Wednesday, March 25, 2009

On Monday we moved cattle about 5 miles to the ranch. They didn't drive good! As I was in the truck with a round bale of hay on it, the cattle headed every direction but to the truck once they got outside the gate. The winter wheat is coming up and they headed toward the "GREEN". After a while Henry came up to the truck and said swap him out for the horse. He took off in the truck to get a 4 wheeler, I got on the horse and tried to herd cattle off the wheat. I haven't been on a horse in a while so it was fun. Henry brought the 4 wheeler back and I was the one to hop on it and hopefully help out. But after going thru a ditch and it stalling, I wasn't able to go any further. It quit and wasn't starting! I ended up walking and herding cattle on foot. It was just like the olden days. We finally got them back to the ranch. The wind had started to blow very hard but was at our backs. I walked a total of 2.5 miles. After we got them home, we worked on the ranch.

Sheep had to be sorted on Tuesday. We moved some that were going to lamb soon, up to the barn.
We've still been having lots of lambs, pulling ones that the ewes can't have. We've lost a few but have been doing pretty good otherwise.

Today, I had to give CPR to a lamb that was not breathing. I will find out tomorrow if he lived.

The weather changed from nice to COLD and WINDY on Tuesday. But today it was up to 50 degrees and I shed my coat and enjoyed working outside.
I'll try to get some pictures in the next post.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Lambing season

It is definitely lambing season! Yesterday I think that 8 ewes had lambs. That includes the lambing during the night. We have had a set of quads, one of which we were able to graft onto another ewe that had enough milk to feed him. We had a set of triplets, they are doing great. I pulled 3 lambs and Elton pulled 2 lambs in 2 days. They are huge lambs and the ewes are having a hard time with them.
After they are born I have to put ear tags in their ears, give them a shot, band their tails and spray paint them with the # of the ewe that had them. I have to write down the ewe that gave birth right away so I don't miss any of them.
This morning one ewe and her twins, busted out of the little pen I had her in, I had to hunt down the 2 lambs and get them tagged, etc.
We try to keep them in lambing jugs (pens) for at least a day so they can bond good and we know that they will give enough milk.

I had to "tube" a bull calf that keeps bloating. It is a plastic flexible tube that goes down his throat into his 1st stomach and lets the air out. He has gotten used to being loaded into the chute and having this done every morning. At least he is alive!

We talked to the auctioneer the other day and have our household auction set for April 25th. It won't be as big as the last auction, but hopefully we can get rid of everything. May 1st or there a bouts, we will hook the trailer onto the truck and head west to WYO for the summer. I would like to take a week and camp and fish at Boysen Res. just outside of Shoshone WYO. Bob hasn't given me the OK yet,,,just will wait and see.

The weather is getting warm here. We have had the temps in the 60's and will hit 70 soon.

We miss everyone in Q!
But next fall,,,we will be there!

Monday, March 16, 2009

More lambs

We are having many lambs on the ranch. We had a set of triplets, 2 sets of twins and 2 singles today. The 2 singles had to both be pulled. One was breach and he came out after a lot of hard work on the boss's part. He weighed probably 20#'s. Heck he's 1/2 grown already. He did have a rupture on his belly probably from being pulled and we had to sew him back up. We grafted 2 other lambs on the ewe that needed more milk. She accepted them all.
We also went west of town and had to take down electric fence that we had put up in October. All went well there.
The usual chores have been done daily. Elton got 4 new geese the other day. He's going to see if they will lay eggs and hatch some goslings.
I guess I'm going back to 1/2 days again. I was told this tonight. So with the time off, I will get the items ready for the auction we will hold in hopefully a month or so.
I went out to the 5er yesterday between chore times and got it cleaned well, packed some of my craft items, getting ready for the trip to Wyo for the summer.
It's been in the 70's for the past few days. I love this weather. As far as I know, it will last until this weekend. I haven't checked the report past Sunday.
We got an email from Terry and Ron and they are getting ready to leave Quartzsite. They will be heading thru Tuscon and spend 4-6 weeks at Navajo Dam, NM...I wish I was going there for a month or so. It is a wonderful place to be, great fishing, good hiking, beautiful campground. This fall, hopefully we can spend a few weeks there.
Till my next post, stay happy and healthy and ENJOY life!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

