The cattle thread

[sandhiller]

Love the shot of the calf jumping into the ol Niobrara?

Good flip on the cow. I've had to do it a couple of times but usually someone with me so we could head and heal. 

Thanks for the Pics Nick!

[Lazy WP]

26 minutes ago, sandhiller said:

Love the shot of the calf jumping into the ol Niobrara?

Good flip on the cow. I've had to do it a couple of times but usually someone with me so we could head and heal. 

Thanks for the Pics Nick!

I went to a pasture roping clinic in Cody a number of years ago.  KC Walkub put it on and Ryan Sexson helped. After that I have never jerked a critter around. Just kinda tangled them up and hold them. 
That summer I think I doctored 20 big cows and 5 bulls weighing well over 2000 pounds. 

[WishIhada1466]

53 minutes ago, Lazy WP said:

I went to a pasture roping clinic in Cody a number of years ago.  KC Walkub put it on and Ryan Sexson helped. After that I have never jerked a critter around. Just kinda tangled them up and hold them. 
That summer I think I doctored 20 big cows and 5 bulls weighing well over 2000 pounds. 

I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn how to rope correctly. I learned from necessity while taking care of the feedlot and calves we had out on cornstalks in Nebraska. I could get the job done but it wasn't always pretty. That one fall/early winter we had so many calves with pneumonia that while I was feeding my helper would go through the calves on stalks and write ear tag #'s down of calves that needed treated. When I got done with chores we spent most of the rest of the day roping and doctoring calves. Some days I was by myself and I would either wait for the wife to come home from work and saddle up or just do it by myself.I think we had around 700 hd of calves running on cornstalks. In the stalks we never could get them heeled so we would head them and then whichever of us two didnt catch one would get off and throw it and treat it. The following season all the crop ground at the feedlot was in beans so we could head and heel no problem but we also didn't have near the number of sicks calves that year. Now I still carry a rope on my saddle but it rarely gets used.

[Lazy WP]

17 minutes ago, WishIhada1466 said:

I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn how to rope correctly. I learned from necessity while taking care of the feedlot and calves we had out on cornstalks in Nebraska. I could get the job done but it wasn't always pretty. That one fall/early winter we had so many calves with pneumonia that while I was feeding my helper would go through the calves on stalks and write ear tag #'s down of calves that needed treated. When I got done with chores we spent most of the rest of the day roping and doctoring calves. Some days I was by myself and I would either wait for the wife to come home from work and saddle up or just do it by myself.I think we had around 700 hd of calves running on cornstalks. In the stalks we never could get them heeled so we would head them and then whichever of us two didnt catch one would get off and throw it and treat it. The following season all the crop ground at the feedlot was in beans so we could head and heel no problem but we also didn't have near the number of sicks calves that year. Now I still carry a rope on my saddle but it rarely gets used.

I never really learned to rope until then. I always had a fast horse that tracked cattle. Made me look good. 
This horse handled a rope better than any other I have been around. Wouldn’t track them and would probably go to bucking, but if you had something roped, Frog would hold it all day long. 

[WishIhada1466]

18 minutes ago, Lazy WP said:

I never really learned to rope until then. I always had a fast horse that tracked cattle. Made me look good. 
This horse handled a rope better than any other I have been around. Wouldn’t track them and would probably go to bucking, but if you had something roped, Frog would hold it all day long. 

I had a palomino named Tulsa for awhile. He had good speed and did well roping. One day one of the other hands and I were trying to bring a fat steer out of the pens and down to the barn to treat diphtheria. Steer probably weighed 1500 and about ready to ship. I was horseback and the other fella was in a truck. He was not much with cattle he took care of the row crops and the only reason he was helping me is we had beans to cut at the feedlot after the dew burned off. Well we failed miserably at getting this steer out of the pen gate and to the alley. I sent the other fella to the barn after a syringe and dexamethasone and when he got back I proceeded to heel this steer and tripped him. Got off Tulsa and hollered for the other guy to run me the medicine. The steer decided to get up before we got to him but ole Tulsa locked the brakes and held him and he went down again. Hurried and got him treated and I looked back at Tulsa and the saddle had pulled up onto his withers but he did his job and stood there the whole time. 

[sandhiller]

7 hours ago, Lazy WP said:

I went to a pasture roping clinic in Cody a number of years ago.  KC Walkub put it on and Ryan Sexson helped. After that I have never jerked a critter around. Just kinda tangled them up and hold them. 
That summer I think I doctored 20 big cows and 5 bulls weighing well over 2000 pounds. 

Would have been worth the time.

