A High-Tech Cattleman

by IBBA Communications Coordinator Peyton Waldrip

Robby Beach and David Waldrip have a cow-calf operation in New Braunfels, Texas. With an excess of rain late this summer and into the fall, grass is high on Open Bar Cattle Company’s property. This calving season has presented new challenges with an unusual, but welcomed, obstacle: 3-foot-tall grass.

An abundant grass supply allows for a larger and healthier herd to provide higher calving expectancies. “We expect to have a total of about 75 calve out this fall,” Waldrip says.

Beach and Waldrip had a group of females on a property, where they don’t usually keep cattle during calving season. “We had intentions of moving them prior to calving,” Waldrip explains, “however, one of them calved 18 days early.”

After considering the lack of shade and high temperatures in the area, the team felt a sense of urgency. They wanted to relocate the animal to an area with adequate shade to ensure the calf’s survival. The tall grass created difficulty for them in locating a young cow’s newborn. Beach looked for the calf in his truck, and Waldrip looked for the calf on his all-terrain vehicle. They say they were hesitant to continue out of concern they might run over it in their blind search.

“After spending hours in the pasture trying to find it,” Waldrip explains, “we switched gears to a more advanced technology.” He decided to utilize a new tool: a drone. This tool eliminated the risk of injuring the calf and provided an efficient perspective. In comparison to the hours previously spent looking for the calf, the 25 minutes entailed to locate it with the drone seemed like a short time. Waldrip kept the drone hovering over the calf and drove closer. Then, he secured the animal and transported it to a more suitable environment. The drone allowed the partners to find the calf in an effective timeframe.

Not only did this technology allow them to find the animal in a timely manner, it was used from the ranchers’ vehicles. Drones provide a new level of convenience because they are portable and can fly almost anywhere.

While drones are a new technology and some may be skeptical to what was once thought of as a science fiction gadget, they can now assist in completing necessary tasks in everyday operations. This advancement can offer efficiency to any operation with little time and practice.

This technology allows ranchers to assess animals during parturition, without disturbing the herd. The opportunity to observe animals in an unprovoked environment is valuable in determining the need for assistance and determining calving scores.

“Drones certainly can’t replace having an individual in the field,” Waldrip says, “but aerial-type views are beneficial in saving time.”

Drones can be utilized for many chores, such as checking water troughs, fences, feed troughs, and hay supply. Other day-to-day responsibilities like checking inventories and recording heats can be completed, as well. Using a drone also eliminates physical wear on pastures and vehicles.

In a world full of technological advancements and improvements, today’s cattleman is operating at an exciting time. Ranchers should embrace these opportunities for growth and improvement. While some developments are unfamiliar, it is important to keep an open mind. The possibilities for ranchers to flourish are endless when they consider all available options.