Friday, October 16, 2015

Cows, preg checking, weaning, fencing...




Fall is a very busy time of year on the ranch.  There are cows to pregnancy test, calves to wean, and livestock needs to be moved out to winter pastures.  After 25 years or so with Ralph pregnancy checking the cows, he retired to full-time ranching and we've had to hire someone new -- a lady vet named Chandy. And she's good.  That job is behind us now and we have just begun to wean calves.

Have you noticed a lot of semi-trucks on the road lately?  It's livestock shipping time and if you live in rural areas, there's no end to the trucks taking dry cows or weaned calves to and from sale barns or  ranches or feedlots.  The only livestock we ship this time of year are the dry cows.  Dry cows are not pregnant. Often they are called Open Cows.  At the sale barn they have a big O on their backs if they were tested there.  Our cows have a big paint stick mark on their sides and back which help use to identify them when we sort cows.  Tomorrow Hubs will take in the remainder of the open cows to the sale barn and their calves will be weaned.  Later this month and into November, we will wean more calves, a bunch at a time.





Yesterday afternoon I went along with Hubby to help him finish fencing.  We had a long stretch, about a mile, of fence to fix.  The fellas had most of it done the day before, but there were a couple gates to build and some steel posts to clip.  Hub made the gates while I walked the fenceline and clipped the wires to the steel posts.  The photo above is what the clips and the wire pliers looks like that I was using.  On the wider steel posts, I have to use the wire pliers, but on the skinnier posts, I can twist the clip on with a nail spike.  These past few days have been gorgeous.  Sunny and warm but not hot, with a gentle breeze.  Glorious fall days for fall work.  I'm soaking up all the sunshine I can!

5 comments:

  1. It's wonderful to be able to work alongside your husband like this!!

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  2. You are the best wife ever! Hubs is blessed indeed!
    How nice to be outside soaking up the vitamin D, right? I love it!
    I must take the grands walking, walking, walking.

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  3. Earlier morning start by the look of it.... and a long day. Love your photos, in particular the first one. It has such beautiful light.

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  4. I think it is all lovely. I think this has to be the best kind of life. Not to mention being able to see the prairie and to work with your husband.
    I love these photos.

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  5. Funny how the same word can mean such different things. Here on the dairy side of agriculture, the phrase "dry cow" means exactly the opposite. It is a cow that is 60-90 days from calving, and she is not milked - she is dry ! - until she calves again. It is so interesting to me to read about your sheep operation in particular! Thanks for the inspiring photos, recipes, and thoughts!

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