Branded calves yesterday, April 4, 2008, Part Two

[Soapweed]

Saddletramp bringing one in

Threading the needle

The crew in action

Grabbing another rope to get another calf

A finished product

I want my mom

Chow time on the prairie

A tire for the tired

Joe, a college friend who pitched right in and was very good help

Modern technology on the primitive prairie

Kosmo Kid out to katch a kalf

Calf in position

Brady's girlfriend showed up to assist

Peach Blossom is the one who holds it all together

Peach taking her turn at roping

 

[Jassy]

What a perfect day for a branding...I'm luvin this warm weather and sunshine,,,hope it stays for a day or two. Seems like just yesterday calving season was just getting started and now it's branding season! We'll have our big branding the end of April, sure hope we get the good weather like you did...Calves look really good...Thanks

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

:shock: A seven person crew. :shock:

No wonder you had time to take lots of pictures.

They might not have missed you if you had slipped off for a nap. :nod: :cowboy:

 

[Soapweed]

:shock: A seven person crew. :shock:

No wonder you had time to take lots of pictures.

They might not have missed you if you had slipped off for a nap. :nod: :cowboy:

It was on my mind, but thought I'd better at least act interested. :wink:

 

[Shortgrass]

It looks like Saddletramp pulls the calf up, ground crew threads the rope, then the horse turns around and backs the calf into place on the left side. You need left handed ropers and right handed ropers. My neighbor has built a set of wheels from old lawnmower rims. We plan on trying them out next Wed. Will we want inner tube around the wheels?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not normally much of a fan of a flat brimmed hat- but Peach Blossom makes one look plumb neat.... :wink:

 

[Soapweed]

It looks like Saddletramp pulls the calf up, ground crew threads the rope, then the horse turns around and backs the calf into place on the left side. You need left handed ropers and right handed ropers. My neighbor has built a set of wheels from old lawnmower rims. We plan on trying them out next Wed. Will we want inner tube around the wheels?

Just some friction tape might work better and last longer. It doesn't take a horse very long to figure out how to back the calf into place. They become just about like horses that pull hay up a stacker, as they learn just how far to go. It almost works better backing into place because they go slower, and the rider can easily tell how far to go.

Good luck. Hope it works.

 

[Soapweed]

I'm not normally much of a fan of a flat brimmed hat- but Peach Blossom makes one look plumb neat.... :wink:

Thanks, Oldtimer. I will pass on the compliment to her.

She made an invention this calving season. Probably everyone is familiar with the aluminum hooks used to capture a calf. She tied about eight feet of rope onto the end of one of those. Now when a couple cows are claiming the same calf and acting belligerent, she rides her horse in and hooks the calf. Then she dallies the rope to her saddlehorn and drags the calf to some secluded spot on the other side of a gate. After she gets to where the calf needs to be, it is easy to push the hook off the calf's leg and use the hook to persuade the wrong cow to vaccate the premises. I passed this tip on to JF Ranch, and he has already found the concept to work well.

I am pretty lucky to have married such a smart and hard-working woman. :wink:

 

[Shortgrass]

I am pretty lucky to have married such a smart and hard-working woman

Now if she is so smart, how did she wind up with you? :???: Must have been a weak moment that has lasted a long time . When I announced my upcoming marriage to Jan, my cousin asked "Where did you find someone perty enough to suit ya and dumb enough to like ya? I could find no answer! I'm just glad she did and still does!

 

[Soapweed]

I am pretty lucky to have married such a smart and hard-working woman

Now if she is so smart, how did she wind up with you? :???: Must have been a weak moment that has lasted a long time . When I announced my upcoming marriage to Jan, my cousin asked "Where did you find someone perty enough to suit ya and dumb enough to like ya? I could find no answer! I'm just glad she did and still does!

Saddletramp's standard response to such an announcement would be, "What happened, did she lose a bet?"

 

[DCM]

Neat branding apparatus. Are these calves being castrated at this time or have they already been banded? Is there access for knife cutting when a calf is restrained like that as opposed to having one on the ground with one leg up, one leg held by helper?

 

[Soapweed]

Neat branding apparatus. Are these calves being castrated at this time or have they already been banded? Is there access for knife cutting when a calf is restrained like that as opposed to having one on the ground with one leg up, one leg held by helper?

We knife cut castrate when we brand. It is "different" doing it when the calf is restrained in this manner, but it works good. It works a lot better than when a Nord Fork is used, because often with a Nord Fork the calf is stretched too tight. With our contraption, it is only the calf's own weight hanging there, not a 1200 pound horse pulling on the legs.

 

[Cowboy Up]

where did you find that rig, I've never seen one like that, normaly we just rope the calf and string the rope though a ring set in a post, then we rope the back legs and brand, castrate or whatever is needed, or we just use a squeeze chute.