#473

We were out tagging calves, feeding corn to cows the other night when Tally captured this video.



#473 has become braver over last few weeks, and she finally decided to eat out of the bucket and let me scratch her head.  There's one in every crowd!

Spring in Montana

Mother Nature isn't letting up.  April Snow Showers will bring May flowers, right?  Snow in May? Sure, why not!

 Now, why were are truly grateful for the moisture she is giving us, couldn't Mother Nature at least warm up by 20* and send us this much needed moisture in the form of warm spring rains?

Here is a few snapshots I have taken in the last couple of weeks.  Sadly, this is the most snow we have had all winter.

Wet, cold horses begging for some hay

Mama taking care of her brand new baby

Hubby filling hay feeders for the heifers calves

Snow covered hay bales kind of makes for a pretty picture

Black and white

TC enjoying the snow and helping do chores

nom nom nom 

slushy, watery muddy mess

Tearing into the bales before they got put into the feeder  

I Like Cows

I like cows.  

They are beautiful.

They are survivors.

They are stubborn.

They are good for one's soul.

I just really like cows.

Wordless Wednesday

Spring 2012

Branding 2011 Part 2

We finally got our calves at home branded.  It's been a long spring.  We had a nice night and great friends helping.

Jakob helping his mom vaccinate

The roping crew:  Travis and Jordan

Tally helping Papa Loren

Hard Working Crew!

Jordan.  Fishing??

Tally and Jakob were busy decorating the corral fence.

Getting the work done.

Roping calves.

Branding is a favorite time of year for me.  I love the work.  I love the weather.  I love getting to help neighbors.  I love getting caught up of friends.  It gives you quite the feeling of accomplishment.  But I always sigh a sign of relief when our branding is done.  

Branding 2011

Branding has been a long drawn out process this spring/summer due to rain, farming and everything else Mother Nature has thrown at us.  We finally got Schledewitzs' done the other week, and the day after we got ours done.  

The old wooden post, woven fence round pen is not the easiest to rope out of, but its tradition

A shot of the branding stove and irons

The Boss

Getting the job done

Ragtag Crew.  Jakob, Tally and Tenley.  Tenley was a trooper all day long.

April 2011

April 2011 came in like a lion and went out with a roar!!  What a storm we had April 29th & 30th!!  Given the circumstances, we should consider ourselves lucky, as we were just on the edge of the storm.  My friends 15 miles away thought I was full of @#$% when I was describing what I was seeing as I looked out my one window I could see out of!  We lost several calves, and a cow which always hurts, but producers to the west and south of us suffered bigger losses than we did.  

The wind and driving snow in the storm pushed cattle through fences, into damns, miles away from home and into coulees where they piled up and died.  Early Saturday morning we got a phone call from my uncle telling us his big herd had pushed threw his fence and were scattered along the county road.

We had several calves that we lost during the storm.  Dana had found one alive, and we brought him into the garage, and I warmed him up and worked on him for quite some time but he didn't survive.  We figured he must have gotten trampled and was hurt inside.

Tally, who is 4, received quite the education during this storm.  Her first lesson was learning how the storm had broken the power lines, and therefore her t.v. and the lights wouldn't turn on.  She also learned how to be quiet while mommy and daddy were busy discussing and weighing our option on what the best plan would be to take care of the cattle.  But probably the biggest lesson was learning that now matter how warm we make sick baby calves, and how much we pray they live, and how sad mom gets when she can't save the baby calf, baby calves can die.

Like I said above, we have to consider ourselves lucky.  We lost very few of our herd.  We had power back within a day.  And most importantly our family was safe through the whole wicked storm.  My one wish is that Mother Nature back off and send us and the rest of the country some nice weather.

13

Last Wednesday, Ol' Blue Tage #13 calved!  She had a good looking bull calf.  That's two for two for me!  I showed you pictures of Ol' Blue #14, so of course I had to share pictures of #13's baby.  

So with #14 & #13 calved out, that just leaves, #11 & #12.  I am still hoping for a bull calf out of #11, as she goes back to New Design bull, and we (my dad and I) have kept some bull calves out of her and sold and used on our herd.  We shall see.  I was also hoping for some heifer calves out of these few mama's for some replacements.  But as long as I get 4 live calves I shall be happy.

Montana Beef Checkoff Dollars

I read today that the Montana Beef Council (Council) and the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) have decided to change how beef checkoff dollars are collected in the state. Beginning January 1, local and state brand inspectors will no longer be collecting the checkoff money from producers. Instead, they will provide the change of ownership paperwork to the producer. The producer is the held responsible to remit payment to the beef council. Local auction markets will collect/remit payment on behalf of the producer.

