July 3, 2007
-
…it’s time to work cattle.
It’s not quite 6 a.m. and though the sun is peeking over the eastern horizon, the moon has another three hours of duty before it can “call it a night.” The air is nice and cool this morning, and it’s good to have an early start.
The horses know the drill; for the last three weeks, there have been cattle to work almost every day. When June started, they were a bit out of shape and soft, but the daily routine has them fit as a fiddle and ready to ride. Derek, our son-in-law, saddles them and ties them up while the other guys get the gates set.
This isn’t the prairie and these aren’t wide-open plains, but the pastures are large and we use horses the same way western cowboys did, to gather up herds of cattle and bring them into the corral to be worked.
That’s Ernie on Bud, Stan on his trusty Tex, Phillip on my Lucky, and Derek on Bandit. We use quarter horses. There’s no way we could run this ranch without the help of brothers Ernie and Phillip. Phillip has been with us since he graduated from high school more than 25 years ago, and Ernie has been here more than 15 years. Derek, our son-in-law, came on board in March and seems to love the ranch.
My job this morning (after making coffee and breakfast and packing lunches for Derek and Stan) was to handle the gate. Because the herd had to be moved across a county road, the men wired gates together to keep the livestock from heading down the road when they came through the gate. (Can you see the orange gates behind the cattle below?) But since people live on the road, I stood by the gate to let them through…but no one came, thankfully. Then, when the cattle were almost to the crossing I ran down to the other side and turned them, keeping them from heading down that way. It takes a lot of talent to be the cattle turner!
Calves that were born last fall are weaned and sorted into groups according to size; smaller ones will be fed a while and the bigger ones will be sold right away. There has been a lot of good grass this spring, so most of the calves have gained well. Each of the remaining animals goes through the chute and its head is caught in a headgate, which allows the men to do whatever needs to be done. The baby bulls among the calves born earlier this spring get to experience the unpleasant sensation of being turned into steers. The young calves all receive vaccine to protect them from several diseases, and they will return to the pasture with their mamas until late fall. Everything gets a dose of wormer, which is in a liquid form and is squirted down along the back. The mama cows are preg-checked if they aren’t obviously nursing a calf, and if they haven’t bred back, they are culled to be sold. (There’s no place on a ranch for an unproductive cow!)
Our cattle are divided into herds that fit the size of the pasture where they are placed; the herds range from 50 to 200 cows, depending on the acreage available. Some days the men will finish by shortly after noon, and when working the larger herds, it’ll take all day. Because they are gathered into a corral which can be tightly packed, it’s important to monitor the situation and not let them become too hot; heat can be deadly to livestock. After all the cattle have been worked, the ones that have been sorted off are trucked to other locations. The horses are brought back to their pasture by our house where they are brushed and fed. They usually go straight to a dusty place and roll in that as soon as the saddles are off. The vaccines go back into the fridge at headquarters, and syringes are washed up, and the rest of the day’s chores are done. By the time the sun sets, we’re ready for bed, usually able to fall asleep quickly… 5 a.m. will be here again before we know it!
Comments (11)
Oh, I would love to come and be a ranch hand on your ranch. I worked cattle in my adolescence. It was a small cattle farm, though, and not a big ranch. And yes, it most definitely does take talent to be the cattle turner! Them cows have a mind of their own, that’s for sure. have a great day!
Wow! That is a life that is totally unfamiliar to me!!! Everything sounds so new and exciting to this city-bred girl! The pictures of your ranch are so beautiful!
What a great photo essay and peek into your life on the ranch. Your place is so beautiful. I’m so glad to be sharing your Ozarks now!
wonderful early morning story….I am there with you in spirit ! – as for your earlier blog about memories and tea cakes – that is so true – what are we passing on..?
Oh, I loved this post, too. Life on the ranch has got to be one of the more fulfilling careers of all time. To be able to make a living working cattle and taking care of the land sounds very nice. Enjoyed your wonderful pictures. I also enjoyed your precious post about your surprise lunch at the Guys and what a wonderful legacy that provided you.
hmmm, so cattle work out? I thought they were supposed to get fat. I’m going to be a cow soon if I keep eating like I did the 4th of July.
i spent a couple of days early in the week in your neck of the woods, down in Shell Knob. There were 18 of my parent’s progeny in their small lake house with 2 bathrooms. It was a lot of fun!
RYC: Short’s unique squash casserole had a crisp crust and creamy texture. When I asked how she did that she said she put some Ranch dressing in it when she mixed the eggs and milk together. It was delicious. We heated the leftovers last night for supper and I thought it was even better then.
Oh, I love your pictures and hearing about your life. Thanks for coming by my blog. I loved meeting Julie this week. I do know about Caring Bridge and go there regularly for updates on others who blog on there. Thanks for the address. I will check it out. Bless you my dear sister. Your message was a blessing to me.
Love,
Beverly
It all looks divine!!!
What a great view of a “day in the life” of you
. Nice Pictures.
Hey, Jan! Re: your comments on my Ozarkisms piece- names in Noxubee County! Bos and them had a man who worked for them whose real name was “Sam,” but he was always called “Pete.” His wife’s name was Mary, but she went by “Suk,” and their daughter Bos’ age went by, (I promise!) “PIG”!
It is “Miss Tiny and Mr. Tinky.” And don’t forget Miss Dixie. And what about Blue Eyes Clark? And didn’t you ever hear of somebody talking about their “Uncle Bubba”? Bos had an aunt they all called “Aunt Titoo” which was a baby version of “Aunt Sister.”
“Sugar Pie” has always been one of my favorites names. And wasn’t there an old lady everybody called “Miss Baby Doll?”
And “tom ’bout” (talking about) Shuqualak, how ’bout Hashuqa Creek out at Salem? For years, I thought it was “Hey Sugar” Creek. And I really did think it was “Sugar Lock” when I was a child, especially since my family pronounced “sugar” as “shugah.”!
I wish you’d copy and send me your columns!
We’re off in the morning for a fun weekend somewhere…just away! May end up in Springfield. Have a good weekend!