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Why do ranch hands move so often?

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Well Ranchwife, then Cowboyup is one of the good honest ones, and in reality, I am on YOUR side.
If someone is a farmer, you wouldn't ask him to cowboy, would you? But very few will hesitate even a second to ask someone hired as a cowboy to farm. Been there, done that.
I am not the cowboy, I am married to one, but in my profession, when I was hired to do one job, and the boss said, oh, by the way, one day a week, you have to do (something that was never mentioned at interview and was totally out of the realm of my ability, experience or desire to learn) I also went down the road. And that was a good paying job. It wasn't about the money. Don't wet on my leg and tell me it is rain.
We know very well that there are next to no strictly riding jobs left. Our complaint isn't that the bosses make too much or anything of the sort. The Other Half will (and has) always done what is best for the cows, and that in turn is most likely to make the owner (and us) a living.
But on the day he is too broke up to cowboy any more, there will be two options. He can get a town job, or I will close the box he's lying in. I have an idea which one it will be.
 
Ok first off if you are gonna talk to someone get their name right it's CattlerRme not us. The opinions I post are strictly mine and mine alone. My opinions are not ment to offend anyone and thus that is why I love X's disclaimer.

Why would it concern anyone with what Ted Turner does with property he bought and paid for? So he bulldozed a house? He bought and paid for it, it was his house to doze and burn. If the buffalo are indeed ruining the land it is Ted Turner's land. Selling it to dear ole Ted a person instantly knows bison are going to roam those hills.

I do feel very strongly instances of what gets sold and what gets dozed does in fact have to do with the ranch manager at that ranch. Think about it look at the various assets Ted has do you think he's really noticing an old house?
 
well cattlerme, I hope he dozes something that you grew up and loved and cared for :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :p and that is my opinion, and I am sticking to it. I have my reasons.
 
Welll I've been on both sides of the fence and most guys better realize there's more to work than chewing snuff and dreaming of your next team roping-just like at our branding if you want to rope you better take a turn wrestling(if your under 40 anyways). There's some bad bosses out there-but if you've worked at ten different ranches and every boss was a prick maybe the face in the mirror is the problem-and the opposite is true if you can't keep help as a ranch owner.
 
LOL Point taken Soapweed. Just trying to make the point it's a me not a us. I was more thinking of the name Cattlewarrior...........
 
If I cared and loved it Ted Turner wouldn't have it. Hoping that Ted Turner dozes something I love well mean mean! For shame!
 
Not sure the whole premise of this thread is even correct. Do ranch hands change jobs more often than the average person in other careers? I can think of a number of ag employees that are happy to stay where they are, and plenty of people in other fields of employment that move around plenty. I know of some workers that are offended by the term "hired man" so I choose not to use it.

New balers, bale shredders, ATV's, tractors, etc...are pretty darn amazing and eliminate the need for alot of extra labor that used to be necessary. Equipment will most always hold some value, but when you write out a paycheck you can kiss that money goodbye. Just a fact, but someone who will do the maintenance and not tear stuff up will always be sought after.

A good manager should always be thinking of little things that will make a place run with less labor; one small example would be in years past we almost needed someone to go around the fences every single day in the lots and small pastures that all the pairs were in before they could be turned out on grass. Just making one strand "hot" eliminated loads of fence fixing and mix ups. Same way with cleaning out barns, the Bobcat eliminated a ton of time consuming hand pitchfork work and only takes one person, starts right up, has a heater, and doesn't bitch about having to do the **** work.

One more thought; when interviewing someone pay attention to their own vehicle. If it looks like they've taken no pride of ownership or upkeep in it, that's likely how your stuff will be treated.
 
Cal said:
Do ranch hands change jobs more often than the average person in other careers? I can think of a number of ag employees that are happy to stay where they are, and plenty of people in other fields of employment that move around plenty..
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I've been wondering the same thing throughout this thread having changed jobs multiple times trying to get one that fit the family's routine.
My job-hopping became the family joke until one finally "fit".
I don't think this is unusual- industry is always complaining about just getting someone trained and they move on for 10 cents more an hr. Maybe not desirable, but not unusual.
 
nr said:
Cal said:
Do ranch hands change jobs more often than the average person in other careers? I can think of a number of ag employees that are happy to stay where they are, and plenty of people in other fields of employment that move around plenty..
Click to expand...

I've been wondering the same thing throughout this thread having changed jobs multiple times trying to get one that fit the family's routine.
My job-hopping became the family joke until one finally "fit".
I don't think this is unusual- industry is always complaining about just getting someone trained and they move on for 10 cents more an hr. Maybe not desirable, but not unusual.
Click to expand...

excellent question and one to ponder!!! In my 12 years as a nurse, I have changed jobs more often than has the hubby!! We have moved 3 times for the sake of MY job...not his!! If it had been for his job, we would have been in the same place for almost 10 of those years now!! Thank goodness that he is the stable one! :wink:
 
Soapweed said:
The reason I don't hire more help is because of government rules and red tape. There is too much paperwork, withholding taxes, and other malarky, and the problems go up exponentially with the more hands you hire.

