A Little Bit More
Well, the heifers are all weighed...
and we're pretty happy.
I don't know what the average turned out to be... since I was late to the party and helped weigh just the last 50 or so. But glancing at the paperwork... seemed to me like there were quite a few in the 900-1000 pound range.
Like most ranchers, we're sticklers for statistics...
(Which just KILLS me to say... seeing as how my college statistics course seemed like the DEVIL to me back in the day!)
We weigh heifer calves at birth, (and take an average for cow calves), we weigh them when they're weaned. We weigh them when they're yearlings. We calculate it all into ADGs (average daily gains) and WPDs (weight per day of age)... Lost yet?
Well, anyway... it's just part of the tools to help choose what heifers get to stay here on the ranch as replacements as opposed to being sold as bred heifers.
So... that was yesterday.
Weighing.
Opening gates.
Shutting gates.
So.
There may be just a little bit more to this ranching than just turning cows out to eat grass, eh?
Amazing what I've learned over the years!
I do know something else... right during the taking of these photos... the temperature fell about 20 degrees as the sun set.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Time to toughen up for winter!
****
November 8, 2010 It's Green!
November 8, 2009 no entry
November 8, 2008 no entry
Posted by Carol at 11/8/2011 9:44 PM 
Categories: Ranchlife, Wyoming, Cattle
Tags: ranch Wyoming cattle
Categories: Ranchlife, Wyoming, Cattle
Tags: ranch Wyoming cattle
Is that my beloved BOOMER??!!!!
Cold front came through here yesterday. Big ol blue one. Dropped the temps from 71 to 63 in a matter of minutes. BRRRRR!!!!
I had no idea you weighed your cows so many times... that's high tech for sure!!!
Keep warm!! Let Boomer (if that's Boomer) know his #1 fan misses his stick chasing antics!!!
Reply to this
Robin, that definitely is your beloved Boomer! Poor thing is actually getting old enough to lay down between begging for stick action! I'd love your frigid 46, these waking up to temps in the teens is a little rough...
Reply to this
What is a "bred heifer?" What happens to them when they are sold?
What are the replacement heifers who stay at the ranch used for?
Thank you!
Reply to this
Miranda, welcome to Red Dirt! A bred heifer is a pregnant cow that is usually just 2 years old, and hasn't had a calf before. Bred heifers usually are bought by people looking to put them in their herd... They are called replacement heifers... basically taking the place of old cows that are too old and are sold. Replacement heifers will spend a great lifetime raising calves for us. If you're really curious, help yourself to the Question and Answer section on the left sidebar, there's lots of great questions about ranchlife over there.
Reply to this