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And So it Begins

2/20/2013

Our weekend was quite busy and calving has offically started. Friday night, our 7 year old (Colter) decided that he wanted in on the fun of checking the heifers. So off we went, me with the flashlight and Colter with a headlamp. At first glance we noticed one heifer with a calf in the straw and it looked to be doing fine. I heard another heifer bellering so we went to check it out. This calf wasn't looking so good and mama was being protective. Trent came out with Angus (4 year old Black Gelding) to help us out. He gave me the calf to carry up to the barn and to start warming it up. We got it into the heated room and my little boy was set to blowing it dry with the hairdryer. She was a tiny little thing and we weren't sure if she was going to make it but with a lot of tender care and some clostrium from mom she is doing fine.

On Saturday, we gave pre-breeding shots to the yearling heifers and moved them to a feedlot a couple of miles away. This allowed us the room to bring our other bred heifers home so they are where they need to be when calving starts for them in a few weeks. We trailed those heifers the few miles home on Sunday and thank goodness we didn't wait because the weather has gotten cold and nasty again. We are sure wishing spring would come soon around here!

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Walking On Thin Ice

2/14/2013

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This weekend Trent and I had to bring home a few cows that had gotten a little thin to put them on a little better feed. We want to make sure that they are taken care of so that they can raise a healthy calf in the upcoming months. Leave it to my husband to pick a cold and miserable day to go get them especially when the day before was 35 and sunny, but off we went with Darrell (my father in law) as the pickup/trailer driver and cameraman. Trent was riding one of our younger geldings (Buckeye) and I was riding Tug who has done this a time or two. We got the first cow roped fairly quickly and I stuck a loop on her for good measure and we got her "coaxed" into the trailer.

The second cow wasnt nearly as thin as the first and had plenty of spunk, getting her into the trailer was not going to be as easy. We pulled the rope through the trailer and I latched on with Tug, who gets his name for a reason. He is big, strong and could pull down a house if you needed him too. Trent got on the other side of the trailer with Buckeye, Darrell at the rear with an incentive tool and with us both pulling got her front feet into the trailer, but then she put on the brakes. We fought her for the next 20 minutes but that cow was just not going to get into the trailer. Finally after she fell down outside of the trailer we decided rather than injurying her or the calf would would try to get her a different day. Trent can be a bit stubborn but it looks like that cow was just a little more stubborn than him.

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Busy Days

2/1/2013

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Things sure have been busy for Trent and I in the last few weeks. We are beginning to feel like world travelers, which is very odd for us since usually we stick pretty close to home. We attended the Best of the Remuda Horse Sale at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. We got to look at some really nice horses and were honored to be the high bid on two stud colts from the Haythorn Land & Cattle Co. We can't wait to see how they turn out.

As soon as we got back from Fort Worth, Trent and Charley (Trent's cousin) got started breaking the 2 and 3 year old geldings. They all behaved themselves and we didn't have any major mishaps. The only major problem was the weather. Most days were below zero which makes riding in cowboy boots a bit hard. I don't know many horse trainers that start horses in muck boots or pack boots but around here this time of the year it is a necessity. These geldings get a week of riding in the winter and then will get their full time jobs this summer.

After a week of horse training it was time to go have fun again, Trent and Charley competed at the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City SD in the Stray Gathering and at the Ranch Rodeo. No money was won but they made a good showing and had a good time. Hopefully next year goes better!

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Adventures in Ranching

And So it Begins

Walking On Thin Ice

Busy Days

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