You can't hire kids anymore until they are "old enough" to work, and by then they are out of the notion. When I was a kid, my dad hired twelve and thirteen-year-olds to work in the hayfield. It was a good situation for ranchers and the kids. The ranchers got their hay put up, and the kids learned to drive the smaller tractors that everyone used in those days.

The kids learned how to work, and made good wages. Minimum wage was not a factor; there either wasn't any or it didn't apply to agriculture. The kids maybe didn't get super rich, but they also didn't price themselves out of a job. They had spending money for the upcoming school year, and learned to handle their money. If they spent it all before they had a chance to earn some more, they were SOL.

The "entry level" job working on a ranch often provided city kids with a taste of realism. They learned that milk comes from a cow, and that veggies are grown in a garden. Great memories and lifelong friendships were developed. In those days, a rancher agreed to furnish room and board, and pay X amount of wages once a month. There were no withholding taxes of any kind. It was the employee's responsibility to pay any income taxes due at the end of the year.

Then along came Uncle Sam, with his infinite "wisdom" and screwed up the system. More rules and regulations, laws against "child labor", a minimum wage factor, un-keepable OSHA guidelines, withholding taxes, etc. all contributed to major changes in the work force.

Ranchers have spent money on bigger and better equipment to get by with less labor. They hire more of their work done on contract. Instead of fixing their own windmills, they hire specialists who have boom trucks and proper equipment to do the job. Fencing is contracted out to fencing crews. Instead of hiring several kids to drive small tractors and help put up loose hay in stacks, haying is contracted out to be baled (which requires less people but more elaborate equipment).

Uncle Sam has messed with the system all across the United States. The reason ranchers don't hire more help is the same reason other industies and businesses don't hire more help. There is way too much government medling. This is also the reason so much of our industry is now being done overseas. The United States has just plumb priced themselves out of business. Democrats, Liberals, Big Unions, and voters that continually want "something for nothing" are the major contributors to this trend.

This is the way I see it :roll: strictly from a cowboy's perspective.
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Great post Soapweed.......That's about the way it goes here,but we still put up the hay .
All the R-CALFers should read this. :roll: :roll: :roll:
 
Do ranch hands change jobs more often than the average person in other careers?

I think it is more noticeable because a change in job is usually accompanied by a household move.
Most people don't live in housing provided with their job, which means when they quit, they don't have to move also.

Great post Soapweed.....

Except that he has several things wrong.

For example, any employer, in ag. or otherwise, with less than 4 people doesn't have to pay minimum wage, overtime, etc. and never has.

The minimum age to work is 14, or 12 with parental permission. Under twelve is permissible if it's on a place small enough to be min. wage exempt (and most of our farms and ranches are).

Tax withholdings are easily avoided.
Under $500 (I think that's the magic number) no one has to pay anyway. Otherwise, contract the labor and give out a 1099. It becomes the employee's responsibility.

There's fewer kids doing jobs like these, but it has nothing to do with liberals, Democrats and Big Unions. :roll:
And more to do with kids being more involved in after-school activities and knowing they can working easier and get paid better in town.
 
Jinglebob said:
Maybe the answer to the question, why do ranchhands move so much, is because they can! :shock: :lol:
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:clap: Good point.




_____________________________________________________________
CattleArmy
 
Jinglebob wroteMaybe the answer to the question, why do ranchhands move so much, is because they can!

I think that has a lot to do with it! And comparing them with other professions, we have moved three times for my job.

The only things a cowboy has are freedom and pride ...
 
theHiredMansWife said:
Do ranch hands change jobs more often than the average person in other careers?

I think it is more noticeable because a change in job is usually accompanied by a household move.
Most people don't live in housing provided with their job, which means when they quit, they don't have to move also.

Great post Soapweed.....

Except that he has several things wrong.

For example, any employer, in ag. or otherwise, with less than 4 people doesn't have to pay minimum wage, overtime, etc. and never has.

The minimum age to work is 14, or 12 with parental permission. Under twelve is permissible if it's on a place small enough to be min. wage exempt (and most of our farms and ranches are).

Tax withholdings are easily avoided.
Under $500 (I think that's the magic number) no one has to pay anyway. Otherwise, contract the labor and give out a 1099. It becomes the employee's responsibility.

There's fewer kids doing jobs like these, but it has nothing to do with liberals, Democrats and Big Unions. :roll:
And more to do with kids being more involved in after-school activities and knowing they can working easier and get paid better in town.
Click to expand...

I was wondering just how your going to get someone to work for less than minimum wage around here you can't get a kid to work for minimum wage.

Most kids now days cant put down a video game paddle till they are 20 how are you going to get them to work at age 12.Unless they are your own kids thats next to impossible.All kids seem to be handicapped one arm to work with and one to hold their pop.
 
Denny said:
I was wondering just how your going to get someone to work for less than minimum wage around here you can't get a kid to work for minimum wage.

Most kids now days cant put down a video game paddle till they are 20 how are you going to get them to work at age 12.Unless they are your own kids thats next to impossible.All kids seem to be handicapped one arm to work with and one to hold their pop.
Click to expand...

To be fair, I don't think all kids have this problem. The rural work ethic is alive and well, but it seems to be getting a less common...
And none of those things have anything to do with liberals, Democrats or organized labor either.
 

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