Movin cows

[LazyWP]

Helped move a neighbors cows on home yesterday. Saddled up, in the dark. The thermometer on the pickup said 15 when I got in, and by the time I got up, off of the river, it was down to 8, with a nice south west breeze of about 8 to 10 mph.
Spent the first half an hour sorting pairs and sore feet off, then headed south west.

We had 2 miles to get to the "road". If you have never been on a Cherry county blacktop, the road surface itself, is maybe 12 feet wide. These cows didn't like the "road", but since we were only on one for "maybe" 4 miles, out of 18, we did ok.

Off the road, and stringing them up through the hills.

We crossed an area that burned last fall. Can't really see the contrast in the picture, but where it burned, would compare to my idea of riding across the Mohave Desert.

Looks like I was riding a tall horse.

but really he is maybe 14 hands, and is just starting to really come around. Yesterday was just what we needed.

A view of the country. I had a couple pictures of crossing Bear creek, but somehow, I deleted them, before I got them saved.
Anyway, it was a long, cool day, but my horse learned that he can cross water, drag a deer skull, and how to turn a cow.
Just guessing we traveled about 18 miles with the cows. Ended up almost straight south of Soapweed, about 12 miles.

 

[leanin' H]

I'd love to come see that country but i'd sure miss the mountains. Looks like a fun way to spend a day. Glad the cows made er' home without mishaps.

 

[Faster horses]

Thanks for the photos. I really enjoy seeing cows stringing out like that.
I've been told that starting cows to string out is becoming a lost art.

A good mineral program sure helps keep cows from becoming sore-footed through
better integrity (stronger hooves) of the hoof. FWIW~

 

[LazyWP]

These cows have pretty much been on full feed all winter. Flyin S has been movin on and off of corn stalks, with about 40 bushels/acre on the ground, all winter. When we moved them a couple weeks ago, they went onto corn silage/teff/alfalfa. They really traveled great. As many rough, soft hills, as we hit right off of the bat, I figured they would play out.
We have a few long toes from too much corn early on, I think.

 

[Faster horses]

These cows have pretty much been on full feed all winter. Flyin S has been movin on and off of corn stalks, with about 40 bushels/acre on the ground, all winter. When we moved them a couple weeks ago, they went onto corn silage/teff/alfalfa. They really traveled great. As many rough, soft hills, as we hit right off of the bat, I figured they would play out.
We have a few long toes from too much corn early on, I think.

I get it. I was kind of funnin' with ya. If those cows were on corn or cornstalks
they wouldn't eat a higher phos mineral anyhow, cuz of the high phos in the corn.
Corn has a lot of phos so when feeding corn, you need a low phos mineral like
3.5% or even lower. I thin Flyin' S knows--didn't realize those were his cows.

Glad the journey was good for your horse. Sometimes in a deal like that, it's
like the light came on. Fun to feel them figure it out finally.

 

[flyingS]

FH I wish those were my cows. I just am the care taker. I summered about 2/3 or 3/4 of them and then put them on Stalks. After being on stocks for a week, I mentioned we were never going to get them grazed if we didn't get more cow on them. The wind in Oct. knocked down a lot of corn, all of these pivots were organic as well so they didn't hold up as well as some others. We moved them home part way and held them over on full feed for about three weeks before we headed them home. They are pretty heavy, but not heavy enough. I lost a bet we only had 8 calves this morning I thought we might have closer to 20. I dog broke these cows this winter on stocks, it sure made one heck of a difference in how they handle.

 

[R A]

Great pictures, LazyWP! I'd love to get in on stuff like that! I hope your calves are doing well!