Rydeen Research Paper

Rydeen’s farm is located just outside of Clearbrook MN. The farm is owned and operated by Paul and Lois Rydeen. This beef operation was started in 1973 and continues to be a working operation today. The Rydeen farm is a seedstock operation, meaning they sell their registered calves. The farm started out with Charolais and a Hereford Angus cross. After some years, the family decided to switch to Simmentals. The Rydeen’s liked that the Simmentals have better maternal traits and docility. The Rydeen’s have a cow herd that is pretty low maintenance, compared to some operations. The cattle are out on pasture nearly all the times and come in only during the early calving season. When the cattle are calving, there are calving pens that are utilized. The cattle are mostly grass fed and the farm tried to stay away from grain. They are fed a mix of alfalfa and grass hay. In the winter, the cattle are also feed corn silage. …show more content…
The operation does have a couple bulls that will breed fifty to sixty of the cows at a time. In order to keep the animals healthy, the Rydeen’s ensure that the animals always have clean water. The Rydeen’s also ensure that the animals have clean and good bedding. The cattle are check every day to ensure that they are all there and there are no injuries. The cows and calves are all on a vaccination program. They are vaccinated when they are born and also as recommended from the vet. Each of the cows and calves have two id tags along with a tattoo. The farm has running records that list all the medications given to the cattle. This helps ensure they know what each cow has been treated for and