Keith the Rancher Tells How The Calves Become Steers

Rosemary Daniell

"Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms
with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them."
      - Samuel Butler

"...Or if they're young calves    we just rope 'em
We take 'em back to their mamas a couple of weeks
to get healed up   from the cuttin'    the brandin' --
let'em have some milk    get 'em on the grain....
Then when they're yearlin's or short yearlin's
we ship 'em out as feeders to Sheridan or some
where    crowd 'em in there    'bout two thousand
to an acre.... It ust to be that we waited longer
to build up more muscle 'n all. But now
that we can inject 'em with the hormones....
Do they cry when they're taken? You bet!
The calves'll holler for a couple a days. And their
mamas 'll beller. But that's just instinct    the way
it is." And besides who but we are their gods?