Cow sorting

Granary repair closing in

Steve HardinLeave a comment

I should really break this up into a couple of blog entries but I did a little bit of everything over the weekend so I am just going to lump the whole weekend into one big blog. Let’s start off with the great news, the wheat has been harvested and it did very well for this place, it came out to 47.65 bu/acre, anything over 45 bu/acre is very good for this soil. This is even more amazing considering how little rain we had to finish off the growing season. They disced a fire break around the entire outside of the field so that worry is gone.

My outside plant is now on a drip line so it is loving having all the water it can drink. It is blooming for the first time ever! Our deck plants have water also but we got it to them a little late so one planter has died and the other is struggling. Our system is working, so we are going to add two more hanging spots so we can have flowers across the front deck next year.

I was cooking breakfast yesterday and saw a black cow out the back window. I asked Annmarie to go out and let our cow back in. I thought that one of our cows had gotten out and wanted back in. I saw Annmarie go out to the ram pasture and open the double gates. This was the go signal for all the sheep in the barn lot. They ran Pell Mel for the open gate. Annmarie blocked the gate and told the sheep to stay but when she moved the sheep bum rushed the gate and ran out onto the back hillside and then down to the orchard. All the cows ran out onto the back hillside. Annmarie came running inside for help and I made it to the lower hillside gate before the cows got down below. We tried to push them down but then we realized it was not our cow! Instead we just left the gate open. There is not really any food on the hillside we knew they would come down eventually.

I posted a photo of the brand to Facebook and we eventually had someone call us today and say they thought it was their cow as they are now running cows on the Broken Spur land. They came up today and we walked up and pushed the cows back to the corral. Their cow sorted right off and the cows loaded right up. Chance got to go out with us and work the cows. I am sure he thought it was a little weird when I started hollering at her to go “left” to circle around the cows and she did! She does know her left from her right when she wants to pay attention. We get someone’s cow about every two years, they wander onto the property.

My goal for the weekend was to get the granary bottom welded and together. Since I am a fairly inept welder and am now learning to wire weld instead of stick weld I have been having some problems. Mostly I have not figured out how to fill in with wire when I have air gaps between the metal. I am also having a hard time adjusting the wire feed speed to match my use and hand movement. I started at 180 speed and ended up at 250. I was having some pushing back going on at that speed so I probably need to be welding at 240-245. Using the higher speed I was able to keep a continuous bead going. I did figure out how to fill in but it was not very pretty, but I got it done!. I welded the wire to the copper center thingy on Saturday. I watched a video that said there was a tool you could use to clean out the hole so the wire would thread easily. I do not own such a tool but there were three extra tips with the welder so I swapped out a tip. I kept a longer wire by speeding it up so I was not welding so close to the tip.

Saturday after the cow debacle I decided to go pick blackberries. We are not going to get hardly any fruit this year so I will need to fill the freezer with blackberries. I figure I will need to pick about 30 gallons. I spent three hours picking and managed to pick three gallons. Annmarie got them all packaged up for her breakfast smoothies. I will need to pick some and package them in 6 cup increments, we use those for pies! The wild blackberries make the best pies, especially if you keep the sugar to a minimum.

I spent three more hours on the grain bin today and got the entire bottom welded on! I just have to drill the holes for the grain gate and get it installed. I am going to put a foam seal on the lid so it doesn’t leak water but it should not. I will need to install three bolts to block off three holes in the side. I am going to just install the bolts and washers instead of fighting with welding something over them. Basically, I am going to take the easy way out! Once I get that done I will need to make an elevated wooden stand about 16 inches off the ground to place the granary on and it will be in service.

I was going to make another grain bin but the sheet metal alone was going to cost me $660. I was able to purchase a 28’ tall grain bin for $750 this weekend on Facebook Marketplace. I have already leveled a spot and filled it with six inches of gravel. We will need to get our large grain elevator functional. I would like to get it running off of the tractor’s pto instead of the old gas engine that is on it. I think I saw an old fill trough somewhere on the farm but I cannot remember where. It slides under the feed opening of the auger so the grain stays clean.

We purchased some cow feed and I was able to get it unloaded and moved into the machine shed with Clementine. This doesn’t sound very exciting but the lift capacity on the tractor is only 1100# and the pallet weighed 2000#. The guy dropping it off stood on the back of the tractor when the back wheels came off the ground as I was trying to slide it out of his horse trailer. It was all the weight I needed to get the feed out of the trailer. I was then able to drag it backwards with only the front tires touching the ground. You have to steer backwards when the front tires are the only thing touching the ground! Once I had it lined up with the machine shed I was able to just push it into place! I was sure I was going to have to break it up and move those 50# bags by hand. Where there is a will there is a way!

