Did you ever think you’d be doing something like that? by Kasey Knotts

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“Did you ever think you’d be doing something like that?” My husband asks me this often after working cows. My short answer is no, not in a million years.

If you are looking for market reports or how-to’s on how to best run a cattle operation, this is not the article for you. I did not grow in the country or with cows. I knew nothing about this industry three years ago. I am not an expert, but I do know one thing. I love being a rancher.

We moved back to Sulphur Springs after being gone a short time in 2017. We started helping with the herd that my in-laws were trying to build back. I’ve since learned that you are in a constant state of building back the herd. My husband and I would go down and check the cows. I can remember thinking, “What are we checking? Yep, they are still there…same as yesterday.” I started asking questions. I wanted to know what we were checking and why. He’d give me tidbits of information and explain little things here and there.

Then the day came that one got sick. I thought we’d load her up and take her to the vet. You know, an actual person that knows what they are doing. I was wrong. I’ve learned if they are sick enough that you need the vet, you are in trouble. I’ve also learned there is no need to take them to the vet when you can doctor them right there (always save money when you can because you sure ain’t making money with cows).

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My husband got her in the chute, and said “Alright, get that syringe and draw up 20 cc of LA300.” I was not a bystander any longer. I didn’t really have time to think about it. I drew it up, and he instructed me on how to administer it. Pinch the skin around the neck, insert the needle right under the skin, and dispense. I had done it. I doctored my first cow. This wasn’t some epiphany moment. It wasn’t, “and that’s when I knew I was a cattle rancher.” That came a couple years later.

At this point, I had a little taste of it. I was growing to love these daily checks. I was growing attached to the cows. I started naming their cows. I know, I know…don’t name the cows. It will make it harder to sell them. However, it does make it easier to identify them for me. I’d go out and check them. I’d talk to them everyday.

My husband started taking me to the sale barn. It took me several trips to understand anything the auctioneer said. He didn’t get to watch the sale because I was asking questions nearly every time a cow came through. I was starting to understand what I was looking at when it came to the cows. I started researching different breeds of cattle, so I’d know what to look at when we were at the sale barn.

I was finally ready to have some of my own. We bought one pair, Rosalie and Colt. They weren’t much to look at, but they were ours. Rosalie was likely a bottle baby given her temperament, and her calf was a little scrawny thing. We bought a few more pairs. I was proud of the small herd we were growing.

The day came that it was time to sell Colt. I didn’t watch him sell. I still don’t watch our calves sell. I remember my husband telling me, “We gave him a good life while he was here. It’s his job now to provide for us, and provide beef to feed families.” That was it in a nutshell. We give them our best, and they provide for us. I had never thought about where my food came from or how it gets to my plate. I won’t get into that here. That topic deserves its own article.

I think the trick of it has been to not be scared. I made up my mind when we bought cows that I was just going to go for it. If it needed to be done, I would do it. If I didn’t know how to do it, I would learn. I haven’t stopped learning. I don’t always know the right answer. I’ve learned that even the most seasoned rancher doesn’t have all the answers. My side of the family thinks I’ve gone cow crazy, and that’s okay. I probably have. I can work the cows in the pen by myself if needed. I can diagnose illness in the pasture. I know what medicine is needed to make them better. I can push a stubborn heifer up the chute by grabbing her tail to make her move. When I yell, “Heerrree, Cows,” they come running. I still name the cows and calves. I still can’t back up a trailer.

A year or so ago, I had a client stop by my office. We started talking cows. I heard myself saying, “Yes sir, we have a commercial cow/calf operation. Yep, sure wish we had done better with our fall calves. Well, we have a new bull that I think is going to give us the target weight we are wanting. No, we haven’t started putting out hay yet…still too much grass on the ground.” I had become a rancher, and didn’t even know it. That was my aha moment. I was a rancher, and I loved every minute of it.

Did I think I’d ever be a rancher? Not in a million years, but I can’t think of anything that I’d rather be doing.

Contributed by Kasey Knotts

Read more about Kasey here: https://frontporchnewstexas.com/2022/01/26/all-about-kasey-knotts/

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