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Getting ready to brand

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Wyoming Wind

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Merna, WY
Well, as i'm sure many of you can attest to the chaos the week prior to your big brandings...we have been trying to get everything done as we will brand two thirds of our calves tomorrow, about 475 or so. All week we've been scrambling trying to get our cattle all straight. We have two brands and so we had to cut half the pairs into one field, cut our heavies and dry cows into another, and fix a lot of fence over the hill where the branded pairs will go after branding, thus ending the majority of our hay feeding. We were one person short of cutting out pairs---Me. I was sitting in our pickup truck with my toddler son who was asleep in his carseat. So I got to take lots of pictures of the action!
The cows smelled a snake and headed to the far corner of the field.
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We dodged a nice thunderstorm brewing east of us.
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My pa in law riding Drover, a 4 year old 1/4 draft horse who is proving to like his job as a cowhorse.
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My ma in law on my mare, Jill, getting a stubborn calf to cross a dry ditch.
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My husband riding Bertha...my next ride when I get some time away from mommy duties.
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She tried to make a break for it!
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Heading back to gather some more pairs.
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Our marker cow, the one and only Charlois on the place. She of course threw a white calf :)
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Patiently waiting their turn to head back where they came from.
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Our branding starts with the gathering of our east meadow at 9am. Last year we had 40 friends on horseback gathering...we will brand that bunch and then head to gather the west meadow and brand them with a seperate brand. A handful of people will head 5 miles back up the road to our place to gather and brand our first calf heifer's calves. Afterwards we have a great time eating a lot of food and a few beers, occasionally we have some folks show up with guitars and we have a great time listening to them play. We are hoping our weather holds out---we have gotten about a quarter inch of rain over the past 2 days; a pretty good soaker for us. Out here we think a tenth of an inch is a great rain! Will be sure to take some pictures...!
 
Throw a couple pepsi's in the beer cooler and i will be on my way east on a long trot! :D Hope the branding goes well for ya. The cows wintered fine from your pictures. Glad to hear the moisture found ya. When ya get done with it, please send it west! :D Thanks!
 

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