Working cows is fun…

Steve HardinLeave a comment

Well, our second batch of cows needed to be sorted off so they could go to butcher. The plan was for me to sort them out Tuesday after work so they could be picked up first thing Wednesday morning. I was busy at work and did not get back to the house until 1600, still plenty of time to get the calves in and sorted before it got dark. As an added bonus all seven cows were in the pasture directly above the house. I just went up and shut the gate and locked them into the pasture. I then went and opened up the gate in the middle of the fence by the creek so they could run through the creek into the next pasture and then I could just push them around to the corral, simple.

Having chased the cows around on the upper hillside before with Mr Rainman I decided I needed to bring the border collie, Chance with me so I did not have to walk up and down the hill. Within 30 minutes I had no voice, I was screaming, not relaxed, tired and pissed off at the psychotic cows who kept running past the open gate. Annmarie was supposed to go to a Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) celebration but instead had to come out and help me with the cows. After hollering at the wife, apologizing and going to open the gate I had calmed down enough. The next plan was to allow the cows to go out the gate they wanted and then push them into the orchard field. By this time it is starting to get dark. The cows knew this is what we wanted to so they ran all the way down to the schoolhouse and then proceeded to keep running in circles from the bottom of the field to the top, over and over again! We only had one headlamp and all of the gates going down into the creek were shut so after running around in circles for a while Annmarie had me go check on the “open” gate. It was wired shut. I opened it and then we had the dog chase the cows down into the creek. We could hear them but not see them. So we walked up each side of the creek and sent the dog ahead to push the cows into the corral. On the way to the corral Annmarie asked me if we had all of the cows. Of course we did, even though we could not see them. By the time I got them locked up in the corral and counted them there were only three cows! It was dark and already 1900 so Annmarie went and got chicken strips for dinner while I finished with the cows in the corral.

We ate dinner, we were cold and tired and Annmarie wanted me to call the butcher and tell them there were two cows in the corral. I finished dinner and then proceeded to get the tractor and drive down to the schoolhouse. I was done chasing the cows around on foot. I did find the four cows, all the way down by the schoolhouse, three went the correct way and four went the wrong way in the dark and we could not see them.

I proceeded to spend an hour chasing them with the tractor until they went into the corral. Once in the corral I sorted them by headlamp. It was slow but I was making good progress until three decided to just run around the pen and not go down the chute. I went into the corner as they had “trapped” themselves into the corner and I had to push them out. The pretty dark brown calf from last year jumped sideways and caught me just above the knee in the leg. I spotted a 2×4 in the corner from the last time we sorted cows and I used it to persuade the calf to go into the chute. I was not brutal but I was limping as I persuaded the calf to go in the correct direction. I ended up with the four for slaughter in the corral and the three 8 month olds in the side pen. I was done chasing them. I let them out into the barn lot with the horse and tossed out hay for them in multiple places so the horse could not guard them all. I was done chasing cows.

I did warn the people coming the next day to be careful and vigilant as they did not want any of those cows getting away from them or they would not be able to catch them. We will be keeping the three young calves in the barn lot this year! I am done with crazy and wild cows. They are now hanging in an industrial fridge aging.

Cow sorting

Steve HardinLeave a comment

Last week we did actually get some needed items checked off the winter list. Mr Rainman came out and tackled the orchard. He trimmed all of the fruit trees. Not only did he trim them, he cut them way back so they can gain some limb strength. This was a much needed thing as the limbs were having a hard time carrying a full load of fruit. He also tackled the ancient apple trees and raised the limbs enough that we can drive the tractor underneath the tree!

Mr Rainman is also building up a second pile of limbs near the irrigation ditch for the quail. The quail use the limb piles as cover to protect themselves from predators. This will be the fifth pile we have created on the farm for them. We have two coveys this winter of about 80 birds each. They are healthy and fly around the houses at least once a day. Even if I cannot see them they can be heard as they are quite noisy. This took both days to get completed. The raspberries and blackberries are the last thing that needs to get trimmed this winter.

Gingerman and I went out first thing in the morning last Saturday to sort the cows. We needed to get the bull into Alcatraz and the three weanling calves off the female cows they are 6-7 months old now. It was fairly cold and I could see steam coming off the pile of manure from two years ago.

