So You Want a Cow Ranch

And probably no American with red blood in his veins ever lived who hasn't at some time wished he were a cowboy and no man ever lived to be a cowboy who at some time during his career hasn't wished he had never seen a cow.

Since modern transportation has brought the east coast within a few hours of the Southwest and paved roads have brought the most remote parts of that area within a few hours of its better cities, more and more people have become acquainted with the climate, scenery, and more-or-less carefree life of the Southwest particularly Arizona and a great many eastern men with a lifelong desire to own and operate a cattle ranch have made their boyhood dreams come true.

Climate, no doubt, has been the greatest influencing factor on the migration of man; so when it was discovered that Arizona was not a land of wild Indians, rattlesnakes, horsethieves, and scorpions, but instead was inhabited with many good, hospitable, hard-working, kindly people and that it was geographically located almost perfectly from a climatic standpoint, that its elevations ranged from 137 feet above sea level (where the Colorado River crosses the international boundary in the southwest corner) to over 12,000 feet 275 miles due northeast (where the San Francisco Peaks tower above the town of Flagstaff) these potential cowmen became even more interested.

While touring the state they learned that between these high and low altitudes there were many topographic changes; these together with the other influencing factors, developed many different kinds of vegetation ranging from the cactus of the low deserts to heavy stands of coniferous trees resem-bling a Canadian north woods.

Mingling with these there is a vast ground cover of different types of vegetation consisting of weeds, numerous grasses, and deep-rooted shrubs. all palatable to livestock, on which graze annually about 900,000 head of cattle.

When the old time cowman started his trail herds from Texas across Arizona to the west coast, it was the palatable vegetation in Arizona that attracted his attention. Climate, scenery, and good roads were the least of his worries. What he wanted was cow feed because his wealth accumulated in cattle. A few years ago paved roads, automobiles, and then the airplane brought Arizona right close to home and it was then that the cattle business of Arizona began to take on a different aspect. The tired business man from the east, longing for a place to rest, hunt, fish, and do a little cowboying, began buying ranches. Many people come to Arizona with the ranch idea in mind; they also have the idea that all a cowman or cowboy has to do is ride around and let his feet hang down. Eventually a cowman might be able to do that but not until he has, like in any other business, gone through all the growing pains of development, administration, and to some extent, the perfecting of a ranch unit.

It is true there is no finer life for those who love the big outdoors, who are willing to cooperate with Nature in the production of a necessary commodity, who have the patience to wait for returns on their investment once or twice a year, and who will pray for the two essentials: another rain and another cowbuyer!

But before one gets to all this there are many things Probably no American with red blood in his veins ever lived who hasn't at some time wished he were a cowboy. (Chuck Abbott).

This was done to regulate the grazing on land known as Public Domain. Until the Taylor Grazing Act was passed some few years ago, everybody went to the desert with his cattle when there was a good, wet winter and an abundance of feed regardless of the rancher who had commensurate property or who had established water holes and wells for his cattle and built other improvements. The range was eaten up and precious water used by those who had no investment except in a speculative bunch of cattle which they could fatten quickly and move to market. Other land may be leased from the Department of Interior through the Federal Land Office in Phoenix— G-15 leases since it does not fall under any of the grazing districts administered by the Graziers of the Taylor Act.

In some cases a ranch may have considerable state land which is leased from the state at 11% to 3 cents per acre per year and on which the rancher uses his own judgment as to the number of cattle these leases should carry. Railroad lands are also leased by the acre. Leases and permits are considered as part of the ranch, also any improvements on them. Prior use is the basis of federal permits and state leases. The white man may no longer graze his herds on Indian Reservations and no grazing is now permitted in National Parks.

One may wonder why all this beautiful country must be cluttered with five different types of leases and permits for the use of land when it would be so simple if it were owned outright. The average rancher believes that taxes would be more than the leases and permits cost and that he might overgraze his own range, a situation which wise administration will avoid.

The main factors to be considered in the actual selection of a cow ranch (and all of this discussion has to do only with range lands and not farming units which are sometimes called ranches) are topography, type of forage, and the distribution of water.

A ranch may be located in a very rough area, which ordinarily makes it a mean country in which to work cattle, while at the same time this rough country may have an abundance of good grass growing in small, open parks and along rough hillsides and also an abundance of palatable browse or deep-rooted shrubs growing in its canyons and along its mesa rims all of which give it an increased carrying capacity. Its various plant types constitute the maximum of insurance or protection against drought.

