Saturday, April 28, 2012

Saturday 4/28

 We got a fluff of snow this morning so I drove the truck through the heifers, Before saddling up. There wasn't any snow on the ground, but it was chilly. I wanted to make sure I didn't have a chilled down calf. If I did have a calf down I could throw him into the truck and take him to the barn and warm him up. I found this calf first off, just born. Momma was licking the wrong end and he was twisted in a knot. So I straited him out and cleaned his nose out. Then let Momma back at him.
Here's a picture of the burned pasture. I have been using that broken camera, so its hard to see what Im taking a picture of.

I like to make my horse's ride over and around things. I try to make solid horse's. This makes a bunch of noise when they step on it. I like the brockle faced cows. They have a bit more character.

Take care until next time

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Update

  Been kinda busy with calving  and everything else we are trying to get done. I helped sew up my first prolapsed cow Saturday night. Sharon and I had the grill going and I had just taken the veggie off and was gonna put the Burgers on when my boss called and ask for me to help with the heifer. Heck yea!! I wanted to see how it is done. We used the Hydrabed bail feeder and a chain. We chained her hind legs then just lifted her up. Really slick. Everything pretty much slid back in. Then we put a couple stitches in and she was done. She is doing great.
   We have been putting in a new water line and a solar well. Gonna get more water to the cows. We have a trencher sure makes digging easier.
That white line in the water pipe.

Heres what some of the days have been like here.
We were working on the pipeline today and a thunderstorm came over us. We were hoping to get wet. No luck it just sprinkled. We saw lightning bolt strike the earth then saw smoke a couple minute later.. Uh-oh not good. It ended up burning one of our pastures. We lost over half of it I'm thinking... I got some pictures of the fire on my phone but can't put them on here.
  I went to Torington on Sunday and worked with Tom on my horse's he showed me some really cool things to work on. Lots of good tips.
 Thats about it here. Until next time take care
 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Calving

    Been really busy here. We are in full swing of calving. We split the heifers into 2 pastures. I got one pasture to check and take care of, my boss took the other pasture. I ride either Roller or G in the morning through the heifers checking calves. I'll pair out calves into another pasture. I pulled a calf Monday I think it was the 3rd calf I've pulled. My boss was there to give some advice but I did the work. Today I pullled a calf by myself. Boy those heifers were on the fight! Glad we have solid fence's and pen's.
  We got calves running and jumping all over the place. They sure make you feel good watching them run and play. Until next time take care

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Ooops

   I rode G my new horse Tuesday morning to check the heifers. He was feeling kinda frisky and was really looking around. We trotted a little I broke him into a lope then back to a trot as we came on some cows. Next thing I know is Im watching him go away from me and Im flat on my back. I don't think he bucked I think he just sucked backed and spun to the right. This is what happened to my gear.
  Broke my McCarty and the headstall. The good news is he didn't break my hackamore. I didn't have to hard of a time catching him. Took him back to the barn and got my snaffle bit on him. Finished check heifers with no problems. We then went and gathered cows.  I took him on the long circle. We pounded a bunch of rocks that day. Let just say we put on the hard miles. He was a bit tired at the end of the day. We sorted a jag of cows and put them in a pasture so we could move them on Wednesday.
  Yesterday I rode Roller to check heifers then we moved them cows down to the ES pasture so they can calve. It was a couple miles my boss and I trailed them. Roller was tired at the end of the day also.
  I rode G today today check the heifers he was alot better. Then I went and fenced the rest of the day.
Heres some calves, and the baby sitter.


 My helpers from Sunday.
   If you get the Western Horseman there is a great article in the May issue on the ranch my friends manage. The run the ID ranch. They are really good people and helped me so much. I wrote about the branding last year on my blog. It was a great time. The pictures WH has are great.There is one shot of me in the magazine. Until next time take care

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Catching up

    Hey sorry I haven't posted in a while. Bunch of things been going on. We have been busy here on the ranch trying to get water to cows and move them around to start calving. We had a hole in a water line and then pulled the pump and put a new pump on. Moved the yearling replacement heifers up to my place for summer pasture. Split the first time heifers into two bunches so it will be easier to ride through and check them. It will be easier to pair them out after they calve. Been riding Roller a bit I really like him. He's kinda goofy but then so am I. He has a really weird gate, he kinda rough. He prance's a bit also not a big fan of that.
     Yesterday I gathered the bulls in and sorted off 4 yearling bulls so we could put a year brand on them. We then loaded them up and our horse's and went over to the arena we have been roping at. It's a really nice arena!! So nice the rope under lights and out of the wind. My boss likes to rope bulls if we can when they are young and smaller. Teach them to respect horse's and ropes. 500-600 pounds is easier to teach than 1600-1900 pounders. I don't know what these bulls we roped weighed but they were pretty soggy and heavy.  Three of the bulls learned really quick and were like taking the dog for a walk. Now the other bull he was a different story. He kept charging our horse's and running into us. Being dallied and have a loose bull run into your horse isn't as much fun as it sounds. So we roped him and tied his hind legs together. It slowed him down. He can't move very fast on three legs. He laid around alot and looked pissed. Haha. A friend of my boss was roping with us had a mustang horse. He said he was for sale and I couldn't beat the price. So I came home with a mustang. He roped on him last night. He was a mustang make over horse. I rode him today the check the heifers. I think he'll make me a good horse. He's 7 yrs old. He has just been standing around and was packed on for hunting season. He just needs a job, work never hurt a horse just makes them better.
   My brother asked me to write a few words of my Dad's memorial he had for him in California today. He asked a couple day's ago. I have had all kinds of thoughts running my head. How do you write a speech and have some one else read it? Last night at the roping alot of things just kinda fell into place. So when I got home I sat down at the computer and started writing. I'm not the fastest or best writer. But I was pretty happy with what I got wrote. I wrote from the heart and told a couple good story's. I think I got into bed around 2:30am. It took a bit for the mind to slow down so sleep could come. I tell you what when that alarm went off at 6:30 it came to fast. I talked to my Mom and Brother tonight sounds like they had a really nice gathering of friends show up. My brother and sister-in-law put together a bunch of picture's of the old man. I bet it was really nice. Lots of food and good company.
  Here's my new horse G.
Another shot of him.
Well thats all for tonight.
Until next time take care