Reading about new ways of weaning made me want ro tell about an old method that maybe seems a little crude but fit the times. In the mid 70's I worked for the Gang Ranch in B.C. and the ranch was and is about 70 miles long and 30 wide and all rough country with mostly old wagon roads to get around on. The cows were weaned about 30 miles from the ranch and run out on swamp meadows until Christmas time when they were brought down closwer to the ranch.
We would gather about 800 cows or so at a time and wean in the corral. The calves were locked in over night and in the morning a few riders would run the cows back a few miles to a pasture and hold them. The rest of the crew would move the calves.
To start with a couple of riders would take some tin cans on a wire an on a hopefully gentle horse ride in among the calves and rattle the calves in a big mill of the pen. A few guys would pull about 3 panels of corral out and the calves would spill out on a dead run with riders tin canning them to keep them at it. It was quite a sight!
We would run them as hard as we could for about three quarters of a mile along a lake then turn them onto a point that jutted out into the water They were held there long enough to catch their breath then started on the trail to Williams Meadow about a dozen miles away. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful but the first part was a blast.
After the calves arrived at the pasture they were as you can imagine tired
so theylay down and rested. When they got up they were hungry so they ate. I believe very few of then got sick. We justed counted them into the pasture and then rode back to camp.
I did this for a couple of years when they put a road in and started selling the calves and hauling them out on a liner . I consider myself very lucky to have been part of it but I think it might horrify some people.
We would gather about 800 cows or so at a time and wean in the corral. The calves were locked in over night and in the morning a few riders would run the cows back a few miles to a pasture and hold them. The rest of the crew would move the calves.
To start with a couple of riders would take some tin cans on a wire an on a hopefully gentle horse ride in among the calves and rattle the calves in a big mill of the pen. A few guys would pull about 3 panels of corral out and the calves would spill out on a dead run with riders tin canning them to keep them at it. It was quite a sight!
We would run them as hard as we could for about three quarters of a mile along a lake then turn them onto a point that jutted out into the water They were held there long enough to catch their breath then started on the trail to Williams Meadow about a dozen miles away. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful but the first part was a blast.
After the calves arrived at the pasture they were as you can imagine tired
so theylay down and rested. When they got up they were hungry so they ate. I believe very few of then got sick. We justed counted them into the pasture and then rode back to camp.
I did this for a couple of years when they put a road in and started selling the calves and hauling them out on a liner . I consider myself very lucky to have been part of it but I think it might horrify some people.
#$%^&!!!! I curse the day those little suckers showed up and still kick up my heels to know they are gone! But don't tell my kids! :lol: