Horsewright
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2011
- Messages
- 13,298
For Five years California has been in a drought. This year the promised El Nino came bringing great rains. We've had 24 plus inches so far and more still forecasted. We've averaged 4 inches a year for the past five years so 24 was a welcome relief. Our ranch literally has more grass now than we've had in the last 3 years combined. Twice a year, (springtime and fall) we gather all our cattle in. There are calves to brand, castrate, tag and all the cattle need shots and worming. Collectively all these activities are know as processing and this is a necessary step in the process of raising beef and ultimately leather. There are several types of cow outfits. We are what is known as a cow/calf outfit. We convert our grass into a calf that at weaning becomes our product that we sell. Come ride with me and I'll walk ya through the process and we'll see some cool leatherwork being used too. Actually my wife Nichole was cowboss this time. An injury prevented me from being more active than pushing the button on the camera. Friday morning we started gathering. We invite several friends to come and help us. In the gather ya ride out, find the cattle and bring them back to the corrals. Easy peasy right. Sometimes and sometimes not. This particular morning went pretty easy. I'd sent out scouting parties and Easton and Noah (16 and 15 respectively) found most of the cattle right away. They were only a couple of miles from the corrals but on the other side of a mountain range. After a quick ride where Easton and Noah were able to race ahead get in front of the cattle while they were trying to escape they got em turned and brought them relatively un eventfully down to the corrals. Then we take attendance and see who we have and who is missing. Each cow wears an ear tag with a number and thats how she is known. We realized we had most of the cattle in but were still missing 1 cow and 3 yearling heifers. So now my riders head off into lots of big country to try and find just these 4 head.
This pic came from the cell phone of one of my guys out looking for the cattle. This is the canyon where Easton and Noah found the large group of cattle. They tried to escape by running to the right of the photograph or to the north. This pic is to the west. This next one is about a mile to the east and then looking to the east into a large area of the ranch we call "The Bowl".
Half way down this canyon Nichole found the missing cow. It had just calved a few days earlier and had brushed up. Finding just four head in such big country is quite a trick. So she was able to bring the cow and calf down to the flats and all the way back to the corrals. Once all my riders were back we started in on the branding process. We never did find the 3 heifers until Sunday evening. In the upper right of the pic you can see the airstrip of the Tehachapi airport and the road just below it is Hwy 58 a major east to west roadway way here in California. Hwy 58 is the ranches southern border for a good part of it.
So Nichole and our partner in the ranch Steve are mixing up the medicines for the calves. This is a pretty laborious process and takes time. Rest of the crew just hangs out. We made Nichole's wildrag ( blue scarf that she's wearing), her wool vest, her leggings and her spur straps.
I'd broke the crew into two groups so one would be roping and the other would be doing the ground work. Half way through the branding they'd swap places. Here's a couple of my first group of ropers waiting. Made Noah's leggings on the left and Salty's spur straps on the right. This spot is about the only place on the ranch that AT and T service works. Verizon works everywhere.
Here's that cow with the newborn calf. We will process that calf first to get it out of the way and then its not getting jostled around in the hustle and bustle. Due to its young age this calf was just heeled by its hind feet and drug over to the "fire", where it was processed. It was too young to brand or castrate if its a bull calf. So all that happened to it was it got an ear tag and a vaccine that is squirted up each nostril, no needle involved.
So the ropers heeled that baby calf and drug it to the fire. Nichole is jumping in to secure it.
Steve is coming with the ear tag for this new calf and Easton is helping to hold it down by picking the heel rope up high. Doug is gonna grab the front end from Nichole. Made his leggings too.
All finished and the little calf is running to join back up with its mom. You can see the size difference between this calf just a few days old and those other ones that are a couple of months old. Sometimes if a calf has an interesting marking or something we'll give em a nickname. That calf in the lead is "Bowtie" due to that mark on her forehead.
So Salty has Bowtie headed and Noah is coming in for the heels.
This calf is secured and Nichole is giving some of the shots. There are 3 separate injections given that cover a wide range of things. One is a vitamin supplement. Our grass is very strong in most things but is copper deficient. When you see our black cattle having some red tinge that tells ya they need a shot of "multimin", a vitamin mineral supplement. We give that twice a year and am upping it to 3 times a year at the Vet's suggestion.
Nichole branding Bowtie. Traditionally the boss or their designee does the branding. That way there is no one to blame if it gets screwed up.
There's a good brand. Our brand is read as reverse D N connected over a quarter circle. Goes on the left shoulder.
Here Nichole and Doug are giving one of the shots where its squirted up the calf's nostril. Then you hold the head up for a minute.
Half way through and the crew switched. Nichole searching for a specific calf.
Doug coming in for the heels.
Nichole throwing a great trap shot. See how she was able to get her loop in front of the calf's hind legs as its moving forward as Easton has it headed. This ain't easy.
Noah being young and adventurous would sometimes ride the bigger calves when we let them up.
Salty applying some disinfectant after castrating one of the bull calves.
Thought we were all finished but realized that one had slipped through and missed one shot so Nichole had Salty jump on her horse Lil Man and go get the calf. So that was pretty much the end of the branding. Next morning we'll process the adults.
Next morning was cold and foggy clearing through the day. Keeper, Salty's dog is leading the way.
The adults. Freckles in front (#3 purple ear tag) had cancer on her third eyelid. Fortunately the Vet was there helping as a friend that morning. He was able to do a little impromptu surgery and remove the cancer.
As the adults out weigh most of the horses we don't rope them. Tough on cows, tough on horses and real tough on your ground crew. So they are run through the squeeze and processed there. The squeeze chute is the green contraption at the front there and it will catch the cow's head as it comes through and then can be tighten or squeezed on the cow's whole body holding her pretty still.
Got all the work done in the morning and played some in the afternoon. Some old guy still not allowed on his horse but getting better, have my leggings on.
Couple of days later back up.
Ponying our new mare Roja, ain't she purty. Hope ya enjoyed spring processing at El Rancho Dos Markus. Questions and comments always welcome.
This pic came from the cell phone of one of my guys out looking for the cattle. This is the canyon where Easton and Noah found the large group of cattle. They tried to escape by running to the right of the photograph or to the north. This pic is to the west. This next one is about a mile to the east and then looking to the east into a large area of the ranch we call "The Bowl".
Half way down this canyon Nichole found the missing cow. It had just calved a few days earlier and had brushed up. Finding just four head in such big country is quite a trick. So she was able to bring the cow and calf down to the flats and all the way back to the corrals. Once all my riders were back we started in on the branding process. We never did find the 3 heifers until Sunday evening. In the upper right of the pic you can see the airstrip of the Tehachapi airport and the road just below it is Hwy 58 a major east to west roadway way here in California. Hwy 58 is the ranches southern border for a good part of it.
So Nichole and our partner in the ranch Steve are mixing up the medicines for the calves. This is a pretty laborious process and takes time. Rest of the crew just hangs out. We made Nichole's wildrag ( blue scarf that she's wearing), her wool vest, her leggings and her spur straps.
I'd broke the crew into two groups so one would be roping and the other would be doing the ground work. Half way through the branding they'd swap places. Here's a couple of my first group of ropers waiting. Made Noah's leggings on the left and Salty's spur straps on the right. This spot is about the only place on the ranch that AT and T service works. Verizon works everywhere.
Here's that cow with the newborn calf. We will process that calf first to get it out of the way and then its not getting jostled around in the hustle and bustle. Due to its young age this calf was just heeled by its hind feet and drug over to the "fire", where it was processed. It was too young to brand or castrate if its a bull calf. So all that happened to it was it got an ear tag and a vaccine that is squirted up each nostril, no needle involved.
So the ropers heeled that baby calf and drug it to the fire. Nichole is jumping in to secure it.
Steve is coming with the ear tag for this new calf and Easton is helping to hold it down by picking the heel rope up high. Doug is gonna grab the front end from Nichole. Made his leggings too.
All finished and the little calf is running to join back up with its mom. You can see the size difference between this calf just a few days old and those other ones that are a couple of months old. Sometimes if a calf has an interesting marking or something we'll give em a nickname. That calf in the lead is "Bowtie" due to that mark on her forehead.
So Salty has Bowtie headed and Noah is coming in for the heels.
This calf is secured and Nichole is giving some of the shots. There are 3 separate injections given that cover a wide range of things. One is a vitamin supplement. Our grass is very strong in most things but is copper deficient. When you see our black cattle having some red tinge that tells ya they need a shot of "multimin", a vitamin mineral supplement. We give that twice a year and am upping it to 3 times a year at the Vet's suggestion.
Nichole branding Bowtie. Traditionally the boss or their designee does the branding. That way there is no one to blame if it gets screwed up.
There's a good brand. Our brand is read as reverse D N connected over a quarter circle. Goes on the left shoulder.
Here Nichole and Doug are giving one of the shots where its squirted up the calf's nostril. Then you hold the head up for a minute.
Half way through and the crew switched. Nichole searching for a specific calf.
Doug coming in for the heels.
Nichole throwing a great trap shot. See how she was able to get her loop in front of the calf's hind legs as its moving forward as Easton has it headed. This ain't easy.
Noah being young and adventurous would sometimes ride the bigger calves when we let them up.
Salty applying some disinfectant after castrating one of the bull calves.
Thought we were all finished but realized that one had slipped through and missed one shot so Nichole had Salty jump on her horse Lil Man and go get the calf. So that was pretty much the end of the branding. Next morning we'll process the adults.
Next morning was cold and foggy clearing through the day. Keeper, Salty's dog is leading the way.
The adults. Freckles in front (#3 purple ear tag) had cancer on her third eyelid. Fortunately the Vet was there helping as a friend that morning. He was able to do a little impromptu surgery and remove the cancer.
As the adults out weigh most of the horses we don't rope them. Tough on cows, tough on horses and real tough on your ground crew. So they are run through the squeeze and processed there. The squeeze chute is the green contraption at the front there and it will catch the cow's head as it comes through and then can be tighten or squeezed on the cow's whole body holding her pretty still.
Got all the work done in the morning and played some in the afternoon. Some old guy still not allowed on his horse but getting better, have my leggings on.
Couple of days later back up.
Ponying our new mare Roja, ain't she purty. Hope ya enjoyed spring processing at El Rancho Dos Markus. Questions and comments always welcome.
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