I drove the tractor and the Gingerman cycled gates. The cows associate the tractor with food so they always come running when they hear it. I opened a gate into the pasture around the old chicken coop and the cows proceeded to rush the fence into the ram pasture. This led them to spot the open gate onto the hillside so they ran up the hillside looking for a way out. I had to get down off the tractor and the Gingerman and I herded them back into the ram pasture and back out towards the gate over by Alcatraz. The horse was locked into the old lamb barn and we had both gates down to the spring closed so it was a straight shot toward the corral. The new gate/fence in the barn lot worked incredibly well and we got the cows into the front barn lot without much hassle. Once we got them into the lot it was not very hard to push them into the corral area. We managed to sort off three heifers and then the bull got stuck out by himself so we pushed him back into the horse area to wait. He needed to go to Alcatraz but with the heifers already getting sorted we need to move them first. The calves all bunched up in the area near the barn and the Gingerman was walking up behind them to get them moving when the pretty brown calf smashed his hind leg backwards to state his displeasure at being handled. The problem with this is the Gingerman was too close and caught the hoof in the left testicle. He did not hit the ground himself but it was a close call. He ended up leaning on the gate while I casually sorted the rest of the cows.

We ran the calves through the yard into the orchard. The heifers just got pushed out into field #4 to continue eating and growing their pregnant bellies.

The bull just sauntered over towards the fence to get to the heifers. The fence and the Gingerman were in his way. He kept trying to get around the Gingerman and he would just wave his head and push forward against the Gingerman. We finally got him turned, then just chased him into Alcatraz so he did not have time to think about what he was doing.

I ended up sanding all of the pine pieces for the inside trim of the bathroom. I would have rather spent the day outside. It was a sunny and clear day, absolutely beautiful. But the bathroom must progress.

Psycho cows

Steve Hardin2 Comments

Where to even begin, it started almost like any other staycation day except I knew I had to sort cows in the evening. I am taking three in to become hamburger and steaks in the early morning. Last time we ran over the hillside for an hour until the everyone was exhausted before they would come in off the hillside. Since I was going to be doing it alone this time I figured to outsmart the cows. I brought a big bale of hay around and put it in the old ram pasture. I had to push the main herd of sheep out first. This will make it so I will need to push the momma/lambs into the barn first and then move the Y gate and push the rest of the sheep through the barn lot and into the barn. In the morning I will have to do that in reverse. Otherwise, I will get all of the sheep mixed together.

Once I had the large bale in there I opened the gates onto the hillside and waited for the cows to let themselves into the pasture! I did this at 0900 so I had a solid eight hours for them to figure out where the good eats were at.

In the afternoon I worked on getting the Gazebo wired for power. I had to drive in to town last evening and get more conduit parts. I did not have enough to make three corners. Luckily, I still had some cable lube so I could pull 12/2 wire through a half inch conduit. It does not like to make corners or 100’ without any slippery help. I was able to get all of the conduit glued and the wire pulled to a box inside the Gazebo. I still put a wet cover on the outlet box even though it’s inside the Gazebo. I have a double outlet all wired up and managed to get the rest of the ditch all filled in. I still have one outlet to wire at the brick box before I can flip the breaker back on. That won’t take very long tomorrow to get it done then there will be power out at the machine shed again.

The cows fell for my ploy! All the edible cows were in the ram pasture eating on the hay. I snuck around and locked the gates shut. The cows ran around crazily but did settle down after I left. Once I had the wiring done I hooked up the stock trailer and backed it up to the corral. I was all ready to go. I used to try and sort them and then leave them in the corral overnight. I have had a couple of escape artists in the past so I opted to wait until right before dark to sort and load them. I got them into the corral pretty easy. The five I wanted to sort off all had horns. There were ten of them and one was the largest. This is the one that jumped out of the corral last year and avoided a trip to the butcher. I was able to sort off two and then ran them into the trailer. I have a divided trailer so I shut the divider to keep them in. Next I managed to sort off the large one and two small ones. I got everyone else out of the corral and then sorted off the two small ones. The crazy big steer was in the wrong pen, it was in the further one where we had the horse trough. I tried to open the gate and get the cow to circle around and go into the chute. Damn thing bum rushed me and I had to jump into the chute myself and slam the gate closed. The cow just went crazy and jumped into the water trough and managed to get its front legs on top of the corral fence. It kept trying to climb the corral fence. I did lots of swearing and in about 30 seconds the cow got over the corral. By the time I grabbed the dog and jumped into the pickup the steer had jumped the fence again and was in the wheat field. The dog and I went to the far end of the field, she was following the pickup. It went down hill from there. The dog went for the cow and refused to be called off. We almost had the steer out of the wheat field when the dog got in front and turned it back away from the gate. I currently have a voice like a toad from hollering. Eventually, the dog went into the pickup with me but despite me trying several times to herd it back with the pickup I was unsuccessful and the steer ended up jumping the fence into the pasture with the mommas and calves.

