Category Archives: Ranch Life

Take your Child to Work Day – Every day in ranch life


It’s Take Your Child to Work Day!

Take Your Child to Work Day Farming Agriculture Ranch Life

Sometimes my dad asked me to do some pretty tough chores… But we still had fun.

Not everyone has the opportunity to take their kids to work on a daily basis. As a kid who worked daily with both parents, I didn’t realize that for a long time. My dad managed a ranch with over 1,200 mother cows, and we usually had over 2,000 yearling cattle at any given time. My mom kept him in line, managed the books, and outworked most of the cowboys at the chute. And every moment my brothers and I were not at school, we were working with them on the ranch.

Take your kid to work day milking cow ranch life

Every once in a while there was a little Wild Cow Milking involved in the job with dad…

I don’t regret that work one bit. My parents instilled my passion for ranching, working with cattle, and being a part of the agriculture community. There’s no way I’d take that back. I have learned so much in the pasture that I never would have had the opportunity to learn in the classroom.

Not everyone has the opportunity to work so closely with their family. I’m thankful that’s possible for many farming families. Were your parents able to bring you along to work? Will you take your kids to work today?

Biotechnology in Cattle: Artificial Insemination


Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working on several farms as breeding season for our cattle ramps up. As a part of my effort to share more information about biotechnology as it relates to cattle reproduction, this post will address the process we use when breeding cattle. Please leave any questions it may bring to mind in the comments section below or submit a direct message via the contact form on the Ask a Farmer page.

Artificial Insemination (AI) is the most valuable management practice to the cattle producer. The procedure makes efficient use of the generous supply of sperm available from an individual male in a manner that greatly increases genetic progress as well as improving reproductive efficiency in many situations.

Artificial Insemination: The deposition of sperm cells within the female reproductive tract by mechanical or instrumental means for the purpose of breeding.
Biotechnology: biological processes developed in the laboratory and made available in the commercial markets.

AI was the first biotechnology applied to improve reproduction and genetics of farm animals. Reproductive efficiency using AI is at least as good as using natural mating when no diseases are present and good management practices are employed. When certain diseases enter the picture, especially venereal diseases, AI becomes an important factor in their control.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Insemination

Advantages of AI far outweigh the disadvantages:

  1. Genetic improvement through more accurate evaluation of transmitting ability of males, continued after the death of the male
  2. Use of semen from genetically elite sires increases the accuracy and intensity of selection
  3. Control of venereal or other diseases
  4. Improved record keeping on farms where used
  5. More economical than natural service when genetic merit is considered
  6. Safer by the elimination of dangerous bulls on the farm, especially for the dairy breeds

Disadvantages of AI include the amount of time livestock managers must spend checking females for estrus. Some special facilities for corralling and insemination are required. Trained personnel are required to perform the technique.

Process of Artificial Insemination

  • First the semen is collected from males through artificial insemination methods

  • Technicians make certain the semen contains sperm of sufficient quality and quantity to survive freezing and thawing with enough viable sperm to complete conception
  • Semen is examined in the laboratory for foreign material and quality. Quality is determined by the number of sperm per millimeter of semen, how active sperm are (motility) and the shape of the sperm
  • Semen is preserved by storing it in tanks of liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -320 degrees F or below
  • At the time of insemination the semen containing the sperm is thawed, the technician then injects the semen into the female reproductive tract. This requires a degree of skill.

Artificial Insemination in Different Species

Merck Veterinary Manual gives a good overview of AI and reproductive technologies in many species:

This is an introduction to artificial insemination (AI) in livestock. If you have more specific questions, please leave a comment below or submit a question in the Ask a Farmer tab. Submissions will be used to answer questions in my series on biotechnology.

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Ranching Awesome (Thrift Shop Parody From the Farm)


Ryan featured this on the Ag Proud Facebook page yesterday but wanted to be sure you all saw the latest effort from Kansas rancher Derek Klingenberg and his Klingenberg Farms Studios. His family farm stars in another great video — this is Ranching Awesome a Thrift Shop parody.

So, what’s your favorite scene? I really like Derek & his daughters dancing in the shop! Here’s a screenshot of it that makes me smile.

Ranching Awesome (Thrift Shop Parody)Be sure to visit Derek’s YouTube page for other awesome farm videos and catchy tunes.

Angus Association visits me in Tennessee [Video]


I am Angus - Ryan GoodmanThe American Angus Association is one of the largest organizations within the cattle industry and does a great job showcasing the hard-working cattle producers across the country. Along with numerous print publications, the Angus folks have a great online presence. Their YouTube channel is full of videos featuring great news and information for cattle farmers and those looking to learn more about beef cattle production.

Young Bull Management

Late last summer I had a great opportunity to work with the folks at the Angus Association. They came out to the University farm in Spring Hill, TN and filmed a few segments with us. The first segment aired on the weekly Angus Report on RFD-TV back in October. Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center Director, Kevin Thompson, shared some great tips with cattle producers who are interested in better management for their young herd bulls.

I am Angus – Social Media for Cattle Industry

The second segment aired this past January on the I am Angus show, also on RFD-TV. In this segment I shared some information for those looking to share more information about agriculture and encouraged other cattle producers to join the conversations about food and farming through the use of social media. I also discussed the importance of mentors for younger generations within the cattle industry and some of my future plans within the cattle industry.

Be sure to check out more of the videos on the American Angus Association’s YouTube channel and let them know you appreciate their work to share the stories of cattle farmers and ranchers from across the country. They are doing their part to share the honest story of agriculture with the world and you should too!

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