Cattle Operations

In order to have yearling bulls ready for our customers to use at grass turnout time, and for the yearling heifers ready to breed ahead of the cows, we time the artificial breeding to start calving in the white season of the year in Michigan – New Year’s Day. This takes a lot of extra management (and straw), but that is what our market requires, and at grass time we can already see the potential for each calf.

We rely on observed natural heats to tighten our calving interval and to make the best use of nationally proven A.I. bulls. No hormones, no CIDR’S, no synchronization – just old fashioned careful animal husbandry. Our A.I. technician Zach Warnes has bred thousands of cows and can see the repro system thru his fingertips.

The cow herd is fully vaccinated on an annual basis. Cows are also vaccinated with Pfizer Scourguard 4KC prior to calving for scour prevention. All newborn calves undergo a strict health regimen, which includes BO-SE and Vitamin A & D, Inforce 3 intranasal, and navels are dipped in iodine. Each calf is honestly weighed on a spring scale and then ear tagged and tattooed.

All our cattle are raised on our own hay and pasture, and all supplemented with locally purchased corn and soybeans. Growth hormones have never been used on our farm, and we do not supplement the feed with antibiotics.

We are committed to protecting and enhancing the environment, caring for our animal’s welfare through good animal husbandry and stewardship, and raising wholesome, nutritious beef for both our family and our retail customers.

Watch “Green Pastures”, a video showcasing Voogt Farms respect for grass and the environment.