Moo Cow Monday ~ When Things Go Wrong

We had just a little bit of cattle working to do over the weekend.

Those three fancy heifers, we have in the pasture, that pair with our Black Friday Deals.

Well....

It was time to wean them from their mommas.

We arrived at the pasture.

But not before Flower Boy hit his head on the stock trailer.

We had to set up panels.

We have the large cattle panels at home on the unfinished portion of the loading alley.

This is what happens when you forget the post driver.

 Honestly, rocks don't make good drivers.

Thankfully, the land owner was home and had a post driver in his shop.

The cattle were called into the catch pen.

A single heifer was pulled off and loaded into the stock trailer.

Off to the next pasture.

Cows and calves were called in and sorted.

Fall born calves and mommas were left in the catch pen, as well as the other two heifers we were holding back.

Along about this time, Flower Boy realizes we don't have the ear tags to tag the fall babies.

I am sent home to retrieve them, while Flower Boy and Drewman work the three older heifers.

 

 I arrive back with the ear tags, as the guys were running the mommas through the alley and chute, into the catch pen.

When working with smaller calves, you don't want to separate them from their mommas.

This is why the mommas were just outside in the catch pen, as we were working them.

After all the fall babies are worked, they run to their mommas.

Once they pair back up, the pairs are turned back to pasture with the other cattle.

Mommas head over the hill to take their babies as far away from us as possible.

They are only protecting their babies and taking them to a safe place.

Everyone comes to the feed truck for feed the next day.

The three fancy heifers are loaded into the trailer and transported home to meet their new herd.

These three, like the other seven purchased, are summer born calves.

We believe we have combined a really nice group of "off season" heifers, that will grow into amazing baby producers.

Even when things go wrong, in the breeding season or any other time in life, all is not lost.

Others have the same problems.

Take the time to seek them out and make the best of what you have.

We did!

XOXO,

Rancher Girl