As our cow numbers increased, so did our land base. We got an opportunity to rent a farm about 7 miles from our home, well-fenced, well-waterered, and with a great landowner. We got a second group of cows for the rental farm. Of course to have all our calves born at the same time, something we do for easier management and marketing, we had to get a second bull. One of Rain King’s half brothers became available, and we quickly added him to the herd. As hard as it was to believe, Big Iron, our new bull, was more impressive than Rain King and Scott and I were amazed that such an incredible bull was ours.
One evening, a fast moving thunderstorm came through our farm, complete with blinding rain, and a lightning strike so close to the house we couldn’t tell exactly what direction it came from. I ran out to the ponies rattled, but safe. The kids and I made plans to go out into the woodlot to find the tree that had been hit.
The following morning, as he does every morning, Scott looked out one of the upstairs windows to admire his vast domain.
I didn’t even need to ask what “Oh. Sh*t” meant, just how much.
Lightning strikes are a fairly common reality in the cattle business. If it’s warm, cattle don’t seek shelter from storms. And if there is a lightning strike, you consider yourself lucky if only one animal get hit. And literally, before the check was cashed, we were out one fancy high-dollar bull.
We switched the newer group of cows to fall-calving. As good as Rain King was, he just couldn’t be in two places at once.
And we were once again, we were in the market for a bull.