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bunch of questions concerning livestock and ranching

K

KevinL

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
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12
Hello ranchers

I'm writing you today in need of some answers concerning livestock and ranching... but let me start differently: unlike you all I'm no rancher at all, in fact I'm from the city, so it happens I don't really know much about ranching and livestock.
I'm planning on writing some sort of novel that takes place on a Montana ranch. So I had two opportunities - ignoring all livestock-related things or getting some information.
Ignoring won't work, as all the characters in the novel work on the ranch and the atmosphere just won't come up if I leave it out.
So I searched the internet and found some answers to my questions, but there are still a few.
Maybe you all are the right ones to ask.

The size of the ranch is about 2900 acres. It's supposed to be a cow/calf operation - i haven't figured out yet how many cattle would be realistic to have there. Any suggestions?
Do you know any good websites about cow/calf operation? Everything I found was just confusing.
I just need the basics in order to understand the work that is done on the ranch.

The ranch is supposed to work beef cattle - is it realistic to keep dairy cattle as well? Or would a rancher just keep one or the other?
How about sheep, bees and other animals - would this be combined with the cattle? Or would it be too much work?

How many horses and hands are there likely to be on such a big ranch?

I appreciate every answer, thanks for your time! :)
 
A good way to find these things out would be to experience them. Find a similar sized ranch in Montana and spend a cycle there. You will get all your answers, experience character development and develop character. I can't imagine having answers to a bunch of academic questions will give you the ability to capture the essence of Ranching enough to captivate an audience sufficiently.
 
per said:
A good way to find these things out would be to experience them. Find a similar sized ranch in Montana and spend a cycle there. You will get all your answers, experience character development and develop character. I can't imagine having answers to a bunch of academic questions will give you the ability to capture the essence of Ranching enough to captivate an audience sufficiently.
Click to expand...

I agree per, I just had a conversation with a magazine editor and she will not use a writer without a agricultural background to write. Nothing more frustrating then having to explain every minute detail about ranching when trying to tell the writer about ranching. :?
 
By the questions you are asking I hope that you don't write this novel for a while. It may take you a while to become educated. :lol: But I am skeptical of how you will portray ranching. But if you are going to write, I am glad you are going to do some research.
Before I answer some of your questions I also have some questions. How was this ranch acquired? Was it an out of state person that moved in and bought it or has it been in the family for generations? Tell us more about your story of this novel.
In my area of eastern Montana, 2,900 acres would run from 85 to 95 pairs and 4 bulls for 7 months and feed hay the rest. It would run even less cows if you are able to graze longer, keep replacements or have horses. By no means a big ranch, it would mostly likely be a hobby farm. It would take one person to run it, with the spouse and mostly likely both work off the place. In this senerio, much of the work would done in the early morning hours, late evening and weekends.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
per said:
A good way to find these things out would be to experience them. Find a similar sized ranch in Montana and spend a cycle there. You will get all your answers, experience character development and develop character. I can't imagine having answers to a bunch of academic questions will give you the ability to capture the essence of Ranching enough to captivate an audience sufficiently.
Click to expand...

I agree per, I just had a conversation with a magazine editor and she will not use a writer without a agricultural background to write. Nothing more frustrating then having to explain every minute detail about ranching when trying to tell the writer about ranching. :?
Click to expand...


Playgirl?
 
KevinL said:
Hello ranchers

Ignoring won't work, as all the characters in the novel work on the ranch and the atmosphere just won't come up if I leave it out.


The only way to get the "atomosphere to come up" is to go out there and live it. Then your book will have the atmoshpere and accuracy that you are looking for and a purpose other than entertainment for others in the city whose only perception of ranching is books like you are proposing. If you will do the ground work your book has the potential to do good as well as entertain. However, too many today are not guided by facts and do a great disservice.
Click to expand...
 
I agree. Go spend a cycle on a ranch somewhere in the area your book will be based on. Then you'll have a feel for what really goes on, on a ranch, day to day basis. From calving, branding, to haying, to feeding, to sale of those calves. Not to mention fencing and all the other chores in between.

For example...how are you gonna know what goes on durin branding if you haven't ever experienced it. The sights sounds, and smells alone will be worth the experience when it comes to writing about it.
 
Some things you just have to experience in person.

There are lots of ranches that offer vacation packages, if a proper move to a ranch is out of the question. Contact the tourism people in whatever state you're interested in. Your book will be so much better if you've seen the lifestyle up close, and felt what it's like for yourself. I bet you would even find it's a lot easier to write. :D If it's ranch people reading it, they'll pick up right away whether you've been there done that.

