Stepping into the heart of spring at Ogilvie Stock Ranch, the second and third weeks of lambing and calving season have been nothing short of a whirlwind – new life, long days, and the special connections with animals. Each day brings with it an air of anticipation, challenges to overcome, and the joy of witnessing the first wobbly steps of our newest arrivals. Through this post, I invite you to join me behind the scenes during these weeks, sharing the triumphs, the unexpected turns, and the invaluable lessons learned on the ranch during lambing and calving season. Day 8 We had three calves to ..read more

It’s that time of year again! Our weekly calving update is back by popular demand as calving season has arrived! There’s something special and almost magical about calving season. Amidst the hustle of the long days and the challenge of those often exhausting nights, lies the heartwarming reward of witnessing the miracle of new life. Every calf born on our ranch isn’t just an addition to the ranch; it’s a testament to the cycle of life, our dedication, and the relentless spirit of nature. And while the journey might be demanding, the breathtaking moments of watching these new calves take their ..read more

Its sometimes hard to believe how fast the year goes by on a cattle ranch.  We always like to spend some time planning the year in January and February because once calving arrives in March, it seems like it is full steam ahead until November.  2024 is jammed packed with fun and exciting new things! Here is a bit of a yearly ranch life summary of our upcoming year. January  We are so thankful that the snow started to fall! We received about 20 inches in January, so we had a few snow days after all this winter. Snow days means shovelling grain troughs and plowing snow, in between ..read more

The first snowfall is always a magical moment at Ogilvie Stock Ranch, but this year it brings an even deeper sense of relief and renewal. The white blanket that covers our land comes as a much-needed relief after the recent forest fire that swept through the area. It is a reminder of the resilience and regrowth of nature, and the strength of our community. The devastating fire left its mark on the landscape, leaving charred trees and scorched earth in its wake. It was a time of heartache and uncertainty for us. But the first snowfall, with its pure, untouched beauty, brings hope and healing ..read more

Fall grazing presents its own set of challenges for ranchers, but with the right strategies and tools, we can ensure the well-being of our cattle, minimize our costs and maximize the quality of forage for our cattle. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using cattle protein tubs to extend fall grazing and share some valuable tips on how to graze cattle late into the season Understanding the Role of Protein Tubs Protein tubs, packed with essential nutrients, have become a valuable tool for ranchers when forage becomes limited during the fall season. These tubs serve to provide suppl ..read more

At our ranch, one important fall task that we undertake is pregnancy checking our cattle. This essential practice allows us to make informed decisions and plan for the future. Here we will dive into the significance of pregnancy checking and the impact it has on the success of our ranching operation. Pregnancy checking is a necessary step in managing our cattle herd. By determining which cows are pregnant, we can plan for calving, allocate hay efficiently, and plan for the next year. It helps us maintain the health and productivity of our herd, ensuring the sustainability of our ranching pract ..read more

Exciting news for the little ones! We’re thrilled to introduce our new monthly free kids colouring page, designed to spark creativity and imagination. Each month, we’ll provide a new downloadable colouring page on our website and in our email! We’d love to see your child’s masterpiece, so we’re inviting everyone to share their completed colouring pages with us on social media. Simply tag us and use the hashtag #farmcolouring, and your child will be entered for a chance to win a special surprise at the end of the month. Let your child’s imagination soar and unleash their artistic talents with o ..read more

As the air gets crisp and the leaves change colours, we are starting to work on our fall ranch tasks. Fall brings a sense of anticipation and preparation for the colder months ahead. Let’s take a peek into six fall tasks that are important for our ranch. Pasture Maintenance We are assessing the condition our pastures, ensuring they are will provide nutritious forage for our cattle throughout the next month or so.  This year, the fire has thrown our whole fall routine out the window as we basically can’t use any of our privately owned fall pasture.   Between the areas that are burnt ..read more

A herd sire is a bull that we use in our herd for breeding our cows. Herd sires play a large role in the genetics of our cattle program and therefore selecting a bull is a very important decision in our operation. A bull contributes 50% of the genetic makeup of each generation of offspring and the cows together contribute the other half.  If you think of it this way, we retain heifers from our own herd for replacement cows, so 75% of the genetic makeup of their offspring will be from the herd sires that we have used over two generations.  This means that our herd sires are the most i ..read more

We take great care of our animals and our land while raising beef from pasture to plate for our customers. During the summer months, summer pasture checks are a necessary and fun task that we do a regular basis.  It is also one of my favourite jobs to do with my boys.  Since we homeschool, it is a wonderful way to get outside and study nature. Some days we will even pack a lunch or snack and have a picnic with the cows. It is extremely important to check pastures on a regular basis to ensure that the animals are healthy and have adequate water and salt.  It is also ne ..read more