To learn more go to Northern Ag Network

Montana per capita fees

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2010


Steve Merritt
Public Information Officer
Montana Department ofLivestock
406-444-9431


BOL Holds the Line on Per Capita Fees for 4th Straight Year


At its meeting last week in Helena, the Montana Board of Livestock voted to hold the line on per capita fees for the fourth consecutive year.


Authorized by Montana Code Annotated 15-24-921, per capita fees – a per head fee assessed on “all poultry and bees, all swine three months of age or older, and all other livestock nine months of age or older" – annually generate roughly one-third of the department's overall budget. The fees, which fund animal health programs, brands enforcement, theft investigation and recovery, and predator control, will generate approximately $3.5 million in FY2011.


Roughly three-quarters of the department's legislatively authorized budget is funded with state special revenues – funds paid directly by the livestock industry – with the remainder derived from federal funds (approximately 15 percent) and state general funds (approximately 10 percent).


In addition to the per capita fee, other state special revenues are derived from inspection and control fees, such as brand enforcement revenues, lab testing fees and milk inspection fees. Per capita fees are used only on operations directly relating to the livestock industry; no per capita fees are used for Meat & Milk Inspection, the Milk Control Board, the Livestock Loss Reduction & Mitigation Board or the Board of Horse Racing.


Everyone benefits from programs funded by per capita fees. PCFs are used for animal health programs, brands enforcement, theft investigation and recovery, predator control and other department operations. Additionally, the general public benefits from programs designed to prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans.

Cattle Auctions

I confess, I am one of those nerds that follows livestock auction barn sales reports throught the region.  Religously.  Well I just discoverd that on two different sites, it is possible to watch these auctions live!  Uffda, I just get all excited thinking about it!  So if you are a fellow follower take a moment and check these sites out:

http://www.cattleusa.com/


http://www.lmaauctions.com/home.aspx


Enjoy!!

First One Of The Season

We are headed to our first branding this morning.  We are hoping calves are dry enough and we don't get rained out.  Safe to say kids and wrestlers will be mud from head to toe! 

Good Times.  Good Times.

Did I mention we are headed to Iversons & Dick brews his own beer?

Good Times.  Good Times.

Wolves Wolves Wolves

According to an article in the paper this morning, there has been a confirmed wolf killing of a calf near Roscoe Montana.  In the past couple of weeks, there has been two other calves found dead on the same ranch, but are not confirmed wolf kills.  After finding the newest dead calf, FWP personnel attemped to call the wolf back in to the kill site in hopes to shoot the responsible animal.  The calling did not work, so a trap will be set and the wolf caught will be outfitted in a radio collar.

Thumbalina & Charley

The other day I made mention of some calves that T was given;

Thumbalina

Charley

A week later these two calves are going strong. So just how did T end up with Thumbalina (the smallest calf ever) and Charley (the cast is now off his leg and he is all healed)? Well, from her wonderful Uncle Terry, of course!

You see, Uncle Terry was tired of feeding calves, and he thought it would be a great idea for T to have these calves. Give her something to do. Keep her entertained. Wasn't that so very thoughtful of Uncle Terry?

Foot and Mouth Disease found in Japan

Below is an article I found on the Feedstuffs website this morning.

Japan suspends beef exports after finding FMD*

(4/21/2010)
Ian Elliott

The Japanese government notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Tuesday of suspected cases of foot and mouth disease (FMD) at a farm in Tsuno-cho Koyu-gun in Miyazaki province, prompting the government to suspend beef exports.

"A private veterinarian first found a suspicious case in the affected farm and reported it to the local government’s veterinary service on April 9, 2010. An official veterinarian observed that a cow had fever, anorexia, salivation and erosions in the oral cavity on the same day, but the others had no clinical signs," Japan's Ministry of Agriculture reported to OIE.

"Since two other suspicious cases were found in the same farm on April 16, the veterinary service examined similar diseases such as bluetongue, bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and Ibaraki disease, but they showed negative results by PCR (polymer chain reaction) tests on April 19," the ministry added.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported that samples were submitted April 19 to the National Institute for Animal Health, which affirmed last Tuesday that the cattle were infected with FMD virus.

Agriculture Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu told reporters in Tokyo, Japan, "The government will take every measure to prevent the disease from spreading further."

The ministry told OIE it has destroyed all 16 head on the farm, started cleaning and disinfection there and put quarantine zones in place around the affected farm.

"Movement restrictions within 10 km around the affected farm have been implemented. Export international veterinary certificates for ruminants and products derived from them have been suspended since April 20," the ministry said.

This is Japan's first case of FMD since 2000.

No excuses...

What a week it has been! I have been a very bad blogger, and I would apologize, but there is really no need, as I am pretty sure noone reads this crazy blog of mine. But heck, that won't keep me from blogging, cuz I am having fun with it!

