It’s always a load off our shoulders once we get the main herd out to summer pasture ground. They are away from the house and buildings, most of them anyway…and out on good healthy growing grass after a winter of being close up to the buildings and on minerals, supplements, corn and hay all winter long. They LOVE getting out on the grass. The older cows just KNOW when we open that back fence line where to go and head “Up North” as we call it. We pretty much just follow along and make sure that the young cows and calves keep up with them.
This year, we were a week late getting the herd out on grass because the cold cold weather puyt the grass a week behind in it’s growth, so we had to delay our branding (a future post) a week. It just seemed to put a drag on the entire spring experience for us as a family, but finally, they are out on grass. Any rancher out there knows what a great feeling that is.
As the full time ranch hand/mother/maid/cook/driver/photographer, part of my daily chores is to check the main herd. We do this at least once a day. Twice a day depending upon the weather and how the calves are looking. It’s pretty easy for the most part. I take the truck or 4-wheeler (which just happens to be not running properly right now!) out and drive through the herd. Slowly. Looking for any calves that might have droopy ears, standing or walking funny.
I check to make sure that no cows or calves are on the wrong side of the fence. In that regard, the first cow I look for is my Nemesis. Here is is, in the middle of the pasture thank goodness! Apparently, she hasn’t decided to start torturing me yet. But she will…she always does.
Here she is up close. Doesn’t she just look naughty? It’s like she’s studying the fence line…looking for the weakest spot…so she can squeeze that big frame through…and drive me crazy. ggggrrrr….EVIL COW! hhhmmm…she STILL doesn’t have a calf at her side though. Maybe my hopes of her being open are coming true! We’ll see.
Something else we do while checking the herd, is make sure each of the 9 bulls turned out in the herd are there and doing what bulls do. Our bulls are pretty good at their jobs….eating…bullying each other around…and…well…you know!
Isn’t he a proud looking bull? Just HUGE! Standing next to him is like standing next to a tank.
Something else I’ve learned is that when the bulls start showing off for the ladies, just stay out of the way! That’s a whole lot of beef rolling around with no regard as to who or what is in their way!
I was playing with some exposures on that last image. Why not? I personally find the result…interesting…worth further exploration when I get time.
All of that fuss, to impress the ladies…who, seem to just be interested in that lovely green grass!
These ladies and their off spring just don’t look very impressed at all the fuss, do they?
In fact, I’m pretty sure I just saw this cow…Sally…just roll her eyes.
hhhmmmm…do I see a new calf in the distance?
Yup, about 6 or 7 hours old. Born very early morning. But he’s up and trying to get those legs figured out so he’s good to go! Momma is moving him off. Doesn’t want me near him. Which is fine with me. As long as he’s up, and her bag looks like he’s nursed, I don’t have to mess with him. Isn’t he cute at this age?
I LOVE this grove of trees. There is a fabulous clearing in the middle of it. It’s the most peaceful place in the world. The wind in the trees, the birds calling. I have a secret dream of building a house there in the middle of our big “up North” pasture. It’ll never happen, but I’d sure love it if it did!
Check the water hole. Make sure everything is fine there.
Seeing it like this, it’s hard to imagine that last year, it was dry. As in NO water, as in we were scrambling to dig wells, bring cows home early, and facing those awful drought fears that so many of our ranchers and farmers face each year. But this spring and early summer looks like we’ll have plenty of water.
One last look around shows this guy getting his breakfast the sneaky way and all the other cows and calves doing fine. Just enjoying the sunshine and lovely day. If I’d have found a hurt or sick calf or cow, I’d have started calling in reinforcements to come and help me doctor them if I couldn’t catch them myself. And that folks, is an entirely different post and adventure!
Michelle