Invariably in this type of country there are living streams in the canyons, and springs and seeps along the mesa and mountain slopes which afford good natural water when developed. These are usually so situated that a cow rarely need go more than a mile to get a drink. This type of ranch is apt to fall in an elevation between 3500 and 6000 feet. At such an elevation there are usually two months of winter weather, January and February. These months will have more or less stormy weather and the nights will be cold. This, however, is an advantage to livestock as they seem to grow better bone and are more hardy than where the weather is continually warm.

From a general grazing standpoint Arizona might be divided into three zones which one could locate by following the prevailing winds across the state from the southwest to the northeast.

The southwestern area of Arizona, or about 40 per cent of the state's area, is so-called desert or semi-desert. This

The southwestern area of Arizona, or about 40 per cent of the state's area, is so-called desert or semi-desert. This area covers nearly all of Pima, Pinal, Maricopa, Yuma, and the southern and western parts of Mohave County. Most of this area lies at an elevation of from 137 feet above sea level to about 3500 feet. Of course there are small areas within this territory where there are higher elevations. In this general southwest area the annual rainfall ranges from 3 to 11 inches and temperatures vary from about 28 degrees minimum to well over 100 degrees maximum. The vegetation in this area is made up generally of Indian wheat, needle grama grass, and many other annuals along with creosote bush, cat-claw, mesquite, prickly pear, burr sage, paloverde, cholla, saguaro, and a thousand other plants that have horns or thorns. It is never difficult to tell when one is below a certain elevation if he is at all familiar with plant types.

In this type of country the range or ranch carrying capacity is very low. It takes from 50 to 200 acres of range to support a cow year-long. This area affords a winter climate that nearly everyone enjoys and expects when he comes to Arizona, but while picking this climate and a ranch to go with it, one must consider the area involved if the ranchman wants to run 500 to 1000 head of cattle.

However, it is in this area that all the rich, irrigated valleys of Arizona are located and thousands of acres of productive farm land support the larger part of the state's population. Most of the ranchmen who own ranges of any size in this southwest territory also own fine farm land in the irrigated valleys on to which they can move their cattle when necessary. The grassland part of the state or the better range country, which nearly everyone visualizes and the kind seen on the movie screen, is a strip running from the south-east corner of the state to nearly the northwest corner. This area includes Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham, part of Pinal, Gila, Yavapai, western Coconino, and eastern Mohave Counties. Throughout this strip the elevations generally range from 3500 to 6000 feet above sea level and the annual precipitation averages from 9 to 18 inches. Due mostly to increased precipitation, the carrying capacity of the range is increased, the better grama grasses, awn grasses, tobosa, and various others which produce a heavy, palatable turf, furnish most of the ground cover in this area; these, together with the browses or deep-rooted shrubs, greatly increase the carrying capacity of the ranges in this belt. Throughout this area it takes from 25 to 80 acres to support a cow year-long.

Natural water is apt to be more abundant than in other areas. In this belt the mean annual temperature is a little colder. Throughout the few cold winter months the days are usually warm and sunny. In summer, temperatures may rise to 90 degrees but the nights are always cool. This area is generally considered the best range country but covers a little less than 30 per cent of the state.

The remaining approximately one-third of Arizona lies on the so-called Colorado Plateau. Throughout this area, elevations range from 5000 to 7000 with extreme elevations on the higher mountain peaks reaching 12,000 feet. This area supports the great forest of Ponderosa or western yellow pine which normally requires about 22 inches of rainfall and rarely grows below 6000 feet. Above the normal pine belt on the higher mountains, usually at about 9000 Many people come to Arizona with the ranch idea in mind. There is feet, dense forests of spruce and fir are found. In these higher elevations the precipitation reaches its maximum of about 35 inches annually.

These forests are used mostly as summer ranges; both cattle and sheep graze to the highest elevations. In this area is always an abundance of various bunch grasses on which cattle fatten very quickly. The warm days, cool nights, and lack of insect pests make an ideal summer pasture land. Most of the ranches in this area have a winter range at a lower elevation to which the cattle are driven in the fall and on which they remain until the latter part of May or early June.

Ranges in all parts of the state vary considerably in topography. Nearly every ranch has some smooth and some rough range. Life is never monotonous when handling cattle because there is always a little wild cowboying to do on the rough part of any range.

The days of the open range are gone in Arizona. All ranches have their outside boundaries fenced and often the ranch is cross-fenced into large pastures of workable size. These pastures are used for rotation grazing. Within their confines ranges the most important individual on the ranch-the cow herselfan ideal manufacturing plant.

