The Transition Season

The transition from winter to actual spring is probably the most stressful time for rancher. Here in Wisconsin it seems like it can last for months, and sometimes it does. Many times we call it "Mud Season" due to the high amounts of moisture from the winters melting snow and the usual rain that comes during this time. Any stockpiled forage is normally all gone or diminished to do winter grazing and the freeze thaw cycle that breaks down the cell structure of the plants...so the herds are reliant on us 100% for winter feeding since no grass is growing yet. Ever try feeding hundreds of ruminants on pasture when the ground is as soft as cake batter?...its not fun! Once the snow is finally all gone and the ground starts to dry out and firm up, its usually only a matter of weeks and we start to see the first signs of green life breaking out of the rich & fertile soil. Seeing green grass and the first new calves hit the ground gives a rancher a sigh of relief after a long winter.