I met Casey Wachob at a branding south of Rushville, very businesses like was my impression. Been there done that and does it right.

Ryan is a good all around hand that knows horses very well. Good guy to have help.

I never learned the tanglefoot method. I tried to lay em over like a steer tripper. It was pretty hard on them specially if they got on the fight. Luckily never broke a leg. 

Your method seems much better for everyone involved.

[sandhiller]

Boy, weird start to my morning. Got to the calving pasture just after daybreak and there is a group of about ten cows running hellbent for election.

Led  by a cow chasing her 3 day old calf bawling bloody murder.

The more she bawled the more stirred up everyone got the more the calf ran from her which made her even madder. Other cows standing on hilltops to see what was going on with some joining in the fracas which added to the confusion.

Finally the calf tired and stopped, she quit bawling and everything quieted down.

Don't know if there was a coyote out here or what but something sure got her stirred up.

Found all the babies and tagged couple new ones, everything ok and quiet now.

Well I'm sure wide awake and ready to go on with my day.

Hope your day is going well!

[RichardDSalyer]

5 hours ago, sandhiller said:

Boy, weird start to my morning. Got to the calving pasture just after daybreak and there is a group of about ten cows running hellbent for election.

Led  by a cow chasing her 3 day old calf bawling bloody murder.

The more she bawled the more stirred up everyone got the more the calf ran from her which made her even madder. Other cows standing on hilltops to see what was going on with some joining in the fracas which added to the confusion.

Finally the calf tired and stopped, she quit bawling and everything quieted down.

Don't know if there was a coyote out here or what but something sure got her stirred up.

Found all the babies and tagged couple new ones, everything ok and quiet now.

Well I'm sure wide awake and ready to go on with my day.

Hope your day is going well!

Your calving season is different than mine.  I have all calving done no later than April with the early calves in February and the vast majority in March.  The late breeders who calve in April are at McDonalds shortly after weaning.  Perhaps my thinking is backward but I do not want a four (4) month old calf heading into the sometimes brutal Nebraska / South Dakota winter.

My Montana operation is the same, all calving done in the first quarter of the year in order to schedule Spring roundup every year on Memorial Day weekend.

[sandhiller]

1 hour ago, RichardDSalyer said:

Your calving season is different than mine.  I have all calving done no later than April with the early calves in February and the vast majority in March.  The late breeders who calve in April are at McDonalds shortly after weaning.  Perhaps my thinking is backward but I do not want a four (4) month old calf heading into the sometimes brutal Nebraska / South Dakota winter.

My Montana operation is the same, all calving done in the first quarter of the year in order to schedule Spring roundup every year on Memorial Day weekend.

We have two calving seasons here. It is predominantly spring calvers (March and April) And a few Fall calvers (August and September). 

I used to do both till the bank took my spring calving herd back in '03. The left me my handfull of Fall calvers.

They mostly fall and winter graze with 3# of 28% protein cake. Hay is only fed during storms and when locked in during AI breeding. 

They have hillls for protection but I will bring them home if it looks like a real bad blizzard is coming in. 

When we preg checked this spring only had one cow that didn't breed. 

Sold weaned calves July 23rd with steers weighing 758 and bringing $157.50 and heifers 646 (kept the best for replacements hurt their wt a little) and $138.00. Not the best year but it paid bills along with the other jobs I do. 

The are calving now out in the hills unassisted (first calf heifers along side the cows). I check once a day and tag the new babies. Not to say I never have any problems but calving out in the hills they seem to have way less than when locked in a calving lot and checked every 2 or 3 hours. They mostly calve at night when it is cool. Oh, and if I wasn't in the rusty old truck hauling fuel, I would be sleeping instead of night checking heavies. ?

I could go on about the pluses and minuses to each calving season but I'm sure you know most of 'em and I need to finish eating my dinner and go check the hay I mowed down Thursday? then go after a load of diesel for Merriman station. 

It is not for everyone but it works for me. That is what I like about ranching, many different ways to get a calf to market and be successful doing it.  A person can tailor his methods to fit his operation. ?

 

 

 

[mike newman]

1 hour ago, sandhiller said:

We have two calving seasons here. It is predominantly spring calvers (March and April) And a few Fall calvers (August and September). 

I used to do both till the bank took my spring calving herd back in '03. The left me my handfull of Fall calvers.

They mostly fall and winter graze with 3# of 28% protein cake. Hay is only fed during storms and when locked in during AI breeding. 

They have hillls for protection but I will bring them home if it looks like a real bad blizzard is coming in. 

