by Texas Homesteader

I am amused sometimes at our work schedule. For instance, recently we arose early and enjoyed our coffee together. As we stood silently side-by-side at the large windows watching yet another gorgeous sunrise – steaming cups of coffee in hand – the question comes up as it typically does every day:

“What’s on our agenda today?”

Funny thing is having an “agenda” seldom works around here. As we gazed out the windows into the pastures, we noticed that one of the stocker cows we purchased recently was apparently coming into heat. Hummm…

OK, here’s the plan – we can A.I. her today if she’s standing. Aaaaand she was! So the first order of the day was to prepare the A.I. supplies & take the new stockers to the barn pen. Then we needed to separate them and run her through the chute for an A.I. session using our registered Angus straws. Soon it was mission accomplished.

Well since the stockers are already penned up, maybe we should take advantage of that and bring in a fresh roll of hay for them. That way we won’t have to guard the gate as the tractor comes & goes.

Get tractor / fetch hay / bring hay to barn pasture / unload hay & replace hay ring.
Mission accomplished again.

Now we notice a ruckus as our Hereford girls are indignant along the fence line wondering why *THEY* get something and *WE* don’t. Well if we’re moving hay, perhaps we should go ahead and refresh the hay in the pasture for our Hereford girls too. Although the winter rye is greening nicely and they’re getting lots of fresh grazing, it’s not yet enough to fully provide for them.

One-Two-Three bales dropped into hay rings for them.
Mission accomplished.

Hummm… I’m noticing a heifer that is old enough to be weaned but mama just isn’t helping by kicking her off and demanding that she get a job! It may be weaning time for that heifer.

I should note here that usually weaning time means three full days (and NIGHTS!) of mournful bawling. But this moment has been delayed long enough that the calf will probably just whine for a bit, then heed the advice and go get a job at the GAP – or wherever hipster heifers are working these days!

Anyway we’re thinking: Let’s push mama into a separate paddock, then into the barn pasture to join our stocker girls. Good plan!

But once the mama cow goes into the paddock she is entranced with the new green (as they always are). We had to entice her to go into the barn pasture but at last she was properly placed.

DONE.

Well, since we’re moving all of this hay today, perhaps we should go ahead and take a fresh roll to our offsite pasture for our stocker yearling steers.

Load up the trailer / haul to pasture / drop hay & replace hay ring / drive home.
DONE.

Whew – all before noon!  So now the question is, “What’s on the agenda for the rest of the day”?  I’m sure that question will answer itself shortly…

~TxH~

Other Ranching Articles

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• What Working From Home REALLY Means (and what it DOESN’T)
• Ranching: A Good Life, But A HARD Life
• The Sad Side Of Ranching
• A Glimpse Into Our Texas Homestead
• How We Came To Our NE Texas Homestead
• A Pictorial Tour Of Our 1880’s Barn
• Temporary Cattle Stocking For Flexibility
• How Much Is Your Reflection In The Mirror Worth?
• Building Life With Our Own Two Hands
• Why Bother With This ‘Homesteading’ Thing??!!
• Whispers Of Past Lives Lived On Our Land
• Milking My First Cow – Using Fresh Milk
• Easily Separating Cream From Raw Milk

See ALL Ranching Articles

 

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