Cows are coming home.

[Silver]

Like it or not, the cows are coming in. Can't say as I blame them as the tame pasture is burnt up pretty bad, and the hoppers have taken most of what was left. So the gates are open to the hay fields, and they are filtering in. Looks like we'll be feeding early, but the good news is we have no shortage of good feed in the hay corrals.


The pair on the left is not ours. We appear to have a whole bunch of the neighbours cattle coming in. I went to find the hole in the fence this morning, and discovered the hole right in the middle of the pasture road. Thanks for leaving the gate open hunters!

Regrowth in the hay fields isn't too bad considering the year.

 

[burnt]

That green sure is a pretty color!

It's amazing what a timely rain can do to get things growing again. After a really dry spring and summer, we got enough good rains to get the pastures and hay fields growing the way one would expect them to do in the springtime. Things look better now than they did all spring and summer. There will be pasture for a while yet and maybe even another late cut of hay.

 

[Nicky]

If my cows see those pictures they will be on their way too Looks nice and green there...in the hayfields anyway.

 

[sandtrap]

What are people hunting this time of year?

 

[Silver]

What are people hunting this time of year?

Elk and moose, mostly elk around here. I think deer season is open for bow hunters.

 

[gcreekrch]

Cattle look good Silver.

Ours are wanting to come home right now also. About the time we want them they will be scattered far and wide again.

 

[George]

My cows were getting covered in flys again so I called them to the barn. Easy when you have under 40 counting the bull - - - they just come when called. Let them group up at the gate to get a good count and make sure no calves are left behind.

My "old Meany" cow leads them for me.

As they get closer the calves ( all smokey ) make it look like I have very few blacks - - - most of the cows are black.

The bull has to check me out while they are at the gate.

This is as good as my brands ever get - - - it is a backwards "G" W K - - - any tips on getting them better will be gratefully appriciated!

 

[LazyWP]

I would order a set of irons from L &H. They build some great irons.

 

[Faster horses]

How wide are your irons and when do you brand your cattle?
A 3-letter brand makes branding more difficult.

 

[littlejoe]

'Closed' characters, tight angles, like to blotch.

If that's all one iron, it'd be hard to get it back on perfect if you had to lift it for a sec while animal squirmed.

'Cold' irons you gotta keep on too long, too much heat in the area.

I like my irons cherry red. I make them outa the outer races from tapered bearings---narrow face, wider back to hold the heat, good steel.

You seem to take a lotta pride in you cows, George. And with the numbers you run, I think you'd not mind taking a little longer to do a pretty job. Maybe make the 'k' 2 piece? Or use bars? Or maybe on the tight angles--W and K---leave a gap @ the angles?

If you bought that black bull, and he was haired up when you branded---clipping gets the brand on way quicker---less heat and less pain and tidier job.

Our main brand is all open---bars, sevens, etc. Got a hip brand with an 'O' in it---bearing race is perfect for this--perfectly round, you can turn it--anytime you can turn or 'slip' a brand, you can usually get a pretty one on quick! Quick is good---making the mark, not parbroiling the whole area.

 

[Faster horses]

Mr. FH makes his out of an old sulky rake (stripper arms that run out on
a sulky rake) and he would agree with everything littlejoe posted.

We have one brand that is CC connected. One C at the bottom of the first C
and then offset a bit. Nice brand. Not easy to put on bulls in the chute
though, because it is on the right hip.

Littlejoe, you did way better than me. I couldn't read George's brand it
is so blotched.

You'll really like it when you put on a nice brand that
stays readable as your cattle age, George. Good that you are concerned about it looking nice and being easy to read.

 

[George]

This is a one piece electric iron - - - I bought it in the 1970s and it has brought several cows home and sent one man to jail.

I sent it back as I felt the W should be proud of the rest as then you could "rock" it. The company sent it back to me explaining it is built right.

If you try to brand a 2X6 you will get the backwards G and the K but just a space where the W should be. The letters are 3" high and have about 1" between them. Brand ends up being about 3" X 10"

I only brand the cattle when they join the breeding herd so on hiefers they are about 18 to 20 months old and have been preg checked before they get the brand. On a bull it is after he has passed inspection from my vet and is ready to go to work - - - gets branded about 30 days before turn out.

I let the iron stay on while we are working the cattle and use a wire brush to keep it clean, Glowing red when applied - - - the animal will bawl and jump then I reposition and the animal must be numb then as I can work at my leasure. I work to try to get and even brown leather look then turn out. If you know what to look for you can make mine out but I have never been satisfied!

One good thing about my brand - - - I think I am the only one branding for about 100 miles so just seeing the brand makes an impression. I have thought about cold branding if I ever get back to all black animals.

 

[3 M L & C]

If done right freeze branding looks really nice. It takes some time to do though. And some animals don't take to the freeze the same as others even the same color. I think its a lot easier on the animal if they don't mind standing there, they don't kick or bawl like hot iron. Even if they don't take the freeze part very good you can shave them if a dispute happens and see the brand good. Also had a guy tell me if you shave the white hair off when you preg check every year it grows back better. I don't know just have heard that. I also agree on the L and H irons they are good.