Eden Shale Update- May 2024

May tends to always be the busiest month of the year. It seems that no sooner the Derby is over and then so is the month.  But May is busy in a good way, as the growing season is in full swing and the spring calves are running around on fresh pastures.

I mentioned last month that our calving season went well. We had 96% of the calves born in 45 days, and the entire calve crop was born in 64 days giving us 98 calves on the ground and doing well.  We have about 110 cows to AI this spring before being turned out with clean up bulls.

This past month our local vet, Dr. Parker, came to the farm and pelvic measured our replacement heifers and performed a BSE on all our bulls. We had 1 heifer fail the pelvic measure (giving us 18 head to breed) and all the bulls passed the BSE. The replacement heifers will get AI bred on May 24th and the mature cows get AI bred on May 31st.

We sold 35 head of last years calves this past month as well. These were heifers that we did not retain as replacements and the smaller end of the steers.  The heifers weighed 573 lbs and brought $2.60.  The steers sold in two cuts, one averaging 623 lbs at $2.95 and 706 lbs at $2.55. We still have 40 steers at the farm that are taking part in a mineral trial with USDA this summer and upon completion will be marketed in early August.
​
We have also started our tours and events for the season. This month we hosted the UK Beginning Farmer/Rancher program which included a morning of presentations and a tour of the farm after lunch.  We also hosted producers from multiple counties including Casey, Crittenden, Grant, and Pendleton. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to come visit Eden Shale Farm. 

Photo taken by Lindie Huffman

Eden Shale Bull