A Word From Al, A Lesson in Animal Hunbandry
It was the summer of 1963, and I was ten years old. We had just finished milking and were moving the cows across State Route 117 to their summer pasture. It was part of our normal daily routine.
Around that time, my dad had purchased a Holstein bull with excellent genetics for the period. He was very proud of that bull. However, one night not long after the purchase, something happened that I still cannot fully explain.
The bull suddenly turned on my dad and threw him into the air like a rag doll. Dad spent four days in the hospital recovering from his injuries. After witnessing what happened, I decided that I would never keep a bull that could not be trusted.
Experiences like that teach you the importance of good animal husbandry. Handling livestock properly and giving animals regular exercise are valuable practices, but even then, animals can sometimes behave unpredictably.
More recently, I had a first-calf heifer escape while she was being loaded after a pregnancy check at the veterinary clinic. She ended up running onto the quad at the University of Illinois, with plenty of people watching.
One student observed that she did not appear frightened or aggressive.
“She just seems confused,” the student said.
That was exactly right.
Whether it is a powerful bull or a confused young heifer, working with livestock requires patience, caution, and respect.
Our Philosophy
At Broken K Ranch, good animal husbandry is built on experience, observation, and respect for the animals in our care.
For Al, that philosophy was shaped over a lifetime of working with livestock — through lessons learned the hard way, moments of unpredictability, and the kind of knowledge that only comes from years spent around animals.
“Working with livestock requires patience, caution, and respect.”
“Working with livestock requires patience, caution, and respect.”
What Those Lessons Mean Today
The lessons Al learned growing up around livestock still shape the way Broken K Ranch approaches animal care today.
Good husbandry means knowing your animals, respecting their behavior, and making thoughtful choices about genetics, feeding, handling, and care.
That philosophy remains at the heart of Broken K Ranch.