Page 32 - MWC 4-23-20s

HARRIMAN
continued from page 27
wouldn't work. But John and
Bettie had their minds made
up.”
The team networked with
several other producers to
manage and market their
products. Customers ran cow
herds and did all the feeding
and management, while the
Roterts and Harriman han-
dled cow synchronization
and artificial insemination
services and managed the
clean-up bulls. The arrange-
ment typically resulted in a
premium on calves bought
back from cooperator herds.
“We had several cooper-
ator herds where we man-
aged all the genetic inputs,”
Harriman explained. “John
conceived that, and we grew
and grew. I thought we were
growing too fast. But he
charged on, and I said, 'Okay
here we go!' That was his
plan and it worked out very
well.”
The pattern for utilizing
cooperator herds is the 10
to 20 percent that Harriman
plans to hold on to during
his years of “mostly retired.”
“I sold all of my cows last
May,” Harriman said. “But
as for my cooperators, I plan
to help the ones that want to
keep a-going, because they
have some awful good cows.
I will help with A.I. and ge-
netics selections when and
how I can. They are just too
good of cows to let go.”
The Midwest Cattleman · April 23, 2020 · P32
What Harriman plans to
let go of willingly is the stuff
that keeps him in the office. GRASS TETANY depends on the clinical stage
“Between my cooperators' continued from page 17 when administered. If treat-
herds and my herd, I had es resulting in a better bal- ment is started one or two
hours after clinical signs de-
about a thousand cows and ance across the pasture. As velop, the results are usually
had become too busy just the pastures green-up, cattle
a quick recovery. Treatment is
keeping records on calving will have access to both types not effective if delayed until
info and birth weights and of forage, helping to alleviate
the coma stage. Grass tet-
such,” Harriman said. “It the tetany risk. any can be treated with an
kept me snowed under.”
Death can occur very rap- intravenous dextrose-based
Harriman enlisted Rader idly therefore symptoms may
Miller to help with the mas- not be observed. Symptoms commercial preparation of
magnesium and calcium pur-
sive database. He grew up progress over 4 to 8 hours as chased from a local veterinar-
and studied performance re- follows: grazing away from
ian.
cords and computations like the herd, irritability, muscle Remember cattle are more
Rotert and Harriman, so he twitching in the flank, wide-
was a good fit. susceptible to grass tetany
eyed and staring, muscular
“Rader has been a life incoordination, in the spring with weather
saver as my computer cattle staggering, events increasing risk. Deter-
collapse, thrashing, head mine and implement preven-
data processor with his accu- thrown back, coma, and fi- tion practices, monitor cattle
racy and speed,” nally death. Affected animals for symptoms, and treat as
Harriman said, should be handled calmly be- soon as possible according
who provided the cause stress can cause sudden to a protocol developed with
details of each death. your veterinarian.
animal for input. Treatment options are
“I greatly appre- available, but effectiveness SDSU
ciated his many
long, late hours
when he'd have Keeping Your Name Out
127 different
pieces of data on
each bull to log There Doesn't Cost...
onto the comput-
er.” IT PAYS!
Though he'll
bid adieu to the
spreadsheets,
Harriman will
never regret hav-
ing implemented
their content.
“I guess I like a
challenge,” Har-
riman said. “And
it's been a chal-
lenge to breed and develop
livestock, not just genetical-
ly, but environmentally. It's
been a lot of fun and a real
joy to work with people in
the beef industry.”
After 58 years in the seed-
stock business, Harriman
has left to sell 58 bulls pri-
vate treaty this spring. Coin-
cidence or not? Perhaps sci-
ence will one day meter out
the data on that irony, but
for now, Harriman is hang-
ing up his hat...for the most
part.