There are several traits that make PCC® cattle low-maintenance. Most ranchers would love a cow that can calve on time without help, wean a calf half her body weight, and hold body condition through winter without supplements.

However, one of the most overlooked traits to breed into your cowherd is an agreeable disposition. This shows up when tagging calves, moving pastures, working cows, or when they get loose. I’ve had more than a few negative experiences with that over the years, but one instance stands out above the rest. Years ago we had a guy haul a bunch of cows into a remote pasture near us for the summer. In the fall, they made a rodeo out of gathering them and let one get loose in a nearby subdivision, causing quite a stir. Since everyone assumed she came from our ranch, we volunteered to help. The owner warned us that she was “a little bit waspy.” That was the first time I’d heard that term, but I found out it’s a nice way of saying that she may try to kill you. That old black-white-faced cow had the wariness of a whitetail deer, the athletic skill of an Olympic high jumper, and the social skills of a mamma grizzly bear. We finally got her captured, but not without cheating death a couple times and a lot of collateral damage.

In contrast, my wife and I stopped by to check heifers yesterday morning on our way to town and found them in the neighbors back yard. With no other fence between them and a busy highway, I pictured the worst-case scenario. However, they let me walk through them and gently turn them back out the gate, and down the lane to the pasture. I was thankful for the gentle disposition that has been bred in from generations of careful selection by Pharo Cattle Company®. In our part of the world, wildlife is hard on fences and cows will get out. It’s sure nice to be able to handle them when they do. Here’s hoping your cows stay home, and I’ll see you next time on the Herd Quitter® Minute.