Getting calves ready for the mountains

[BigSky56]

Was getting the heifer calves ready for the mountains; branding, tattooing, worming and vaccinating yesterday and ended up pulling a calf too the calf had not rotated, it was upside down had to go in and turn then pull the calf beats having the cowdoc doing a c-section. danny

[Joel]

We use a squeeze table, electric irons, and a shaver


Brandings aint what they used to be

[2X22]

In 40 years of having a few cows around, never more than a couple dozen, I've only had to pull one calf. I can still remember the shock of how hard we had to pull Me on one leg, my FIL on the other. I had both feet against her and pulling with everything my 25 year old body could muster.

Finally got 'im, and mother and calf lived happily ever after...........until it was time for burger that is

2x22

[Dave]

That reminds me of a time when I was about 8 and a cow was having a calf. She was having a lot of trouble and the next thing I knew my Grandfather was shoulder deep into the cow's rear end. That was quite a shocking sight for me! He spun the calf around, put a little chain with a handle on one of the calf's legs and pulled it out.

[Don McDowell]

Danny we've been getting rain just about everyday and alot of it. Cows are still here at the house, can't get the trailer down the road to the one pasture we have to haul to.. maybe Memorial day weekend?

[AJMD429]

I can still remember the shock of how hard we had to pull Me on one leg, my FIL on the other. I had both feet against her and pulling with everything my 25 year old body could muster.

Sometimes with humans you have to 'pull' but using forceps which go like spoons around the baby's head. Even at 190 lbs and 6'2" I remember having to brace feet against the table to pull so hard it seemed like it would cause great harm. Turns out the forceps more 'pave the way' than actually pulling on the baby's head, but it is still unnerving to have to use them.

[20cows]

Ah, the smell of hot iron on hair!

[2X22]

Sometimes with humans you have to 'pull' but using forceps which go like spoons around the baby's head. Even at 190 lbs and 6'2" I remember having to brace feet against the table to pull so hard it seemed like it would cause great harm.

Wow. I had absolutely no idea that doctors had to pull that hard on a human baby Amazing!

2x22

[fordwannabe]

Ahhh calving season..boy does that bring back a few really gross, disgusting, tiring, labor intensive, foul smelling,cloths destroying, sleep deprived memories. Dang I miss Montana. Tom

[Nath]

last calf I did was when I was out one nice spring evening, we were looking for varmints and came across a fresian down giving birth. I decided to watch her some and sure enough the calfs legs were not coming out much with each push.
I had some rope in my pocket used for dragging deer at the time and so help her out some.

Once the feller was out we rubbed his chest and poked a stick down his nose, he was soon awake.

Just as we were done the farmer turned up and was impressed but he never offered us a drink or even a chance to wash our hands

Nath.

[brno602]

I live very close to you,just don't ask me for help I am stiff and sore from Tuesday still! Ah Spring time and me and my big mouth! I told him 20 years ago you need a hand call me lol Worth every min. That was said to the rancher who's land I hunt on most of the year.Since I am not a Rancher or City dweller, It worked. I learned lot's my hound has done better than his cattle dogs that's what got him to calling me the last few years. Ya they are bigger than a Grouse but they need to be brought in one way or the other.
Ah Spring time in the rocky's! Move the cattle out to the rocks for summer grazing. It's alot of work and the size of the needle scares me! Hay 4 months and you get to bring them back!

[Wes]

I hope to finish branding next week. We still rope and drag them to the fire. It's just too much fun that way. Sometimes we don't sort the mothers off first. Really keeps the ground help on their toes when mama is blowing snot in their hind pockets!
I'm still feeding cows . Just unharnessed my team and turned them loose. Pretty sure they're as tired of feeding as I am.

[Don McDowell]

Wes I'm still feeding a little here. Keeps raining and can't get the cows out to pasture. Have to haul about 35 head to the first pasture they visit this summer, and the jeep sinks in the county road. Maybe next week
Sure looking good to cut hay again this year..

[Wes]

Yes it's shaping up for a good hay year here too Don it just needs to warm up. I'm on the Farm Service Agency committee over here and this last week the snow reports were saying that we are from 110% to 173% of normal for snow pack . If it warms up too fast we might be looking for a dry knob to camp on. My house sits about 100 yards from the bank of the Smith's Fork.

[Don McDowell]

Are the ponds at Dead Horse still a good fishin hole or did they bite the bigone during the drought?
Tell Kerry M I said hello.

[BigSky56]

brno soon as the rain and snow lets up probably 1 june Ill move cow calf pairs up into the Yaak I will have to keep an eye on them as the wolves have been bothersome this spring another rancher wintered his herd up there has lost 3 cows and 4 calves since march the wolves are at their worst at night . danny

[ndcowboy]

Looks like a nice setup. I spent last night fixing fence in a new pasture where we'll move the cattle to next week. We won't work the calves for another three weeks, after which we move them to a pasture not connected to our home place. Gotta have good brands on them before they get too far from home!

[Wes]

Snowing here again this morning. I am headed out to get my saddlehorse and go gather bulls for trich testing. Not a nice day.
Some of the folks who have pasture up by mine went up with their cattle on the 15th. Not a stick of feed up there! I think the BLM oughta kick them off that lease, they really are poor stewards.
Don, I think the ponds must have gone bad (maybe winterkilled?). They opened that road up and improved it enough that there are a lot of people hitting Dead Horse. There are now 4 wheeler trails all over the place up there. You can't ride a horse or walk 200 yards in any direction without coming across a 4 wheeler trail worn 6" deep. Just makes me sick. Used to be some good elk hunting in there as well as the good fishing.
Danny, good luck with the wolves. Heard MT was going to up the number of licenses this year, is that true? Probably ought to be packin a rifle when you go around your cows, what would you take for wolves?

[Don McDowell]

That's progress I suppose.....

[BigSky56]

I heard triple the lic#, I take a 30-30 when ahorseback its brushing and full of alders lost 2 yearlings to grizzlies a few years back as they say the closer you get to Canada the more things there is that can eat you. Between the wolves grizzles and lions it keeps a guy busy. danny

[Modoc ED]

A local rancher just last week drove about 500-head of cattle down the road right in front of my house when he was moving them up onto the Devil's Garden in the Modoc National Forest. I do most of my ground squirrel shooting on his place and help him out on occasion when he is branding, castrating, administering drugs, and putting ear-tags in. Once, during calving, they had to cut the side of a cow and bring the calf out that way to birth it. Pretty interesting.

This is what it looks like around here this time of year. This is a small drive passing by my place last year.

If ya come up on a drive like this, ya just pull over and enjoy the sight until the cows pass.

[20cows]

We used to have a "drive" like that down county roads when I was a kid and my uncle worked more land. Now we just have the old home place and can get to everything through a gate without the county road.

[brno602]

brno soon as the rain and snow lets up probably 1 june Ill move cow calf pairs up into the Yaak I will have to keep an eye on them as the wolves have been bothersome this spring another rancher wintered his herd up there has lost 3 cows and 4 calves since march the wolves are at their worst at night . danny

Wolves are on a increase everywhere I see them when I cut firewood. Ya it's fun to talk about Snow in late May we had a little this weekend.
Wolves are still open season here so it's not really a problem and Bears take the odd one and the Big cat's are too smart to get caught so they stick to Deer. So many cougars here but no trouble from them other than spooking horses.