Keeping It Simple
From breeding season to weaning—how a low-input approach helped Dave keep cows in shape and calves on track
Dave Elliot
Maple Creek, Saskatchewan
Up in his corner of the country, Dave runs a no-frills kind of outfit. Wind cuts deep in the winter and the summers run dry more often than not. And, hay ain’t cheap.
He doesn’t run a big spread, and he doesn’t rely on a lot of machinery or hired help. His cows—roughly 140 head most years—graze native range and tame grass across the hills and meadows near his place. There’s not a lot of fancy equipment in the yard, and that’s just the way Dave likes it.
“We buy most of our feed,” he says. “I don’t much care for gettin’ greasy, so I don’t run a lot of iron. I like things simple.”
Dave’s grazing strategy is based on using what nature gives him and stretching it as far as it’ll go. He works with crested wheat, tame grass, and native hay—medium-quality forages that get the job done. No high-dollar alfalfa bales, no over-complicated rations. And yet, year in and year out, he manages to run a tight ship and keep his cows in good shape.
But a few years back, things started to feel off. Even with plenty of hay going out, the cows weren’t satisfied. They didn’t have that full look or shine to their coats, and they weren’t holding condition the way they should. The grass was there, but it wasn’t providing enough. And that’s when Dave started looking for a better way.
He first heard about Riomax tubs through word of mouth. He’d never been one to jump on new products just because they were new, but something about the concept made sense. He picked up a few tubs and figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Didn’t take long to see the difference.
“Two, three weeks in, and the cows just looked better,” Dave recalls. “Slicker hides, seemed like they were milking better, and they were just more content.”
He kept at it, slowly adding tubs during key times of the year. At first, it wasn’t a full-time deal—just seasonal. But after some convincing conversations and seeing it play out with his own eyes, he decided to go year-round.
A Year-Round Program, and a Mindset Shift
That year-round commitment wasn’t easy at first. The upfront cost gave him pause, just like it does for many ranchers. But Dave started thinking long-term.
“Folks try a few tubs, don’t give it time, and then go back to something cheaper,” he says. “But I started noticing the cows would hit the tubs hard sometimes, and back off at other times. That told me they were gettin’ what they needed.”
That’s when he stopped worrying about the day-to-day consumption and started looking at the big picture.
One particular winter, the results really spoke for themselves. January was bitter—30 below with snow and wind. Dave turned the cows out on the winter field, tucked behind the hills, and kept an eye on them.
“I figured I’d track it this time,” he says. “January to end of March, I counted what I fed. That whole month of January, I fed eight bales. That’s it. For 140-some cows.”
And the cows? They held condition. Stayed content. Didn’t bunch up or start bawling for feed. “They were doing good. Manure looked good, they weren’t overgrazing, and they still had that full, slick look.”
To Dave, it confirmed what he’d already suspected: “You can’t winter much cheaper than that.”
Dave knows the cost of alfalfa, and he avoids it whenever he can. “It just doesn’t pencil if you’ve got to feed alfalfa six months of the year,” he says. “That’s why I rely on medium-grade hay and native grasses.”
But the trick, he says, is getting the most out of those forages. “If I can stretch my tame grass and wheat grass further with mineral tubs—and keep my cows looking good while I do it—then that’s a win.”
He’s even seen how cows adjust with the seasons. After a little rain, when the crested wheat greened up, the cows backed off the mineral. “Told me they were getting what they needed from the grass. And that’s the way it should be.”
The Mineral Program Hasn't Just Helped with Feed Savings
It’s had an effect on herd health and reproduction too. Dave keeps a short breeding season—bulls go in late June and come out by the end of August.
“We didn’t used to preg check, but with these dry years, I figured no point in wintering a dry cow.”
Now, his open rate runs 4–5%, which he figures is on the better end. He’s also seen minimal health issues—just a couple of pneumonia cases, maybe 2% treated at weaning.
“We’ve even seen the difference in the calves. They’re on tubs before weaning and after. Helps keep them settled. No stressy bawlers, no big wrecks.”
Simple Suits Just Fine
At the end of the day, Dave keeps his ranching life as simple as it can be. “I don’t have fancy corrals. I don’t feed with machines. Just take the tubs out once a month. That’s more my speed.”
And the tubs? They’re not magic, he says—but they’re part of the puzzle. “Just another tool. You gotta spend money somewhere to get that cow where she needs to be. Might as well be on something that makes the rest of the program work smoother.”
Dave doesn’t claim to have all the answers. He doesn't lean on data sheets or spreadsheets. He leans on his cows. He watches their behavior. If they’re grazing all day, he takes note. If they’re laying down after dinner, chewing cud and calm, that tells him everything he needs to know.
“I rely on my eyeballs,” he says. “And the cows’ll tell you, if you’re willing to listen.”
RANCHING AIN'T EASY.
FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO, YOU DESERVE
MORE IN RETURN.
15 - 30% FORAGE SAVINGS
3 - 10% INCREASE IN CONCEPTION RATES
10 - 40 LBS. INCREASE IN WEANING WEIGHTS
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