When The Cows Come Home

Friday the 9th we headed up to the what I call the place by Stettler but its really by Donalda on the Roslind Road.  I was told I was gonna get to bring my pony but at the last minute Neil decided it would be fine without her :(  I was pretty sad but away we go.  I took the old grey trailer and it was pulling just terrible.  I complained to Neil about it and we looked all around and couldn't see anything so we kept going.

(we are right beside the Hutterite Colony Of Donalda 

and they had thier sheep in the canola field,

 no fences and they were just well behaved, was really weird.)

(The grass up there still looks good)

We got up there and Neil's Mom and Dad met us there and so that was nice, we sat around while Neil used his quad and got the cows in, it took about half hour, hes lucky they were all on the right side of the slough and not in the trees (I was hoping they were and he wished I brought my pony)  Once in, we cut the calves from the cows and that went really well except we made a lot of extra steps cause there is no gates where there should be gates.  Then we had lunch, a picnic we stopped in Drum that morning to get and then the truck come and we loaded him and then calves on Neil's trailer and 3 cows on my old trailer.  They were all in the front compartment which they fit fine but my little half ton cant hold that much weight on the bumper but Neil wanted his bike in the back so that's what we did.  42 pair up there, too bad wasn't only 41 then I wouldn't have needed to haul a trailer.

(not good)

(cows going into bull pasture for the night after being unloaded)

On the way home finally and we get to Castor and I think I should get gas, I might have enough to get home but just in case I better stop.  Well we gas up and I walk around the far side and see that there is oil or something on the tire, go take a closer look and oh crap the bearings are gone.  Probly were going the whole time and that's why it was pulling so bad.  Well we pull over to the side out of the way of everyone else there and jump in his truck and go home to unload calves.  Trucker calls and says his cows and calves are in the corral and that's perfect, he was cleaning ou the liner as we pull in the yard.  We unload his calves and head back to Castor to load those cows onto his trailer (by backing up so doors match and then letting the cows out and they walk across)  And then unhook my truck and tell the guys inside we are leaving the trailer there and will be back in the morning for it.  I was going to poker rally the next day so Neil was planning on stopping at a garage in town and seeing if they could fix it, haul the trailer to them and leave it there and then pick it up when ready.  of course being thanksgiving weekend no one was open, so he pulled the front 2 tires off and drove home slowly, it worked but now we gotta fix it and hopefully trade it on a newer model.  Was late when we got home, about 8:30 and the temperature was still 15*C  Wow that just unheard of for October 9th! We left them in the corral at night and then they went out with the other cows in the morning.

(The dash in my truck when we got home and all unloaded)

Then on the 14th was the community pasture day.  Its always an early morning, I got up before daylight and couldn't see anything but somehow the horses knew and come running into the corral, whew.  We went out to catch them, I thought I might take Razz but then Neil went to catch George and he started running around like he quite often does, he needs to play the move my feet game and then hes caught when he looks at you.  Well Jess thought she would run around to and so I took her, Cant have horses being a dork and letting them think that works.  She was good after that anyways, as always.  We loaded up and headed up to be there by 8.  I got a flat tire on the way in the yard, I think i know when it happened cause all the sudden Jess started jumping around in the trailer, probly cause the tire blew.  Oh well I ignored it till after we were back and fixed it before I headed home.

(9 of us this time, just starting out)

(Oh I see cows)

(and more cows)

(and more, just trailing them in)

Was a little chilly to start, was glad I had my ear warmer and gloves on, coulda used a pair of chinks though.  We took the long route around the lake cause that's where most of the cows were.  There's a pretty boggy spot so we tried to go around it too, no need to go through it if not necessary.  There was 9 of us this year, that was a little weird, I been there when there was only 4, a lot less stress when there is more.  We stared pushing cows south, we need to go farther south than the corrals cause they just cut around and go by the lake if we don't.  We push them north of the road then across the dam and then down south to the corrals.  It works well and this year as well,

(about 300 in this bunch)

(yay got them into the corrals)