I gave up and drove back to the house. I still had the rest of the edible cows in the back barn lot I just needed to sort off one more and I would have my three. This is exactly why I do not keep a rifle in the pickup. I was at the point where shooting the steer was a great option and fine choice. It is so infuriating. I parked the pickup and am headed to the corral to sort off one more when the two in the stock trailer start trying to jump the divider. I had not closed the back of the trailer as I still had one more cow to load. Yep, those bastards ended up pushing the gate open and running back out into the corral. It turns out that I need to fix the spring that is supposed to hold the bar that locks the closed gate in place. It is not working at all and the entire thing needs some lubricant so the spring can actually hold it closed not halfway.

At this point it is becoming a joke. I managed to sort off one more crazy horned cow and get all three into the corral. I opened the chute and got them to run down the chute into the trailer. It’s like I know what I am doing. I run down the chute following the cows so I can pull the gate closed. Nope, the last cows jumps in the trailer and then turns and tries to get out. I holler and end up having to jump out of the corral as all three cows come barreling out. I kept them in the corral and tried to get them back into the trailer. Not happening the lead cow keeps trying to climb the corral sides. I had a large stick and that just made the cow madder. I figured out that I could put the stick across the corral chute to prevent the cow from climbing out. This further enraged said cow. Finally, I just opened the gate, let everyone back into the corral then chased them back into the chute. This time I did not jump into the chute, I ran alongside it and as soon as the last cow went in I just slammed the door shut. I promptly got into the pickup and backed the trailer against the corral. There is absolutely no way to get out of the trailer now. We will leave at dark, early in the morning. I think I may have to put a strap across the back of the trailer in the morning before heading out. I think the stops at the bottom of the trailer may not be present but I cannot tell and honestly I need there to be no cows in the trailer before I explore that hypothesis.

Mr Rainman and I will be raising the corral walls another two feet next week so the crazy steer can be sorted off. This is a stupid problem to have. The horned cows we have are crazy! As soon as we wean off all the calves from this spring we are going to take most of the horned cows to the sale. It is not worth this much hassle and hazard. The polled cows we have are very mild and calm.

Lambing continues slowly

Steve HardinLeave a comment
Moonlight barn picture, phone picks up a lot of light!

The sheep are kind of having babies at a glacial pace. We have had one more single born since the twins last week. We have moved the sheep to the upper fields now and it makes it a lot easier to check on them. We can just hop on the tractor and drive up the fields all the way to the end. This is not even a slight possibility on the lower property due to the creek and fences separating the fields. I spotted the new mom when I was bringing in the sheep one night. The baby had just been born and was still warm and wet and messy. I grabbed the baby and used it like a lure to get the mother to follow me into the barn lot where we are keeping the mommas and babies.

Lamb productivity is easy currently. one set of twins, one single born to two mothers = 150%.

The child and her now official Beau are bringing us apples that have fallen off their fruit trees and we are feeding them to the sheep at night. Every evening I toss out a bunch so when the sheep come in at night they are rewarded. It is starting to pay off, the sheep are coming in 2-3 times a day to check for apples. This makes it much easier to put them in at night if they are voluntarily coming in. There a bunch of ewes that look like they are going to pop any time and several that have full udders already. We are hoping they get with the program and pop them out soon.

No one is related

I needed to match a cow/calf pair as we are selling one this fall. I spotted two cows and two calves off by themselves so figured I would get some tag numbers so it would make it easier to sell them. I was headed down to clean up field one of the old hay bales that had not gotten removed. I drove up to the cows and the calves jumped up and ignored the cows that were right there. They started to run down the fence line and all of a sudden the cows that were 75 yards away started hollering and running at the fence line. Turns out the adult cows were just baby sitters and not the actual mothers. I was able to get a picture of the mother cow with calve #24. This same person wants a pregnant cow also. So Mr Rainman and I sorted cows today.

Sorting cows never goes smoothly. I know this and yet I seem surprised when we are running the cows for a solid hour on the back hillside because the cows refuse to go down through the gate that is in the middle of the hillside. It took us two hours to push the cows into the corral and sort off two, a female cow and an eater for this year. The same person that wants a cow/calf pair wants an eater so we are hoping that by putting the eater in with the family pairs it will learn to be calm. Running with the teenagers all summer has not made any of the cows calm. We had two of them leap the fence. The fence on the hillside that we had just tightened and reinforced! They jumped it without even hitting a strand of wire. We are just going to leave them for now. They will stay outside the fence with the mommas/babies and knock down some of that tall grass. They won’t run away with the cows on the other side of the fence.