They were patrolling their pasture in search of birthing cows. If a calf is born in below-zero temperatures, where there is no shelter, the animal will most likely die. As calves are born wet, they can experience hypothermia almost immediately — no matter how hard their mother tries to keep them alive. That is why the Colles and thousands of other ranchers across Kansas and all pockets of North America remain vigilant when thermometers dip, winds rise and newborns arrive. Although much of the patrolling work can be done from a pickup, oftentimes the cows are either in a group or off near a drift, so one family member needs to walk the fields in search of birthing cows.