The Story Behind Boughbaron Galloways
We are very proud of our cattle. We believe they have everything it takes to be a sustainably profitable enterprise. They have the thickness, easy-fleshing ability, fertility and instincts of any other breed, with the added benefit of a double hair coat. A few hundred years of strict culling by Mother Nature and some progressive cattlemen, have made the breed an ideal beef animal for our cold climates. And the herd we’re growing with, is an elite example to say the least. (To see more info on Galloway cattle, check out our links page titled, “Our Favorites”.)

KTK Navigator 28N - Purchased in 2005 from Randy & Paulette Kaiser, he is the best Galloway bull we've seen and is the pillar of our breeding program.

But admittedly, it didn’t just happen overnight. We must first put the credit where the credit is due. The name Boughbaron comes from my grandparents on my Mom’s side, Herb and Jean Rombough. Both of my Grandfathers’ are 2 of my best friends, and my Grandpa Herb Rombough had taught me so much about cattle and horses, so we were very honored to use their farm name for our Galloway herd. (We couldn’t use the herd name of my other Grandparents’ because it’s still being used. Lorwin Angus is still going strong with my 77 year old Grandad Darell and some fine Red Angus cows)

Sandhills Lass 7L, purchased from Paul & Nancy Gutteridge, she is very close to what we consider an ideal beef cow. Deep-bodied, easy-fleshing, trouble-free feet and udder, and very productive.

The majority of our purebred Galloways, are part of a share-program we have with our good friends, Randy and Paulette Kaiser, of Ponoka, Alberta. Randy and I share the same taste in cattle – among other things – and I have always admired his incredible herd of cows. So, it took no time at all in making a decision when he approached us in the fall of 2006 about taking his cows on shares. This basically means that we manage the cowherd here at our own ranch, incurring all costs involved, and in return, we receive a percentage of the calves from each calendar year. When Randy made the offer, we had only a few purebred Galloway cows to compliment our commercial herd of 65 Angus cross cows. So to expand our herd using the genetics of arguably the best Galloway herd in Canada, was and still is a real treat. We owe a great many thanks to Randy and Paulette, and remain very excited about working with them on a very bright future for these “hairy little beasts”.

Developing the Ideal Beef Animal
For a couple of years we struggled through calving in cold winter months, but in 2004 we didn’t put the bulls out with the cows until the 10th of August, so calving commenced in 2005 on or about the 1st of June. How do we like calving in sunshine on green grass you may ask? We can’t really say because, quite frankly, we don’t calve the cows anymore. They do it all on their own. We just run around and check the newborns to make sure they’re healthy. I’m sure if you ask the cows though, they’ll say they love it. Calving in sync with Mother Nature has been the best thing we’ve ever done, on so many levels. Firstly, it’s just so much better for the cattle. They’re healthier and happier, period. Second, we’re not nearly as worn out as when we had to check cows every 2 hours in freezing weather. We’re healthier and happier. Third, it saves A LOT of money. When cows calve in June, they go through the coldest months of the winter being in their 2nd trimester of pregnancy. This means they don’t require nearly as much energy and/or protein, which means dollars saved. The balance sheet is healthier and makes us happier.

What it all boils down to, is we are developing breeding stock that can do more, with less. We get people all the time who seem surprised that we don’t feed any grain to our herd. They’re surprised that the calves stay on their Mommas for more than half of the winter before being weaned. They’re surprised that cattle that calve on open range pastures are not running for the hills when they get out of the truck to look at them. They’re even more surprised when the cows come looking for a scratch on the tail head.

Our goal for our Galloways is to build a consistent herd of Momma cows that will raise a healthy calf every year for 15 years or more, without exception, while staying in good body condition, and doing it all on grass. Cattle were not meant to be pampered with grain, poofed up for shows, or pumped up with growth hormones. They were meant to convert grass into milk and beef; we just need to stay out of the way, and let the cow be a cow.