While we were working on the electric fence, Brandon was off processing the newborn calves. We don’t check on the cows at night like we do the heifers. Labor problems are not a huge concern and they’ve all had calves before… so, excepting blizzard conditions… they are on their own at night. Vernon will check…
Category: Animals
In Good Time
The first move of our Sandhills Method was today. If you remember from last year, we’ve begun following this Nebraska born idea. With the heifers almost all calved out, our cows are starting their turn calving. The cows have been in a large field… and those that have calved are left behind with their babies……
We Shall See!
More babies! We even had our first set of twins in a few years! I haven’t seen them yet, but… yay! Trying to make our life “easier”… we set up a pen in the field between the pastures. Mommas and babies sometimes have troubles keeping track of one another until a day or two have…
Busy Morning
It was a busy night, so it turned into a busy morning for me when I showed up to help. Six pens in the main shed were full. (Two inside) Three in the outside pen. Then four in the new pen… And maybe another one, I can’t remember! I helped Brandon as he tagged and…
Misadventure
Well, I had good intentions. Quinlan and I went down to help out at the calving shed. The plan was to do whatever… but cleaning pens of used wet straw was going to be our priority. But first, those calves that had been weighed and tagged would have to be moved out of their comfy…
Full Swing
Calving season for our heifers seems to be in full swing. Victoria and kids were over for a day… I sent them to help at the calving shed while I stayed and built a huge lasagna and salad lunch for everybody. It’s so good to have “cousin time”! While fires ravage ranch land in Texas…
It Begins
The three inches of snow last night has encouraged calving season to kick off. Cameras are up. Straw bales are placed. Tags are made. Supplies set in. Rotations planned. Shaking steps are taken on wobbly legs as instinct encourages each calf to stand and eat. I watch the cameras. It begins.
PAP
It was another gorgeous day and I wandered down to the corral to give a hand to Daniel as he PAP tested his bulls and cows. Not that he needed me, but it was an excuse to get out and about. PAP testing, if you remember my other posts on it, measures Pulmonary Arterial Pressure….
Time, Energy, & Gasoline
if you have Facebook, go follow me at Red Dirt In My Soul, and you’ll be a witness to a calf’s birth! I recorded the birth from home through our “Calf Cams”. The video is available in three parts. Vernon had checked on her a couple of times while we were at a basketball game….
Modern Times
”Processing” cows today. That term means to “pour” or apply a wormer in liquid form along their spine. They also get a shot to boost their immunity to bovine rotavirus and coronavirus that should be passed along to their calf. In other words, calf scours or diarrhea is a big killer of newborn calves. This…
Mission Accomplished
We vaccinated and poured our yearling heifers today. Brandon vaccinated. Quinlan ran the chute gate. Daniel poured. Vernon got them up the alley. I brought them out of the pen, down the wide alley. That makes it sound so easy. It wasn’t. I’m rather tired and sore! I try and work cattle nice and quiet,…
Warmth Found Us
We waited a bit for some warmth… then left in the side by side. While it has a cab and a heater, lots of air penetrates and makes for a cold ride. We were gathering heifers from the Ritchie Pasture, and initially, I just took pics through the dirty windshield. The mud splatters were not…