Working Cattle

Working cattle is always a learning experience, and this year when we worked our herd we learned a lot!

We learned that it pays to be prepared and organized.

As each cow or calf comes through the alley, we have to be
prepared with what we are going to do to them. They are all given a fly tag (to ward off flies), treated for lice, grubs and other unwanted parasites, vaccinated against pink eye, and various other infectious viruses, and then weighed. Our calves also get a shot to prevent respiratory problems and blackleg, which can actually wipe out a whole year of calves. Fortunately this disease is preventable with vaccination. So these shots and tags all have to be kept separated and organized.

 

We learned that sometimes it takes several hands to do one job.

Although the Farmer is very proficient in what he does, he just can’t be in three places at one time. As the cattle go through the alley way someone has to encourage them along, and someone else has to open the sliding gate and shut it behind each cow or calf, and then the Farmer shuts the head chute at just the right moment.

 

We learned that a 13 year-old farmer’s daughter is not a big enough threat to keep a 1500 lb. cow from going over the fence.

Usually a cow’s moo is worse than their bite, so we had daughter #5 standing at the top of the gate to ward off any wayward cow that
may have gotten a crazy idea of trying an escape while they were in the holding pen. And it worked. Although we had a crazy cow escape (#11), she didn’t go through the gate; she jumped over the fence! Well, she jumped on the fence, it broke, and then she went over. But still the same result. Several years ago we had a similar incident in a sort of make-shift lot that we used to work our cattle
in. So when we built our existing lot, we purposefully built it high enough so a cow could not go over (or so we thought until this year). The crazy thing jumped a couple of times and then finally busted through the boards and went right over, like she was a trained horse or something. Whatever…she didn’t get a fly tag so I hope she gets bitten by a great big horse fly!

 

And the final thing we learned this year is working cattle in the rain is no fun at all!

Although the day started out a little nippy, the sun soon came out and we were plenty warm about a half hour into the process. Unfortunately, the sun was overtaken by some ominous looking rain clouds and it began to pour. It didn’t take long before we were all soaked and covered in mud, which wasn't too bad because it washed away some of the manure that we were all covered in from working the silly cattle in the first place. They are so uncouth.

Son #4 setting up the scales so we can weigh the cattle. Our largest cow weighed 1550 lbs. and our largest fall calf weighed 732 lbs.

 

Daughter #5 still holding her post after the rain had let up a little.

Notice she's staring down one of the mama cows

 

If you look closely, you can see Son #1 and the Farmer separating

the spring cows and their babies from the fall calves.

 

All the cows and calves have been separated and will soon be back on the pasture.

 

 

 

 

Spring Has Sprung!

During the winter months, we contain our cattle in one or two of our back paddocks to make it easier to feed hay and to keep all our other fields from being tromped to pieces…you can imagine what a herd of 1200-pound cows would do in a soft, wet field.

Today it seems that the cold, snowy weather of the past few weeks are finally disappearing. Standing outside and looking out over the fields, I can almost see the grass growing. The smells, the sounds, and all the sights that come with a new spring are beginning to appear.

One of the first signs that spring has sprung, in our little world, is being able to open the gates and allowing our cattle to graze on the cool, green grasses of a fresh new paddock. I have to say, the cows seem pretty excited, too. 
It is quite funny to watch them crowd through the gate and run and frolic in the new field. (yeah…frolic!) I will have to post a video some time. :)

Looks like they had a belly-full

...and laying around in the sunshine

Of course, they have to get up to see what I am doing

 

Fortunately,
for now, they are off the hay and onto the pastures. 

Now, like all farmers
throughout the ages, we will be praying for rain, sunshine, and a profitable harvest!

Missouri Weather

We went into winter 2012 with just enough hay (fingers crossed) to make it until Spring. Well, as many know, Missouri’s weather is very fickle. In fact, rightly quoted...

"If you don't like the weather in Missouri, hang around until tomorrow and it will be different”.

True to its nature, March came in like a lion with strong winds and an illusion to warmer weather,

but took an erratic turn when a spattering of sleet was covered by 8” of snow.

We could use a little global warming right about now!

Needless to say, we did not have enough hay. Fortunately, with a quick search on craigslist we found hay for sale at the Koch Farm in Washington. Looks like a great place to live. They have a farm that runs 100+ head of cattle, no more than 5 minutes from McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, and Schnucks! Some people have it all. :) (Ahh...I pleasantly digress)

You can see by the pictures below that we got the hay just in time.

 Saturday, when I took the pictures of the Farmer unloading the hay, it was 50+ degrees.

Well, for now we have enough hay for about a week...

So, Old Man Winter, please get out of the way so Spring can be Sprung!