All Weaned Up

A week ago Tuesday we went up to the community pasture to get our cows home for the winter.  I took Jess and it was ccccold.  Our first cold day of the year.  I was underdressed cause it was only -3 when we left here but was -10 up there.  Brrr.  Guess it really is colder up north, lol even though it was only half hour away from home.  I enjoy riding up there, even if we do have to get up before daylight.  It was a couple hours and went really well.  I stayed for the sorting even though I wasn't needed to work a gate.  They are building pipe corrals up there and so have all panels up there now.  Seem like the pens are a bit bigger and it worked well.  I mapped it on map my run too, here is the link.  Got a few pics of unloading cows at home, never got any up there I was too cold to take my gloves on until the sun warmed us up and it was too close to the corrals so had to work hard.

(Neil was gonna climb up the side and just as he grabbed the edge a cow peed out the ladder, lol he waited till she was done before climbing up)

Last Friday I headed down to get Jessie's shoes pulled and get her ready for winter.  Since I don't know what I am doing with her yet I am just turning her out for now.  Can always get her out later if I decide to.  Neil had said something about moving our cows to the small pasture north of our house cause then we just bring them to the corral from there.  I expected him to just use his Bob like he always moves his cows with but he said maybe we should ride!  So I just tacked up Jess when we got home and he got his horse and away we went.  I took the easy (ish) route of just follow the cows up top and kinda push the towards the gate and Neil headed down the creek to push up the ones that were down there.  I was lucky the cows were kinda lazy and just started moving away from me.  I just kept them from going south and keep moving.  They were really good and as long as they were moving I just left them.  Neil had a little more work than me, he had to go down a bunch of different hills and get a couple out each spot, once they were up top the hills they came over to the herd and I just encouraged them a little more to catch up.  It took a couple hours and was a really nice ride. No pics again, no reason just forgot camera, but I did map this ride too, link here

Then Sunday was the big day.  It was such a nice day, seemed wrong to wean when its nice out!  Usually its cold and sometimes snowy, but not this time.  I was cooking but I managed to make it outside and get a few pics, not sure I was any help they had it pretty well under control.  Its kinda a routine and our corrals are pretty easy to use with a couple people so went well as always, except the kinda wild cow we have.  I dunno where she cam from but she was up at the pasture and she run the pasture rider up the fence, she didn't like people too much.  I thought our only kinda wild cow had horns and an orange tag and this cow has neither.  She is better in a herd, but kinda highheaded still and so she is going away this fall.  To bad too cause shes a nice looking cow, but we don't need that kind of cow.  We sold all our calves this fall, first time ever for this place, but I think we are gonna keep no heifers and just buy young cows.  Will be a little different but should work better for us.

 (pretty full moon that morning)

 (all our cows in the corral)

(moo)

 (peeking out)

 (trying to hide)

 (our beef heifer, she was so quiet too bad she was open, hmm no calves 

what are we gonna eat next year!?!?)

 (the steer calves)

 (the heifer calves, I couldnt see the screen, guess it was a little sunny!)

(and off they go, two trucks this year)

The sale on Monday went well, our steers sold higher than last year but the heifers a little less, overall not bad, had a bunch of 46 heifers (we only sold 80) so that was nice.  We were pleased and we actually got more than the internet sale they had this morning, so I guess sometimes the auction house is the place to go, they all know our calves and so I think that makes a difference.