(calves are sure looking good this year)

We got them in the corrals and then comes the hard work.  We put our horses away at just over 3 hours riding.  There was 5 people who had cows in this bunch and so everyone took a gate, Me and Stewart never had a gate so we pushed them from the big corral to the small alley.  once they were all separated, we cut everyone's groups into cows and calves and counted them and made sure all the animals were there.  So far so good, we had 50 up there and 50 to come home.  Our truck came 3rd in line and so we just waited and visited and then it was time to load.  Loaded up the liner and then I took the horses in my trailer and Neil was gonna haul a load of calves.  I headed out just after the liner and got home at the same time (I took a shorter way)  We unloaded cows and then Neil drives in, he said there was 4 trailers in front of him so he just headed home and figured we would just load the rest in the liner for a second trip.  So he jumped in with Justin and go pick up the last of the cows and calves.

(on the way home I saw a herd of antelopes, this in only about half of them)

(whew 9 miles, I forgot to stop it till we were in the corral, probly just about 3 hours)

(trailing cows in)

I unloaded the horses and untacked and fed them and turned them back out, they get to go in the alley so Neil could chase the cows through there pasture out to the rest of the cows.  When they got back he took them out, sure looks a lot different having all the cows home.  Makes a huge difference adding 92 cows to the herd.  And now we wean tomorrow and so half them will go to town.

(Horses were so well behaved no need to tie to unsaddle)

(Jessie and George, oats sure help them stay there )

(Jess rolling after I put her back)

Wordless Wednesday....Trio :)

Poker Ride 2015

Every Thanksgiving Weekend on the Saturday our community has a poker Ride.  Its called the Doan Andrus Memorial Trail Ride.  Its named after my neighbors husband who passed away from MS a few years ago.  I haven't made it every year but I try to cause I always have fun.  Since I am in that horsemanship Challenge I brought Jessie.  It was a good 2 hours from start to finish.  Weather was just beautiful was a warm 27*C when I left there, crazy warm weather for this time of year.

(starting the ride)

(Over the hill)

(Jess is sore on the gravel so we tried to find a way around the road

 and we got up high)

I got there just after 10 and not too many people are there so I got Jess all ready and then a few more people came and so got my start of the poker hand and helped other people get ready.  A few years ago I sold a horse to Janice and they keep telling me about him whenever I see him and this time they brought him.  He was fat!  But still the same ol good Henry, wanting to go faster all the time, but not being too bad.  Been a long time since I seen him, I think we figured 6 years, hes 13 now, wow time flies.

(Golf stop)

(got to the river)

(Through the trees)

(good thing its mowed through the path)

We started going down the trail and it was sure busy at the first stop, everyone got there at once.  It was OK since we visited with everyone down there.  And they had a golf ball challenge, person who hit closest to the mineral tub took it home.  Holli has never golfed before but boy she hit a good one and was less than 3 steps away, she won the tub which was funny since she has no cows.   But her brother does so I suspect hes getting it.

(and more river)

(Standing on a hill looking back)

(And looking ahead)

(Henry and Johns blacks at a poker stop)

(There were those scary shacks on this hill)

(Made it out of the river)

(Johns team)

(Ember on Jess)

(trying out the water in the tire)

After that I rode with Janice as well and then she slowed up a bit so I ended up riding the second part by myself which actually worked out well since I could go whatever speed I wanted and stop to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery.  Sometimes when riding with others I am so busy visiting I forget to look around.

When we come back up top I saw Janice over to the side trotting circles and stuff and then John put his wagon in a trot, that was cool, so we loped over there, I thought maybe shed want to race but no so we just went to the next stop.  I got off and some cute little girls who need a pony asked if they could sit on my horse, so sure they did and one rode her around, Jess was a little unsure what to do it was cute.  Then her sister got on and she led her around and that was much better cause I didn't have to :)  Jess was so good.  Then we got on and were a little behind so I loped up to the wagon and the kids thought that was fun.   We had lunch and really good cookies.  They called out the winners and I wasn't one of them, again.  But it was worth it anyways.