There is so much to it that can't be learned in a conversation, or from reading about it. Besides, spending some time on a real ranch would be a terrific experience all on it's own. :D :D :D
 
I don't know what kind of a noval you have in mind,or what the theme or idea behind it might be, but whatever you do, get two or three times more information about ranching then you need before you start. If I were writing such a book I would put in a lot of effort in describing the characteristics of the ranch family members as well as that of the people working on the ranch and in th community.

There are so many variations of ranches it is hard to tell you anything of the working operation of a 2900 acre ranch. A ranch that size in Montana might also grow some wheat or other grain, it might have some land planted to tame hay, maybe even some irrigation. Might even be hard to make a living on 2900 acres. Maybe you want to write of how someone struggles to make a go of a small ranch.

If you are interested enough to do the ground work for a noval, go for it.
 
Wow, thanks for all of your anwers!

I think you're right, I should experience ranch-life in order to get a feeling for it. At least some feeling. I will keep that in mind.

I had no idea 2900 acres was way too small for the ranch I was thinking about - thanks for bringing that up, this was quite useful.

The suggestion came up I should wait a while writing this novel - yeah, I guess so. I really shouldn't write about what I don't know. That's a major writing rule I was totally ignoring.

As to the question what the novel was about, it's supposed to tell the story of a family that runs a ranch for generations, and about how they make a living.
Man. I'd be better off telling a story about a family in the city. I'd know what to write.

Well, thanks for your answers - I got a few things clear now :)
 
You'd have your work cut out for you trying to write about a ranching family using only your background and experiences. My suggestion is to find ranching families and learn about their heritage and ancestors. I've found that true life is much more thrilling and interesting that fiction. Many of the folks on this site have amazing stories and experiences they might share. Good luck with your project regardless of which direction you go! :D
 
The first thing that came to mind when you said the novel would be about a family that had owned the place for generations was that it needed to be way bigger than 2900 acres. That's about how big the place would have been a generation ago, but in my experience a ranch usually doubles in size every generation. Around here the population and number of operations in the 1930's was booming. The drought and depression cut that number in half or so. By the 1980's that number was probably cut in half again. Each time the remaining operations bought more land and got bigger. Just a general statement but you get the idea.

Just recently my Dad who is 84 was taking a drive with me and he was telling me about where all the neighbors used to live. I knew about most of them from the old foundations out in the pastures but he mentioned a few that I hadn't even known about.
 
Big Swedes comments on previous neighbors got me to wondering. Did those folks come out, from the east or where ever, thinking "ok...this is enough land to make a living on" when in reality it wasn't? So therefore, after years of trying to make it work, they sold out, which in turn was bought by other neighbors.....making their spreads larger and more apt to support a family? So on and so forth?
 
I think that the 160 acres that the homesteader received for proving his claim was barely enough eek out a living back in the day. My Dad said the only reason his family made it through the depression is because my Grandmother had a job teaching school. And even though she had a job, the county was broke so instead of a paycheck she got a promise of payment when the county could afford it again. The drought meant no crop to sell and most who left forfeited their land because they couldn't afford to pay their taxes. This isn't the greatest crop land to begin with so when the rains didn't come it got really tough. I wonder what this area would look like today if the dirty 30's never happened. Would we still have the consolidation of operations anyway? Would it just have been a more gradual process? I've got more questions than answers too jersey lilly.
 
When I moved to this area and got married in 1980 there were 26 different operations from 20 to 400 cows. There are now 14 on the same land, 4 of them with 40 cows, 2 with 150 and the rest between 250 and 700. The herds at 150 and below have outside jobs to support them.
 
I guess my assumption of losing half the operations per generation holds true up in your area too gcreekrch. Wonder if the trend will continue. More than likely, unfortunately. What's going to happen to the schools we have left, more consolidation I assume.
 
KevinL I was born and raised on a farm/ranch, been on 1 my hole life except college, last year I went to the east coast and hated every last second of it not for me, I could never write a book about city life that city people would buy it's not me, if you know nothing about ranch life how can you write about it and make it real, If what you know about ranch life is from a movie I hope it's not Brokeback Mountion,o I gotta go to the salon for some shots, go brake up a mining camp, beat a sheepherder, go teepee creeppen, ride 10 miles of fence, plow the back 40, slop the hogs, punch some doggies, and get home to unhook mama's team before dark cause we ain got no lights, and the lantern done run out of feul. seeyaall
 

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