A Day in the Life.

Darlene Sanford has been working with cattle for over 20 years, coming back to the family farm after graduating from agricultural college. She initially worked with her father, but her husband has now joined them, and their teenage daughter and son help out as well.

“I knew this was what I wanted to do,” says Darlene. “I need to be hands on and I love being outside, so working on the farm is perfect for me. I’ve always loved cattle, and I enjoy working with them.”

Most cattle don’t spend their entire lives on one farm or ranch. They are born on a “cow/calf farm” and then go to what is called a “back-grounding operation” where they are fed until they reach a weight of about 900 pounds. From there, they are sold to a feedlot, where they are raised until they reach their finished weight.

Darlene runs a feedlot operation, and also does back-grounding, purchasing young calves from farmers she trusts to provide healthy animals. For Darlene, the health and welfare of the animals is a prime consideration.

“Our cattle are treated well,” says Darlene. “They have a humane and clean environment. I monitor the animals closely and treat them quickly if they have a health issue. I want to make sure there is no stress on the animal. If an animal is stressed, and not treated right, it’s less productive in the end. The animal doesn’t grow as well and ultimately that means a loss of revenue.”

The cattle are provided with comfortable shelter with ample space to move about. In the summer months – the shelter is opened up wide to the outside air and sunshine. The shelter can also be closed off to make sure the cattle are protected from the elements during storms or winter. The animals are fed a balanced diet twice a day and a good water supply is close at hand.

Medication, antibiotics and vaccination products are used only as necessary to make sure cattle are healthy and to treat disease. These products go through the same rigorous testing as are any of these types of products used for human use. Guidelines for the administration of these products are government tested as with any drug in the marketplace.

Darlene insists that the cattle be vaccinated on their home farm before moving to her operation in case they have been exposed to any illnesses. But, other than that, she rarely has sick animals, “You develop a great understanding of the cattle,” she says. “You notice the subtleties of their behaviour. It’s the same as with people, just before you get sick, you start to feel a little “off”. Well, cattle are the same way. You can see a change about 8 hours before any symptoms. So you move the animal away from the others, so it won’t affect the entire herd.”

Darlene starts most days at 5:45 AM and ends around 10 PM. But her job allows her to be close to her children, and she loves raising them in a country environment. She likes the challenge of working in a non-traditional female job, and still gets incredulous stares as she drives her tractor down the back country roads in PEI. She loves the beef industry and as President of the PEI Cattlemen‘s Association works hard to promote the beef she is producing.

“I’m proud of what I do. At the end of the day I can look out the window, and I can see quite clearly what I have accomplished. When my feet hit the ground first thing in the morning, I know exactly where I am going. And I like it.”