Her number may vary from 250 to 2500 or exceptionally, up to 15,000, but about 250 head of breeding cows is the least number from which a family can take a living or existence. Normally 400 head is considered an economic unit to be handled by one man. All other things being equal, the more cattle above that number, the more profit can be expected. It costs little more to run seven or eight hundred head than it does to run half that number. That is, taking into consideration the fixed costs such as labor, salt, serum, etc. Of course, if a ranchman is running a large herd on a low carrying capacity range the leases, taxes, and permit charges run up and maintenance of water holes, wells, pumps, fences, etc., is proportionately higher while the same number of cattle can be administered on a range of good carrying capacity with a minimum of labor and maintenance. However, the purchase price of the ranch is a factor to be considered for one will pay much more for a ranch with a carrying capacity of 35 acres to the cow than he does for a ranch that requires 150 acres to the cow while the operating cost of the former is much less. The cost of operating a ranch is like that of any other business-it depends on the management. If one buys a ranch and begins to build expensive homes and install other costly domestic improvements expecting a little bunch of cows to pay for them, the purchaser is in for a long drag. The cowmen who have been the most successful may live very comfortably but they watch carefully the general expenses of the ranch. These include Taxes (which are usually very low); Leases (previously mentioned); Labor (at present scarce and costly); Water Development (which is most essential); Maintenance of fences, corrals, buildings etc.); Salt (a cow will eat about two pounds a month); Vaccine (used to prevent blackleg in calves); Some supplemental feed (cottonseed meal for weak cows, grain for saddle horses); Bull replacement.

Working cow ranches and Dude ranches too, have many fine saddle horses.

In the actual purchase of a ranch the following points may well be considered: Location: Have you selected a ranch only because itis in a climate in which you particularly wish to live or is it one where you can raise cattle as a business? The novelty of sunshine soon wears off with the average individual when the ranch statement begins to show in the red.

Arizona cow outfits usually have from about 250 to 2500 head of cattle, or exceptionally up to 12 or 15,000 head, mostly white faced Herefords.

Range history: What is the history of this ranchhas it been a good producer of calves how did it carry the load in dry years (and don't let anyone tell you that dry years don't come) is there enough browse to fall back on if the grass dries up is there plenty of water and is it well distributed or can it be developed what are the problems of transportation to market?

Size of the ranch: Do you want to be a big cowman administering lots of land and try to run lots of cattle? Remember, its better to have one fat cow the year round than three thin ones the returns will be much greater.

Improvements: How are they? Are the buildings good or do you immediately have to reconstruct themare the fences good, are there corrals, pastures, branding chutes, scales, etc.? Lack of these increase administration costs. How much will it cost to develop the domestic improvements you think you need? Have you got the money to do this or do you expect your newly-acquired bossies that produce a calf crop for market each year to pay for these? Nature limited her as to what she can do and price ceilings don't help her any. You can't say to an old cow, "Now, sister, I want two calves this spring instead of one." If she could she'd likely tell you that the grass is short and you ought to be thankful if you get one.

Cattle: How many cattle are on the ranch - what grade cattle are they has there been a good calf crop -if not, can this calf crop be increased are there sufficient bulls are they purebred if so, did they come from a line of good producing cattle or were they just bought because they were purebred?

With good-sized, well-marked Hereford cows and good purebred Hereford bulls and enough of them (there should be at least one bull to each 20 cows) a ranchman should have a good calf crop. The calf crop varies throughout the state, averaging from 50 to 90 per cent of the cows and occasionally even higher. The factors that influence a calf crop are the type of range, condition of forage and water, distribution of water, and the number of bulls. Since the ranges have been fenced, the percentage of calves has been generally increased. The average calf crop will now exceed 70 per cent, and, since the class of cattle has gradually improved the weight of calves has been materially increased.

After all these things have been investigated, there is the ratio of land to cattle. Occasionally a ranch can be bought without the cattle and very often the ranch and cattle are priced separately. If the price of the cattle about equals the price of the ranch as, for example, the cattle on a ranch are appraised at $40,000 and the range on which they run is valued at about the same price, the outfit should be a pretty safe investment. However, at a time like this when cattle are higher than ever before in the history of the cattle business, the price of the cattle often greatly exceeds the price of the ranch. Such a situation may seem like a good buy; therefore, one should go both into the history of cattle and range prices before making a decision.