Cold weather ranching

Teton Valley veterinarian Todd Tibbetts talks cold weather, ranching and some of its challenges. It's going to be cold. They might feed in two or three different pastures and then let the cows in to those pastures. So that way they only have to fire their equipment at once every three days. That's an option. Another worry for ranchers is water, because cows need fresh water every day. When it gets really cold, water starts to freeze up and access to water gets limited. Sometimes you have to be creative. Most ranchers have to go out and break ice in the morning when it gets really cold. When cows calve, they get very protective of their calves. When you're out there helping a cow calve or doctor and a sick calf, you want to keep the calf between you and the mother. One of the reasons I really enjoy my profession is I get to work with people that really care about people and animals. Well, I started out in treatment in Utah, out of vet school, and so I still have clients that I've been doing work for for 30 something years. They're kind of like part of my family. The fun thing about my job is we have seven kids. We only have one left at home. The rest of them are married. But I was able to take my kids with me on calls, just expose them to agriculture and learning where their food comes from and learning how to work and work around animals. One of my sons manages a big ranch in Jackson Hole, Snake River Ranch. I think it's been good for my kids. It was a father. I appreciate that. In a profession. Speaker1: It may be cold in the Teton Valley, but it's also a little slice of paradise there.