Howdy, neighbors! 
You’ve probably heard someone say, “Well, we could be here till the cows come home!” But have you ever stopped and wondered…
Where exactly did the cows go?! 
If you live near Double Eagle Ranch, you may actually understand that saying better than most! During the summer, our cows seem to “disappear”, while the yaks are still hanging around for everyone to see.
Don’t worry, the cows didn’t pack their bags and leave us. They’re definitely here doing one of the most important jobs on the ranch: grazing! And here’s something we say in the cattle industry that might surprise you: We’re not only cattle ranchers… We’re grass farmers. 
Because before we can take care of the cattle, we have to take care of what feeds them. Healthy cattle depend on healthy forage, and healthy forage depends on healthy soil, proper grazing, and something incredibly important that people don’t always think about…
Rest.
That’s actually a huge part of why our cows seem to “disappear” every summer. The phrase “till the cows come home” has been around for hundreds of years and basically means a long, indefinite amount of time. Its exact origin isn’t completely certain, but the imagery likely comes from cattle being turned out to graze on nearby pastures and eventually making their leisurely way back home. For our cows, though, it isn’t that long! From roughly late spring through late fall, our cattle rotate between different grazing areas before eventually coming home for winter.
So… why do we keep moving them?
At PBJ Cattle, we utilize our home ranch which is filled with deeper areas that cannot be seen from the highway, along with leased pastures and permitted state and federal grazing lands. As soon as another grazing area has good grass ready for the cattle, we’ll move them there and give the ground they’ve been using a well-earned break.
One grazing principle we follow is commonly called “Take Half, Leave Half.” The idea is pretty simple: let the cattle graze, but leave enough of the plant behind so it still has plenty of green leaves to capture sunlight, maintain its roots, and regrow.
Think about mowing your lawn. You don’t normally mow healthy grass all the way down to bare dirt! Removing some of the top growth can encourage new leaves and a thicker stand, but cutting it too short over and over can stress the grass and weaken its roots.
Grazing works in a similar way. When cattle graze a pasture at the right intensity and then move on, those plants get a chance to recover and produce new growth. But if animals stay too long and repeatedly eat those fresh new leaves as soon as they appear, the plant has to keep dipping into its stored energy to regrow. Eventually, its roots can weaken, growth slows, and the pasture becomes less productive.
That’s why the “leave half” part is just as important as the “take half.” We want our cattle to enjoy good-quality forage today without sacrificing the pasture they’ll need tomorrow.
Good grazing isn’t simply putting cows on grass and letting them eat. It’s knowing when to put them there, when to move them, and when to let the land rest. 
What do the cows get while they’re away?
They’re certainly not forgotten about! Multiple times a day we check our cattle, water sources, fences, forage, and pasture conditions. Depending on what they need, we also provide supplements such as protein tubs, salt blocks, cobalt blocks, loose mineral with fly control, and during drought additional water sources.
Eventually… the cows DO come home! 
During winter, you’ll notice our cattle much closer to home and the highway. That’s intentional! Keeping them closer allows us to monitor their health, keep an eye on them during cold weather, and provide the feed they need when snow covers much of their natural forage.
During the winter, we feed seven days a week, providing 30 pounds of hay per animal, per day. We use pure alfalfa along with mixed bales containing triticale, barley, and other forage crops to help keep everyone fed through those cold Colorado months. 
Okay… then why do we see the yaks all year?!
Partly because anyone who has met a yak knows that convincing one to go somewhere it doesn’t want to go can be… an adventure.
Our yaks are well suited to staying on the home property throughout the year. They generally require less forage than cattle of a comparable size, and they utilize the land a little differently than our cows. They’ll happily browse and graze a wider variety of grasses, weeds, and flowering plants that cattle may be less interested in.
That actually makes them another useful tool in how we manage our property! By eating some of those less desirable plants, the yaks can help us naturally manage unwanted vegetation while still leaving forage available for the rest of the herd. So while the cows are off enjoying their summer grazing rotation, the yaks have their own job here at home, fuzzy little pasture-management employees who absolutely did not fill out an application.
So next time you drive by during summer and wonder… “Where did all the cows go?”
They’re not missing! They’re simply on another deeper part of the ranch or leased pasture enjoying their summer buffet while another piece of ground gets a much-needed vacation.
Rotational grazing isn’t just about feeding cattle. It’s about being good stewards of the land, balancing what our animals need with what our pastures need so both can continue to thrive for years to come. Because at the end of the day, good ranching isn’t just about taking care of the cattle… It’s about taking care of the land that takes care of them.
And don’t worry… Eventually, the cows always come home.
– The PBJ Cattle Family 