Weaning time is now complete.
The babies have been worked one at a time.
The Bandin and Brandin has been done.
The time has now come, to turn the weanlings out to pasture.
This makes me happy and sad.
Sad, because our babies are grown up and will be sold soon.
But, it's Fall Calving Season, so I will soon get over the sadness.
We had our first Fall Baby born last Sunday!
(Don't worry.... you will get to hear about it soon.)
Happy, because of where they have been put to pasture.
I get to drive past them on my way to and from work!
There is no better feeling, to a Rancher Girl, than to drive past your cattle on a crisp Fall mornin!
The cattle have a mist rising from their backs, like the mist over a pond after a cool refreshing rain on a hot Summer day!
Last Sunday morning, Flower Boy and Charlie rode pastures.
A relationship between a man and his horse is one very special relationship!
Charlie was mad at me, for a very long time, because I had taken Flower Boy from him.
Well...
He thought I had.
It is as important for Charlie to have dates with Flower Boy, as it is for me to have dates with Flower Boy.
They are a team!
After Drewman and I got home from church, Flower Boy said he had found a few spots in the fence needing repaired, before we could turn the weanlings out.
First stop was a water gap.
Note: The bottom fence wire was at Flower Boy's hip.
We placed a wire panel in the water gap, much like we did here.
You want to place the panel going with the flow of the rushing water, so it washes out or gives way when something heavy gets caught as it flows down stream.
Water gaps are a constant maintenance issue on the ranch.
Every time it rains, we have to check them.
The calves could have walked right under the wire and been on the next quarter within hours of turning them out.
When cattle are turned to a pasture they always walk the fence line first!
This is the reason to check the fences before you turn them out.
We moved on to the west fence line to fix a broken wire.
Flower Boy got to use his Texas Fence Fixer again.
That little thing has become quite the useful tool, on the ranch!
It was the top wire that was broken.
Our guess...
The deer broke it when jumping the fence line.
This pasture is a 35 acre pasture.
Perfect for weanlings to run.
It keeps them close together, with not a lot of creeks and trees.
Weanlings are like teenagers!
They like to live on the edge and test the fence and waters.
There is some really good grass in this pasture.
The weanlings will be here for a few months, to gain weight, before being sold.
(insert sad face here)
After we finished repairing the fence, it was time to gather the weanlings.
Flower Boy and Charlie do all the work.
They push the cattle down the fence line.
Into the catch pen.
Down the fence line.
Into the corrals.
Too watch these two work, photos don't do them justice.
Actually, it cheats them!
Charlie is an awesome work horse and Flower Boy does a spectacular job of working him.
Those two get on a stray calf....
Let me say, it doesn't stray for long!
Within seconds, that calf is back with the others.
Watching a man and his horse work, tells all about their relationship.
It is a bond they have worked really hard to create.
One that won't easily be broken or was easily gained.
One that takes hours to maintain and foster.
It takes time, effort, patience and commitment from both parties.
Their love for each other is undeniable.
After Charlie and Flower Boy get the weanlings into the corral, we load them into the trailer and head to the pasture.
Open the trailer gate.
AND
They're gone!
These past few days of driving past the weanling pasture,
I haven't been able to see them because the grass is so tall.
No worries!
They are all there!
They hear the feed truck and come running!
I told you the grass in this pasture is tall!
Rancher Girl
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