Tuesday, May 31, 2011

I'm Back

After a few weeks away from the ranch, I am back.  It was great to get away from the 12+ hour days, but I did miss this place & am glad to be home again.
While I was away, momma 238 got up & is walking with a bit of a limp, but she moves herself around.  Her udder dried up & so we still have BB in the yard & are feeding her 3 times a day.  We had 2 more calves while I was gone & both mothers & babies are doing well.
We did get a little rain & so the ranch looked nice & green when I got home.  It won't last though.  I'm already seeing that lovely green fade to brown.  It seemed like we were going to get a few sprinkles yesterday, but it was just windy, windy, windy. 
Today we are working cows.  Time to get more of the commercial herd who have babies off the front pastures & out back with the rest of the mothers & babies.  This is going to be a multi-day process as we want to pregnancy test all the commercial cattle that don't have babies on the ground.  If they aren't pregnant, they are getting off the feed payroll.  There might be one or two pardons from the auction barn, but if they aren't going to drop a next generation on the ground they are outta here.  That sounds so harsh, but there is only so much grass & hay isn't free. 
Once the cow work is done for the day, little BB is going to get to join the big little girl group.  She needs some cows to help her be more cowish.  They will teach her to eat hay & feed.  Poor thing is just starving all the time, but won't eat any calf pellets because she doesn't know what that's all about.  I will still have to bottle feed her & just hope that she won't be quite so ravenous.
OK - gotta make my who's a mother list for the pens today.
Maybe I'll get some pictures & will post them this afternoon while it's too stinking hot to do anything else or tomorrow.

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