Hacienda

You just don't know what you are going to find in a "3rd" World nation.

We traveled out of Bogota south in search of more coal reserves and barge ports on the Magdalena River.  We overnighted for 2 nights at our Colombian partner's father's hacienda.

I call it a hacienda because I'm not sure what to call it.

It is a 5000 acre ranch that supports over 2000 head of cattle.

This is a woefully inadequate description of this ranch.

They are so advanced in their importing, breeding and husbandry of the animals that I can't possibly understand it.

The father knows the name of EVERY animal on the ranch.   No shit!  We tested him.

Not only does he know every name, so does the full time vet and most of 40 workers on his various ranches.

I have rarely seen animals cared for so tenderly.

The owner has a passion for cattle.  That's the only way to explain it.

He knows all the breeds available around the world, focusing on Brazil (Apparently the leader in cattle breeding in the world), India (Where of course they don't eat them), and the US.  They use artificial insemination and in vitro stuff, whatever that is.  Apparently, they can split the embryo into four sections to get four calfs.

Who would figure?

They breed to maximize mild production as well as meat production.

They buy, sell and breed cattle like we used to trade baseball cards as kids.

It was a rare privilege to experience something like this!