So in the last week, I became an auntie again! My (first) Nephew, Parker Shane, was born last Wednesday. He had some problems breathing and he was airlifted to Minot hospital where he has been ever since. He is getting stronger and stronger by the day, and I can not wait to meet him!

Tally was given some bum calves the other night! Yep. That's all I shall say about that as Charley & Thumbalina (the calves) deserve their own post, complete with pictures.

Tally has gotten to ride some in the last week, which has made her very happy. I did take her saddle away from her and she is now riding with a bareback rigging. And, she loves it! You go girl!!

Below is a link to an article I found this morning in the Billings Gazette. It's a great article, and the title explains it pretty well Young Rancher defy trends, return to land. Take a moment and read it, you won't be sorry.

Have a great day! And I promise (to myself at least) to get back on a blogging roll!

Never Too Old To Become A Daddy

I ran across an article at The Beef Site that I found quite interesting. Back in the 1960's some semen was collected from bulls, processed and stored in liquid nitrogren at the USDA National Germplasm Conservatory – a sperm and embryo cryobank – in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Recently some calves were born and Louisiana Agricultural Centre from some 40-year old semen that was used to AI about 200 cows. With live calves on the ground born from this stored semen, scientists see two positives effects for the beef and dairy industries.

1. Germplasm banks that are storing frozen semen have a product that we know will work for livestock producers

2. Strides have been made in genetics, and some small differences in DNA – single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs – have been shown to be positive production modifiers that can and likely will be used to increase animal production performance.”

*SNPs can act as biological markers, helping scientists locate genes that are associated with a variety of traits, such as growth, milk production and disease susceptibility. Some of the older bulls in the study may have had these SNPs, and with our advance in technology scientists will be able to identify SNP's and different traits to help improve production.

To read the whole story check it out here

Market Reports

Are you one of those people that does not go anywhere with your cell phone?

Do you use your cell phone for gathering and storing information?

Do you like to keep up with whats going on around you?

I have to admit I can answer yes to all three of those questions. Here awhile back I was surfing the web, dreaming of spring when I came across something that had me intrigued. On the Drovers website you can sign up to have the daily Market Reports sent to your phone through a text message. You get opening and closing updates along with midday report. Just go here and follow the easy instructions.

My Favorite Season

One of my favorite seasons is fast approaching.

Calving Season

*It brings Hope

*It brings New Life

*Supplies us with some new stories to tell

*Cracking the good ol' dependable horse out

*Cracking the 'we got a ways to go' horse out
*Taking bets on which horse is gonna buck with you first

*Slopping around in the mud. snow. rain. dust.

*Pulling a calf to save its life

*The smile on a little kid when they get to love a baby calf

*Getting up in the middle of the night to check one heifer

*Jumping fences and swearing that this is the year she gets sold

*Fresh Air

I just can't wait for Calving Season!

After after Calving Season comes another favorite season.

Branding.

*Catching up with neighbors

*Enjoying good food

*Shaking the cobwebs off your rope

*Teaching the rookies how to flip a calf

*Observing the result of you sleepless hours during calving

*Cold Beer

*Listening to the Calving Stories being told

*Playing the gambling game of 'which bull calves not to cut'

*Accomplishing a big task with the help of your neighbors and friends

*Watching that cowkid finally get a chance in the roping pen after years of begging

*Seeing the ol' timer make his way in to brand at least one calf

*Listening to that same ol' timer tell his version of 'back in my day' stories

*Watching a parent pass on knowledge to the next generation

*Watching a parent teach a new skill to the next generation

*Laughing the next generation get knocked on their ass, because some things can't be taught.

*Laughing even harder because many times it was yourself getting knocked on their ass

Netflix & Temple Grandin

If I had my way, we wouldn't have TV in our house. I would not be paying for Dish Network or DirecTV or whatever else there is. But I don't get my way. We have TV. A few weeks ago I was wishing that we had HBO in our TV package. But Big D did start Netflix here recently. Which I am not too thrilled about.

Yep, I went from one end of the stick to the other. From no TV to wanting HBO. To clarify, I just wanted HBO for the weekend. Not all the time.

I was wanting to watch the movie Temple Grandin. Most everyone in Agriculture has heard of Dr. Temple Grandin and the lucky ones have got too sit in on one of her presentations. I am one of the lucky ones. I saw her speak several times in college. My husband is not. He wasn't even sure who she was. Really? I thought he knew everything, or so he tells me!

I have decided to not belly ache too much about Netflix. I also have quit walking around in disbelief and repeating the phrase "how could you not know....". Why you ask?

Well, because Big D informed me that he added Temple Grandin to his Netflix list, so when HBO releases it, it will arrive in my mailbox.