are at the bottom of the hierarchy and they definitely know their place. I always make sure to spread the feed so that everyone gets to eat well.
Our genuine love for our animals seems to be at odds with animals having to be processed. It is very difficult for us to send animals off. But we do completely understand that cattle are raised to provide food, and we see our role in giving them a lovely, stress free life and being an important part in the pasture to plate process.
Humans are the only species who understand their own mortality. When beef animals are loaded onto trucks to be processed, if handled well, they are quite content, and not stressed. Most processing companies have protocols to keep the stress levels for the receiving animals as low as possible.
So that's our farming philosophy! We make no apologies, and are very happy to look after a cattle "herd" and provide them a nurtured environment, here at Lake Farm.
