Working Cattle
Yesterday we worked a bunch of cattle but we were to tired to tell you about it when we got done, so we'll tell you now.
Okay, so what we did first was fed the cows in the corrals so we could catch them. Then we walked them into some smaller pens and sorted the calves off. Next we worked the cows. First the farmer herds three cows up the lane. Then he gives them a shot for pneumonia, diarrhea, and flu. Then he pours blue liquid on their backs that repels flies, lice, and worms.Then he lets them out into the pen where he fed them.
Then it's time to work calves. First we sort of the ones that still need shots. (We worked the older ones a few weeks ago.) Then I push a calf up the lane and into the squeeze-chute. Then the farmer lets the tailgate down to keep the calf in the chute. Then he pushes the calf to the front of the chute, where I tighten the head stall. The farmer then gives the calf the same shot ha gave the cows, (but a smaller dose) plus a shot to prevent blackleg. Then after that he lets the calf out into a different pen. While the calves were being worked, the cows were anxious to get them back, but ever so happy to be reunited.
After we'd finished working the cattle, we sorted a little over half of the cow/calf pairs off to move to grass. The course would be; 1. Lead them out of the corrals with the pickup. 2. Lead them through the pen to the gate at the edge of the road. 3. Lead them across the road into greener pastures.
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| Bingo |
So, while the farmer got some gates switched around, me and some siblings got the horses out and let them graze while they waited. The farmer would ride Bingo, but the other horse, Comet, was new to the farm so one farm kid walked her behind the cows with Bingo.
The farmer's wife drove the pickup and I rode with a alfalfa bale (yum-yum!) in back. The cows followed up to the closed gate by the road, and the pickup waited for the cows top bunch up near, while I jumped out to open the gate. Then the pickup led the cows across the road (no traffic) into the new pasture. At the excitement of new green grass the cows ignored the alfalfa bale and headed off to graze.
Okay, so what we did first was fed the cows in the corrals so we could catch them. Then we walked them into some smaller pens and sorted the calves off. Next we worked the cows. First the farmer herds three cows up the lane. Then he gives them a shot for pneumonia, diarrhea, and flu. Then he pours blue liquid on their backs that repels flies, lice, and worms.Then he lets them out into the pen where he fed them.
Then it's time to work calves. First we sort of the ones that still need shots. (We worked the older ones a few weeks ago.) Then I push a calf up the lane and into the squeeze-chute. Then the farmer lets the tailgate down to keep the calf in the chute. Then he pushes the calf to the front of the chute, where I tighten the head stall. The farmer then gives the calf the same shot ha gave the cows, (but a smaller dose) plus a shot to prevent blackleg. Then after that he lets the calf out into a different pen. While the calves were being worked, the cows were anxious to get them back, but ever so happy to be reunited.
After we'd finished working the cattle, we sorted a little over half of the cow/calf pairs off to move to grass. The course would be; 1. Lead them out of the corrals with the pickup. 2. Lead them through the pen to the gate at the edge of the road. 3. Lead them across the road into greener pastures.
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