(Back at the trailer, with Henry ahead)

(Jess got a little sweaty cause it was so warm and shes getting winter hair)

(the route)

Moving Cows and Treating Calves

Lots going on around here but for now will just mention Monday.  I was just going out to catch Jess and go riding and Neil says he is gonna move his cows out of the oat field so I asked if he needed help and of course he says yes so we had a job for the ride :)

(sure is pretty riding through the trees)

I headed out and its 2 miles to the field so its kinda slow.  Neil takes Bob(the side by side) and so he's faster so I got a head start.  And then he starts at the far side and I come down the road and make sure they don't go down that way.  At least that was the plan.  He went and got a few from the far side and I was still on the way, as I got closer I could see going towards the road would get in the way of the cows coming out the gate but there was some farther down the fence so I went towards them and even though I was on the outside of the fence the cows kept running towards the other cows, was weird to be on the wrong side of the fence though.

(I love the shadow we make )

(Jess looks toward Bob like a friend horse)

We got them out and the cows really wanted to go somewhere else not just out the gate so since he was gonna move them North in a couple days we decided to move them there now.  Well Neil was gonna close the gates and open the ones for the new field and he saw a sick calf.  So while he was taking a picture of it and texting the vet I went to the far side and started gathering those cows.  We were not sure it was water belly (my thought) or a rupture (Neil's thought)

(following the cows into the gate, Jess is a little sore on the gravel 

but she would rather that than walk in the ditch, her choice)

I got the few out of one field and the gate to the alfalfa field was open and so I had to get off and close the oat field gate so they wouldn't go in there and I am so awkward getting on I needed a low spot to put Jessie and then my saddle slipped and so I fixed it and then I saw a rock and so I used that.  I never realized I kept the video on for all of it but I did.

(Little long but I even cut it shorter, 

was 11 minutes but rest was just walking)

The cows run to the dugout and I just followed then and they kept going towards the other cows and by then Neil came up and they were going towards the gate and sick calf didn't wanna go so I left him and followed the cows through the gate and he brought sicky home to the corrals.  I was ahead of him so I opened the gates right into the corral, and he closed the gate where the cows went.  Worked well.  I like that he uses Bob  and so he can close all the gates (well almost)

(there's the dugout)

(I think this pic is really cool, 

I was trying to get the clump grass

 and it looks like the world is round here )

(everything looks so far away in my go pro)

It was a good 2 hours and almost 6 miles.  Pretty good workout for both of us.  Its much easier to ride by myself when I have a job to do.

(sicky is the middle one, not looking at me and not the cow)

(he was quite happy to be left behind)

Turns out the calf had water belly and the vet come out just as Neil got to the corral and he was bloated and not looking good.  Vet figured he had maybe till morning but he had seen others who lived, but with the bloat there was something else going on not just water belly.  And it had been 3 days since Neil looked at the cows and so it coulda been anytime between that and Monday he got a blockage.  Vet says quite often its runty calves and its caused by not enough water and salty feed.  Hes not surprised this year cause it was pretty droughty for most of the summer and if he had a low milking mother coulda happened.  he wasn't really a runt though.  First one I've seen here in 11 years, kinda weird.  I had never seen it on nursing calves but I guess it does happen.

(poor guy, but he sure felt better after that)

He treated the bloat and he looked a lot better after that.  Figured his bladder didn't burst it was a blockage in the urethra and so he cut a couple holes in his belly and boy did it leak out, some blood but mostly urine.  He said if he lives he will just constantly leak out there, it will get kinda rotten on his belly then heal up and be fine in about 3 months then we sell him and he should grow up normal.  poor guy he was not feeling good but looked better after he was less bloated.  We put him in a small pen and he had a good drink of water but had no interest in feed.  Tuesday he still looked good no interest in much and this morning he was lying there dead.  Kinda felt bad for him, I was hoping he'd pull through but looks like he just laid down an died :(  Probly for the best but still a sad way to go.