When we preg checked this spring only had one cow that didn't breed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, sandhiller said:

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, sandhiller said:

Sold weaned calves July 23rd with steers weighing 758 and bringing $157.50 and heifers 646 (kept the best for replacements hurt their wt a little) and $138.00. Not the best year but it paid bills along with the other jobs I do

 

 

 

 

      ........Jeff.......at the risk of sounding   slightly more dumber  than usual...........those quoted  prices for your weaned calves......is that  for real.....??.........tell me you made a mistake .with those numbers.......gheez

Mike

[WishIhada1466]

4 minutes ago, mike newman said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      ........Jeff.......at the risk of sounding   slightly more dumber  than usual...........those quoted  prices for your weaned calves......is that  for real.....??.........tell me you made a mistake .with those numbers.......gheez

Mike

Mike that would be the price per 100lbs. Or $1.575 per pound and $1.38 per pound.

[mike newman]

2 hours ago, WishIhada1466 said:

Mike that would be the price per 100lbs. Or $1.575 per pound and $1.38 per pound.

....thankyou for that...!!!...that is indeed a relief !

....  Down under,   our weaned  calves......in fact all livestock   sales vary down under........for example  my weaned calves sold at the sale yards for   about $NZ  820.00  average each animal ...(over three pens  inc      heifers )........The big boys in the industry   often will sell by weights..(...as has Jeff, obviously .....).......but  again a good ''line ' of weaners ...at the yards ...will usually be sold at a price per head......We try to get  our cattle to killing weight of  300  Kilograms...on the hook......and that price is currently   $NZ 4,70  per KG.......down from $6.20  KG pre  pre Covis .........as usual the Chinese    are calling the tune.......

No....thanks for that WI  1466....... thought we might have to set up a ""Give a little ""  page for old Sandhiller...............my mistake...sigh

Mike

[sandhiller]

7 hours ago, mike newman said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      ........Jeff.......at the risk of sounding   slightly more dumber  than usual...........those quoted  prices for your weaned calves......is that  for real.....??.........tell me you made a mistake .with those numbers.......gheez

Mike

$157.50 per hundred weight or $1.575 per pound.

Sorry it wasn't clear, that is the way I am used to doing it. Took it for granted.

Edit: oops didn't see Christian's reply, ?

[IHhogfarmer]

It’s taken a while for me to get around to posting about showing my steers at the county fair. The show was a week ago this past Friday (August 7th). Their names were Poncho and Lefty. 
 

This is my 1992 GMC backed up in the cattle barn with the trailer full of wood chips for the bedding. This was the day before all livestock showed up. 

Cattle are in Monday August 3rd. The are tied here in the barn in the day then all cattle go out to the tie outs for the night to rest and eat an abundance of hay. 

 

This was the night before the show. This one is Lefty and he weighed in at 1305 lbs...... he was in the middleweight division. I showed him and he got second in class. 

 

This is Poncho, he weighed in at 1413 and was in the heavyweight division. I showed him and got first in my class. Then I went back in the heavyweight division and won it and got a trophy. Winning a division I got to be in the grand champion drive. I didn’t get Grand or Reserve champion however but I felt I was really close.  
 

 

This was taken last Sunday Aug. 9. That was the morning all livestock was being loaded on the truck. So after this I took Poncho and Lefty to the loading pen. They were the best two show steers I ever had. 

 

[ZG6E]

Well I was due to start calving the 20th and I had already had 17 calves. I usually have a few before the start date but something about this year got them dropping early up here. My dad had almost 10 early as well. 

Mama got the better of me on this one and I guess this littler heifer probably won’t be wearing an ear tag until branding day. 

[sandhiller]

2 hours ago, ZG6E said:

Well I was due to start calving the 20th and I had already had 17 calves. I usually have a few before the start date but something about this year got them dropping early up here. My dad had almost 10 early as well. 

Mama got the better of me on this one and I guess this littler heifer probably won’t be wearing an ear tag until branding day. 

Just shinny down to your skivvies, it don't look that deep?

You water out of stock dams/ponds up there I think don't you?

Mine are going good also right now. Hope you are not having the heat we are. I think it hit 103 today and that is hard on the younger babies. No wind so I had to haul water today to get everybody a drink, wind was pumping a little water when I left the pasture so hope it refills some tanks. 

Good luck with the rest of your calving season, it is awful dry here and no moisture in the forecast, hope it turns around or we will be "red flag day" everyday. If we can get to the end of the week it looks like cooler temps at least. 

[ZG6E]

1 hour ago, sandhiller said:

Just shinny down to your skivvies, it don't look that deep?

You water out of stock dams/ponds up there I think don't you?

