We are a family owned and managed operation which consists of Klint, Lori, our son Austin (8yrs) and daughter Bree (7yrs) with Lori’s mother Marilyn Williamson. Craig Benzing has joined us full time to help manage our new ranch and cows at Lloyd.
We currently run 1200 mother cows and 500 yearlings. 300 cows are registered, 300 cow’s are commercial and the remaining 600 are the Miller cows in the Jorgensen Land and Cattle program. The commercial and Miller cows calve primarily in April. 2012 will be the first year for the registered cows to calve in June. This past year, we A.I.’d 600 of the older cows and 175 replacement heifers. They are A.I.’d once and then turned in the hills with clean up bulls.
We take pride in running our cows in a “real” unpampered environment. Most of the cows calve out and are required to get their calf up and nursing quickly. Although some of the cows are run through the barn in bad weather, we believe cows that calve out have a better instinct to them.
All of the bull calves from the Miller cowherd remain bulls until weaning in mid October. At that time we sort approximately 215 head that are sent to Jorgensen’s in South Dakota. Jorgensen’s develop those bulls and they are sold or leased all over the United States. We retain 50 head here at home to be developed and sold by private treaty in the spring. The remaining calves are castrated and sent with our other steers.
Usually around October 20th we ship two pot loads of steer calves from our commercial cows. For the past several years, we have been sending our “US Verified-Source and Age Verified” steer calves to Poky Feeders in Scott City, Kansas. Poky is a top notch feed yard and have been outstanding to work with. In 2008, our steers graded 98% Choice with 65% making CAB. The best Poky had ever seen!
We currently run 1200 mother cows and 500 yearlings. 300 cows are registered, 300 cow’s are commercial and the remaining 600 are the Miller cows in the Jorgensen Land and Cattle program. The commercial and Miller cows calve primarily in April. 2012 will be the first year for the registered cows to calve in June. This past year, we A.I.’d 600 of the older cows and 175 replacement heifers. They are A.I.’d once and then turned in the hills with clean up bulls.
We take pride in running our cows in a “real” unpampered environment. Most of the cows calve out and are required to get their calf up and nursing quickly. Although some of the cows are run through the barn in bad weather, we believe cows that calve out have a better instinct to them.
All of the bull calves from the Miller cowherd remain bulls until weaning in mid October. At that time we sort approximately 215 head that are sent to Jorgensen’s in South Dakota. Jorgensen’s develop those bulls and they are sold or leased all over the United States. We retain 50 head here at home to be developed and sold by private treaty in the spring. The remaining calves are castrated and sent with our other steers.
Usually around October 20th we ship two pot loads of steer calves from our commercial cows. For the past several years, we have been sending our “US Verified-Source and Age Verified” steer calves to Poky Feeders in Scott City, Kansas. Poky is a top notch feed yard and have been outstanding to work with. In 2008, our steers graded 98% Choice with 65% making CAB. The best Poky had ever seen!
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Home I Our Sires I Our Females I About Us I Ranch History I Scenes from the Saddle I Contact Us I Videos
Shipwheel Cattle Company - All Rights Reserved - Copyright (c) 2011 - Klint & Lori Swanson
2265 Gooseberry Lane - Chinook, Montana 59523 * (406) 357-2492 * Fax (406) 357-2298 * Email us Here
Montana Grafix - Chinook, Montana
HOME I OUR SIRES I OUR FEMALES I ABOUT US I RANCH HISTORY I SCENES FROM THE SADDLE I CONTACT US I VIDEOS
Klint
Lori
Austin
Bree
Craig
All of the heifers calves are weaned the end of October. We like to wean them on grass across a hot wire from their mother. The heifer calves remain on grass until Mother Nature forces us to feed them hay. We do not like to develop the heifers in a feedlot. Heifers that have had to “rough it” a little seem to have more survivability later in life.
The bull calves from the registered cows are weaned in early November the same way as the heifer calves. Approximately the bottom 25% are castrated and sent to Poky. There is no hurry or need to “push” the bulls since we develop them to be sold as coming 2 year old bulls. We leave them on the hay meadows until December and then put them in the feedlot over the winter on a 2 to 2.5 lb. /day gain. In mid May, the bulls are put back on grass for the summer in rougher country. We bring the bulls back to the feedlot in early October and put a little finish on them for the sale.
Most all of our cows work is done with horses and dogs. This traditional method means a lot to us and we intend on keeping it that way. There is something very special about gathering cattle on a cool mountain morning with good horses, good dogs and good friends.
There are many friends that we do need to thank that help us ride and work cattle. They are a big part of our success and we couldn’t do it without them.
Shipwheel is a real working ranch and we take pride in doing everything that we can ourselves. Our families ranching background is many generations deep. Lori and I have taken on a lot of debt with our newly purchased ranch and cowherd. The Miller ranch is one of the most functional, grass ranches anywhere and we want to keep it that way. We hope to pass it on to our kids someday and keep the ranching spirit alive and well. So, in reality it is a very small price to pay.
The bull calves from the registered cows are weaned in early November the same way as the heifer calves. Approximately the bottom 25% are castrated and sent to Poky. There is no hurry or need to “push” the bulls since we develop them to be sold as coming 2 year old bulls. We leave them on the hay meadows until December and then put them in the feedlot over the winter on a 2 to 2.5 lb. /day gain. In mid May, the bulls are put back on grass for the summer in rougher country. We bring the bulls back to the feedlot in early October and put a little finish on them for the sale.
Most all of our cows work is done with horses and dogs. This traditional method means a lot to us and we intend on keeping it that way. There is something very special about gathering cattle on a cool mountain morning with good horses, good dogs and good friends.
There are many friends that we do need to thank that help us ride and work cattle. They are a big part of our success and we couldn’t do it without them.
Shipwheel is a real working ranch and we take pride in doing everything that we can ourselves. Our families ranching background is many generations deep. Lori and I have taken on a lot of debt with our newly purchased ranch and cowherd. The Miller ranch is one of the most functional, grass ranches anywhere and we want to keep it that way. We hope to pass it on to our kids someday and keep the ranching spirit alive and well. So, in reality it is a very small price to pay.
