By Shannon Lukens.
LiftUp of Routt County is doing their Winter Coat Distribution through November 23. This is for any Routt County resident with an ID. Get a voucher at the LiftUp Food Bank and then redeem it at the Thrift Store during regular business hours for a free coat.
The Moffat County Board of County Commissioners is meeting with Colorado State Senator Bob Rankin at 11 a.m. Friday, for a general update.
Cattle trucks are being seen throughout Northwest Colorado.
“We are shipping our steers for market.”
That’s Carla VanValkenburg who is a partner with VanValkenburg LLC Cattle Company in Jackson County.
“This is our paycheck for the year. This is where we get our funding for the whole year, to run this ranch.”
Video from shipping day on Oct. 30, 2022
Eight-five calves about four to five months old were weighed and loaded in a truck at the VanValkenburg’s ranch and sent to Nebraska. Here is Adam VanValkenburg.
“So the process is they’ll go to the feed lot and they’ll be fed throughout the winter. Then they’ll go on to summer pasture this summer. Then after that they will go to what they call “finish-fed” where they’ll get fattened up one more time. And then after that they’ll go to slaughter.”
Adam VanValkenburg is also president of the North Park Stockgrowers Association which has been dealing with a wolf pack that has attacked and killed some cows and dogs in the county.
Brian Anderson is a Brand Inspector for the State of Colorado. He checked the brands and helped with shipping and weighing. The average weight was 551 pounds and the rancher gets paid per pound.
“Cattle that are comfortable in a pasture tend to gain more weight than cattle that are moved around or harassed by wildlife. Your gain wouldn’t be as good. On calves, it’s even more important because of sickness. Once a calf gets stressed, then their chances of getting sick or having some sort of respiratory problem is higher than if they were just left alone.”
Those 85 calves are now in Nebraska. On Monday, the VanValkenburgs will check how many of their cows are pregnant with new calves to be born in the spring. Then they’ll do the process all over again.
The SOS Outreach program in Steamboat Springs has hired David Schramm as its new program manager. SOS Outreach helps develop positive relationships using mountain sports and mentoring for underserved youth in the community. www.sosoutreach.org
North of Craig, the Little Snake River Rattlers football team from Baggs, Wyoming, is looking to defend their state 1A 6-man football title. The Rattlers are 9-0 on the season. They play Encampment at noon on Friday, in Baggs, for the state semi-finals.
Save the date! The KRAI Holiday Drive is December 1-2.
For the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline, call 970-824-1918.