Hornitos Beef Summer!
It’s official! Grades are submitted, homeschool has closed, or should I say cleaned off of the kitchen table LOL, calves are weaned, cows are preg checked, bulls are pulled. Jr. Rodeo Season is in full swing. Don’t worry, we still have time for our scheduled Harvest days each month.
If you say “it sounds like summer is here!” You are correct! We like to think of summer as our slow time. Or the time to regroup and get some activities on the calendar that won’t make me smell like Cow! However, it seems our extra activities are somehow connected to our business. Raising beef is our business but it is best described as our lifestyle of choice. Horses, kids, cows, camping in the mountains, 4H projects, rodeos, and family activities are all centered around the Beef!
At the Ranch
We are still scheduling and offering custom and USDA options of whole ½ and ¼ beef shares. We are a first come first serve and take reservations all year long to assure your family gets beef in the freezer.
We preconditioned calves in May. This June it was time to wean.
Weaning calves refers to the process of separating young calves from their mothers, which typically occurs around six to eight months of age. This stage is crucial as it can be stressful for the calves, involving changes in diet and environment, and is essential for the cow’s health as it allows her to redirect nutrition from milk production to her own body condition. The goal of weaning is to minimize stress and ensure a smooth transition for the calves into their next stage of life
Weaning can be a stressful time, not just for the rancher, but for the calves and cows too.
We have tried a few different ways to wean. For the last 4 years or so we have stayed with a technique that might sound a little scarry to those that have weaned calves before, but for our operation it seems to work best! Low Stress! for calves, cows, as well as for Meg and Tom. We gather all the pairs into one field about 1-2 months prior to weaning. Next step, once cows and calves have settled, we gather into the corral, we separate cows and calves. At this point most ranchers would lock the calves up in a dusty corral, with water and feed. The calves would bawl and walk and stress and lose weight. Some would get kind of sick, droopy, and some get bad eyes, flies are usually a factor to consider and can add to the stress.
Here at Hornitos Beef, we do things a little bit differently, but it seems to work well for all parties involved. We turn the calves back out into the field that they were accustomed to. We haul or DRIVE all the cows as many miles away as we can, 3-5 miles away. The corrals gates get opened wide, so the calves can walk through and look for the mamas in the last place they remember being with them. They are confused and bawl a bit to look for them, they are hungry and tired, and they already know where the water is and they seem to get over it fast.
The mamas are the ones that get penned up for a couple of days with water. They are hungry by now and when they get turned out they get to eat right away and seem to forget that they are supposed to be looking for a calf.
Our calves from last year are doing pretty good they are what we call the 2 season calves. They will get rotated into Hornitos Beef for the 2026-2027 Year.
New Hornitos Beef Hats!
We’re excited to share our new Hornitos Beef hats! Whether you’re picking up beef at a harvest day or seeing us around the community, keep an eye out for our new branded gear. We love seeing our customers represent Hornitos Beef, so be sure to grab one while they’re available!
Bring Hornitos Beef to Your Family’s Table
Whether you’re stocking your freezer or planning your next family barbecue, we’d love to provide beef you can feel good about serving. Reserve your order today while availability lasts.
Thank you,
Tom, Meg, Letty, Della, Everett, Louie, and Sam