ICY WEATHER



The last couple of days have been icy cold. The temps are in the teens with wind chills making it below zero. I don't like this!
The bulls were taken to the sale barn in Ogalalla on Tuesday. They were bedded down with straw and fed their corn and hay. Wed. brought more cold weather and the auction for the bulls. The bulls that sold were brought home except for one that was taken by the new owner. They will be fed and kept at the ranch until approximately April 15th when they will be delivered to the new owners.
It was a long day after the auction ended. We got done with chores about 6pm and the bulls still haven't been delivered back to the ranch.
No new lambs were born today. We have warm weather coming the next few days.
Here are a couple pics of the icy snowy conditions here.

Bob is headed out tomorrow to WYO to go fishing with his kids. He will have so much fun.
Have a great week!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

SNOW



We have SNOW today. It started about 2pm and now at 6pm it has dropped about 4 - 5 inches of the powdery white stuff. It was not fun doing chores while the big flakes were coming down, walking thru the snow, trying to find the white sheep.

Yesterday we got some ewes sorted off from the bunches that were getting ready to lamb. We have about 75 up at the barn and shop. I spread straw in both places, got feeders put in the pens and all is well. So far there are no lambs as of tonight.

We loaded a flatbed trailer with 11 round bales of hay. I drove it to town to weigh it afterwards and then it was unloaded at the ranch.

It looks like none of us will be getting any time off for a while till all the lambs are born. Lambing will continue thru April.

I took a picture of the backyard and one of the birdhouse out front tonight so you can see how much snow we are getting.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Another nice day

Today will be up in the 70's again. It will last thru tomorrow and then this weekend promises rain or snow and down into the 30's. I'm sure getting tired of the cold weather coming back to visit.
Yesterday we got the shop area ready to put ewes in that will be lambing as soon as next week. We got some calves moved to another pen, Holly the milk cow was changed to a different pen.
Two loads of cattle were taken to the livestock market which will be held today.
After chores today, we will go to the north pasture and separate calves from cows and bring the calves home. We've had a couple new calves born in the last 2 days.
We haven't heard any more on the parties interested in buying our house. Hopefully something will happen soon. We have to think of getting ready to be out of here next month. Plus if we have an auction, we want to have it a week before we take off for Wyoming.
I talked to Mom the other day and she now has 13 bum lambs she is feeding. I will be going up at Easter time so I'll be able to help her with chores.
Hope you all have a great day! Enjoy the weather Arizonians!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Ultrasounds

Today we ultra sounded the bulls going to the sale and the heifers. The ultrasound determines the back fat, rib eye and marbling of the meat. Joanne came from Valentine, NE., about 230 miles from here. She was able to do 45 heifers in 2 hours. We did the bulls this morning and the heifers this afternoon.

The weather was perfect for the day--topping around 60-65 degrees.

Here's a couple of pictures from the ultrasound.



Sunday, March 1, 2009

Find of the day!

I went to Sidney to get a few things today. My kitchen drain is plugged up, so drain cleaner and a plunger was top priority. After visiting Cabela's, Walmart, and Safeway I was headed out of town on Hwy 30, drove past a mini mart that sells gas and diesel and had to do a double take and turn around. I pulled in and immediately had to fill the diesel truck up. I only paid $20 to fill it. That was the cheapest in 2 years I believe. Here's proof!
Can you believe it? $1.96 for diesel when we are still paying $2.29 in Oshkosh...
I was so happy that even the clogged drain is no longer a bother!
We're to have weather in the high 60's this week. Spring is on the way... Next weekend is Daylight savings time except for you lucky people in Arizona.
Hope you have a great weekend!!