The calves are now used to being on their own. This is the “innocent” corral… it was the calves in the other corral that escaped and led us on a not-so-merry chase. They are back where they belong. We weighed the “good” bunch today.
We keep all sorts of records on our cattle… even weighing the heifers’ calves at birth. For most of our calves, their wean weight is the first official data entry. All of these records will help us make logical business decisions when it comes to having to sell or keep our cattle.
Loaded one at a time onto a rectangular pen that sits on a scale, Johnny and I sit inside the scale house. Johnny weighs them and I record their number, sex, and weight. That calf is released back into the corral and another is loaded.
I always double check myself, it’s easy to mix up numbers! Sometimes they can be loaded and weighed before I find their number!
In a day or two, these will be put out to pasture. Then we will bring the “bad” bunch over to run them across the scale.
It looks like Johnny is using an “old fashioned” scale where he moves the weights to do the weighing, right? Am I correct that we can’t see the pen that’s on the scale in any of the pictures? (I’m always curious about how things work). You certainly show us that lots of things go into raising cattle. It’s not all just give them food.
Thank’s Carol.
Yes, it has a slider that you move. The pen I’ve photographed before… all you can see out the window is the metal bars, so maybe it’s been a bit since I’ve posted pics of the entire scale pen.
So good to see Johnny! What is his secret to longevity? Clean air and hard work?
Bless his heart! What an example! Stay strong!!
Clean air and hard work definitely apply to Johnny!
This reminds me of all the hilarous cartoons drawn by Gary Larson in his
“Far Side” books. You can Google: far side cow cartoons to have a good laugh about cow escapees and such.
Hoping you have a clear head for all those numbers of the “bad” calves.