Mine are going good also right now. Hope you are not having the heat we are. I think it hit 103 today and that is hard on the younger babies. No wind so I had to haul water today to get everybody a drink, wind was pumping a little water when I left the pasture so hope it refills some tanks. 

Good luck with the rest of your calving season, it is awful dry here and no moisture in the forecast, hope it turns around or we will be "red flag day" everyday. If we can get to the end of the week it looks like cooler temps at least. 

My luck as soon as I did that I would bog down and have to wait for my wife to come pull me out ?
 

It has been a hot couple weeks up here too with highs above 95 about every day and only cooling down to 75 at night. The calves seem to be fairing better this year in the heat than most years. 
 

I water out of dams when possible but in the case they dry up my place is also piped with at least one tank in each pasture and I can water from a deep well when needed. I haven’t needed to the last few years but if next year shapes up like this year I will be turning the tanks on next summer. 

[sandhiller]

[TP from Central PA]

Only late summer/fall calf showed up a bit early................I should take a picture of me next to him, back isn't as high as my knee............Mom is our only cross bred "Pet"...........

[sandhiller]

This pic fascinates me. Got it off the net so have no background. 

There is a lot going on here.

From the working chute/alley that was converted to hyd operation. I have never seen anything like it but it looks like it was designed to handle "highly athletic cattle". Would think it squeezes but not sure. A lot of levers, slide gates, working doors. Interesting and purpose built. Not sure what the red thing is on the inside of her right hind leg. Don't think it's a back stop, maybe she tore it off on her way up.

Now to the cow. The look on her face is priceless. She exudes confidence and disdain for the cowboys who are hiding behind the cameraman, she is the boss cow, not stupid, and used to having her way. From her dirty knee, you can tell she went low before going high. That is a big old square polled head and she was dehorned a little later in life than at branding when I catch any of mine that may have a horn bud. 

Never been around "eared" cattle much other than once when a guy I worked for got some yearlings in from Louisianna. Those things were like deer. Not mean really, just wild. In the alleyway I swear they could run by you and throw a leg and kick your hat off unless you were riding an exceptionally tall horse. And jump, oh my word they could jump. 

Now for the million dollar question "How in tarnation do we get her out of there"? 

Me? I would take the crew to dinner. And bet when we got back she will have figured her way out all by herself. ?

[dads706]

Hiller, Isn't that a head restraint? Goes over the neck to keep them from throwing their head up and down. I had a head gate years ago that had one. It worked good if you needed it. Not sure what it's doing there though. She'll probably roll over on her side and land upside down in the chute none the worse for wear.

Never been around any, but have been told they could clear a 6' fence and never touch the top wire.

[sandhiller]

1 hour ago, dads706 said:

Hiller, Isn't that a head restraint? Goes over the neck to keep them from throwing their head up and down. I had a head gate years ago that had one. It worked good if you needed it. Not sure what it's doing there though. She'll probably roll over on her side and land upside down in the chute none the worse for wear.

Never been around any, but have been told they could clear a 6' fence and never touch the top wire.

It does look like it but what it is doing there I don't know either. Think she could rearrange a few things?

Wouldn't want to have her catch me on the ground. Rather take a beating with a baseball bat

[Tmtbob]

They can be goofy. Hauled a lot of mixed bred like that from Florida and Georgia. Guys down there don't pay attention to them like we seem to. Turn them out one day and round them up 6 months later to pull calves is about all they see of people. Their sale barns sell one at a time also and that adds to the crazy in them. My neighbor feeds several hundred if not thousand head of calves a year and I brought him a couple loads from Florida years ago. He said after that experience he didn’t need anymore gator cattle. Said he can’t hardly kill them but can’t hardly catch them either. Another guy I would bring some back to from Georgia would train heelers for cattle and he got to selling a bunch of dogs to 1 ranch in Florida. He finally asked why they used so many dogs and they told him a smart dog will stay out of the water when they’re working cattle. The others would go lay down in the water holes to cool off and be gator lunch. He quit selling dogs to them after hearing that. 

[from H to 80]

vet question , i had to take my bull out last friday ,because he was limping on his right rear. By Sunday i noticed he was slobbering with his tongue sticking out a little and he was having trouble eating. I had the vet out Monday , he checked him out from head to toe and couldn't really diagnose anything he loaded him up with draxin and banamine hoping it was some sort of infection, it's been 4 days and he is barely eating i am afraid i'm going to lose him, any ideas on what this might be.

[sandhiller]

 

20 minutes ago, from H to 80 said:

any ideas on what this might be.

Any thing I could think of, I'm sure you're vet did too.

If he is that sick I would have another vet look at him.